Start a Book Club قم بإنشاء نادي الكتاب: English
About This Guide
This guide will help you start or join a book club. You are also invited to join the Library's English Fiction Book Club, which meets on the last Wednesday of the month from 5 to 7 PM at the Library. See the Library's events page for more information.
Scroll to the bottom of this page for a complete list of book club titles available at the Library. We've listed some of our favorites on the right.
Starting a Book Club
Book clubs are a great way to meet new people, discover books you may not otherwise read and, of course, have fun! Here are some tips on how to get your new book club started.
WHO? Book clubs typically have 8 to 10 members. If you’re worried your club might get too big, consider setting a membership limit or creating criteria for new members.
WHAT? Choosing a theme for your club will help you choose books and attract interested members. For example, some clubs may read only nonfiction books, while others may read only mysteries, books by female authors or books from a particular region.
WHERE? Many book groups meet at one member’s home each month, with the host providing small snacks or refreshments. For new groups, it may be more comfortable for people to meet in a public place, such as the Library or a café.
WHEN? Establish a regular meeting time to help members remember and plan ahead. Decide how often you’ll meet, and if you’ll meet during the summer and over holidays.
HOW? The books you read are the heart of the club, so it’s important to make thoughtful selections and give members a chance to help choose. Some book clubs select titles far in advance, while others select from month-to-month. One approach is to give one person each month the opportunity to submit three book choices; the rest of the members then vote for one of the three titles.
Once your book club is up and running, keep the momentum going and keep people coming back by ensuring everyone has a good time and feels like they’re able to contribute.
PLAN Read the book, do some research on the topics and/or author, and come prepared with questions that will generate discussion. Consider establishing a rough meeting outline to allow for socializing, discussion and planning future meetings without getting off-track.
BE FLEXIBLE People come to book clubs for different reasons—some may enjoy socializing, while others may want to focus on discussing and analyzing the book. Most book clubs have a relaxed environment, but if the book becomes an afterthought, consider scheduling social time before you start your discussion.
ENCOURAGE Not everyone is comfortable speaking in front of a group. Encourage everyone to participate, and emphasize that there are no right or wrong opinions. Also, people will feel reluctant to come if they haven’t finished the book. Urge them to attend and discuss the parts of the book they did read.
DISCUSS Welcome attendees and allow new members to introduce themselves. Let the conversation proceed naturally, but keep in mind that as the leader, your role is to keep the discussion running smoothly.
CHECK IN If people aren’t enjoying the club, they’re most likely not going to complain—they’ll just stop coming. Talk to members one-on-one periodically to see if they have any suggestions.
Leading a Book Discussion
As the leader of your book club, you’ll often be leading the discussion and ensuring everyone has fun and is able to participate. Here are some common challenges and suggestions for how to handle them:
If one person is dominating the conversation … Redirect the conversation by thanking the person for their perspective and ask if anyone else would like to comment. You can also introduce a new topic yourself to encourage others to share their thoughts.
If members keep talking over each other … Bring an object to pass around the room—only the person holding the object gets to speak. If one person is holding the object too long, change the object to a timer and give each person a set amount of time.
If shy or quiet members don’t get to participate … If you can tell that someone wants to speak, invite them to comment. One way to guarantee everyone has a chance to speak is to allocate time at the end of every meeting for each person to share their final thoughts.
If the discussion becomes heated … Though there’s nothing wrong with members having different opinions, remind everyone that there is no right—or wrong—answer.
If the discussion becomes emotional … Controversial books can make for great club choices because they often spark lively discussions. However, topics that are too sensitive may cause your members to be embarrassed or uncomfortable. If you sense that some members are uncomfortable with the discussion, take a quick poll of the group to decide if you want to move on to another topic. You can also break members into smaller discussion groups according to how they would like to proceed.
If the conversation stalls … Sometimes the problem isn’t too much talk, but not enough. Not all books will capture the group’s interest, so if you’re all talked out, ask members if they want to discuss other book-related topics. This can be a fun way to get book recommendations—both for the club and for your own reading—and learn more about your fellow club members. Some fun ice-breakers include asking people their favorite fictional characters, a favorite film based on a book or books that have changed their lives.
If leading the group becomes overwhelming … If you’re looking at this list and thinking that running a book club is hard work, don’t worry! Once you get a consistent group of members, consider rotating leaders for each meeting so that you get a break and other members have a chance to guide the club.
Participating in a Book Club
So you’ve joined a book club—great! Books clubs are a fun way to meet new people, discover new books and share your thoughts in a supportive environment. Here are some tips to help you get the most out of your book club experience.
BE PREPARED Read the book. Take notes as you go and use sticky notes to mark any passages you find interesting so that you can refer to them at the meeting. If you don’t finish the book, go to the meeting anyway. Discuss what you have read and listen while other members discuss the parts of the book you didn’t read. However, don’t expect other members to avoid sharing spoilers.
BE RESPECTFUL People have different reasons for joining a book club. Some come for serious explorations of literary themes, while others join to make new friends. By respecting these different desires, not only will get what you want out of the club, but everyone else will, too.
BE PATIENT Take turns speaking and be a good listener. Each member should have an opportunity to share his or her thoughts. If you tend to be long-winded, be cautious not to dominate the discussion and be sure to stay on topic. Be open to other opinions—don’t feel like you have to win everyone over to your side. Often the best discussions are books loved by half of the group and hated by the other half!
BE OPEN Part of the fun of joining a book club is to read books you wouldn’t normally choose yourself. You may discover a new author or genre that you love. If you didn’t like a book, that’s fine too, and you’re welcome to discuss why. However, always keep in mind that there is no right or wrong in reading for pleasure. Avoid "book-shaming"—making people feel bad about what they choose to read.
BE A GOOD MEMBER Come on time, participate, and be sure to understand the group guidelines before inviting new members to join. If you have a suggestion for how to improve the club, let the organizer know. Most of all, have fun!
Qatar National Library Book Club Collection
The Library has multiple copies of the following titles. Email bookclubs@qnl.qa to reserve copies of books for your upcoming book club discussion.
|
Author |
Title |
|
Abdolah, Kader |
The King |
|
Achebe, Chinua |
Things Fall Apart |
|
Ahern, Cecelia |
PS, I Love You: A Novel |
|
Akhtar, Ayad |
American Dervish: A Novel |
|
Alvarez, Julia |
In the Time of the Butterflies |
|
Andrews, Mary Kay |
Deep Dish |
|
Andrews, Mary Kay |
Save The Date |
|
Andrews, Mary Kay |
Summer Rental: A Novel |
|
Arnim, Elizabeth von |
The Enchanted April |
|
Atkinson, Kate |
A God In Ruins: A Novel |
|
Atkinson, Kate |
Life After Life: A Novel |
|
Atwood, Margaret |
The Handmaid's Tale |
|
Atwood, Margaret |
The Blind Assassin |
|
Atwood, Margaret |
Oryx and Crake: A Novel |
|
Austen, Jane |
Emma |
|
Austen, Jane |
Northanger Abbey |
|
Austen, Jane |
Persuasion |
|
Austen, Jane |
Sense and Sensibility |
|
Austen, Jane |
Pride and Prejudice |
|
Baker, Jo |
Longbourn |
|
Barbery, Muriel |
The Elegance of the Hedgehog |
|
Barry, Brunonia |
The Lace Reader |
|
Bassiouney, Reem |
The Pistachio Seller |
|
Bender, Aimee |
The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake: A Novel |
|
Benioff, David |
City of Thieves: A Novel |
|
Benjamin, Melanie |
The Aviator's Wife: A Novel |
|
Bhutto, Fatima |
The Shadow of the Crescent Moon |
|
Bilal, Parker |
The Burning Gates: A Makana Mystery |
|
Blake, Sarah |
The Postmistress |
|
Blasim, Hassan |
The Corpse Exhibition and Other Stories of Iraq |
|
Bohjalian, Christopher A. |
Midwives |
|
Boyle, T. Coraghessan |
The Tortilla Curtain |
|
Bradbury, Ray |
Fahrenheit 451 |
|
Bradley, C. Alan |
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie: A Flavia De Luce Mystery |
|
Braithwaite, E. R. |
To Sir, With Love |
|
Brennert, Alan |
Moloka'I |
|
Bronte, Charlotte |
Jane Eyre |
|
Bronte, Emily |
Wuthering Heights |
|
Brooks, Geraldine |
Caleb's Crossing |
|
Brooks, Geraldine |
March: A Novel |
|
Brooks, Geraldine |
Year of Wonders: A Novel of the Plague |
|
Brooks, Max |
World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War |
|
Brown, Dan |
The Da Vinci Code: A Novel |
|
Brown, Dan |
The Lost Symbol: A Novel |
|
Buck, Pearl S. |
The Good Earth |
|
Buckley, Carla |
The Deepest Secret: A Novel |
|
Card, Orson Scott |
Ender's Game |
|
Cather, Willa |
My Antonia |
|
Chabon, Michael |
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier And Clay: A Novel |
|
Chevalier, Tracy |
Girl With a Pearl Earring |
|
Christie, Agatha |
And Then There Were None |
|
Cisneros, Sandra |
The House on Mango Street |
|
Cleave, Chris |
Little Bee |
|
Cline, Ernest |
Ready Player One |
|
Coelho, Paulo |
The Alchemist |
|
Collins, Wilkie |
The Woman in White |
|
Coplin, Amanda |
The Orchardist: A Novel |
|
Dai, Sijie |
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress |
|
Daoud, Hassan |
The Penguin's Song |
|
Davis, Brooke |
Lost & Found |
|
De los Santos, Marisa |
The Precious One |
|
De los Santos, Marisa |
Love Walked In: A Novel |
|
Diaz, Junot |
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao |
|
Diaz, Junot |
This is How You Lose Her |
|
Dickens, Charles |
Great Expectations |
|
Dickens, Charles |
Hard Times |
|
Dickens, Charles |
A Tale of Two Cities |
|
Donoghue, Emma |
Room: A Novel |
|
Dostoyevsky, Fyodor |
Crime and Punishment |
|
Du Maurier, Daphne |
Rebecca |
|
Dumas, Alexandre |
The Count of Monte Cristo |
|
Dunn, Mark |
Ella Minnow Pea: A Novel in Letters |
|
Durrow, Heidi W. |
The Girl Who Fell From the Sky: A Novel |
|
Edwards, Kim |
The Memory Keeper's Daughter |
|
Erdrich, Louise |
The Plague of Doves |
|
Esquivel, Laura |
Like Water For Chocolate: A Novel in Monthly Installments |
|
Eugenides, Jeffrey |
The Marriage Plot |
|
Fatah, Sherko |
The Dark Ship |
|
Fergus, Jim |
One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd |
|
Ferriss, Lucy |
A Sister To Honor: A Novel |
|
Forde, Jasper |
The Eyre Affair: A Novel |
|
Fielding, Helen |
Bridget Jones's Diary: A Novel |
|
Filer, Nathan |
The Shock Of The Fall |
|
Fitzgerald, F. Scott |
The Great Gatsby |
|
Flynn, Gillian |
Dark Places |
|
Flynn, Gillian |
Gone Girl: A Novel |
|
Flynn, Gillian |
Sharp Objects: A Novel |
|
Follett, Ken |
Pillars Of The Earth |
|
Ford, Jamie. |
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet: A Novel |
|
Forster, E. M. |
A Passage to India |
|
Fowler, Karen Joy |
The Jane Austen Book Club |
|
Franklin, Tom |
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter |
|
Franzen, Jonathan |
Freedom |
|
French, Tana |
In the Woods |
|
Gabaldon, Diana |
Outlander |
|
Gaiman, Neil |
Neverwhere |
|
Garcia Marquez, Gabriel |
Love in the Time Of Cholera |
|
Garcia Marquez, Gabriel |
One Hundred Years of Solitude |
|
Gargash, Maha |
The Sand Fish: A Novel from Dubai |
|
Gaskell, Elizabeth Cleghorn |
Cranford |
|
Genova, Lisa |
Still Alice: A Novel |
|
Gilbert, Elizabeth |
The Signature of All Things |
|
Godwin, Gail |
The Finishing School |
|
Golden, Arthur |
Memoirs of a Geisha: A Novel |
|
Golding, William |
Lord of the Flies |
|
Goldman, Francisco |
Say Her Name |
|
Goolrick, Robert |
A Reliable Wife: A Novel |
|
Gowda, Shilpi Somaya |
Secret Daughter |
|
Grahame-Smith, Seth |
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance -- Now With Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem |
|
Greene, Amy |
Long Man: A Novel |
|
Grossman, Lev |
The Magicians: A Novel |
|
Gruen, Sara |
Water for Elephants: A Novel |
|
Haddon, Mark |
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time |
|
Hannah, Kristin |
Firefly Lane |
|
Hannah, Kristin |
Winter Garden |
|
Harbach, Chad |
The Art of Fielding: A Novel |
|
Hardy, Thomas |
Tess of the D'Urbervilles |
|
Heller, Joseph |
Catch-22 |
|
Hemingway, Ernest |
The Old Man and the Sea |
|
Hemingway, Ernest |
The Sun Also Rises |
|
Herbert, Frank |
Dune |
|
Hill, Lawrence |
Someone Knows My Name |
|
Horan, Nancy |
Loving Frank: A Novel |
|
Hosseini, Khaled |
A Thousand Splendid Suns |
|
Hosseini, Khaled |
And the Mountains Echoed |
|
Hosseini, Khaled |
The Kite Runner |
|
Howe, Katherine |
The Physick Book Of Deliverance Dane: A Novel |
|
Hugo, Victor |
Les Miserables |
|
Hurston, Zora Neale |
Their Eyes Were Watching God |
|
Ishiguro, Kazuo |
Never Let Me Go |
|
James, Henry |
The Portrait of a Lady |
|
James, Henry |
Washington Square |
|
Johnson, Adam |
The Orphan Master's Son: A Novel |
|
Johnson, Julia |
The Leopard Boy |
|
Jones, Edward P. |
The Known World |
|
Joyce, Rachel |
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry: A Novel |
|
Kent, Kathleen |
The Heretic's Daughter: A Novel |
|
Keyes, Daniel |
Flowers for Algernon |
|
Khadra, Yasmina |
African Equation |
|
Khal, Abdo |
Throwing Sparks |
|
Kidd, Sue Monk |
The Secret Life of Bees |
|
Kiefer, Christian |
The Animals: A Novel |
|
King, Stephen |
11/22/63: A Novel |
|
Kingsolver, Barbara |
The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel |
|
Kingsolver, Barbara |
The Bean Trees: A Novel |
|
Kingsolver, Barbara |
Flight Behavior: A Novel |
|
Kingsolver, Barbara |
The Lacuna: A Novel |
|
Kingsolver, Barbara |
Prodigal Summer: A Novel |
|
Kline, Christina Baker |
Orphan Train: A Novel |
|
Koch, Herman |
The Dinner: A Novel |
|
Kostova, Elizabeth |
The Historian: A Novel |
|
Krauss, Nicole |
The History of Love |
|
Kwok, Jean |
Girl in Translation |
|
Lahiri, Jhumpa |
The Namesake |
|
Lahiri, Jhumpa |
Unaccustomed Earth |
|
Landay, William |
Defending Jacob: A Novel |
|
Larsson, Stieg |
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo |
|
Lee, Harper |
To Kill a Mockingbird |
|
Leya, Ella |
The Orphan Sky |
|
Livesey, Margot |
The Flight of Gemma Hardy: A Novel |
|
Lupton, Rosamund |
Sister: A Novel |
|
Maguire, Gregory |
Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West: A Novel |
|
Martel, Yann |
Life of Pi: A Novel |
|
Mathis, Ayana |
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie |
|
McCall Smith, Alexander |
The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency |
|
McCann, Colum |
Let the Great World Spin: A Novel |
|
McCarthy, Cormac |
The Road |
|
McCreight, Kimberly |
Reconstructing Amelia: A Novel |
|
McCullers, Carson |
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter |
|
McEwan, Ian |
Atonement: A Novel |
|
McLain, Paula |
The Paris Wife: A Novel |
|
Melville, Herman |
Moby-Dick, or, The Whale |
|
Mieville, China |
The City & the City |
|
Mistry, Rohinton |
A Fine Balance: A Novel |
|
Mitchell, David |
Cloud Atlas: A Novel |
|
Mitchell, David |
The Thousand Autumns of Jacob De Zoet: A Novel |
|
Mitchell, Margaret |
Gone With the Wind |
|
Morgenstern, Erin |
The Night Circus: A Novel |
|
Moriarty, Liane |
The Husband's Secret |
|
Moriarty, Liane |
What Alice Forgot |
|
Morton, Kate |
The Forgotten Garden: A Novel |
|
Morton, Kate |
The Secret Keeper: A Novel |
|
Morton, Kate |
The House at Riverton: A Novel |
|
Moyes, Jojo |
Me Before You |
|
Nicholls, David |
One Day |
|
Niffenegger, Audrey |
The Time Traveler's Wife |
|
Obreht, Tea |
The Tiger's Wife: A Novel |
|
O'Brien, Tim |
The Things They Carried: A Work of Fiction |
|
O'Farrell, Maggie |
The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox |
|
Orwell, George |
Nineteen Eighty-Four |
|
Orwell, George |
Animal Farm |
|
Otsuka, Julie |
The Buddha in the Attic |
|
Packer, Ann |
The Dive From Clausen's Pier |
|
Patchett, Ann |
Run |
|
Patchett, Ann |
State Of Wonder: A Novel |
|
Paton, Alan |
Cry, the Beloved Country |
|
Payton, Brian |
The Wind is Not a River |
|
Picoult, Jodi |
Nineteen Minutes: A Novel |
|
Picoult, Jodi |
My Sister's Keeper: A Novel |
|
Picoult, Jodi |
House Rules: A Novel |
|
Plath, Sylvia |
The Bell Jar |
|
Powers, Richard |
Orfeo: A Novel |
|
Quick, Matthew |
The Silver Linings Playbook: A Novel |
|
Quinn, Daniel |
Ishmael |
|
Rachman, Tom |
The Imperfectionists: A Novel |
|
Rahimi, Atiq |
A Curse on Dostoevsky |
|
Rash, Ron |
Serena: A Novel |
|
Robinson, Kim Stanley |
The Years of Rice And Salt |
|
Roy, Arundhati |
The God of Small Things |
|
Russell, Karen |
Swamplandia! |
|
Russo, Richard |
Empire Falls |
|
Salinger, J. D. |
The Catcher in the Rye |
|
Saramago, Jose |
Blindness |
|
Scottoline, Lisa |
Look Again |
|
Sebold, Alice |
The Lovely Bones: A Novel |
|
See, Lisa |
Shanghai Girls: A Novel |
|
See, Lisa |
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel |
|
Sendker, Jan-Philipp |
The Art of Hearing Heartbeats: A Novel |
|
Seth, Vikram |
A Suitable Boy: A Novel |
|
Setterfield, Diane |
The Thirteenth Tale: A Novel |
|
Shapiro, Barbara A. |
The Art Forger: A Novel |
|
Shelley, Mary Wollstonecraft |
Frankenstein |
|
Shors, John |
Beneath a Marble Sky: A Novel Of The Taj Mahal |
|
Shreve, Anita |
Stella Bain: A Novel |
|
Shteyngart, Gary |
Super Sad True Love Story: A Novel |
|
Simon, Rachel |
The Story of Beautiful Girl |
|
Simsion, Graeme C. |
The Rosie Project |
|
Sittenfeld, Curtis |
American Wife: A Novel |
|
Sloan, Robin |
Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore |
|
Smith, Dodie |
I Capture the Castle |
|
Smith, Betty |
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn |
|
Smith, April |
A Star for Mrs. Blake |
|
Stedman, M. L. |
The Light Between Oceans: A Novel |
|
Stegner, Wallace Earle |
Crossing to Safety |
|
Steinbeck, John |
East of Eden |
|
Steinbeck, John |
The Grapes of Wrath |
|
Steinbeck, John |
Of Mice and Men |
|
Steinbeck, John |
The Pearl |
|
Stockett, Kathryn |
The Help |
|
Stoker, Bram |
Dracula |
|
Swift, Jonathan |
Gulliver's Travels |
|
Tan, Amy |
The Joy Luck Club |
|
Thompson, Carol |
Mockingbird Song |
|
Tolstoy, Leo |
Anna Karenina |
|
Trigiani, Adriana |
The Shoemaker's Wife: A Novel |
|
Twain, Mark |
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn |
|
Unknown |
Tales of the Marvellous and News of the Strange |
|
Unknown |
The Arabian Nights: Tales From a Thousand and One Nights |
|
Vanderbes, Jennifer |
The Secret of Raven Point: A Novel |
|
Verghese, A. |
Cutting For Stone: A Novel |
|
Vonnegut, Kurt |
Cat's Cradle |
|
Vonnegut, Kurt |
Slaughterhouse-Five |
|
Walker, Karen Thompson |
The Age of Miracles: A Novel |
|
Walter, Jess |
Beautiful Ruins: A Novel |
|
Watson, Winifred |
Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day |
|
Wells, Rebecca |
Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood: A Novel |
|
Wharton, Edith |
The Age of Innocence |
|
Wilde, Oscar |
The Picture of Dorian Gray |
|
Wolitzer, Meg |
The Interestings |
|
Wroblewski, David |
The Story of Edgar Sawtelle: A Novel |
|
Yates, Richard |
Revolutionary Road |
|
Zafon, Carlos Ruiz |
The Shadow of the Wind |
Reference Librarian
Library Book Club Picks
Contemporary Favorites
Mystery, Thriller and Suspense
Modern Classics
Here are some useful quick links that you may want to visit while using this guide.