Keep on window shopping by visiting all of my Small-Budget Crushes. This post contains affiliate links that help our site! Thank you for supporting me! xoxo
Thanks to my sponsor St Martin’s Press, I’m sharing about Kristin Hannah’s newest page-turner!
I joined my first book club when my children were small and I remember both how rewarding it felt to use my brain again and the challenges of carving time out to read. The beauty in being a part of that group though was that it pushed me to read books that were outside of my typical genre.
Historical fiction, for example, had never been on my radar until I joined a club.
Ironically, it is now my favorite genre.
Have you thought about hosting a book club? I have had the pleasure of hosting a local group and an online group and today I wanted to share 7 tips and strategies I’ve found for hosting a successful book club.
7 Tips for Hosting a Successful Book Club
1. Create Your Book Club Circle
Book clubs can be an opportunity to cultivate existing friendships or an opportunity to widen your net. If you don’t have an existing set of close friends, this can be a great way to get to know people from other contexts of your life. Consider starting a group through your church, with your neighborhood friends, a mom’s group, with your coworkers, your gym buddies, or as a way to get to know other moms at your child’s school.
Keep in mind, this club does not need to be just women either because men can add another dynamic to your book club discussions. If you have couples that you love to spend time with, for example, consider asking if they might like to meet up monthly for dinner and a book chat. I know that some of my best book discussions have happened when enjoying an evening with friends.
2. Have an Organized Kickoff Meeting
The quickest way for a book club to fizzle out is to not have a plan and get your members involved. With everyone’s busy schedules, it can be difficult to get a committed group and keep them committed for an entire year (or more).
In the past, our mimosa kickoff usually starts in September, once the kids have headed back to school. With a little more time in our schedules (sort of), it gives us a chance to regroup and make book selections. I ask each member to come with a book in mind and a month that they would like to host our chat. Allowing each person to make a selection and host gives everyone a chance to feel a part of things and allows the group leader to just micromanage the logistics.
3. Pick Books That Can Sustain a Discussion
The best books that we have talked about have meat to them and naturally cultivate an incredible discussion. Books with shallow plots are probably better for your beach bag than your book club discussion.
Stumped for a book selection this year?
Can I make a great recommendation for you?
As I disclosed earlier, I am partnering with St. Martin’s Press to share about Kristin Hannah’s latest novel and I TRULY believe this is a perfect pick for your book club reading.
I , honestly, would read anything Kristin Hannah writes, but her last few books have been among my favorite. The Great Alone is a contemporary coming-of-age story that is set in the seventies in rural Alaska. In this story, a former POW father comes home from the Vietnam War completely mentally changed from his experiences there. His behavior and decision-making is wildly erratic and when a property becomes available in rural Alaska, he decides that they should seize the opportunity to live off the grid and make a different life for themselves.
Braving harrowing and life-threatening conditions is what it is all about and thirteen-year-old Leni is caught in the middle of it all as they attempt to carve a new life in the wild frontier.
Living off the grid is not all it is cracked up to be and neither is surviving the difficult Alaska winters. Hannah writes so eloquently about this impossible marriage and the honest struggle of a Vietnam veteran.
As you can see, from my description alone, this has so many elements for discussion. The plot brings on the challenges of PTSD in veterans, what it is like to live with a mentally ill family member, homesteading (and if YOU could survive it), and if you would stay with your partner if they were putting your family through a potentially life-threatening lifestyle.
When I say that books have to have meat for discussion, you can be assured that there would be MUCH to talk about with, The Great Alone.
Look for books like these where the description alone showcases what kinds of ideas you could discuss in your book chats.
4. Don’t Be Afraid of Controversial Plots
One thing I have worried about is picking books that have controversial plots that might make people feel uncomfortable. What has surprised me though is that these are usually our very best discussions and that it is, truly, okay to have different viewpoints.
The way I lead these discussions though is that I ask that things are said with kindness and love, even if you don’t necessarily agree with one another. In an online discussion, I can swiftly delete comments that aren’t said with kindness, but that is a bit more tricky in an in-person book club.
Even in these tricky moments though, leading by asking everyone to be kind has always been a successful way to start a thoughtful conversation and I have never had any issues after stressing this importance.
It can be scary leading a controversial discussion, but I was surprised how it changed people’s viewpoints or hearing about someone’s personal story and why it made them feel differently than me. A recent discussion of a story on immigration, for example, lead to people sharing how it completely changed their viewpoint on the deportation process.
It makes me wish we had more kind and honest talks and how they could bring compassion to our discussions.
5. Prepare For Your Discussion
Discussion questions are so helpful to have, especially when first beginning your chats. I have found that selecting books with discussion questions already in place can be extremely helpful and relieve a lot of stress on leading a talk. The Great Alone, for example, already has a great discussion outlined for you.
I try to not limit our discussions to just outlined questions though. If it is a historical fiction book, for example, it helps to look up the true stories and images from that time in history. Reading or finding author interviews that explain why the author decided to write a book can also add a lot to a discussion.
6. Have Each Host/Hostess Decide How They Want to Host
I am happiest when I am entertaining our friends and family. It brings me great joy to share my table with them and feed them my food. Since this book is set mostly outdoors, I set up our outdoor table for a discussion.
It doesn’t have to be complicated though. This meat and cheese board, for example, is a fun way to share food with your book club friends without even cooking.
Sharing book club in the morning? Change the charcuterie board to a bagel board and load it with bagels and toppings.
The truth is, most people don’t love entertaining. It may bring them great stress, they may hate cooking, or they may be juggling a huge plate of craziness and can’t possibly add one more thing to their plates.
I GET IT.
Let each host/hostess decide how, where, and when works for them.
Food is not required to have a gathering.
Cooking is not required to have a gathering.
Opening YOUR home up is not required to have a gathering.
Allow each person to choose their style of hosting however or wherever they want to do it.
Book club should be fun and not stressful!
7. It’s All Too Much? Try an Online Club!
Painfully introverted? Haven’t found your people? Working full-time? New to town? Homeschooling? Single mom? Full plate?
Adding one more thing to your agenda can be an impossible task when you already have so much going on. Online book clubs can be an incredible option for someone that desires a book club, but just can’t make that happen in their day-to-day life.
Keep on window shopping by visiting all of my Small-Budget Crushes. This post contains affiliate links that help our site! Thank you for supporting me! xoxo
Keep on window shopping by visiting all of my Small-Budget Crushes. This post contains affiliate links that help our site! Thank you for supporting me! xoxo
I am not a doctor. Please speak with your physician if this supplement is right for you or if it will interact with any medications you may be taking.
I have been meaning to sit down to write this post for you for a couple of months, but I also wanted to be sure that what I shared with you was an actual experience with a supplement and not something I wasn’t informed on. If there has been any privilege in going through this experience, it has been hearing that something I have shared has helped you or your family members in some way.
I am so excited though to share with you about a supplement that has GREATLY decreased my joint pain and, truly, given me my quality of life back.
The craziest thing though is that NO ONE is talking about it and it is an affordable solution that has allowed me to kick my pain medication habit to the curb and given me the ability to return to travel and take on work projects again.
In fact, after sharing a post on my personal page on Facebook about how much it had helped me, I had three friends reach out and share with me that they have been able to discontinue their medications for arthritis pain or that this has decreased their symptoms significantly.
The supplement is called MSM and it has helped me SO incredibly much with my joint pain and many of the issues I struggle with when it comes to my Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome.
What is MSM?
MSM stands for Methylsulfonylmethane (that’s a mouthful) and has been nicknamed the, “miracle supplement,” because of its ability to lower inflammation, fight the effects of stress and pain, raise immunity and increase energy levels.
At its root it is an an organic sulfur-containing compound that can be contained naturally in some green vegetables and other food products, but not at the levels that you would find within the supplement itself. While its presence can be found in many of the foods we eat, it is quickly lost during the cooking process. That is why it is so valuable in supplement form.
The reason so many benefits are attributed to the MSM supplement is because MSM provides biologically active sulfur, which is the fourth most plentiful mineral in the body and needed for many different critical bodily functions every single day. MSM is especially popular as part of an arthritis diet and supplementation plan to treat arthritis or osteoarthritis/degenerative joint disease since it helps form connective tissue and repair joints, tendons and ligaments. (source)
Is it Clinically Proven to Help Anything?
Supplements are always a tricky territory, aren’t they? I am a big believer though that many supplements have the ability to improve the quality of our life.
Clinical trials though have been done with MSM and you can read about the medical study over here. In this clinical trial they tested the effects of MSM on joint pain in 118 patients with osteoarthritis and found that compared to a placebo, MSM supplements taken over 12 weeks resulted in more improvements in pain, swelling and joint mobility.
In reference to dosage, in this trial, the MSM supplements were given in 500-milligram doses three times daily along with glucosamine (also taken in 500-milligram doses three times daily). Together they both seem to safely reduce inflammation and pain intensity without causing side effects for the majority of people.
Ideally, adding MSM along with Vitamin C (which improves the absorption) and Glucosamine (see the study above) is the perfect combo to achieve optimal results.
With regards to Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, what I have, I found this medical advice given- “We therefore hypothesize that the symptoms associated with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome may be successfully alleviated using a specific (and potentially synergistic) combination of nutritional supplements, comprising calcium, carnitine, coenzyme Q(10), glucosamine, magnesium, methyl sulphonyl methane, pycnogenol, silica, vitamin C, and vitamin K, at dosages which have previously been demonstrated to be effective against the above symptoms in other disorders.” (source)
How Much Should You Take?
This, again, is another tricky territory and would be great to speak to your physician about. You can take anywhere between 500mg on up to 10,000mg, but starting small is always ideal.
My Joint Pain Has Decreased- Vicodin has been the only pain medication that has worked for me and we all know that this isn’t a sustainable solution and not a great one for a mom who has to run her kids around town. Since starting the MSM, I have been able to use this daily (with the exception of some of the really bad days) instead of my prescription pain medication.
The effects, for me, were rather immediate and amazing. I felt like I had taken a pain pill, but wasn’t struggling with the foggy head and exhaustion that I experienced while taking Vicodin.
The best part, I’m traveling again because of the decrease in pain. How awesome is that?
It Has Decreased My Hair Shedding- I am not sure if it was the medications I was taking or if it has been the stress that my body has been under, but I was losing A LOT of hair. Since taking this supplement, I am only shedding a few strands (versus clumps) and my hair feels thicker and seems to be growing much faster. In a similar way, my nails are thicker and growing faster than they were before.
I discovered that it is also referred to as a, “beauty mineral,” because of how much it helps with your hair, nails, and skin.
The only plus to this connective tissue disorder is that I do not have struggles with my skin, but if you are struggling with things like age spots/pigmentation issues, this can help with that too. It also helps with acne, rosacea, psoriasis, and dermatitis.
I Am Bouncing Back Better From My Workout Routines- It has been really awesome to get back to my workout routines and not be hobbling around for a couple of days after. I feel like MSM was the tweak in my supplement routine to help my body build back some of its strength.
I’m Not Needing to Brace My Joints as Much- My PT had instructed me to brace my fingers since we discovered the pain in my fingers (from being hypermobile) was causing my elbow pain. Guess what? I’m not wearing my finger braces anymore unless I have a really long day at my desk. This has been absolutely incredible to be able to use my fingers again for longer periods of time.
Any carpal tunnel issues I have been having seem to have decreased, if not completely resolved.
My heart is so hopeful that I will be knitting again soon!
My MSM Routine
After going through so many capsules daily, I decided to purchase the MSM powder instead. I add a 1/2 teaspoon (2,000 mg) to my smoothie in the morning. In the afternoon, I add the same amount to my La Croix, and in the evening I add this to my Calm with warm water.
I am disclosing, it is horribly bitter. It takes a bit to get used to, but totally worth it for the benefits it provides.
I don’t want to mislead anyone because this is helping, but I still have bad days. I was excited to be traveling again, but I still was hurting and needing to rest when I got back. The thing is… I can travel again.
I feel much, much better and anything that keeps me off pain pills in the winter is a GREAT thing.
I am focusing on that.
Here are some other articles you may find helpful:
Keep on window shopping by visiting all of my Small-Budget Crushes. This post contains affiliate links that help our site! Thank you for supporting me! xoxo
Keep on window shopping by visiting all of my Small-Budget Crushes. This post contains affiliate links that help our site! Thank you for supporting me! xoxo
Keep on window shopping by visiting all of my Small-Budget Crushes. This post contains affiliate links that help our site! Thank you for supporting me! xoxo
Keep on window shopping by visiting all of my Small-Budget Crushes. This post contains affiliate links that help our site! Thank you for supporting me! xoxo
tie-waist romper (take 40% off with coupon code HBDUSA)
oxford commas tee
house number sign (such a great housewarming gift!)
statement tote
striped swing dress (several styles and priced at just $8!!!)
state prints (pick your own state- so gorgeous!)
round glass vase
knot front dress (under $25!!)
ruffled tee
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felt flower bookmark
in this house we believe print
beaded orb necklace (several hues- love the length on this!)
party like it’s 1776 napkins
striped cotton sundress
anthony bourdain mug
sunday art print
sway midi skirt (deep discount and several prints and hues)
facial rounds
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sparkler tee
avocado toast cap
tie-sleeve skater dress (several hues and under $15!!)
beach towel seat covers (so smart!!)
plants are like jeans tote
52 lists for happiness
