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While many book club members are avid readers who know exactly what they're looking for, some join simply for the low prices and convenience. Because they don't have several favorite authors or titles they're interested in reading, book clubs, like large bookstores, can be a little overwhelming. Book clubs often not only have the latest releases in stock, but several classics available as well. The whole point of a book club is to provide as many titles as possible to members but, with so many books to choose from, how do you pick the perfect book for yourself?
The first step in selecting the perfect title is to decide what genre you like the best. There are several different genres, such as mystery, romance, historic and military, that have separate book clubs you can join. While general book clubs, such as Doubleday or Book of the Month Club 2, are great for those who have no real preference or like to read all the latest releases, subject-oriented clubs can really narrow down the choices and make sure that members are only choosing from titles they're likely to enjoy.
The great thing about book clubs, both general and subject-oriented, is that the titles are often divided into different categories to browse by. Subject-oriented clubs, for instance, will be divided in to even smaller categories and make choosing that much easier. If you join a club that revolves around home and home design, for instance, it's likely that you'll be able to browse through several smaller topics. If you're interested more in painting, browse books in that category. For those curious about cooking, browse the cooking category. Larger, more general book clubs, will break their titles down in to smaller genres, like suspense, children's or biography, so that members can browse a little easier through hundreds of books.
For those who don't have any idea where they'd like to start, book clubs also provide several resources to familiarize members with different titles. Accessible through both the club magazine and website, book clubs have exclusive access to several book excerpts and author interviews for members to read. Reading excerpts are a great way for members to decide whether they are interested in reading an entire book or not. Through excerpts, members are not only able to get an idea of the subject of the book, but also of the author's voice and writing style, which can really influence reader preference. Author interviews are also helpful because it gives members an idea of why an author decided to write a book.
The last, and possibly most useful, resource provided by book clubs are member reviews. Placed underneath each title carried by the club, member, or sometimes even editor, reviews give readers an idea of what the book is like and whether or not it would be worth reading. First hand knowledge of whether or not others found the book enjoyable is incredibly helpful. Though each book carried by a book club is hand selected by an editor, you may find that not many people enjoyed reading it, so you can avoid purchasing it all together.
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