This event is at the Fairfax County Government Center, 12000 Government Center Parkway, Fairfax.

Join book club members to learn about starting, running and enhancing book clubs while networking with fellow readers. Light breakfast snacks, coffee and box lunch provided. Cosponsored by the Fairfax Library Foundation.

Keynote Speaker: Angie Kim, author of Happiness Falls

About the Author

Angie Kim moved as a preteen from Seoul, South Korea, to the suburbs of Baltimore. After graduating from Interlochen Arts Academy, she studied philosophy at Stanford University and attended Harvard Law School, where she was an editor of the Harvard Law Review. Her debut novel, Miracle Creek, won the Edgar Award, the ITW Thriller Award, the Strand Critics’ Award, and the Pinckley Prize and was named one of the best books of the year by Time, The Washington Post, Kirkus Reviews, and the Today show. Angie Kim lives in northern Virginia with her family. Happiness Falls is her second novel. Connect with her at www.angiekimbooks.com.

Workshops:

Getting Beyond I Liked/Didn't Like the Book

Too often, conversations about books become stalled on the question of whether or not readers "liked" a book, along with the related question of whether or not readers found fictional characters "relatable." These are questions that are natural conversation starters, but how can your book club move beyond personal responses to more searching discussions about whether a book is worth reading? Drawing on over three decades--and counting!--of being the book critic for NPR's Fresh Air, serving as a judge on many literary prize committees and teaching literature as an English professor at Georgetown University, Maureen Corrigan will suggest some ways to help book club members extend the depth and reach of their discussions.

How to Start, Manage and Create a Sustainable Book Group

This discussion will walk you through the process of starting your book group. This session will cover how to form and manage the group, how to determine group interests, the best formats (in-person or remote), selecting books, scheduling meetings, host protocol, attracting authors, meeting philosophy and how to keep momentum. Presenter Tom Clark has 20 years of experience creating groups and currently manages three active groups. 

New Ways to Think About Books

It can often be challenging to articulate why we like books. Knowing what captures our interest as readers can make book discussions more engaging and keep your club feeling energized. Join Barry Trott from the Library of Virginia to learn about how you can use the language of appeal to think about books and authors in new ways and to use the online reading tool NoveList, available from the Fairfax County Public Library, to refresh your book group and your own reading life.  

INVITE

This program is appropriate for ages 18 and above. Register by clicking on the "Begin Registration" button (below).