What actually makes a book club GOOD? And how do you get people to come back month after month without turning it into homework? This week on Book Lounge by Libby, we're going behind the scenes of the book club. Joe is joined by Amy Allen Clark of Book Gang Podcast and book club, Dave McNally, Adult Services Supervisor at Cuyahoga County Public Library, and Meara of (@mearaisreading) to talk about what makes a great book club, how groups choose what to read, the biggest barriers that keep people from joining and what happens when a book club meeting goes completely off the rails. We're talking book club tips, discussion drama, choosing books, reading outside your comfort zone, building community and, naturally, some very important book club gossip. Whether you're already a devoted book club person, thinking about joining one or wondering if you should finally start your own, this conversation has something for you. And yes, we get into the books that brought people together, the ones that divided them and the stories that have become legendary around the book club table. If you're watching or listening on Spotify, comment and let us know: If you're part of a book club, tell us about it! How big is your group? How often do you meet? What's the best book you've ever read together? And, perhaps most importantly, what's the book that nearly started a civil war? OR come comment on today's post over on Instagram at @bookloungepod. Looking for the video version of our show? Check out the Libby App YouTube channel! Book recommendations:  Jane Eyre – Charlotte Bronte   Slaughterhouse-Five – Kurt Vonnegut   Heart the Lover – Lily King   Daughters of Shandong – Eve J. Chung   Woodworking – Emily St. James   The Rachel Incident – Caroline O’Donoghue   Sula – Toni Morrison   The Bluest Eye – Toni Morrison  I See You’ve Called in Dead – John Kenney   Into Thin Air – Jon Krakauer  Into the Wild – Jon Krakauer  The Art Thief – Michael Finkel  The Final Revival of Opal & Nev – Dawnie Walton  Big Swiss – Jen Beagin  Death in Her Hands – Ottessa Moshfegh  The End of Men – Christina Sweeney-Baird  Tuesdays With Morrie – Mitch Albom  Crime and Punishment – Fyodor Dostoyevsky  The Hunger Games – Suzanne Collins  Chain-Gang All-Stars – Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah  Guillotine – Delilah S. Dawson Who’s in this episode:   Amy Allen Clark - Links  Meara - Links Time stamps: Enjoying the show? Follow Book Lounge by Libby, leave a rating or review, and watch every episode on the Libby App YouTube channel. Find us on Libbylife.com/booklounge Got a book recommendation, dream guest or just want to say hi? We'd love to hear from you at [email protected]. Looking for Book Lounge merch? Visit Plot Threads.  Library friends: Add episodes of Book Lounge by Libby to your digital collection for free in OverDrive Marketplace and Kanopy. You can also purchase the titles featured in today's episode in OverDrive Marketplace. Browse our cumulative reading list for the season: https://marketplace.overdrive.com/Marketplace/OneCopyOneUserAndMeteredAccess/SuggestedList/41378   Happy Reading! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices