Great ideas for your next book club

Looking for fun and low-cost ways to spend more time with your friends? How about starting a book club? Though the initial flurry of excitement over such get-togethers has now passed, book clubs are still exceptionally popular ways to gather together for some good times and conversation.

One of the biggest tripping points for some book clubs has been People Who Don’t Read the Book. But they’re still happy to show up for the meeting, eat the snacks and drink the wine, while asking confused questions and being irritated by spoilers.

How to prevent this? One way to encourage better participation is to pick shorter books. Everyone has an exceptionally busy schedule, so accommodate your group by considering one of the following selections:

Joan Didion’s “Year of Magical Thinking” or “Blue Nights” – If your book club group isn’t afraid to tackle raw and emotional material, either one of Didion’s last two personal books might be right for you. Short, tragically poignant, but beautifully written and relatable, these are guaranteed tear-jerkers and great for discussion.

John McPhee’s “Silk Parachute” – Don’t go anywhere near the Pulitzer winning “Annals of the Former World,” which also doubles as a doorstop in my home office. It’s an amazing book, but you can get an introduction to what this poetically-inclined non-fiction artist is all about with his recent release “Silk Parachute.” A beautiful collection of essays that will leave you wanting more.

A Stephen King novel – There are dozens to choose from, and if your group isn’t familiar with one of America’s most prolific suspense novelists, now is a great time to start. Easy to find at used bookstores and libraries, and all of his works are very fast reads. Try “Misery,” an attention-grabbing thriller about a writer who ends up in the clutches of his No. 1 fan.

Reading anything interesting at your own book club? Tell us about it!