The One Surprising Person You Need to Invite to Book Club
Bringing a total stranger—who hasn't even read the book!—can be awkward. Except when they're invited. Here's how to enliven the discussion with a few unexpected guests.
By Leigh Newman
The Expert
If you're reading a book about an idea or issue, bring in a person who can add a blast of inside knowledge to the discussion. For example, if you're reading
Monkey Mind, Daniel Smith's memoir about anxiety, bringing in a meditation teacher to try some of the techniques Smith suggests can add a new layer literary understanding, as well a bonus hit of group-wide calm. This idea can work for fiction too. Say you're reading the lyrical, brilliant
In the Shadow of the Banyan Tree, by Vaddey Ratner. A historian's comments about what happened in Cambodia during the Khmer Rouge can help everyone better understand the very true true facts behind the fiction.
Published 09/05/2012
