Book Clubs
Book clubs are an important part of our community since they spark interesting discussions and encourage life-long learning. Part of Charlotte Mecklenburg Library’s mission is to provide opportunities for personal success in reading and learning for everyone.
Join a Library book club today to meet new people, find new reads and engage in meaningful discussions.
Discover book clubs for children
Book Club Selections
We read a lot and are happy to share our book club favorites with you! Click the buttons below to see what your favorite librarians recommend.
Browse what our book clubs are reading
Request a personalized reading list
Check out our newest book club kits
Reserving a Kit
Choose a title from the list of book club kits, then use our online form to request your kit. If you do not have access to the internet, please visit your local library and ask a librarian to reserve a book club kit for you. Please allow 10 business days for processing of the book club kit requests.
Note: You may reserve as many kits as you wish, however, you may only check out one kit at a time.
Picking up and Returning a Kit
You can pick up a book club kit at any Library location. A kit is checked out to one book club member who is responsible for all materials. Book club kits can be borrowed for six weeks and may not be renewed.
Kits must be returned to a Library location during operating hours, since they cannot be returned in a book drop. Missing or damaged books will be charged to customer accounts at a cost of $10 per book.
Criteria for Book Club Kit Titles
The book must:
- be available in paperback
- have a discussion guide
In addition, the book's content:
- be entertaining and educational
- contain characters faced with difficult moral or ethical choices
- have universal or lasting application and have literary merit
- allow for different interpretations by a variety of readers
- be able to be read more than once with the reader learning something new each time
Book Club Tips
Interested in starting your own book club? Consider the tips below from our seasoned book club facilitators:
- Read books you enjoy.
- Ask book club members for suggestions.
- Be willing to try new books or books you wouldn’t typically read.
- Life is short, don’t feel obligated to finish a book you don’t like.
- Many book clubs encourage members who didn’t finish the book to attend anyway and still participate. Decide what you want for your book club.
- Consider sharing short, supplemental information like the author’s website, news articles, and related videos to provide background and talking points.
- There are lots of resources for book clubs out there. Check out LitLovers and other book club-centric websites for ideas, resources and more.
- Attend other book clubs. Pay attention to what you like and don’t like.
- Talk to other book club facilitators, ask them about their tips and tricks to keep a discussion running smoothly.
- There will always be tangents in book club discussions because many people relate what they read to their life and their experiences. Short tangents are fine but practice a few redirection phrases so that you can bring the discussion back from a tangent.
Please contact us at [email protected].