Hi all,

I'm 22, I've just moved here from England and really want to get a book group started. I used to belong to one in England and loved it.

Basically, we all choose a book to read each month (anything, novels, fiction, fun reading, biographies etc.)
and then meet up in a pub / bar / restaurant and talk about the book etc.

We used to do movie nights if there was a movie of the book or something, too.

It's not a serious reading group, just a chance to make good friends who enjoy reading and socialise in the evening.

Male or female and all ages too, the range in my old book club was 21 - 45 so a great mix!

Reply to this thread or send me a PM

Steph

Hi Steph

Oooh, yes please! I used to love my book club back in the UK, before we moved over. 45 mins of being intellectual and discussing the themes in the book, then 2 hours of drinking wine and gossiping about our lives.

I live in Préverenges, a few km out of Morges towards Lausanne. I like your idea of pub meet-ups (and the tie-in film nights, excellent) but we could perhaps also rota round each other's houses if cost/childcare is ever an issue.

Looking forward to see what sort of take-up this gets. Thanks for suggesting it.

kodokan

__________________
'Chance favours only the prepared mind.'

I am very interested too - am just about to move to Aubonne (not far from Morges - 10km?), and am keen to engage my brain, and occasionally drink wine! My only request is the books are in English!!

Brilliant!

Well I'm living in Aubonne right now, Yellow Snow.

English books... I'm afraid there's no choice - my French is pretty poor at the moment!

So we have 3 of us... we should get going! I'm keen to read. Are either of you reading anything at the moment? I just finished American Psycho (disgusting but great) and I've started The Road Home by Rose Tremain.

Meeting at people's houses is good with me, too. Pubs are nice sometimes too. So we could mix it up.

What say you?

Hey, sounds good.

How about meeting up this Thursday?

I'd love to do this. When and where on Thursday? There are two other girls that I walk with here in Lausanne in the mornings and we have already been discussing starting a book club, so this is perfect!

Do you want everyone to bring a list of proposed book ideas?

Cheers, Riki

Sounds interesting to me too, I'm a big reader and live about 10 mins drive out of Morges. Any excuse for a night out and to talk about something other than toddlers... Please keep me posted!

Hey, I'm bumping this because it is in the wrong category. Could one of the mods switch this to "social events" or something? Thanks.

Blimey, there's some very decisive people about! Thursday may be tricky for me at short notice: it's school hols so daytime's out, hubby's travelling and it's school hols so I won't see my usual babysitting suspects so evening's out, etc.

But if everyone else has more 'drop of a hat' lives than me, go ahead, and I'll catch up next time if you let me know what to order/read - don't want to stand in the way of such momentum!

kodokan

Hi!

I too would definately like to be involved. Unfortunately cannot do Thursday evenings though because of French lessons!!!!! Anyway, please keep me informed of what you choose to do and hope that I will be able to join you at some point.

Everyone,

Wow, this is brilliant... and I didn't know if I'd even get one reply!

So I don't know how to change the category - anyone know that?

I cannot do Thursday this week as I think I'm looking after the kids for the parents.

Can anyone do Monday or Tuesday next week? Failing that, it might have to be after the school hols as I think it's more difficult for some while they're on. What do you think?

I think we need to work out:

1. If we will meet on the same day of the week each month / the first [insert day here] of each month etc. Votes please?
2. How to decide on a book? I think people should bring one suggestion each with a summary of the book each meeting and we'll all choose together. Votes please?
3. The first meeting place? Votes please?

How exciting! x

Hi!

Depending on time, I could do Tuesday next week although, it may be better to leave it until after the school hols.

The same day each month may fit better for those with regular commitments and so I probably vote for that.

You're idea for choosing a book sounds like a good plan and would give a good range of books to choose from.

For the initial meeting, somewhere like a pub would be good to get the group going and then perhaps we could alternate around people's homes for further meetings. I live near to Rolle and I know that there's a couple of nice wine bars in the town there - fraid I dont know Morges so well.

Hope to get together soon

1. Next week's out for me, I'm afraid, going to the UK. But otherwise, I can generally make any day of the week, subject to availability of hubby/ babysitters/ scheduling the meeting at my house!

Edit: Just been thinking about this, and wondered if we should rotate the day a little - we'll almost certainly never get everyone to be available on just Tuesdays, say, so we could decide some dates on different week days for the next 3-4 months, with a list of books selected for the first couple, then put it in the Social Events. That way, it's very open for anyone else to join in on as they're available.

2. All bringing along a suggestion is a great way to start - we could discuss/ put them in a hat, etc. In my old book group, we used to rotate whose turn it was to choose so everyone got a turn - the 'choosee' would bring 5-6 suggestions of different types of books, and the group would pick one. Sometimes the choosee would feel very strongly and only bring one choice, but this was only after a year or so when we all knew each other well, and could predict what would interest people and make a good discussion.

Perhaps we should also try to avoid books that are new in hardback (unless there's a clear contender due to seasonality, vast public interest, film tie-in, etc) otherwise it'll get a bit pricey to keep shipping those in via Book Depository or whoever. And we'll also need to give some thought to the choosing cycle, to allow shipping time - making sure we're picking the book for the meeting after next, that sort of thing.

3. Meeting place - no idea, I don't have the sort of social life that includes going out in the evenings! But it sounds like Morges would be fairly central for everyone who's expressed an interest so far.

Don't worry about changing category - the mods will notice soon enough that we've drifted a loooong way off introductions simply by the post count, and move us somewhere else. But whilst we're still in intro mode, welcome to Switzerland!

kodokan

__________________
'Chance favours only the prepared mind.'

Absolutely concur with Kodokan, each person should come prepared with no less than 3 and preferably 5 suggestions for books. Some people like classics and some people hate them. Some people like biographies and some people would rather have a root canal than read one. Bring lots of choices! I owned a bookstore for 13 years and we had 3 or 4 book groups going at any one time. The book groups would meet once in the beginning of their year and pick all of the books for the upcoming year.

Most book groups did not meet in the summer months, due to school/babysitting/vacation issues. So, they would give me their list of books from September to May and I would order 8 or 10 copies or whatever. That way, they knew that the books that they had picked would be on hand and set aside for their group. The only problem was their first pick for September because there was never enough time to get the bulk order placed and filled. So, they just had to pick something that was already in stock (like a bestseller, for example).

Does Payot do book orders?

I can do Thursday or Friday this week, Monday morning or early afternoon next week and then I am in Vienna all week. The following week, starting Monday the 27th, I can do any day. Let's face it, there's never going to be a time/date that is going to be good for every single person. We will just all have to be as flexible as possible.

Is there a coffeehouse or bar in Morges that would be good?

For daytime meetings, Balzac would be good - there's a kind of back room area with squishy sofas so we wouldn't bother too many people by cackling too loudly. And I can continue my life's work of sampling every single one of their hot chocolate variations. Timings-wise, if there are many people with kids then mornings are the only possibility due to insane school hours.

www.balzac.ch - it's on the main street as you drive through Morges towards Lausanne, next door to the language school Etudes Modernes.

Someone more knowledgeable than me can suggest evening venues - verrrry happy to meet up with someone and go pub crawling one night in the interests of research.

kodokan

__________________
'Chance favours only the prepared mind.'

Possible venues in Morges:

Alambic Bar - probably the nicest of the bars. Think they have sofas
Bells - could be a little noisy, not exactly comfy seating. Good for a night out but not exactly suited for a book club meet!
White Horse - may be ok, typical pub.

There is a new place, part of a hotel (Hôtel de la Nouvelle Couronne), I think it’s called the jazz cafe but the music won't be an issue. They have sofas and it looks like it could be a nice cozy venue for winter.

Hi all you Bookies!

Brilliant idea, I have been reading this thread with great interest. I am currently in the process of moving and will relocate for good at the beginning of December with my husband. I have never been part of a reading group but always been a avid reader. I look forward to meeting you all and hope I won't be too late to join.

Not sure about distances but don't think its too far to travel to join you from Givrins.

Everyone,

This doesn't have to be a complicated exercise - ordering books in bulk way in advance etc . There is an English bookstore in Lausanne! And they have a website

My aim when I started this thread was to start up an easy going book club where we go month by month.
So each meet up everyone brings their diaries (or brains) (or both), we pick the book, day and place for the next meeting.

Some people (especially Mums) will find this difficult along with all the other things they have to organise in life!

Can we just keep it simple?

Simple sounds good to me!!

Suggestion
How about getting together at 9am ish on Tuesday 27th at Balzac in Morges - bringing diaries, a few suggestions and just going from there? Might be an idea to get a rough idea of numbers too...

over to you...

Good suggestion to get going, I can make that. A sober book group meeting - that'll be novel...

kodokan

PS: Look, the thread's moved! Thanks, mods.