I've always dreamed of it―my very own library with stacks and stacks of books. In the corner of a room, a huge window that runs from the ceiling to the ground. Minimal paneling. Bringing in enough sunlight to fill the inside of the room such that no unnatural lighting is necessary till late eve. Natural light beams that filter in the light and comfortable red, velvet-cushioned lounge chairs to read on. Sections of favorite authors and genre upon genre of books... leather bound, bookish smells, vintage collections, a fan twirling lazily above, a coffee area far, far away. That is my dream library, and a favorite book club area. If you are a book lover like I am, and are planning on starting a book club soon, here are some recommendations that I want to share with you, in order to make your club a huge success and to give you the satisfaction of imparting knowledge. So you want to host a book club. Great. But that's not really the end of it all. You can't just stack it with novels and say that your work is done. There have to be some great things planned out if you want the book club to be a success. The following are some recommendations. Seating Arrangement As far as possible, have a very, very comfortable set up made for the book club. If you're going to be sitting there having long discussions, then there needs to be that kind of an ambiance created. A round table-esque format where people are facing each other in circles is shown to yield very lively discussions. Comfortable bean bags or a soft mattress on the floor with all perched above it are other two great options that you can look into. The lighting of the room is also essential. Lots of light and none of that dimmed light effect, please. A wall-mounted book shelf in the room makes for easy access, and frankly, helps to create the correct ambiance. Background Study Ask any literature student and they will tell you how important background study is to understand a book in its entirety. The era in which it was written, the historical events that contributed to its conception, the familial history of the author, the mind set...all these events are very, very important when it comes to understanding a book completely. And if you have members who are interested in going beyond the obvious and studying something more than what meets the eye, you should definitely include a background study of the novel in your book club. Even before reading the actual book. Discussions So here's how it usually goes. Everyone has a copy of the book of the week and everyone reads it and makes pointers on:

• The things they liked about the book.
• The characterization and how it helped the story.
• What were the other possible outcomes or a storyline that could have been followed.
• Where is the book flawed.
• What parts of the book are the most effective.
• A language analysis of the book.
• Favorite quotes.

P.S. These are only some of the points that have been covered, you can add on to these with more recommendations of your own. Inviting Experts One could invite experts from the specialized fields to come and speak to the book club about some famous novels. In the process, one will definitely get a more in-depth knowledge and additional information about the book and the subject, the era and other factors like that. The club will also get a chance to ask questions to the expert(s). Nothing better than first hand knowledge. Visiting Places This needs careful planning and execution. One could arrange for field trips to places like museums and the author's homes. It gives the readers a perception about how/when/where, and in what conditions the book was written. They'll be able to understand the book better. Book Club Selections Most book clubs are formed because its members have a particular favorite genres―classics, tragedies, Shakespeare, comedies, contemporaries, biographies, fiction, prize-winning books, regional etc. One could include themes like―best selling romance novels, best mother-daughter novels, best hostel novels, books on which movies have been based, and so many such choices. These are some of the suggestions. You could experiment with the kind of genre of books that you want to read in a month, then change to a different genre. This will allow you to have a choice of books and the constant change in the types of books will keep things interesting. When you start or join a book club, these are some of the things that you can include as a part of the activities offered. Other than these book club recommendations, you could also include some other activities of your own. So, get creative and start experimenting.