How important is it to liven up meetings with things like outdoor settings, holiday celebrations and the occasional champagne cocktail?
DL: I think it’s very important. It really defines you as a club because events and creativity are the things that pull a club together. Even not doing the entertaining elements defines you as a club, and it doesn’t have to be a big deal, of course. I was once invited to a club where I was told that absolutely nothing would be served and it was to be a serious discussion of the book, with everyone leaving on the dot of 10 p.m., having had a purely intellectual experience. I was very excited about this and imagined this club to be the governing board of Hogwarts. When I got there, it was all very lovely, with the usual wine and cheese and very nice people, but absolutely nothing atypical. I think in this person’s mind, it would have been ideal to be the way she described, but that really wasn’t the case. RGG: What advice do you have for book club hosts? DL: Showing your club hospitality does not mean you have to spend days whipping up a Lane Cake, just because it was mentioned in To Kil
