These days, book clubs are all the rage.

They've been around for years and years, but thanks to Oprah, the "Today" show and "USA Today," they're more popular than ever.

Maggie Snow, community services librarian at the Austin Public Library says she thinks people have always been interested in book groups because "there is something intriguing about hearing what others have to say about a book, to be so excited about something they read that they want to share it and tell people about it and it's easier to do that when everyone has read the same book."

Of course, there's nothing like having a book club of people from your own community, whether you want to lead (or join) one for adults, adults and children, all men, all women, mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, grandparents and grandchildren … whoever you want.

If you are interested in starting a book club, there are hundreds of books and thousands and thousands of tips on how to do so and what you should do once you have the ball rolling … or the pages turning, as the case may be.

It's easy to get discouraged when you first start formulating a plan for launching a reading group, but there are a few universal tips for beginning one and for keeping it going.

Rollene Saal, author of the New York Public Library's "Guide to Reading Groups" says the very first thing you should do is find a leader, someone who is willing to begin each discussion. If you're not comfortable doing that yourself and no one else who is interested in joining wants to do it, Saal says you can ask teachers and librarians to help out and keep people talking.

The next step is to find members. Saal suggests asking two or three of your friends who are interested in joining to bring a friend of their own. "Some of the best reading group members come from unlikely sources," she writes. "Don't just stick to your old college roommate, your bridge partner, the next-door neighbor. Think wider. Your dentist or the person who works for him/her, that bright person at your local dry cleaner or the pharmacy or your health club … might make a lively group person." Saal does advise to keep a group somewhat small, under 20 seems to work well, she says. Any larger than that and the group starts to feel more and more like an English class, which isn't always the best atmosphere to facilitate discussion.

When you have your group together and meet for the first time, you should figure out when to meet, how often and where. Rachel Jacobsohn, who wrote "The Reading Group Handbook" says once a month seems to work best and groups usually meet for one to three hours, though two hours seems to be average. She suggests meeting somewhere everyone can feel comfortable and is, at the same time, convenient for members. This can be the home of a book group member (or homes, if you want to have a rotating schedule), the room of a public building such as a church or library or even in the private room of a restaurant.

At this first meeting, it also should be decided whether or not you'll serve food and if you will, what will you serve and who will be in charge of it. Maybe you'll just have coffee and tea, perhaps you'll serve various "finger foods," or maybe desserts will be the snack of choice. You could appoint one person a month to bring the treats or everyone could bring something every time. You could have food themes -- if the book is set in Japan, you could serve Japanese food. If it's set in the '60s, you could have Jell-O desserts, Tang and retro candies. If the story is set in 19th-century England, perhaps someone will be very ambitious and bring a plum pudding. It's all up to you as a group.

Of course the most vital part to the book group is the books. What will you read? Keep in mind, you should at least pick a book most people in the group are interested in reading. Though Joseph Conrad's "Heart of Darkness" may have a special spot in your heart, if no one else in the group wants to read it, the discussion will flop.

Most of your discussion at the first meeting should center on what you will read for the first month and several months afterwards. Ask if you want your group to have a theme – will you read only Pulitzer Prize-winning books or Victorian novels? Keep in mind that even if you do this for a few months, it may eventually spin off into a different direction as the book club changes. Saal says many groups require people to bring the title of at least one book they'd be interested in reading and discussing to each meeting. If you're at a loss for suggestions, think back to what you read for your high school and/or college English classes, talk to your librarian, look at the best seller lists, do some research to see what others recommend – which is often anything from Dostoevsky to Agatha Christie to Shakespeare to Jane Austen.

So now you have your list of books. The next challenge is the discussion portion of the book group. Snow suggests thinking up open-ended questions about the characters and the plot and she says talking about events in your day or life that can be related to the book also help encourage discussion. You also can turn to the library or the Internet for discussion guides or interviews with the author which may help.

Whatever you do, Snow encourages "people of all ages to read and try different things. Not every club is good for every person. It's important to find a club you're comfortable with and to find a club that will explore things you want to explore and read things you want to read. I think finding one that fits you well is the key."

Amanda L. Rohde can be reached at 434-2214 or by e-mail at amanda.rohde@austindailyherald.com