There’s a slightly convoluted story behind my ‘meeting’ Suze of Suze’s Reading Club. We are both members of a Facebook group where I was recently interviewed, having been asked to model some book related clothing, and we realised we had books in common.
When I found out Suze runs a reading group, I was interested to find out more and luckily she agreed to pop over to Linda’s Book Bag to answer a few questions. Let’s find out more.
An Interview with Suze
Welcome to Linda’s Book Bag Suze. We met vicariously through Facebook and I know you run Suze’s Reading Club. Can you tell me a bit about what you do?
I tutor students with reading and writing through online one to one sessions and I also run a children’s and an adult’s online reading club.
And why did you set it up?
I am passionate about reading and writing, and the importance of literacy in our lives, and I wanted to be able to help children with these skills. I also work full-time as a Librarian in a High School and have responsibility for literacy, so my business is a natural extension of what I already enjoy!
Brilliant! I used to be a literacy consultant so I fully understand the importance of literacy. How does the club work?
My reading clubs are for around 7-11 year olds. They run on a half-term basis, for five or six consecutive weeks. The majority of reading is completed outside of the sessions, and we meet once a week to discuss the book, its themes, characters and plot and complete enjoyable activities based around our weekly focus. It is a great motivator for children who struggle to read without a focus and children enjoy coming together to discuss the books. I have some children who are still in my reading club from when I started my business over two years ago!
You have clubs for both adults and children. Why do you think it’s important to include both?
I love reading myself, and felt it was important to offer a reading club for adults too. My adult reading club is great for motivating people to find the time to read and my readers enjoy coming together to chat with other like-minded people about books. It’s lovely to be part of an online reading community!
Do members have to buy books?
Yes. We read one book each month and members can choose how they read. We’re all different! Some members read hard-copy books, some read on kindle and some prefer audio book. It just depends on what works for you! Many of my readers buy used books, so the reading club is very affordable. The three-monthly membership is currently £18 and this includes author-meets and access to a Whatsapp Book chat group. I am also offering a free trial first session.
What happens if authors want to feature in the club?
We do have author meets. We vote for our book each month, but I also invite authors to join us some months. We are looking forward to three author meets over the next couple of months. It’s great for readers to have the opportunity to meet and chat with the author of the book they’ve just read!
Sounds great. It’s not just reading that you support though is it?
I support writing too and currently work with students from 6-18 on all aspects of writing from handwriting to punctuation, grammar and creative writing.
How can blog readers get involved in your reading clubs?
Please visit my Facebook page to get a flavour of my offers. You can also send me a whatsapp message or message me on messenger via my Facebook page.
What advice would you give to others thinking of doing something similar?
Go for it! I feel very fortunate to be able to do what I love! It’s a pleasure to work with some amazing students, families and adult readers.
And when you’re not involved in running Suze’s Reading Club, what do you like to read?
I read a lot of thrillers and mysteries and am currently reading my eleventh book of 2025. I have set myself a Goodreads target to read 25 books in 2025! I am currently enjoying The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose.
I enjoy Nita Prose books too. Thanks so much for telling me more about Suze’s Reading Club and good luck with whatever comes along next. This sounds such a great idea.
For further information, visit Suze’s Reading Club on Facebook.
