Rekindle Your Romance the Frugal Way: Join a Book Discussion Group Together

Have you gotten to the point in your romance that you find yourself repeating the same stories and ideas to your partner? Hint: if your partner's eyes begin to glaze over in response to the fifth rendition of how much you loathe your coworker, perhaps you need some fresh ground to explore together. If your idea of a relaxing Thursday evening is to sip coffee while discussing a good book with other thoughtful people, then the two of you should join a book group together. At the very least, the two of you will have new people to gossip about.

Short on Money to Buy Books?

Your local library most likely offers a plethora of free resources, such as a free source of books for your group. For example, my local library system offers "Book Discussion Group Kits" for juveniles, teens, and adults, which come with about 10 books you can check out for a little over a month. Each kit also comes with questions to ask about the book during discussion. Technically, you are already paying for it through your taxes, so use your library's book discussion group kits!

Free Ideas About Which Books are the Best Romantic Reads

An excellent place to find specific books you will want to check out at your local library is http://www.amazon.com/. It is my favorite website to read reviews about a book I am considering suggesting to my book discussion group. Other valuable information that can be found on amazon.com is the length of the book in terms of number of pages, the publish date, and a rating system of one to five stars where anyone can write his or her own review. If you are reading the book as a group, remember to choose appropriately for how much time people in the group have and for how much material can be read between the times you meet.

Keep it Fun, Light, and Not Overly Deep

Consider a theme to the books you choose such as historical, nonfiction, memoirs, classics, etc. - the topic ideas are endless. Best of all, choose romantic books. But when choosing a book, be sure to stay within the theme if your group has already chosen a specific theme. My book group has a rule that the discussions must be fun, light, and not overly involved or deep. I have heard nightmare stories of book discussion groups being competitive or pretentious during discussions. You don't want the discussion group to be another source of tension for you as a couple. You are participating as a couple in order to have a free night out together. It should be fun. The two of you should come away from the meetings feeling refreshed.

Romantic Book ideas

Your local library likely has a list of all the books they have available for book discussion groups. Even if you choose to purchase your books or obtain books from another source, your local library's list is a good place to begin brainstorming which books would be appropriate for a book discussion group.

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom will leave you both feeling intensely grateful for the time you have with each other. In line with a fun, light, and not overly involved book group philosophy, The Five People You Meet in Heaven is a must read.

Consider choosing a romantic classic such as Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte, Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, or Sense and Sensibility also by Jane Austen.

Our group has recently read The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. The Red Tent is surprisingly sensual. I probably would not have chosen to read The Red Tent on my own. Because it was chosen by a group member, I read and thoroughly enjoyed it. This is one of the many great benefits of being a part of a book discussion group together. Get outside of your usual element as a couple, and spice things up!