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1. Be respectful. Many of the books we read will handle difficult subject and will (or should) challenge your ideas about yourself and the world around you. As we discuss these books, I ask that you keep an open mind and avoid attacking the thoughts of others. There will be many disagreements in the course of productive conversation, but make sure that these don't spill out into enacting hate or disrespect to other members of the community. If it is deemed that you are consistently and unrepentantly toxic to the book group, you may be removed. 

2. DON'T SPOIL! This book club is run in a way that encourages reading at different paces and because of this we must be careful not to commit the cardinal sin of book lovers that is revealing spoilers. In order to avoid this occurring as much as possible, I ask that you refrain from discussing any details about the book until we are halfway through its assigned month, at which point you may discuss the first half of the book (this means you cannot discuss any details after whatever chapter houses the numerical half-point of the total page number  of the book being read). Once the month ends, the entirety of the book may be discussed on the forum without worry. 

Though these guidelines are here, people will inevitably fall behind at times, so as a point of curtesy, consider marking your your messages with a *SPOILER*, list the page number it pertains to, or however else you might think would help identify spoilers. This aspect of posting is not mandatory, but is a considerate gesture. 

3. This one isn't quite a rule, but I want to highlight that the forum is not a place strictly for academic or intellectual conversations, though those are welcome. You can use it to ask questions, ask for clarifications, to react to events within the book that shocked or saddened you, to list your biggest takeaways, or however else you choose to interact with the text. Have Fun!