Community Chat

[Honeybit]

gimama started a thread about First Books You Want to Read in 2014 and there was a comment in it about how personal books are and how some members would love the chosen book and just as many hated it. I particularly liked the idea of rating the group's Top Books. Here's her quote from 01-10-2014:

... Seriously! There were many meetings where 5 of us would say we loved something and the other 5 said they hated it and vice versa. Typically, tho, there were many more times when there were less varied responses to something. And at the end of the year we would rate all the books and come up with our Top Books of that year....

The comment made me wonder how many of this group are Book Club Members and how the group works, what your discussions are like, how often you meet, and what other neat ideas you've found that we could share with our own clubs.

One thing that drives me crazy about our group is that too many times their idea of "discussing" the chosen book just means the leader rehashes the plot of the story in excruciating detail. It gives me a 'Peggy Lee Moment' ("Is that all there is?"). Care to share about your group?

[walkingal]

I'm new to book clubs having just joined the public library book club this past November. So far, I like that the club leader does not make you speak if you don't want to. She starts the discussion, and then anyone can join in. I know what you mean about discussing the book ad infinitum; it seems our club leader does the exact same thing. That's okay if you really liked the book; not so much if it was a chore to read -- as it was for me with our January selection, Pat Conroy's "The Death of Santini." I always wondered what to do if you absolutely refuse or have no desire to read any of the selected books! lol!

[Linders Back]

Our book club takes suggestions for book choices which we all then vote on. At the meeting, the person who originally suggested the book is encouraged to lead the discussion. Most books have discussion questions online somewhere that are a good jumping off point. The only job the leader has is to arrange the hosts, send out the choices and tally the votes.

We try to vary our genres throughout the year: Non-Fiction (Current); Non-Fiction (Memoir/biography); Fiction (Novel); Fiction (Mystery, Historical Fiction); Classic Literature; etc., and one month we pick a book and then watch the movie derived from it and discuss the similarities/differences.

Our group of women have varied tastes so some books are a real hit and some a big miss. Many of the previous choices are not ones I would have ever picked but were wonderful surprises: Water for Elephants is a prime example. Others have left me running away screaming: The Red Tent; Eat, Pray, Love; The Friday Night Knitting Club, etc. But in all fairness, ones I loved were not enjoyed by everyone else either.

We meet once a month and share the hosting duties. The Hostess supplies the food (Often themed to the book: Great Armenian food for The Sandcastle Girls; New York style deli spread for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn; and "iMac and Cheese", "iTuna Sushi", and Mini Apple pies for the Steve Jobs biography. Our members get quite creative. Each non hosting member then contributes a bottle of wine or beverage of choice.

[esmerelda]

I've never been in a book club and have no desire to join one.

There are too many books I want to read to spend time reading those chosen for me by others.

I've heard of ""bite-sized"" book clubs where books of short stories are chosen. That's the only kind of book club I'd even consider.

[SydneyH]

I belong to several, all of them meet monthly. My favorite one picks books by majority and will consider picks in any genre. We also eat and catch up first before dissecting our monthly pick. Many times the discussion is better than the book.

[Honeybit]

Troop-Angel, I came to exactly the same conclusion after a couple of years -- there are just some books our group picks now that I will not read, especially when I have to buy them. I have found that there are always some parts of the discussion I can participate in, especially the parts that follow after that rehash of the plot is over. As SydneyH said, "Many times the discussion is better than the book;" and after reading the comments in this thread, I don't feel nearly so bad that my taste varies so much from what the other members enjoy!

[insomniac]

I belong to several book clubs. Most of them have its members make suggestions on what we might discuss. Librarians lead two of the groups, and they make selections (which I love!).

[FastDogWalker2]

I am no longer in one. The one I participated in, read books I didn't really care for, and rehashed them in DETAIL! Too much for me!

[LilSweetTea]

The last book club I joined was about ten years ago. It started out with fifteen girls in January, gained 5 around April then slimmed down in May. The host took a summer break and held the next meeting in August. I showed up and it was only her and I!

[depglass]

I just joined one a few months ago, mainly to make myself get out of my comfort zone. I tend to stick to mysteries and economics. But quite frankly, the selections are a bit non-challenging for a group of college educated women. And no one seems to like mysteries. What's up with that?