Community Chat

[glmama]

Hi Honeybit-It's Glmama!

My Bookclub was fairly structured. We all had a good time together AND there was always wine involved, so we decided within the first year that we would limit out mingling and catching up to 45 mins- 1hr and then all sit down to discuss the book. We always started off with everyone going around the room and just saying whether or not we liked the book. Then, the moderator or host would ask some questions, usually taken from an internet site for Book Clubs that helps get conversation going. We never had any problem getting the convo started. Out of the 10 of us, I would say ALL of us were readers, of course, but about 4-5 were more "serious" readers, wanted to delve deeper into the book.

We chose one book per month, and the person who chose the book also hosted that month's get-together and supplied wine and snacks. I am one of those 4-5 more "serious" readers I mentioned above and typically had 2-3 other books I read that month. But a few others joined b/c they wanted to get back into reading, so that one book was pretty much the only book they read that month. My group was made up of women who all knew each other socially already, and the books everyone picked didn't usually come as huge shocks to others. Meaning, typically they were more mainstream books, NYT Best Sellers, etc. Occasionally we branched out, but not always.

I LOVED my book club and I miss it. We disbanded about 2 years ago for various reasons. One being that many of the women were just too busy with very young children, large families, graduate school, etc.

I do know of a friend's mother who is in a more serious book club where there is much less mingling and hanging out and more literary discussion. I had both and it was great.

[Marsha2003]

I'm not posting the following to be contrary or negative, but I've never understood the desire to discuss a book, particularly a novel. Once in a while, I'll read suggested discussion questions for a book I've read and I don't find them of interest to me. I guess it's a good thing that I've never joined a book club. The other members wouldn't find me to be a helpful contributor...LOL!

[Linders Back]

On 1/27/2014 Marsha2003 said:

I'm not posting the following to be contrary or negative, but I've never understood the desire to discuss a book, particularly a novel. Once in a while, I'll read suggested discussion questions for a book I've read and I don't find them of interest to me. I guess it's a good thing that I've never joined a book club. The other members wouldn't find me to be a helpful contributor...LOL!

I guess I'm the exact opposite. whenever I read any book, be it for my book club or on my own, I really want to talk about with others. Reading in a vacuum seems so counterproductive.

That's why I love the "what are you reading" thread here. We may not discuss books per se, but we do compare notes and make reading suggestions.

[insomniac]

I've already answered this post, but I want to add that one huge benefit of book clubs is being able to appreciate a book more. So often someone will bring up a point that I had somehow missed. I am always learning.

[luvdoodles]

I never joined one because I didn't want to be stuck having to read a book I didn't like. I may be missing out on this experience, but there are so many books on my list to read and life is short.

[Honeybit]

Like Marsha2003, I almost never find that those "suggested discussion questions" listed online -- or sometimes in the back of a book -- have any relation to my own experience of the book. Frequently they strike me as just plain silly and pointless (like some of the exam questions we used to face in school). And like Linders Back, I have a desire to talk about books I've loved, especially how the authors achieved their effects and expressed their particular views about life and people. When I finally found a book club, It came as a great surprise to me to learn that other members had completely different reasons for coming to meetings and totally different concepts of a good book discussion. I felt completely out of step with the world of other book readers until I found this Forum and the wide variety of opinions expressed here about loved/hated books. As a book titled expressed it, "I Feel So Much Better Now."

[fbm2lsm]

I am in a Book Club that is sponsered by our public library. The leader is an employee of the library, she leads the discussions and selects the books. I enjoy the fact that I have read many books that I would have not chosen to read. I have loved many of them and disliked several, but I feel that it has broadened my reading horizons. This month we read The Dinner, while I felt that the author wrote well and I liked his style I did not like the story, but I may enjoy another book by this same author due to liking his style.

Like several of you I love to discuss books with others.

[glmama]

On 1/28/2014 HoneyBit said:

Like Marsha2003, I almost never find that those "suggested discussion questions" listed online -- or sometimes in the back of a book -- have any relation to my own experience of the book. Frequently they strike me as just plain silly and pointless (like some of the exam questions we used to face in school). And like Linders Back, I have a desire to talk about books I've loved, especially how the authors achieved their effects and expressed their particular views about life and people. When I finally found a book club, It came as a great surprise to me to learn that other members had completely different reasons for coming to meetings and totally different concepts of a good book discussion. I felt completely out of step with the world of other book readers until I found this Forum and the wide variety of opinions expressed here about loved/hated books. As a book titled expressed it, "I Feel So Much Better Now."

While I generally agree, I think for those that are new to really discussing a book, they are good jumping-off points. As for those that don't understand the desire to discuss a book--that's what's so great about reading, IMO ( one of the many reasons!). It can be a deeply personal experience OR it can be more of a communal experience. For those of us that may have been Lit majors in college, it's kinda a knee jerk thing we do!:-0

[DoneTryin]

Marsha2003, I like to discuss the books I've read for the same reason I like to discuss movies I've seen: to share my thoughts & opinions about the story with one or more other people & find out if they interpreted it the same way I did. If we didn't see it the same way, then it's fun to discuss why.

Some of us like to do this & obviously some people, like you, do not. Whatever floats your boat - it's all good!

[Marsha2003]

On 1/29/2014 VCamp2748 said:

Marsha2003, I like to discuss the books I've read for the same reason I like to discuss movies I've seen: to share my thoughts & opinions about the story with one or more other people & find out if they interpreted it the same way I did. If we didn't see it the same way, then it's fun to discuss why.

Some of us like to do this & obviously some people, like you, do not. Whatever floats your boat - it's all good!

I'm certainly enjoying reading all of the perspectives on this thread.