I start my Mondays with news, and today I found this interesting article from WSJ called No, I Don’t Want to Join Your Book Club by Betsy McKay. The article requires you to register unless you have a subscription. It’s a good read, but if you don’t want to go through the trouble of registering, I’ll summarize it below.
According to the article, traditional book clubs, “the kind where you have to read a book you didn’t pick, finish by a deadline and come to the meeting with something clever to say,” are not for everyone. Although book clubs have been “a staple of social life” for years, a lot of people have complaints. The book clubs might not cater or reflect their tastes and these readers shy from offering recommendation for the fear that the rest of the club won’t like their preferred reads. Reading assigned books feels too much like work. There is pressure to come up with “smart-sounding hot takes” about the books they’ve read and don’t like to be put on the spot.
Whatever reason, some people look for alternative to the traditional book club structure. Some become members of silent book clubs, gathering at local libraries, restaurants, breweries, or other fun places to quietly read in peace with other book-loving people. Some do away with assigned book lists and instead meet once a week over dinner to discuss the individual books they’ve read without the “classroom-vibe” ruining the mood. The people mentioned in the article really embrace this new format. There are many pictures of happy people reading together.
Moving on from the article to a more personal take, at the core, reading seems like a quintessentially private form of entertainment. It’s just you and the page. So why are people so eager to connect a talk about what they’ve read? Why is this a social pastime?
There are probably many reasons, but from a writer’s point of view, the need to discuss books makes perfect sense. Books are a form of communication. We write them to connect with other readers. We have things we want to say, and so we say them through the narrative. And then that communication filters through the reader, becomes altered and enriched by their thoughts, aided by their own life experiences, and it is passed on, to other readers.
As a writer, it’s fun to see this happen. Your message, your creation, living on. You can see it resonate or fail to resonate. Readers tend to view characters as role models. Writers, though, strive to mirror life by creating flawed characters, messy and imperfect. It is those imperfections and the inherent messiness that make for the best discussions, because in a way it contributes to the net of social ties that both bind and support us.
Whether we like it or not, we have some leftover emotions and survival mechanisms that evolved to keep us alive in more dangerous times. Fear is one of those. Young kids like to be scared. It must’ve been a part of some survival strategy. If a scary predator comes near and you are weak and small, your best bet is to hide and be very still. Sabretooth tigers no longer stalk our toddlers, but the need to experience that fear lingers. There is a reason why Goosebumps is a cultural phenomenon.
Hate. Another powerful emotion that most of us try to avoid. It’s a harmful state of being, both to the one who hates and to the one who is hated. We’re discouraged from hating and engaging in violence hate creates, and so we try to suppress the urge to hate. But the mechanism that activates it is still in place. A teacher once told me that the scariest thing in the world are good people who are given permission to hate. When emotion that is suppressed erupts, especially collectively, it causes irreparable damage.
On the flip side of the coin, in our ordinary lives, we are rarely thrilled about something. We don’t usually reach a state of being elated and or even that excited. We don’t often feel overwhelming relief. We don’t always get an opportunity to cheer in sympathy.
Books allow us to experience all of those extremes. We can celebrate a protagonist’s win, we can hate the antagonist as much as we like, and we can pass judgement on every character without any kind of social backlash. We can cry, we can yell, we can vent all we want.
And then we reach out and look for validation of our feelings. “Oh I really hated so and so. Did you hate him too? Yes? And I was so happy when so and so finally won. Were you? Oh good. I found my people.” There is acceptance and reassurance there. A safe sense of belonging, in a way.
What are your thoughts on book clubs? Are you a solitary reader or a social one?
I’ve never actually tried a book climb TBH. I read so many books so fast that I’d probably forget the finer points by the time for discussion. And some of the plot. And some of the characters! Unless it’s one of my go-to authors, like IA, that I re-read every so often.
I’ve been a member (and organizer) of a book club for 11 years now and I love it. We read anything & everything and choose our books based on consensus or voting. Over time we’ve come up with fun themes to help us find new books, such as choose a country & read two books by different authors from that country or read one fiction & one non-fiction book on the same topic. The most discussion occurs when we have wildly different views or reactions to books, so people are always encouraged to come & share whatever impression they’ve formed, even if that led to them only reading 50 pages before giving up on a book. I’ve even had my opinion of books change based on our discussions and I’ve gone from really disliking a book to true appreciation due to our conversations. And there’s nothing better than talking about a book you love with other people who also want to talk about books.
A little of both
I am a solitary reader, but have a lovely bunch of online “friends” from an Outlander-based discussion group, started on Yahoo many moons ago. It later segued to Facebook and we continued there. I don’t even follow the group anymore (I loved the book series but cannot discuss it ad infinitum) but I am still friends with people from the group, and some are very, very dear to me. I think book clubs that are somewhat flexible are wonderful for even the most introverted reader. They enable us to expand our world while still remaining ourselves.
I was lucky enough to land in a book club with members who are amazing in the kitchen. At this point, we just get together to eat and gab—a little about books, but mostly not. We did read some good books together in the beginning, but overall, I don’t miss reading “assignment” books.
Book clubs tend to feel like an assignment to me, though a silent book club does sound intriguing. I’m a solitary reader, but I love to discuss all things books. One of the FB pages I follow for readers fills that need for me. I share my favorite authors, books and reviews. Nothing makings me a happier than a good book debate.
Solitary reader for sure. I was always criticized as a kid by my mother who did not read because I “read too much”. Ironic since my father was an avid reader too. I think she felt left out.
As an adult I prefer to read multiple genres that a lot of others don’t understand or think are juvenile.
Still my favorite pastime and now I have audio books and theatrical audio books to enjoy. Seventh heaven
I host a Silent Book Club chapter. We call it the introvert’s book club. Different chapters do different things such as how often we meet or where. However, what we have in common is what we do: we read. Anything we want to, no set book. In my chapter, we talk for the first half hour or so about what we’re reading, then we just read for around an hour. People read anything they like, books for other book clubs, magazines, textbooks for class. Last month we met on the lawn of an art museum. This month we’re meeting by the fireplace in a library. BTW, there are over 500 chapters of SBC all over the world.
I enjoy both individual and social reading. I am a part of a book club offered where I work. we all read very different things, but we take turns picking books fir the group to read. i use it to find authors and books i may not otherwise find. yes, it means I often read books I dont like, but for me it’s worth it because I have found some authors/books I would never have realized I enjoyed because they are in the genres I typically read. If you are stressed in your book club, then its probably not the right one for you.
I have always enjoyed reading, but never considered a book club until a friend invited me to join hers. At the first meeting of the year, everyone brought in a book to consider for one of our monthly reads. One book per month, one member to host the meeting. After snacks, wine, and chat time to update on our lives and town news, the discussion began. I read so many books that I never would have looked twice at. Some I could hardly get through. Some were very much worth discussing as they touched on topics that touch our lives in good, bad, or ‘learn from the past’ ways. Some I truly enjoyed. It’s a good thing to stretch your mind and emotions outside of the everyday reading box. It’s a good thing to socialize and interact with others. It’s a good thing to be able to share an opinion in a positive way.
I love my Ilona Andrews reads. They are the ones I buy and read over and over. They are for me. But like in life, there is more out there to consider than my own small world and in reading there is more to consider than my happy reads. That is what book club adds to my reading adventures.
It seems many in the BDH, as I am, are solitary readers. Three of my five children enjoy fantasy. Two of those share my appreciation of the Andrew’s universes. One doesn’t care for serials or e-books and waits for the dead-tree version.
I enjoy the Andrew’s Blog and comments, it’s as good as any book club.
I belong to a distant cousin of a book club, a senior citizen writing group. It was started several years ago by a Community College Senior Citizen outreach program. There were two of them which were led by paid teachers. The teachers had to be published. The Community College program was suspended during COVID and didn’t restart. Several of us decided to continue the writing group and it has done well without a professional leading us.
I have to be honest, I don’t think book clubs are a big thing in my surroundings. (From the Netherlands.) Anyway I read solo and mainly I just discuss with friends when they or I want new book recommendations. Some recommendations work better than others, but overall this works fine. Started some series I might have otherwise dismissed this way, but also had some DNFs. Overall I don’t feel any need to talk about the books I read that much, so this works fine. Not a big introvert or shy or ashamed or anything, just like to do this by myself for me time
We have one in San Antonio. We meet and usually we might or might not discuss the book from the previous month. Mostly its a did you like it? What did you think? Then we get to the meat of our meetings where each of us shares what we read that month. We write down all the books names and then usually try to pick a book either from that list or our collective TBR. We are almost all part of the BDH and wish we could find a way to tempt Ilona and Gordon to join one month (our absolute dream, lol). We are not at all strict about reading the book and mostly our picks for the next month have loose expectations. We’ve been meeting since 2015 (with roughly the same members!) and our Book Club Notebook has the most epic book list!!!!
I only have a couple friends in real life who read the sort of books I like best(UF, PNR, and PCM), and they aren’t local to me. Consequently, if I joined a local book club, I’d always be reading books I didn’t choose. I’m 30 years out of school and don’t want to be assigned what to read, lol. I belong to a couple facebook groups who read what I like, so those are interesting places to share reactions and opinions, and get recs. I also follow a few BookTubers who do reviews and have discussions in the comments sections of videos.
I spent years in grad school to get my PhD in English, and I LOVE discussing books. But it’s been hard to find a book club that’s a good fit. Most people don’t need/want to read and discuss as closely as I do. I’ve found that I far prefer talking with a few book friends about what we’re each reading. We swap recs, talk favorite characters, discuss best romance tropes, etc. It’s lovely. I very much enjoy the connection it brings. In fact one of those friends is how I found HA, and the other found HA because of me! 🙂
I’m a solitary reader. When my job is working with people all day I tend to avoid people after my work day ends. My small town library didn’t purchase many non-mainstream books, so when I sorted out the keepers I donated the rest of them to the library. One of the employees told me my donations were some of the most requested by mail books they sent out. I attended a Patricia Briggs book signing in Virginia years ago. I had a fabulous time talking authors and series with actual readers that evening. Sadly I don’t know anyone who regularly reads for pleasure now.
I like your blog. It is a kind of like a book club without being one nor wanting to be one. This place provides me with insightful comments, people who read many of the books/genres, etc., I like (and more) and it is a no judgement zone. It is a group of people from everywhere interested in books. No hate. Lots of peaceful comments. Many adventuresome anecdotes. Most of all your blog is friendly with good boundaries and generosity of spirit. Oh, and let me not to forget to mention kids 1&2, pets and other animal events. Yep, it is what I like.
The BDH is my book club. Couldn’t ask for better. Their comments add insight to the House Andrews books and I enjoy hearing about other members of the group and HA. No one is mean spirited (or at least thanks to ModR we don’t see that stuff). It’s also a good source for discovering new authors of interest.
I’m not a joiner. I’m definitely a solitary reader but I do have a friend who likes similar books. We enjoy getting together over drinks or dinner and talking about what we’re reading. We give each other suggestions of authors and titles we think the other might like.
I was part of a book club for about a year (I only left because I moved away) and it was a very good experience. It was a small group that was limited to 12 women so each got to host and choose the book once a year. Almost every book I read I would never have read on my own and I appreciate that one of the several books I read in a given month during that time was something that at least nudged me out of my preferred genres a little bit. We ate and socialized. We rated and discussed the books. When it was my turn to pick, I chose to my preference and many of the other women read something outside of their normal reads. It’s a happy memory for me.
I did a book club when I first moved to a new area that was reading the entire list of Hugo winners. We met in a bar for several years and we did slowly wind down to only a few people and stopped going to the pub as we got nearer to the end of the list. It was fun but I don’t think I’ll bother joining another regular book club again.
The article sounds like the negative side of traditional book clubs is worrying about what other people think of you…
I joined a book club a few years ago and I really love it. I thought reading was ONLY a solitary activity. By joining a book club, it has connected me to other people through the lens of the book. Sometimes I don’t like the book very much, and the discussion shows me how others experienced it differently and I appreciate the book in a different way.
Sometimes, we intend to read a book but we don’t end up discussing it. Recently, one of our members experienced the unexpected death of her young adult son, and we just talked instead of focusing on the book. For several months, this mom was unable to read the scheduled book. She just came and sat while the rest of us talked about the book. She needed the connection, without needing to contribute to the discussion.
Book clubs are about the connection, not the quiz.
I prefer a more solitary reading of books, at my own pace. If I decide a book isn’t worth the effort of finishing it, I don’t want a book club to pressure me into finishing it. (Note: this is never an issue with HA books as I always finish those, many times on a regular schedule! 😂)
However, I do love talking to others about books and characters I love. IRL this often means book chats my daughter. We have similar tastes and have both discovered new favorites because of this.
And of course, like so many others, I love being part of the BDH! I read about the opinions, likes, dislikes, hobbies, pet peeves, justified outraged about [fill in the blank], amusing takes on just about everything, and such sympathetic and caring support (thanks for promoting this HA and Mod R!) You all are my people! 🥰💕💕
I love book clubs! They help me branch out into genres I don’t normally read, and it’s fun to have discussions with my friends who also enjoy reading. And when we’re done discussing the book, we usually hang out a couple more hours talking and eating sugary treats. I mean, what’s not to love? 😄
I was rejected after a single visit to a book group connected to a local book store. The leader, the founder I assume, picked out the book. I refused to read that particular book, and announced I would happily come to gatherings with different choice.
She had picked The Handmaids Tale, at the time a new book on the market.
I said I found the topic too traumatic for myself. She was offended. My friend who brought me was embarrassed I suspect. I still want nothing to do with the book. I learned the leader’s mom owned the bookstore.
I tried a book club…and failed. The books that were chosen included a lot of emotional abuse. And I learned that I read to escape. I want to go someplace that makes me happy. LITERATURE isn’t my genre. Even if there were a fantasy-romance book club, I don’t think I’d join. I’m too picky. I want romances between equal partners and examples of men who listen.
I am not in a club, but I know that when I tell a fellow reader about a book, and they check it out, and like it, I feel like I have given that person a little joy.
And if they recommend a book to me and I like it, I make sure to let them know.
It just makes the day better and forges a connection with that other person, which is something I struggle with on a good day.
I sent this to one of my book clubs lol One of them I mainly hate the books but love the discussion, comradery and dinner out! The other one, a Scifi/horror one, has introduced me to books I would have NEVER read (who knew scifi and horror went together? Lovecraft anyone?) but love. I didn’t speak at the first few meetings for fear of sounding stupid but by the 3rd meeting took the plunge. I do love the idea of dinners with people just discussing what they are reading. We actually do that a lot on FB but the idea of combining it with wine and food, well….. I actually hate some FB book clubs bc people get snarky. My friends and I just post what we are reading and whether we like it or not. But again, add wine…..
I love the two sci-fi and fantasy book clubs I am in. They show me new authors and books to read (and occasionally avoid). One of them introduced me to House Andrews with a book pick of Clean Sweep, and I introduced the other group to House Andrews by recommending Magic Bites. Both groups do not require anyone to read/finish the book, though the discussion is better when the group has multiple points of view. No one worries about saying something clever, but we all try to share books we’ve loved. This month, our theme is Thanksbooking – where we will all share something about a book we’re thankful we’ve read. Here’s a news article on book clubs from my area of the world – https://www.startribune.com/why-is-minnesota-such-a-hotbed-of-book-clubs/600287480/
tend to be a solitary reader, but if I read something really good that hyped me up, I’d love to let anyone near me at least know about it x’D
My Hubby as a stressful job. He also works from home, which makes it extra hard for him to remove his mind from work to relax.
What works wonders is turning the TV on to a fireplace screen saver (we have a projector tv), turn the lights off, and snuggle together on the couch with our Kindles and read. (One of the few reasons I agreed to get a Kindle was the ability to read in the dark without eyestrain on ‘nightmode.’)
When its been super stressful we add a beverage. Wine for me, rum for him.
Otherwise I’m a solitary reader.
I’m at times a solitary reader and at times I like to discuss what I’ve read. I belong to a buddy read group on Goodreads and I have a book club. I got tired of reading genres I wasn’t interested in at book club, so I made my own and we read only fantasy and sci-fi. We have a group of friends who like to read the same genres, so it works out great. Each month we take turns bringing three or four book choices that we all vote on. It’s turned out to be mostly a couples group, which is fun. My husband had the great idea of making themed food for the party. We always try to tie it to the book somehow. Our friends have started to do the same sometimes. Sometimes what we end up with is pretty funny! We eat first and then chat about the books. It’s relaxed and fun and sometimes it generates great discussions, but no one is expected to say anything or even read the book unless they want to.
I like my book club because it makes me read books outside of my preferred sci-fi/fantasy genre. We also have a 300 page limit and have collectively agreed for a few books that they weren’t worth finishing. No pressure to finish a book you hate or come up with witty hot takes
comments sections on author blogs probably the closest thing to a book club that I engage in. my tastes in books tend to be very prescribed. I go through genre runs where that is all I care to read for a while and I am usually fascinated with the stories, authors and other fans of that genre. I can’t see myself being too patient discussing something outside my current favorites.
I belong to a book club that is almost 150 years old! It started as a “ladies literary society” back when there was not even a college library in town, let alone a public library. It has partly survived all these years by running pretty formally–the “business” portion of the meeting is run on Robert’s rules, we have elected officers and committees, etc.–and also by evolving to fit the tastes of the members.
Nowadays we meet once a month, and take turns giving basically a book talk of something we’ve read, with one “common read” per year. There are about 25 members, so we each only need to give a talk every other year, though some of us review much more often and others almost never. It’s a great way to talk about a book you love (or one you read and realized you didn’t love, but still want to talk about) and also to hear about other books.
My taste doesn’t match most of the ladies’ in the club, so I enjoy hearing about books that I will never read, and occasionally hearing about one that I do want to pick up. It’s a little like the occasional book recommendation threads here, but with less overlap of taste ;-).
My sisters and I always used to read in the same room and then when someone would laugh out loud they had to explain what was funny. We live in different places now but we have a dedicated chat thread for books. So that if someone laughs out loud they can tell the rest of us. We give book recs, whine for book recs, showcase bad photoshop on ku covers, and monologue our fan theories. We even fill out and share surveys to see how much of a bibliophile each of us is. When we realized we had to grade ourselves down for never having belonged to a book club, we named our chat thread Book Club so now we can get points for that too.
My romance book club is held at the library with the Library Manager and four other women. Steph gives us handouts about the new books she thinks our group would be interested in and then we talk about what we are reading, or want to read, and sometimes continue into books that have been made into movies or TV series (Outlander). Everyone knows my interest in fantasy/paranormal, and one member prefers Christian novels, but we all love books and talking about them and recommending them to each other, including audiobooks and favorite narrators. Oh, Steph also puts any books we are interested in on hold for us.
While I’m definitely a solitary person, I have enjoyed membership in a somewhat unusual book club for about four years now. It meets four times a year, hosted by a business: in person pre-covid, Zoom during, currently both options available.
One of the employees runs it.
She picks the books, with nominations from the members, and deliberately varies the genre from one book to the next. You read it or not, show up or not, your choice. The quarterly book choice and meeting invitation goes out by email, and the first ten people to RSVP get free copies of the book. This is, obviously, a draw.
I joined when the quarterly book was The Water Dancer, which had been on my wish list.I haven’t read every selection, nor attended every meeting. Every book I did read, some of which I would never have chosen on my own, was totally worthwhile. And they were all free copies, since I’m quick on the RSVP draw. 😀
The employee who hosts provides questions to spark discussion. It’s not a quiz, let alone an exam. Since everyone who attends was at least willing – not forced – to read the book, the discussions get very interesting. For in-person attendees, the business provides a very decent spread, very little of which I can eat, sadly.
I highly recommend this model, unusual as it is. It works really well for me.
I am not a book club person, reading a book I didn’t choose is almost like work 😂 What if the people in the book club aren’t into the same books I am? Yuck.
I do like to discuss my favorites with like minds, so I stick to the BDH and my bestie.
I’m a solitary reader. Never felt the urge to join a formal book club. Mainly because my taste in genres and entertainment is so far out of the realm of normal book club books. Instead, I get together with people who like my genres or favorite authors either in Discord or FB and just chat about what we read (or wrote). The Grimdark and Fantasy Faction groups on FB are great. There’s a giant discord server for LitRPG that is *full* of recommends. A couple other of my servers are for specific authors and their fans. Much more fun than the classic discussion group clubs or even an in-person event I need to show up for on a regular basis.
I mean, I come here to discuss your books so for me the Horde is a kind of book club.
So far, in nearly 49 years on this planet, I‘ve never felt the need to join a proper book club. Sometimes at work something like a book club starts, but mostly I‘ve found the books discussed there not my cup of tea so I don’t join.
I like the idea of being in a book club. The reality for me is I’m for the most part a private reader. I admit to being thrilled when I find another who is as passionate about certain books or authors as I, but I also know that my experiences with characters are mine alone and I don’t necessarily want that flavored by someone else’s opinion. Just greedy I guess 😝
Solitary reader. This is the closest I’ve been to a book club. But this is a new town that I’ve moved to and I need to make friends so, maybe?
I think book club is only fun if it’s focused on a genre that all members enjoy like for example a romance book club or an urban fantasy book club. It would feel too much like homework if you had to read a book that you normally wouldn’t pick up.
My version of book club is bookstagram, where I basically just talk about the books that I’m reading, and ny mutuals can comment or DM if they wanted to and we can have a discussion. Of course I’ve recommended House Andrews titles on bookstagram plenty of times!
I’m a librarian, and I run 3 book clubs, and belong to 2 more outside of work settings. The two “just for fun” book clubs I belong to read 1) romance and 2) a women-centric sci-fi books. The author doesn’t have to be a woman or non-binary identifying, but the main character of the book has be a woman/non-binary/non-gendered for us to read it.
I love book clubs because they do force me to pick up stuff that I otherwise wouldn’t have read. And I personally think the best book club discussions are when everybody despises the book, because you can collectively rip it to shreds, or when 1/2 the people love it, and 1/2 the people dislike it, so there’s something to dig into to discuss. ”
I’ve also moved around a bunch, and I join book clubs to meet people. My best friends in my latest city are people I met through my book clubs, and it was great because I already knew we had something in common.
I’m an individual reader, but I recommend my favorite books to people all the time. Also I find this blog and the web comics I read to be a form of book club, we all read the same stuff and comment on the content… long distance book community for the win!
I am part of a book club at my local fantasy/sci-fi/general geek store here in Oslo, and that sometimes means that I read books I wouldn’t normally pick up (many of whom have been very pleasant surprises), sometimes I read things that I know I will love and very occasionally, means I skip the book altogether. People don’t have to have read the book to come to the monthly meetings, but they have to be prepared for the plot to be spoiled if they come. We tend to have really interesting and spirited discussions, possibly more intense ones if the majority of people didn’t like the book we read.
I don’t think I’ve ever felt like I need to prepare anything insightful to say, and I doubt many others of our regulars do either. There’s a couple of people who take really intricate notes to help them order their thoughts, but I think most people just show up. I think almost half of our regulars don’t even speak much, they just sit and listen to the rest of us, possibly nursing a cup of tea or coffee, and some people knit. When we’ve asked them if they feel left out since they don’t participate in the discussion, they’ve been very clear that they just enjoy listening to the rest of us talking.
It also allows me to get out of the house once a month and interact with people who I don’t work with or are directly related to, and I’m really glad that I joined back in the day (when my father-in-law challenged me to push myself out of my comfort zone because I was getting painfully reclusive and introverted. His therapist had challenged him to do the same, and it had worked out really well for him, as it turned out for me too).
I both loved and hated my bookclub. I appreciate the time with others to discuss books and have a glass of wine. We learned a lot about each other as well for the many years of the book club. I didn’t feel pressure to have any witty remarks about the book.
I hated some of the books that other people chose and I’m sure they hated the books I chose at times as well (we rotated the selection). On one hand, it’s great to read and learn new perspectives that are not yours–but then it turns out non-fiction accounts of grisly historical events give me nightmares for months.
I also read at least ten books that I would have never have chosen but truly enjoyed and continue to seek out those authors to this day.
Never belonged to a book in teal life, but somehow this Blog feels like the best book club there could be because there are so many spirited discussions and theories about books I love…..
My book club is a great bookclub for us. We all host a 1-2 times a year. One friend lives on a hobby farm with chickens so we visit her in the summer/fall. Our book club is 2 hours once a month. When you are the host you present 3-4 book options of books the month before and the book club comes to consensus. We have a rule – read a 1/3 if you don’t like it you are done, no regret. We have dinner and chat about our lives – some books we have so much in common with that the book is woven into the conversation over and over again as we are discussing our daily lives and the world we live in. Other books we must force ourselves to discuss, spend minimum time and then get back to having fun. One time (in 10+ years) the host called everyone and begged us not to read/listen if we had not because the book was TOO BAD for words.
For me personally, there is nothing better than falling asleep reading a book and being able to wake up in sunshine and continue to read my book. I even have prescription glasses that fit perfectly for reading with my head on my side on the pillow.
Reading and listening are just fun. I am so glad weekends exist.
I tried a book club once and have been invited to join others, but they usually pick literary or mainstream fiction which I often find boring. None supported genre fiction or specifically urban fantasy, paranormal romance, any romance really or anything sexy or spicy. So, I’m mostly a lone reader except for a few friends who have read the same books, and when we see each other, then I really enjoy chatting about them.
assigned reading is a torture i wont put myself through. i survived school and all its horrible titles. i don’t ever have to do that again. i’ve occasionally looked into book clubs, but they’re all like bestseller vanilla contemporary fiction. i like fantasy and scifi. the real world sucks, and i don’t want to read about it! i want to read about another world entirely, escapism. i’ve never found a local book club for fantasy/scifi. and didnt know that online book clubs existed before this post. but even within scifi/fantasy, i’m still picky about what i read. and i have a to-read booklist that is miles long… special thanks to the BDH for all their recommendations! and i enjoy the BDH discussing ilona andrews books. i love reading all their speculations and theories. and i love how much other people enjoyed exactly what i enjoyed. i’ve taken a lot of crap over the years for my taste in books. but here i feel like i belong.
I’m in an online book club where members vote on one of 3 options for the book of the month and discuss in a private chat as they read. I find that an online format is a better fit for an introvert like me. It’s not too restrictive because people can post at their own time, even after the month for the assigned book is passed.
I tend to be a solitary reader. I have tried book clubs in the past but find that some lingering bit of my English Lit/History Major brain kicks in, and I end up reading to analyze. The result is that I don’t just sink into the story, and I then enter a social experience in an incompatible analysis mode. Most focus on the “I feel” while I’m focused on the writer’s craft, etc. It ends up frustrating all around. So I don’t do book clubs. I also don’t want to ruin others’ experience of a book, which can happen when the veil is pulled back.
I think of myself as a solitary reader, but this blog and comments have made me reflect.
I have just devoured the latest murderbot in secret and on kindle – because my husband and I both love the series, he hasn’t realised it’s been released, and I’ve ordered him a dead tree version for his birthday next week.
It’s been so hard not to discuss it and enjoy the fun bits together! This is one of the reasons I love the BDH – it’s the enjoyment of discussing books we’ve chosen to read, and love (in addition to the shipping, speculation, TLC etc.)
My day job centres around reading, and while I choose my research areas / fascinating rabbit holes, there’s also a lot of non-self-selected reading required. So I shy from having anyone else determining my R&R reading, particularly if there’s an expectation to analyse it / come up with clever insights.
For almost my entire 20’s my local B&N had a grouping of benches and chairs near the Sci/Fy section. Thursday night there would be a mix of people who just ‘happened’ to be there willing to talk about our current reads. Best book club ever!
Both social and solitary, actually. When I was a child, we didn’t have television. We had a big fireplace in a drafty living room. When I was very young, my mother read aloud to me. When I could read on my own, we all huddled in front of the fire, sharing the warmth, but each immersed in our own book. My children all love books, but not necessarily the same kinds of books. Down the years, we’ve shared books, traded books, discussed books, and even turned noses up at some books — not necessarily the same ones. Even so, I need a book to go to sleep at night — even if it keeps me up long past bedtime.
I used to be in a Mormon book club. Most of the book selections were MG/YA or meant to build character.
When it was my turn to pick the book, I picked–with the best of intentions–Nancy Kress’s Beggars in Spain. I had been deeply inspired by its message of humans needing each other, even those who are considered superior beings. What I had forgotten was how many sex scenes, f-words, and pages the book has.
Those nice Mormon ladies bought the book and read it and showed up ready to discuss. I will never forget that. They could have refused, and many would have, but instead the book club ladies came through and discussed material that many would not have ever chosen to read.
That was the high point of book clubbing. The rest has taught me to avoid in-person book clubs–but maybe I inadvertently taught other people to avoid book clubbing, too. Ha ha ha.
This makes me chuckle-I am in a book club with people I love, whose taste in reads I hate. So I have slogged through 2 years of angst-y millenial love(?) stories and a few gems, because I love seeing these women every month. Then I come home and devour urban fantasy, like any decent member of the BDH should. 😉
I have not liked book clubs I have tried in the past. I did feel judged and I didn’t like much of what they wanted to read. However I joined a bookclub when I moved a couple years ago and it has been wonderful. We have yummy food. There is no shaming if you don’t read the book and our discussions are always so interesting. You are able to contribute to the conversation even if you haven’t read the book. Sometimes I read the book and sometimes I don’t. I agree with the previous comment about loving the people and not particularly liking their taste in books.
I used to be hurt that I was never asked to be in a book club. People would make it sound like a lot of fun. I had a feeling that I wasn’t asked because I was an English major and a copy editor. Thank you for freeing me from that feeling!
I like the idea of a silent book club. Maybe with just one member? I’m not sure I’d want to discuss how I felt about Rogan’s tactile abilities, for instance. Cue the fans and cold showers.
My friends and I started a new book club – only fiction, only happy endings. Other members choose more bittersweet or nebulous endings, but that’s been part of the fun, the learning what people love in their books.
I joined a mystery book club through my work place (a public library) to force me to expand my reading in a genre I knew I liked. I had also survived cancer the previous year, so it was the kick to get my introverted butt out there to do something I would enjoy but wasn’t likely to do. Since everyone in the book club is a member of the public and and not a pre-existing friend group, we are definitely more book-focused and have a wider range of ages and perspectives on what we read. We all see to have a similar meter for measuring quality, though, so that’s nice. I have since become the facilitator, so I compile a list of books with summaries for people to look through and we vote on the titles we are most interested in reading. I also just take suggestions for our reading list as well. Members are always giving each other reading recommendations, so it’s a good resource for all of us. Anyway, I think genre-based book clubs are a good idea because there is always going to be something for everyone if they like that genre. And it sets a certain expectation that you can generally meet.
i’m an Ilona andrews’s reader!
i love your Books and i have read almost all of them (those i could find, in France it’s not easy) many many times…
thank you soooooo much for tour wonderfull gift to the World of imagination
please never doubt yourself, but continue to strive for greatness, because i soooo love the résultats!!!!!
Late to the party, but that is my way I guess.
I’m in a Bookclub organised by my local library. They supply the books, we take turn supplying the snacks and wine.
I like that it’s a bunch of people I don’t know outside of the club, because I don’t mind sharing my honest opinion. We have a range of people (there’s 10 of us) and that means we get contrasting views. People aren’t afraid to say they hated a book everyone else liked, and we happily discuss why they feel that way.
If a book is a DNF for me, then I’m upfront as to why.
It’s great because I read things I wouldn’t usually have touched. And I meet some great people I would ever usually get an opportunity to meet. It also flexes my confidence and social skills in a safe environment.
So yeah, I get why some people don’t like them. And I sometimes don’t like the feeling of “having” to read something I may not enjoy when I have a really good book lined up, but I also like that accountability.