Booking Through Thursday: Clubbing

A combo of two suggestions by: Heidi and by litlove:

Have you ever been a member of a book club? How did your group choose (or, if you haven’t been, what do you think is the best way to choose) the next book and who would lead discussion?

Do you feel more or less likely to appreciate books if you are obliged to read them for book groups rather than choosing them of your own free will? Does knowing they are going to be read as part of a group affect the reading experience?

Over the years, I have belonged to a handful of online book clubs that host book discussions of selected books. In each case, members of the group are asked to nominate books they would like to see read by the group. Some groups have set monthly themes, and the nominations must fit within that certain theme. Other groups have a more open process, where readers can nominate any book they choose. Sometimes there are restrictions such as only being able to nominate a book that is easy to find and those which are in paperback so as to save those who buy a little money. Once all the nominations are gathered, a poll is set up, and readers vote for which book they would like to read as a group. The book with the most votes wins.

In a couple of the groups, the moderators takes turns leading the book discussions; while in others, the person nominating the winning book takes charge. In some instances, the discussion is left open without prompts--it's a free for all. Regardless of how it is done, a book club discussion is only as good as the participants make it.

I have read a few books that I might not have read otherwise thanks to these book clubs and, as a result, have been introduced to new-to-me-authors. If anything, reading a book with a group adds to my appreciation of a book. Being able to talk about the book, what we liked and did not like, and exploring different aspects of the book in ways we would not have thought to do if we had been reading by ourselves made the experience all the more richer.

I have not been able to join a face to face book club but have taken full advantage of the various online book clubs out there. One advantage to an online group is being able to participate in a discussion at any time of day or night. If I can't get to the group one day, I can catch up later in the week. This type of discussion works best for me.

These days, I tend to prefer the open dialog a few online book clubs offer. Some have monthly book selections where reading the chosen book and participating in the discussion is optional. I can participate in a group discussion if I want to, but there's no obligation to do so nor is there any guilt for being unable to join in.

I would love to be a part of a face to face book group someday. Perhaps one day, it will be feasible.