Book Groups

[Kidsmum]

My local library is starting a new book reading group in June & i'm considering joining as i love to talk about books with other people. I know that a few people on here are also in book groups & so wondered how much you enjoy your book groups, do you feel you get to read lots of varied books which you wouldn't normally have come across or do you get stuck with books you don't like a lot of the time?   I can't make up my mind wether to take the plunge or not, on one hand i like to talk about books but on the other i have a huge book mountain of my own to get through. I'm hoping that hearing other peoples opinions will help me make up my mind. 

[chesilbeach]

I go to my local library reading group, and I would say that you will definitely get a mixed bag of books.  There is no doubt, you will read (or abandon) some books that aren't to your tastes at all, others that will you will be ambivalent about, some you've already read, and some that you never would have picked up otherwise, but with any luck, once in a while, you will get a book that absolutely blows you away, and you will be able to sit with a group of people for an hour or two, and share a book you've loved.

 

What I've also found is that even if I haven't enjoyed, finished or even started the book choice(s) at each meeting, it's still worth listening to others opinions, and we always discuss other books by way of reference to the one being discussed, or just by talking about what we're all currently reading over the tea break, and it's a wonderful opportunity to talk to people with the same love of books.  I've picked up plenty of recommendations based on the "if you liked that, you'll like this..." discussions, as well as the authors I've found who I would never have dreamt of reading if it hadn't been a book group selection.

 

Don't forget, you can always try it and if you don't like it, no one's going to force you to keep going!

 

Hope that helps.

Edited May 18, 2013 by chesilbeach

[Eleonora]

I'm in a reading group and I truly enjoy the experience. There are 25 people or so in my group.. and I'm one of the youngest. We decided to go like this: one month we read a classic and the other month we read something more contemporary. We started last march, so it's not so long, but I already have a lot of friends! We share opinions and advices. Last week I went to the library and there was a book dropped for me by another member of the group. It has a post-it on saying " I know you would like this one." You know what? I really enjoyed that book but I would never ever picked it up if it was for me because I didn't appreciate the author.

[Kidsmum]

thank you Chesil & Elenora that's really helpful i think i will give it a go, as you say if i don't like it i can always stop going it's not like i'm signing up for life. I like the idea of alternating between a classic & a contemporary book Elenora that sounds like a good idea.

 

When you discuss the books does everyone just say what they think or do you have set questions?

[Eleonora]

We usually say our impressions, no questions set. We talk for about 2 hours and we are free to connect the book we have read for the group with other stories read in the past. But someone don't even open their mouth, they just listen.. which is usefull if you're very shy. Well, that's not my problem.

[Kell]

I used to be in a book group and we used to take it in turns to suggest two books and then the group would vote on which of the two they'd prefer to read. We read all kinds of different books, from light rom-com to heavier literary reads, classics, lad-it, fantasy and sci-fi, crime and drama. I read some great books that I wouldn't ordinarily have chosen for myself, and some I didn't enjoy at all, but overall, the experience was very enjoyable, and we had a great time discussing the books every month.

[Janet]

My local library is starting a new book reading group in June & i'm considering joining as i love to talk about books with other people. I know that a few people on here are also in book groups & so wondered how much you enjoy your book groups, do you feel you get to read lots of varied books which you wouldn't normally have come across or do you get stuck with books you don't like a lot of the time?   I can't make up my mind wether to take the plunge or not, on one hand i like to talk about books but on the other i have a huge book mountain of my own to get through. I'm hoping that hearing other peoples opinions will help me make up my mind. 

My friend started a Book Club back in 2006 and I still love it, even after all these years!   We read all sorts of books.  Before I joined I only read 'chick lit' type books and now I hardly ever do - my tastes have changed so considerably.  As Claire said, even if one doesn't finish the book or hates it, it still gives loads of scope for discussion - and no two opinions are ever the same.  We've a change of some members over the last 7 years (there are just three of us left who are 'original' but we've only had one change of members where 3 left and 4 new joined) and I hope we go for at least another 7 years! 

 

So yes, go for it. 

[chesilbeach]

When you discuss the books does everyone just say what they think or do you have set questions?

 

We don't have any set questions, it's just a round the table discussion about what we thought about each book.  There are often questions that arise out of that discussion, but never anything planned or structured, just a chat about it really.  Nice and informal.

[willoyd]

I currently belong to two book groups, mainly because when I was looking for one to join last autumn, the two both cropped up virtually simultaneously through different routes, I thought I'd try them both out to see which I preferred, and I'm currently happy going to both!

 

One is a new groups set up through the library, like yours Kidsmum.  We're an evening group, after the library is shut, so we meet in the a local pub - because it's a Monday meeting, they like us being there as it helps keeps numbers up!  The books come through the library service, so we don't know what we're getting until we open the box at the meeting, after discussing the previous choice.  There are about a dozen of us.  I have to say that so far there's not been a single book I've liked - several I've not been able to bring myself to finish.  I've enjoyed the discussions and meeting the rest of the group (who are a lovely bunch of people), and intend to keep going for the moment, but I have found the continual disappointment with the books somewhat debilitating.  They're all books that have been bought by the library based on the choices of its various book groups, but I've found them rather monotonous - all middle of the road literary fiction, pretty unremittingly gloomy and, IMHO, rather overrated (see list below, and you'll probably disagree with me!).

Books discussed so far with my star ratings: Christine Falls - Benjamin Black **; When We Were Orphans - Kazuo Ishiguro **; The Boy in Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne *; Alone in Berlin - Hans Fallada **; Notes on a Scandal - Zoe Heller *

 

The other group I belong to was originally set up by a group of friends who were looking for some new blood - and they acquired me!  We circulate round members' houses, and books are chosen in order round the group (my first choice is coming up in July).  The range is somewhat broader than the library group - there have been some really awful books, but there have also been some really good ones too.  I've loved the discussions which seem to be a wee bit more lively, the best one being on a book that I didn't particularly rate, but which proved a great book to discuss (it might have helped that we were also eating a Christmassy buffet at the time!),which goes to underline the fact that the most enjoyable discussions come when there's a range of views and opinions - the least interesting discussions are when we're all in agreement, either liking or hating.  (BTW, the book was The Help).

Books discussed so far, with my star ratings: Ash - James Herbert *; The Help - Kathryn Stockett **; David Copperfield - Charles Dickens ******; Yellow Birds - Kevin Powers *; Starter for Ten - David Nicholls *; Sarah Thornhill - Kate Grenville ***;

 

Overall, I've found that I've read quite a number of books that I would probably not have read otherwise, so to that extent it's opening my horizons up.  However, I have to say that the majority of those books have ultimately disappointed - I have never had so many one or two star reads in a year, and we're not even half way through.  Many/most are books that have featured highly in awards or in the best seller lists, so it's probably me and my tastes, which is why I've listed them above so you can make your own judgement.  What has suprised me though is how narrow the range is, especially with the library group.  We'll see how it all progresses - I do love the opportunity to discuss books with other readers, that's the really big plus, and one that will in all likelihood keep me going.

 

In terms of the framework for discussions, the library group don't use questions, just starting off going round the group for opinions and going from there, whilst with the other group, the host takes a lead by researching some questions beforehand (or using generic ones we've got as a back up/supplement) and leading the discussion. 

Edited May 19, 2013 by willoyd

[Alexi]

I would love to join a book group, but I don't have a clue how to go about joining one! I use the library in the next county, so it wouldn't be particularly convenient to go there, but that might change when I move in September - I hope they have one... *googles*

[willoyd]

We read all sorts of books.  Before I joined I only read 'chick lit' type books and now I hardly ever do - my tastes have changed so considerably.  As Claire said, even if one doesn't finish the book or hates it, it still gives loads of scope for discussion.

Interesting that, because I'm finding more and more the opposite - that the people in book groups/circles I belong to show a great reluctance to try anything new. Yes, new authors maybe, but they stay very much in their comfort zone in terms of types of books. Which is why, for instance, the book list for our local library groups is so samey - they've all been chosen by book groups, who very much go for more of the same. And those book groups are dominated by a certain profile, gender etc.

 

Having said that, I have some sympathy with that viewpoint - I know, for instance, that I generally dislike horror, fantasy, modern teen fiction etc, and I don't need to read more of them to prove that. But I'm increasingly finding that book group choices are generally fairly predictable.

[Janet]

I know you’re very well read and I don’t think I’ll ever be as well read as you – and probably to you our choices would be very tame - but we’ve read authors such as Khaled Hosseini (who I love, but when I read The Kite Runner back in 2006 when we’d just started our group it wouldn’t have crossed my mind to read such a book), V S Naipaul, José Saramago, Robertson Davies, Oscar Wilde, Jostein Gaarder, Melvin Bragg… and whilst some of these are no longer out of my comfort zone, they are still books that other members wouldn’t dream of picking up unless they were doing so as part of our book club.

One of our members still always picks something along the chick-lit lines. Last time it was a Dorothy Koomson, which was pretty dire! The time before that it was an American romance novel (equally as dreadful!) and this time it’s a Jojo Moyes book - but the rest of us do try to pick things we think will make for good discussion.

We’re all women though so that probably makes a difference to our choices and you probably wouldn’t consider them to be anything special. I can’t imagine us reading a Western or Sci-fi for example. Maybe I should pick one of those next time it’s my go?!

[Athena]

If I didn't have my condition and was more sociable and less prone to get stressed and had lots of energy and time, I might like to join a book club. It's really nice to read all your experiences.

[chesilbeach]

I know with our library book group there is a limitation as to what books we can read, as only the popular books and authors will have enough copies circulating in the library system to be able to get enough for the group.  We also have to wait until the books have been in the system for two years before they can be reserved as a batch for our group.  This means we're rarely going to get any niche books or unknown authors, in fact the only time we tend to get these are if we're sent a batch from a publisher.  I would love to be part of a book group not affiliated with the library where we chose our own books and bought our own copies, as I think there would be more breadth in the choices of books, but unfortunately, I've never been able to find one locally.  Fortunately, this forum has filled that gap!

Edited May 20, 2013 by chesilbeach

[willoyd]

V S Naipaul, José Saramago, Robertson Davies, Oscar Wilde, Jostein Gaarder, Melvin Bragg…

 

That actually looks like a list that goes a long way to disprove my thesis, and sounds like a book group well worth being a member of!

 

We’re all women though so that probably makes a difference to our choices and you probably wouldn’t consider them to be anything special. I can’t imagine us reading a Western or Sci-fi for example.

 

I can't remember ever reading a western (although I have The Sisters Brothers on my Kindle to read), and, aside from Connie Willis's time travel books, I've not read any sci-fi since a teenager (I've actually got Iain M Banks's Consider Phlebas on my to read pile simply because I've not read any for so long).  But then my female friends tell me that I'm a bit girlie when it comes to reading, so that may explain that (it was meant, and was taken, as a compliment!).

 

 I would take what I say with a small (maybe large!) pinch of salt: I'm probably having a bit of a reaction to the sequence of selections in the various groups I contribute to, which do seem to be a bit samey at present: literary fiction, largely contemporary (certainly post war), largely aimed at a particular market.  I was just hoping for more variety: the odd western or sci-fi wouldn't go amiss (just because I've not read any for ages), even some fantasy (Gormenghast anyone?), perhaps some classics, maybe in translation, the occasional biography, travel writing, a collection of essays, history, some popular science, a play, a book of poetry, some natural history, perhaps a bit of philosophy (or is that the Jostein Gaardner you read?!), current affairs, a collection of short stories, some satire (Oscar Wilde!)..... and so on. 

Please forgive my chuntering - once I get going, I do have a habit of rumbling on for a bit.  Not quite what this thread was meant to be about, and in spite of what you might feel from the above, I do actually enjoy the book groups!  I just live in hope!

 

I know with our library book group there is a limitation as to what books we can read, as only the popular books and authors will have enough copies circulating in the library system to be able to get enough for the group.  We also have to wait until the books have been in the system for two years before they can be reserved as a batch for our group.  This means we're rarely going to get any niche books or unknown authors, in fact the only time we tend to get these are if we're sent a batch from a publisher.

Fair comment, Claire. That's almost certainly the explanation for the availability list I've seen. 

Edited May 20, 2013 by willoyd

[Kell]

And don't forget, we have our own monthly reading circle here on The Book Club Forum too!

 

We've been hosting reading circles since August 2005 and have covered loads of different genres and styles, so there's always something that appeals to someone. All members are welcome to join in and the threads are left open for future members to wade in with their opinions too.

You can see the full list of the books we've read in the various groups HERE.

[frankie]

I'm in a reading group and I truly enjoy the experience. There are 25 people or so in my group.. and I'm one of the youngest. We decided to go like this: one month we read a classic and the other month we read something more contemporary. We started last march, so it's not so long, but I already have a lot of friends! We share opinions and advices. Last week I went to the library and there was a book dropped for me by another member of the group. It has a post-it on saying " I know you would like this one." You know what? I really enjoyed that book but I would never ever picked it up if it was for me because I didn't appreciate the author.

 

That's so nice!!  

 

25 people in your group? I think that's quite a big group! How many people do you others have in your book groups?

 

Kidsmum, like others have said before, I would definitely go in if I were you, and see what it's like. You don't have to go again if you don't like it for some reason, but at least then you'll know. You  might be kicking yourself in the butt later if you didn't go in the first time!

[willoyd]

25 people in your group? I think that's quite a big group! How many people do you others have in your book groups?

12 in one and 9 in the other. The larger is now full, with a waiting list.

[chesilbeach]

How many people do you others have in your book groups?

 

We usually average about 12 people each meeting, although we've probably got about 20 people who come regularly, just not every week.

 

While I don't agree with all the choices, I have made a few suggestions in the past and they've generally been well received books - especially proud to have got them all reading The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness, a YA book that none of them would have picked up otherwise and was almost universally enjoyed.

 

The only problem I have with the group is that the average age of all the other members is about 65, so I've got a good couple of decades on all of them, and I do feel a bit left out at times. When we do occasionally get new, younger members, they never last more than a few meetings - I'm not sure whether it's due to the age of the group or the choices of books, or just not their thing. I wish I could join a group with more people closer to my age, but I just haven't been able to find another group locally.

[frankie]

 

The only problem I have with the group is that the average age of all the other members is about 65, so I've got a good couple of decades on all of them, and I do feel a bit left out at times. When we do occasionally get new, younger members, they never last more than a few meetings - I'm not sure whether it's due to the age of the group or the choices of books, or just not their thing. I wish I could join a group with more people closer to my age, but I just haven't been able to find another group locally.

 

 

This is one of my concerns, too. I mean we dont' have a book group for the local library, not that I'm aware of anyway (we do have one but it's a sort of a 'course' which you have to pay for, and I say no thank you for that kind of a thing...), but I was just reading in the newspaper about a book group for the library in the neighboring town and the members there were all 50+. And there was only one man, and he said he'd appreciate if more men took part in the group!

 

I have no problems with there being older people in the groups, but it would be nice if there younger people, too. It would be beneficial all around if there were people there from all ages, sexes, backgrounds etc.

 

Edit: What also bothers me is that I personally like to read foreign books more than Finnish, so if I were to join a local book group I suspect the majority of the books we were to read were Finnish and as much as I like trying new books, it might not be for me.

 

Which is just one of those many reasons why I love this forum :smile2 <3

Edited May 21, 2013 by frankie

[Janet]

That actually looks like a list that goes a long way to disprove my thesis, and sounds like a book group well worth being a member of!

I probably shouldn't have put the Gaarder book on the list as it was actually a children's one (the 'chooser' didn't realise at the time and chose it for the Christmas theme).  The Bragg was part of his 'Soldier' trilogy - and was nothing like I expected.  I enjoyed it (it was my choice) but it wasn't heavy at all.   I didn't really 'get' the Naipaul at the time (again, it was one of our first books - I'm certain I'd appreciate it if I read it now).   I chose the Saramago book for my last book - most of the members were surprised to find they actually enjoyed it and that the text wasn't as hard to follow as they'd imagined!

 

I'd like to suggest a Dickens for my next go (if only to kick-start me into reading one), but I know that not all of the others would finish it in the time allowed.  Half of the members only read one book a month - so sometimes our book is the only one they'll read - and one of them doesn't often finish the book we are discussing! 

 

I'm certainly happy with the way the group is though - and that's what it's all about at the end of the day.  

 

There are 7 of us in our group.  When our founder was setting up she was told that 10 is a good maximum number - any more and there is a tendency for the group to split into two groups rather than all discussing the book together.

[Eleonora]

The only problem I have with the group is that the average age of all the other members is about 65, so I've got a good couple of decades on all of them, and I do feel a bit left out at times. When we do occasionally get new, younger members, they never last more than a few meetings - I'm not sure whether it's due to the age of the group or the choices of books, or just not their thing. I wish I could join a group with more people closer to my age, but I just haven't been able to find another group locally.

That's the problem that concerned me more.. then I found out elderly men think I'm pretty and I have to admit it rises my self confidence!

[Athena]

Edit: What also bothers me is that I personally like to read foreign books more than Finnish, so if I were to join a local book group I suspect the majority of the books we were to read were Finnish and as much as I like trying new books, it might not be for me.

 

Which is just one of those many reasons why I love this forum :smile2 <3

x

That's one of the problems I'd have as well (other than the fact that social interaction (in real life) really tires me, of course). I'm very happy with this forum!

[Kell]

That's so nice!!

 

25 people in your group? I think that's quite a big group! How many people do you others have in your book groups?

 

Kidsmum, like others have said before, I would definitely go in if I were you, and see what it's like. You don't have to go again if you don't like it for some reason, but at least then you'll know. You  might be kicking yourself in the butt later if you didn't go in the first time!

The group I was in started off smaller - there were about 9 people in it when I joined and it had been running about 6 month at that point. By the time I left (when I had Xan - I just haven't had the time to go back since then!) there were closer to 30 members. Not everyone went every month, but there was a core of about 20 who were there nearly every time (I was one of those who never missed a meeting in almost 3 years till Xan arrived). We were of a wide age range - everything from 18/19 year old students (they had to be a minimum of 18 as we met in a pub), through the 20s, 30s, 40s and 50s. I don't think there was anyone older than that, but it was 5 years ago I left so that could well be different now - LOL! It as great getting input from everyone and seeing how differently, or sometimes how similarly, we all thought/felt abut things, and as we all took turns choosing the books, nobody was left out. Although with 30 people it sometimes takes a while to get round to everyone - LOL!

[frankie]

I don't think I would enjoy such big groups... I'm somewhat 'fearful' of 'public speaking' and I know that if there were more than, say, 10 people, in the group, I would probably listen more than speak, and that would kind of defeat the purpose, because I would like to voice my own opinions, too.