Beastmomma

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 (to, 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?

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I have been part of many book clubs. You can read more about the experience here.  Each book club had a different method for choosing the book.  The New Orleans book club members would go to Borders.  We would split up and each select books.  We would then return and pitch the books to each other.  The Atlanta book club had a facilitator who would nominate four books, two fiction and two non-fiction; the members would vote on the nominated texts.  The Durham book club was the most casual.  Everyone would come to meeting and just throw out ideas about what they wanted to read.  In the Seattle book club, I think that whoever was hosting could pick the book.  I only attended one meeting, so the details are a bit blurry. 

Having the chance to discuss the book makes me appreciate it more.  Whether or not I liked the book, the chance to talk about the themes make me feel like I REALLY read.  Sometimes when I read by myself, I miss the opportunity to talk with someone about the book.  If I do not like a book and do not want to finish, I force myself to continue in order to participate in the discussion.