RIP Book Club?

A*O · May 2nd, 2008, 12:01 AM

This is only going to work if people are going to actively participate.

An overwhelming SIX people have voted for June's book and so far it looks like The Other Boleyn Girl is the runaway leader with, erm, 2 votes

Perhaps we should stick to posting in the What Are You Currently Reading thread and add a short critique/editorial about the book and people can debate it if they want to?

sputnik · May 2nd, 2008, 02:54 AM

i'm all for it. i didn't participate this time round because i didn't have time to read the garcía marquez book but i read the one before, though there wasn't much of a discussion on it.

A*O · May 2nd, 2008, 03:13 AM

That seems to be the problem. Nobody really wants to get stuck into the discussion which is kinda the whole point of a Book Club? Also, while it's not compulsory to read the chosen book, and we have Real Lives too (shock), part of the fun is to try books that wouldn't normally appeal. Step away from the comfort zone if you will.

Sojiita · May 2nd, 2008, 06:01 AM

ok I feel bad saying I would participate and then not doing it. *smacks self*. But that said, after what happened with the board, and one of the driving forces of the idea gone now, I do not think I want to be part of it now anyway. Just would not seem 'the same' now. Just sayin'

Also I am on too many freakin' boards now about too many different subjects and I need to prioritize to keep up. Boards on this, boards on that, local boards, etc. Just too many. I am out of control! LOL!

I really need to prune some of the boards out. I have to many that, along with real life, I just cannot keep up!

*Also I gotta admit, I am way more of a non-fiction reader than fiction. I like reading about history and real events. And just seeing anything about TLOTR mentioned anywhere makes my brain want to explode. I hate that shit.

**Tati** · May 2nd, 2008, 07:27 AM

I voted for the June book and took part in the first book's discussion, but I didn't get a chance to read the second book. I thought I would have time, but when you take an English lit course... well, I wasn't able to read anything of my own choosing for about three months.

As much as I think the 2-month timeframe is good in a lot of ways, I wonder if it could also be dragging things a bit? Maybe if we knew that we only had a month to read and that within a month a new book would be on the table, people would be more inclined to jump in, and also not feel as bad about skipping out on one here and there. We did have a slow start, but maybe the was due to the book choice (I voted for it myself, but I didn't end up very enthused by it) - when we've only had two so far, it's a little hard to judge what the future will hold... I guess what I'm saying is I don't want to abandon it yet, but with only one book every two months it does become a bit of a disaster if people slack on even one.

What if we went with one book per month? I know we wouldn't all be able to participate each month if that were the case but we're obviously not doing that anyway. That's my vote anyway!

A*O · May 2nd, 2008, 07:35 AM

I'm happy to organise 1 book per month if that's what people want. Speak up now!

I confess that I'm with Soj on the non-fiction bias - it's just what I usually go for. BUT in my Real Life book club I've had to read a lot of very diverse fiction (some good, some sucked) and overall it's been a good thing because there is no way I would have read these books otherwise.

So, after June's "The Other Boleyn Girl" what do we pick for July? I'll post a poll

Laurent · May 2nd, 2008, 07:56 AM

I don't want to abandon it, either, but I agree we should probably go at a quicker clip than every two months. "Memories of My Melancholy Whores" was such a quick read, that I'd kind of forgotten some of it by the time two months later rolled around.

I vote we go for a new book at least once a month.

**Tati** · May 2nd, 2008, 08:55 AM

Quote:

I'm happy to organise 1 book per month if that's what people want. Speak up now!

*speaks up*

I think we may as well. There will surely be some months where some people won't be able to make it in time, but since we have a whole month for discussion as well, we effectively do have two months to read the book.

I do like non-fiction as well. I'll admit that biographies don't interest me all that much, but I was planning on digging into Freakonomics next, for example. I'd be totally cool with seeing some non-fiction on the poll. Since it's now May, does that mean it's The Other Boleyn Girl for sure? Or should we maybe bump that poll and give people till the end of the day?

sputnik · May 2nd, 2008, 11:38 AM

i'm purely an escapist and read about 99% fiction. i have to read so much non-fiction and politics stuff for work that i much prefer novels in my own time.

a book a month is good for me too. as long as we know well enough in advance that i can order the book - i live in a french-speaking city and though we have great english bookstores, not everything is available and i need time to either order it online or have the bookstore order it.

DoveFeatheredRaven · May 3rd, 2008, 07:07 AM

Quote:

Also I gotta admit, I am way more of a non-fiction reader than fiction. I like reading about history and real events.

Me too. I just bought The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher. I haven't had a chance to read it yet.
Amazon.com: The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Shocking Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective: Kate Summerscale: Books

Quote:

Summerscale (The Queen of Whale Cay) delivers a mesmerizing portrait of one of England's first detectives and the gruesome murder investigation that nearly destroyed him.

Quote:

"A mesmerizing portrait of one of England’s first detectives and the gruesome murder investigation that nearly destroyed him….Whicher is a fascinating hero, and readers will delight in following every lurid twist and turn in his investigation."—Publishers Weekly, Starred Review

Does anyone like this sort of thing?