Comments on: Booking Through Thursday – Clubbing

By: anno (Confessions of a Compulsive Blogger)

anno (Confessions of a Compulsive Blogger) — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 21:03:48 +0000

I love book blogs, and I am frequently inspired by others’ posts to pick up books I might otherwise never have read.

But I also love my book club. Admittedly, we’re not a very serious book club. The wine & cheese and catching up with each other — none of us sees any of the others except for our monthly meetings — definitely takes precedence over more literary discussion. Maybe that’s why we’ve lasted nearly 15 years.

There’s just something about the ritual of reading a book together with a group — even if we never really talk much about it, beyond, “I really liked it, ” or “Did you think it was EVER going to end?” — that, together with our monthly meetings, seems to have brought us, a very disparate group of people, much closer together. Plus, I’ve read — and enjoyed — books I never would have considered. Overall, a big plus.

By: Jeanie

Jeanie — Sun, 15 Jun 2008 01:09:04 +0000

I rather like the idea of sharing about books through the blog. I learn so many things I’d probably never pick up. I’ve never been an official member of a book club, but my friend Suzanne, who lives in Canada, and I have our unofficial book club — we are reading partners, generally picking one monster-sized novel or biography (we’re reading “The Sisters” together — the Mitford family book, which is fascinating), and then several mysteries in series we enjoy. Our “Big Books” have been Edward Rutherford’s “London” and “Sarum” (we’re both into England) and “Crimson Petal and the White” which took me awhile before I was fully sucked in. In between we tackle the newest Maisie Dobbs mystery, Alexander McCall Smith’s various characters and an Australian mystery series about a flapper detective named Phrynne Fisher. Of course we compare notes, though probably not as often as we should! I suspect it’s the closest I ever get to a book club, unless my cooking pals and I organize a cookbook reading club! (With dining required!)

By: Imelda / Greenishlady

Imelda / Greenishlady — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 18:07:32 +0000

I’ve never been a member of a book-club, and I think if I was, feeling that I “have to” read this or that book would give me a psychological pause. I tend not to want to do what others expect of me, or think I should do. But mainly, I’ve never thought to join one because my reading habits aren’t constant. They became erratic during the years I was studying, and during the past couple of years as i’ve been getting accustomed to reading glasses (that had a very bad effect on my reading). Now, I am reading more again, but no, I don’t want to give an entire meeting over to talking about it. My writers’ group functions as a book-club in ways, as we recommend books to one another, and often discuss what we liked/disliked about books that a few of us have read.

By: Petunia

Petunia — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 17:42:49 +0000

I can see why a reading group wouldn’t be appealing to some but I am energized by talking with people face to face about what I’m reading. It’s even better if we’ve been reading the same books. I started my own group only about 6 months ago so I haven’t come across any of the issues mentioned here yet. My group reads books that have been made into movies and then discusses both the book and the movie. It’s pretty fun. You can read about it here:
http://lisamm.wordpress.com/2008/05/17/in-praise-of-book-clubs-vol-8/

By: seachanges

seachanges — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 14:01:46 +0000

I’m definitely with you on this one! I really enjoy this bookblogging thing and my only alternative would be the restaurant. I cannot imagine being stuck with 12 books one year in advance. .. and what about the six or so that I might not actually want to read????? I quite like the short story reading challenge put up by Kate S, the Curious Singularity blog here http://www.acurioussingularity.blogspot.com/
It’s a great way of getting to know some new authors or stories you have not read yet.

By: John

John — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 08:14:55 +0000

Agree that bookblogging and reviewing is my preferred way. Although the idea that we nominate books and then vote to get the list so the book of the month is then reviewed by all via a blog link is beginning to appeal. My his he being serious post!

By: litlove

litlove — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 06:57:21 +0000

Thirty years is an impressively long time to be in a book club! I can only agree that book blogging is the best book club I can possibly imagine – so much freedom and flexibility!

By: gautami tripathy

gautami tripathy — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 04:03:28 +0000

Bookblogging is a great substitute for book. At least I too feel that way.

Here too, I get to read book I would have given a miss. I found few good boks from new authors like Rosy Thornton, Jay Asher and Mathias B. Freese to just name a few. As good as any book club!

By: Bluestocking

Bluestocking — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 02:46:07 +0000

That is very true! I wish I could find a book club. At first thus one girl in my church wanted to do one but she only wanted to meet once every two months.