Booking Through Thursday: Reading Groups

Have you ever been a member of a book club? How did your group choose (ot, 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?

I have only belonged to one face-to-face reading group in which books were read on a monthly basis. It was the only bookgroup avaliable which wasn't full up or run at a ridiculous time (like 3 in the afternoon!). Unfortunately it didn't have many members and I was the youngest by a good 30-35 years. The books were supposed to be picked each month from suggestions by everyone but the woman who started the group seemed to hold that power. She only picked books that were best sellers or Richard and Judy reads, and she picked the books in line with the ones she was reading with other reading groups.

I thought it was good discussing the books, if people had actually made the effort to read them, one lady just seemed to come for the company and never appeared to read a book and another one had never finish it so we wouldn't be allowed to talk about the end of the book. I did feel that I had to read the books regardless of whether I was enjoying it or not so I could contribute.

I would have stayed in the group if the chosen books were more to my taste.

I also used to complete the monthly read on BookGroupOnline but recently people seem to be voting for the book with only a few people who had voted making the effort to read it. For instance I have this months rread, The Squire by William Golding, it wouldn't be my choice but I'm willing to read it, I posted to ask if anyone else was reading it and noone responded, so now I'm reluctant to start.

I do also belong to a BookCrossing group, we do not have a monthly read but we meet each month to swap books, have a chat and discuss the books we are swapping and books that we are currently reading. I find that this group works really well and I have read some books that I would never hae thought to pick up.