How do you feel about book clubs?

I’m in a queer youth book club. The books aren’t what keeps me coming back, it’s the people. I’ve found that discussing literature is a great way to get to know incredible people very quickly. Nothing makes you click like interpreting a certain passage the same way. I’d say that it’s definitely worth the time and effort.

Is this the same type of group discussed in this previous question?

I find that the only use I have for a book club is the opportunity to meet other people who also like books. I read very quickly and others don’t, so often by the time I actually get to the meeting involving a particular book I have read it some time ago and have long since moved on to another book (actually many other books). In addition, I don’t always enjoy dissecting a book out loud. I prefer to mull it over and read it a second time if I need to.

For me, book clubs have not been the best use of my time. Of course, it would help if I waited to read the chosen tome just before the meeting where it is to be discussed so that I haven’t moved on to other books before then. However, I find that if a book is worth reading, I want to read it now, not wait several weeks. If I don’t like the book, nothing on Earth will get me to finish it.

Your mileage may differ.

i wish i had the time to join a book club. i wish i had the time to read a book!! lately i read magazines because they require less of a commitment.

I have not been able to find any in my area. I would love to find and join one though!

About the same as I feel about Oprah.

I enjoy the book club I am in. The key, IMO, is finding one that has a reading list you are interested in. Some only read fluff books while others only read super serious books. Some only read books that make you stupid, while others make your brain hurt every month.

Be choosy.

I got to know a bunch of people who were “tied” to one another somehow – through kids, or interests, or work, and we meet once a month at a restaurant or someone’s house, and I love it. I like that I get exposed to completely different kinds of people than I would normally see, have learned a great deal of new authors and ideas, and made friends with these people. It’s like a support system, that grew out of a somewhat random book club. Sometimes we have a movie night, and are even planning a family weekend away, centered around the area that that month’s book takes place.

Didn’t work well for me, because I don’t really enjoy fiction. But, if you do like fiction or can find a book club that tends to read books you enjoy, then I think its a great way to meet people and many times you read books you might not have otherwise.

In high school I was in the book club all four years and I can tell you it is a great experience. I agree that a good deal of it is about the people but also I found that the discussion was just right. It was a way for me to discuss books without having to pick them apart like in actual class. Book clubs are a great deal of fun and if you can find one with people you like, I highly suggest you join!

Book clubs are great in theory.

I’ve been in two and sometimes I find that the socializing gets in the way of discussing the book. However, just when I might think if quitting, we have a really great discussion of issues sparked by the book and I find it very enjoyable. Like Darwin, I read all the time and often have read the book some time before the club, sometimes it’s an author I really hate – like Jodi Picoult – but in general I keep going back. It is important to find a group that is somewhat on your wavelength intellectually and taste wise. Members of our group host in turn and the host gets to pick the book for next time.

I love my book club! Some of it is the socializing, and some of it is the discussion. On occasion, I rally dislike the book, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You should go for it.

Oprah immediately comes into mind, and then I think how limited that book club’s selections are. If you’re good with the preferences of a certain book club (safe or inspirational vs banned or foreign) then go ahead and join one. I personally would prefer some variety and discover something new. So if a book club can do that without limiting your selection, then why not.