Posted by MaggieH (admin)
May 3, 2010 1:17 pm

Replies (7)

Posted by

• I think genre/series books are great for reading alone, but bad for book clubs/group discussions. If it follows a formula, what's to talk about? Recently i read "Girl with a Dragon Tattoo" (which I didn't particularly care for) for a book club, and really it's a mystery. Once you know whodunit, what's to discuss?
  
  I thought "The Help" and "American Wife" led to some great discussions.

  May 3, 2010 3:39 pm
  by erinpayton

• A book is just a containerized idea, read alone it remains just an idea, read as part of a group it becomes a focus for discussion that may or may not have anything to do with the original idea. So much of modern life is isolating any personal interaction , I think, is to the good.
  pirateye

  May 4, 2010 11:05 am
  by pirateye

• Absolutely! Any book that deals with Religion or Politics MUST definitely be discussed in a group...Shared. Whereas, books that deal with the emotions(Very sentimental side) must be read ALONE. :) Sharls3js

  May 4, 2010 2:19 pm
  by sharls3js

• There are books that are better for discussion with a group, such as, The Help, The Postmistress, or Pillars of the Earth. However, I wouldn't discuss the book, I Am Ozzy, with anyone. (Nor would I admit to really enjoying Ozzy's memoir).

  May 5, 2010 5:01 pm
  by moengey

• I read a lot of fantasy and science fiction, and I tend to read them alone. It's usually very difficult in my area to find enough people interested in the genre that can meet in person for a discussion on a regular basis.
  
  With that in mind, I will often sprinkle pertinent key phrases or ideas from one or more into a conversation where it might be appropriate, in hopes of finding someone else who has read it and will respond with an answering quote. Thus, a new friendship is born.
  
  For example I'll often call myself a Muggle (Harry Potter) if I don't understand much of how a certain department at work functions, or if I'm having a bad day at the job, I'll say that "It must be Thursday,...I could never get the hang of Thursdays." (from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, and yes, I'll say it even if it's not Thursday.)
  
  I might end up discussing the book with the other person over coffee, but both of us have already completed reading the book on our own.

  May 5, 2010 9:41 pm
  by Xena13

• I have found that reading humor in a group is a tricky business. As not everyone shares the same sense of humor...

  May 12, 2010 9:00 am
  by dreamdust

• I think that you can discuss EVERY book you read with a group, and that discussion will add to the way each person thinks about the book. I think that for any book, you can always find something to talk about!

  May 15, 2010 1:08 pm
  by emilyyoung