I'm pretty sure that being a member of a Book Club would be a bad idea for me. For one thing, I sort of have an eclectic array of reading interests. Who else would be as interested in reading Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin as Drood by Dan Simmons AND The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd? Most book clubs I know are more interested in marshmallow girly books that make me nauseous. I can only imagine the discussions. My eyeballs would ache from rolling so much. I'm probably exaggerating but me blurting out, "Well, I hated it!" does not make for pleasant noshing over artichoke dip. Oh well. Having said that, I am an online member of Shelfari , Goodreads and LibraryThing. I like that you can see what other people are reading, compare commonalities with friends and read honest reviews from people with similar literary tastes. I think it would be difficult to find a real life group of people like me who like the same kinds of books, are interested in truly spirited discussions and could overcome the logistics of finding a way to get together in person. Online book clubs overcome these obstacles. I've responded several times to "Should I read this?" and have gotten positive feedback. Regarding starting a book club in the library, unless there's a need for "Cautiously Optimistic, Non-Conformist, Overly Critical, Historical Mystery Readers" I think I'll continue to read quietly at my desk. One book that I'm planning to read and I think would be a good choice is Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford, whose debut novel is about many Japanese Americans' lives following Pearl Harbor. It's something most Americans don't want to be reminded of, but whose ramifications affected my personal life deeply. Certainly not a feel-good, fluffy topic, but I believe the discussion regarding it could be quite interesting. Coincidentally, Hotel is featured on the "May We Recommend" section of the live book discussion website Reading Group Choices. I compared reviews and ratings for The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer on Shelfari and also on Library Thing. I was not surprised to see that both had similar reviews/ratings. Most ratings were by women and pretty much concurred with my opinion of the novel. I think it's wonderful to see what other people are reading and whether you're "on track" with how you perceived certain novels but really, reading is a personal experience for me. I don't really care if anyone else liked it or didn't. That's why I'll never understand some people's insistence on sticking to a list like Oprah's Book Club. What appeals to her may not appeal to anyone else. Still, I think that whatever gets people reading and talking about it is a good idea....yes, book clubs too. Even if no one would ever want me as a member.
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1 comment:
That picture made me LOL!
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