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Sara Reyes | What's a book club?
January 24, 2009
Book club dynamics. Hmm,
interesting topic. This past Wednesday I realized we've been meeting at my house
for four years. A long time but something has evolved. As people come and go we
have a core group of women who monthly come and spend three to five hours every
third Wednesday at my house. First putting together a meal, followed by eating,
followed by a talk with an author on a speaker phone then followed by lots more
time "visiting." I also watched as the dinner was put together. We've been meeting so long it's
like a family: everyone assumes a role, chore and position. And you don't mess
with the status too much. We've had new people come every month, so we have a
"hostess" who makes them feel at home and puts a drink in their hand. Also gets
them out of the temperamental chefs way. (I say this with GREAT affection, so if
you're one of those temperamental chefs you will NOT kill me in the near or far
future! okay?) I've learned my place is to sit at the breakfast table aka my
office desk and observe. I no longer make any comments about the cooking, as I
value my life and enjoy the food too much! After the food is assembled we sit down. We have to be eating by 7:15 because
the author will call at 7:30 and it's so impolite to talk with your mouth full
or to try to converse over clicking flatware and plates. Those phones pick up
everything! We have the author talk down to a science as well: introduction,
summary of book, prepared questions, general conversation, and closing. Then we
finish eating, have the dessert and coffee, a refill of the glasses and settle
in to talk or what my mother and grandmother would call 'visiting." We talk about the author and their books. What we liked, didn't like. What the
author said that may change our perceptions and whether we agree or not. Did I
mention some of us are contrarians. We always have copies of the author's books
on the table, so they'll get passed around and more comments pursue. Then
eventually we get to our lives! That's always interesting. Then a bit more
coffee, talk about future and it's 10pm and time to go home...or in my case, to
clean up. All this became
relevant because our author guest this week, Laura Griffin asked about
our club. What we do at meetings, how we're organized, pick books and generally
curious about our set-up. As I said, we're different than most in we never
require the members to read the book. I know enough will to have a lively
discussion, besides it's certain that the members who suggested this author and
are required to prepare questions will have read the book. Plus we ask for
author suggestions a couple of time a year so it's not as if we're coming into
an author cold. And if the author is interesting (and who isn't talking about
their "baby"), we'll go out of the dinner with converts who have been known to
stop by a Barnes & Noble or Wal-Mart on the way home and buy her current book,
they'll hunt down her last books and be sure to buy all her future ones. I've
seen it happen over and over. And the author got to do her presentation in her
jammies (possible) and with a glass of wine (we encourage it)! What a deal for
both of us! So, if you attend a book club, tell me what it's like, after all, we like to
share stories, no? And as a special prize from our book club...I'll give away a
brand-new copy of something in our treasure trove of new arrivals! Just enter here or better yet,
leave a comment! Sara Reyes
DFW Tea Readers Group
Join us at Readers 'n 'ritas in 2009!
Comments
7 comments posted.
Re: Sara Reyes | What's a book club?
I work at a small county library. We do
have a book club use our meeting
room. I, however, participate in sort of
an running book club with our
patrons. We share books we've read,
suggest what others may like, and
patrons suggest new authors they'd
like us to get. I get to pick up new
authors and introduce them to
patrons. It's a lot of fun and since
there is no meeting time we are
including a lot of people that would
never join a "real" reading group.
We've all discovered some good new
books. I like being able to talk with
people with a wide variety of tastes in
books. Through us they are sharing
with people they've never met. It's
great fun. I love my job!
(Patricia Barraclough 4:10pm January 24, 2009)
Well, being a part of the book club that has dinner at your house I have to say how much I enjoy it. The part about book converts
is oh so true! I had never read or thought I had an interest in reading Eileen Dreyer, and then talked to her and now all but one of
her books resides in my TBR.
Would I have read Laura Griffin as soon as I did? Probably not...but I read it, enjoyed it, and have even convinced my friend
Yvonne she has to read it!
Lastly the group discussed an author for a phone in, and I said ooops there goes my resolution to read the author each month.
However, you all convinced me that there would be one book by the author that I would enjoy, so I went home, and that book is
now part of my Kindle library.
For those of you who don't have a book club...hope you find one, and I hope it clicks as well as our does, because even when we
argue it's all in good spirit!
(Sandi Shilhanek 5:07pm January 24, 2009)
I attend several book clubs a month. Two at different libraries and three at s book store. The ones at the library are diverse. There is a mixture of ages with very few men. At the bookstore, one group has a few women and one man but the other is often me and the manager of the bookstore. Another one is all women. We read a variety of books. Not much is off limits. We've done romance, current fiction, classics, current events, history, movie tie-ins. There's something for everyone and I have to admit I wouldn't have read some of the books had it not been for a book club. I've discovered many new books and authors.
(Sheila Gallagher 7:40pm January 24, 2009)
We have an on again off again book club
at work, fun at lunch to discuss and walk
and talk.
(Mary McCoy 10:39pm January 24, 2009)
I could have sworn I did this yesterday but it doesn't show. Well anyways, I belong to the Real Simple (mag) book club. We vote on a book and then the person in charge emails everyone after so many days to start discussing the chapter. I have never belonged to a "real", meet in person book club but would love to try it sometime.
(Vicki Hancock 10:19am January 25, 2009)
I miss being in a book club now! This might be just the push I need to get our online "club" active. I have found there are about as many ways to have a book club as there are clubs. It really adds something to the group when you feel that you "know" the author. That's why I love reading these blogs and author's web site posts
(Deborah Oller 9:10pm January 25, 2009)
No books clubs here. But I belong to several author loops and discuss books with other readers. I find it neat to be able to talk to the author about her books and finding out about her. It makes the author seem more like a friend and that they care about us readers.
(Sheila Faylor 1:05am January 26, 2009)
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