Book Club?

Cactus Col

hello ....

was just wondering what the story was with this book club ... saw the previous threads recently ... (suggested a book although not necessarily a part of the club)

anyway ...... how does one join this club? (is it just a case of anyone on here can join, they just have to read the book that's been decided on)

and secondly .... it might be a better idea to have one person just decide which book is to be read in the club rather than having votes ... (you'll probably find that as the club progresses ... if it progresses ... that there is a core number of people who regularily read each book ... and the choice of which book should rotate around to each member ... giving everyone a chance to have his/her book read ... as new members join / they can be put on the end of the list / be taken off the list

gogo

Anyone can join, you just have to read the book.
But the main question is:
Is there still a book club?

i agree with your second idea that it should be just one person picking the book, although i'm not to sure about it swapping from member to member after that.

I am very interested in the book club, but i didn't read 'life of pi' because its just not my type of book (yes, i know thats the point of a book club, but the life of pi really didn't appeal to me), but i was thinking- how about you start on some of the classics to get people started.
everbody has/knows somewhere they can get Dickens, Hardy, Bronte and Wilde etc,
I'm not talking about anything too hard to read, something like a 'tale of two cities' maybe.
"its called a classic, because everbody would like to read it but nobody has".
Just an idea.

simu

I might be interested but again, it depends on the book. I would only read the Life of pi if it was the only remnant of civilisation I had with me on a desert island or something.

Frankie Smith

i sceptically began the life of pi and was impressed. the ending came out of nowhere and seriously disturbed me.

RE*AC*TOR

I think the format of the book club is fine. Voting is the best way to involve as many people as possible - rather than one person choosing
I think the classics could be a sure-fire way to get people to opt out when they become bored. The response to Life Of Pi wasn't great - and if the next one (if it ever gets going... hi Lolth!) doesn't do better i'd say that could be the end for it as it now stands.
As for trading books - as we're all supposed to read the same book at the same time - I can't see how that would work.
Simu and gogu - where did you get your preconceptions of Life Of Pi? Its a good book! I don't know what you like reading, but if you're interested suggest a book for the vote. Think expanding horizons - there are lots of books I normally wouldn't read (scifi/fantasy for example) but in the spirit of a bit of debate - I'd have no problem.

Cactus Col

but ... if everybody votes the most popular book will always win (obviously) ... hence the majority of people won't be reading books they wouldn't usually read .... with one person (a different person each time remember) choosing a book the liklyhood is that a much greater range of books will be read ... from the classics to shlock depending on the person choosing ....

also I agree that classic books ... such as those by dickens are precisely the sort to put me off joining .... but being able to dictate what book is going to be read after wards would be an incentive to join

LoLth

hmmm, well, the idea was to vote for the book you found most interesting, not the book you would be most likely to read outsid eof a book club situation.

The second round of voting hasnt kicked off due to an almost complete lask of responses to a request for suggestions.

Suggest the books, I'll throw up a poll and we'll see how it goes.

Poll vs one person choosing:

poll allows majority rules with an equal say. Single chooser (permanent) gives way to bias and everyone reading someone else's tastes. Which, because they come from from the same person will all have a similar theme or direction. Single chooser (rotation) : you run the risk of the choosers trying to outdo one another with the contraversy or simply weirdness of their choices and therefore choosing books that are not selected for their merits or potential.

RE*AC*TOR

Originally posted by LoLth
hmmm, well, the idea was to vote for the book you found most interesting, not the book you would be most likely to read outsid eof a book club situation.

The second round of voting hasnt kicked off due to an almost complete lask of responses to a request for suggestions.

Suggest the books, I'll throw up a poll and we'll see how it goes.

Poll vs one person choosing:

poll allows majority rules with an equal say. Single chooser (permanent) gives way to bias and everyone reading someone else's tastes. Which, because they come from from the same person will all have a similar theme or direction. Single chooser (rotation) : you run the risk of the choosers trying to outdo one another with the contraversy or simply weirdness of their choices and therefore choosing books that are not selected for their merits or potential.

i think the poll should be transparent - ie - Open a new thread with the list of books and people just reply to the thread - it would reduce the chances of people voting who take no further involvement.