Looking for book group

josephiny

I was considering joining a book group, but when I investigated the only ones I could find were in libraries during the day. Does anyone know of any others in Dublin city centre?

Surely there must be other young people that work during the day, who like reading, but whose friends aren't really into it, and want to meet up and chat about books occassionally?

shiv

I'd also be interested, especially if there was one in the south dublin area...
what are you reading at the moment?

*Page*

why not make one up your self! all you need is somewhere to meet once a week

Yule3

If you hear of any books groups or decide to create one in South Dublin area, I would be interested in going...

ronano

I'd be extremely interested in it

Yule3

Maybe we can start an online book club right here and see how it goes, and then if it goes well...carry it over to offline? Just a thought?

who007

Yule3 wrote:

Maybe we can start an online book club right here and see how it goes, and then if it goes well...carry it over to offline? Just a thought?

count me in.... :cool:

theCzar

I've often considered looking into such...

there was a boards.ie online book group about 6 months back, but it withered under lack of support and willingness to create discussions. perhaps the problem was they picked catch 22 to read, and everybody just loved it so there was no spark for debate...

josephiny

I think one of the disavantages of online book groups is that everyone reads at different paces so it can be very hard to find books that everyone has read. You can't all agree to read the same book because by that time, the thread will have died.

I would like to set up my own book group but have no idea how to go about it. I don't want to end up sitting on my own in some venue.

I like the idea of trying to get a discussion going online and then maybe moving to the real world if it seems to go well. So in the spirit of initiation these are some recent books I have read (although not necessarily enjoyed). They are all fiction, not because that's all I like, but they were on sale quite cheap in town. Has anyone got any thoughts on them or any suggestions for other books?

The Little Friend - Donna Tartt (still half way through it)
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (the best book I have read in ages - it is a mystery about the thrills of reading)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime - Mark Haddon (an innovative idea but a lot of money for a very short book)
Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (nice idea)

ronano

josephiny wrote:

I think one of the disavantages of online book groups is that everyone reads at different paces so it can be very hard to find books that everyone has read. You can't all agree to read the same book because by that time, the thread will have died.

I would like to set up my own book group but have no idea how to go about it. I don't want to end up sitting on my own in some venue.

I like the idea of trying to get a discussion going online and then maybe moving to the real world if it seems to go well. So in the spirit of initiation these are some recent books I have read (although not necessarily enjoyed). They are all fiction, not because that's all I like, but they were on sale quite cheap in town. Has anyone got any thoughts on them or any suggestions for other books?

The Little Friend - Donna Tartt (still half way through it)
The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (the best book I have read in ages - it is a mystery about the thrills of reading)
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime - Mark Haddon (an innovative idea but a lot of money for a very short book)
Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold (nice idea)

I hate to sidetrack but when you say cheap how much do you mean?

who007

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime - Mark Haddon is BRILLIANT - anyway - where's everyone from? let's just pick a suitable place that suits everyone cos online only will wither and die quickly.... :cool:

ronano

I recommend going with a classic for it would be cheap to buy

tender is the night - f scott fitzgerald is 2.15 euro in easons


I'm in dublin mon - fri is ideal for me but am willing to work around the group

theCzar

I'm in south dublin, i'm easy as to what I read... I read the Great Gatsby after Christmas, it was 2.15 jobby as well, great at the price

i'm starting my finals 7 days, and they continue until the end of may. I'm definitely interested, but i will have to skip the inauguration if it's before then!

josephiny

I work in Ranelagh so can pretty much get anywhere around city centre or south dublin quite easily.

deedee lepoopoo

I rang libraries before about book clubs. Bascially, alot of them are pretty full so they encourage people to start new ones through the libraries and they have people on waiting lists willing to join up. The reason why people are on waiting lists is because all the clubs seem to read the same books at the same time so therefore there are no spare library copies - baffling really . The Ilac centre library has someone who looks after book clubs.

josephiny

This link says that all the library book groups are full, but anyone who wants to start their own can, and the libraries will help to get books.

http://www.dublincity.ie/living_in_the_city/libraries/library_services/books_reading/reading_groups.asp

But some of the suggestions on this thread for books have been pretty cheap (2-3 euro) (thanks ronano and theCzar) so it might not even be necessary to get libraries involved.

Just need 3 basic things:
Location
Time
People

MissRibena

I'd love to join a bookclub too. I have two friends that would probably be up for it and I stuck a notice in the library to drum up a few more but to no avail.

Does anyone know of one in the midlands?

Rebecca

theCzar

i suppose location should be a cafe in town or something for an initial chat, since a library is no place for a discussion after all!

Time, well generally i'd suggest weekend afternoon rather than evening. but i'm out of the loop until the end of may as i've said above... :mad:

people, well, there's a few posted here as a starting point.

vibrant

Why don't we just bite the bullet and pick a date - perhaps during the second or third week in May - and pick a venue - a quiet-ish pub/cafe (or perhaps even a hotel bar in the middle of the day ... comfy seats, fairly empty) in the city centre and show up? I have no idea how to go about picking out a book (unless everyone nominates one on the day and then someone picks a name out of a hat). I think there might be some better suggestions on bookcrossing.com, but that's besides the point for now.

Anyway. Count me in!

josephiny

It seems like most people prefer the world of online discussion, to actually meeting up. I'd definetly be up for picking somewhere in the city centre on a Sunday afternoon (say the last weekend of the month). But would anyone actuallly turn up?

theCzar

Sunday 29th is the day after my last exam, and though i'll be a little hungover, i'm sure by 3 or 4pm or so i'd be ok to move! If some people will agree to meet, i'll be there. But if an earlier date is picked, i can't make it...

could meet anywhere, the hotel bar idea sounds good for a comfortable/quiet place to have a chat. I nominate Alfie Mulligans below the Conrad hotel on earlsfort terrace beside (stephens green).

vibrant

So are we going ahead with this or is it another failed attempt?