Book clubs should be for discussing books and recommending books. Can you do such a thing online? That’s what I intended to find out when I joined Reader’s Coffeehouse.
One of my goals for 2017 was to join a book club. I love to read, so why not turn it into an opportunity to socialize.
Because we author-types tend to be anti-social reclusive and introverted. But books are our thing.
How I Found It
There’s no science behind finding this group. In fact, it sort of found me.
My friends list on Facebook is a combination of family and friends I know personally AND a bunch of writers I’m networking with, most of whom I haven’t met in person.
Guess what’s true about most writers?
They like to read.
And it was one of these friends who suggested the group to me. I think all they did was share a post from the group. It appeared in my newsfeed and the rest…is social media connection.
However, I’ve found other writing and reading groups by searching for them on Facebook. I’d recommend a private group, and I’m not sure you can search them.
Maybe a Facebook expert will comment on this.
The Group Format
The group I’m a member of was founded by nine (women’s fiction) authors. They regularly host drawings for their books (paperback, audio and digital).
One of these authors lives in a city near me. I’ve met her in person, listened to her speak about her writing methods and talked to her about the publishing industry.
Until that transpired (at a local library), I hadn’t even heard of her. That night I bought a trade paperback of one of her novels.
And I was hooked.
She wasn’t my usual sort of author. Her stories didn’t have total resolution or even a happy ending. But the people were vividly real. And she made me laugh.
Each day, one of the founders posts a question on the group page to spark discussion. I rarely comment on these. However, I’ve connected with other readers on Goodreads because of one such post and managed to win a couple books.
Each month, there is a book to read that is discussed with the author on the last day of the month. The list for the year is posted in the group (but not exactly pinned, so I copied it onto my tablet).
I’ve read four of the six books. I’ve commented on the discussion of three of those four.
End Results
While I’ve enjoyed interacting with this group, it’s not the same as when I had a monthly live and in-person group to meet with.
The comments are directed to the author of the book, meaning there isn’t much actual discussion about the story or characters or setting. I’m sure these are more interesting to non-authors who are curious about the process behind the page.
I just want to talk about books. Did the story engage me? Did the characters inspire or irritate me? Would I recommend the book to others?
So…the conversation about books has fallen short of my expectations.
Has the group fulfilled my needs? Partly.
I’ve met new authors and readers. I’ve read books I probably wouldn’t have otherwise.
But it didn’t get me out of the house. And it certainly didn’t unhook me from the computer.*sigh*
There are rumors that a few of the members of my former book group are planning to reconnect in September. I hope and pray it is so.
Until then, I’ll keep scrolling through the recommendations and reading the monthly book. Hopefully, I’ll keep winning books, too.
Have you ever been in a book club? What makes it successful?
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