Potential ideas for book clubs

[charmian]

1. Traditional book club model: a book is collectively chosen. Everyone ideally reads it and it is discussed at the next meeting.

2. The opposite: everyone reads whatever books they wish, and posts reviews on them.

3. Bibliophages model

4. Modified bibliophages: Theme, suggestions solicited, everyone reads a book chosen from the compiled list.

5. Free themed reading: A theme is chosen. Members choose a book theoretically relating to the theme. They post their reviews.

6. The idea of posting reviews within the comm is abandoned in favor of weekly posts, or even monthly, posts in which members can comment whatever reviews they have recently posted, which are then incorporated as links within the body of the post. The comm is instead given into book-related activities. Perhaps in a way this is preferable because what's the point of having reviews within the comm, if they cannot be discussed, as most of the other members have not read the book, unless model one is followed.

7. Assuming 6, some activities can include: collectively making lists of books, like a game. People posting requests for recommendations, of the "if I liked this, what other books will I like?" Other types of book related games, etc.

8. People find like... one of those annoying "50 best realist novels about middle aged adultery! Bold the ones you've read!" lists and collectively, the entire group challenges themselves the ones they haven't read, posting reviews in the comm.

Comments

[sub_divided]

#6 is a really good point. Seems like it'd be a lot easier to maintain, in the long run, than rounds where everyone is required to read and post on a schedule. bibliophages is in a dormant stage at the moment...

[troisroyaumes]

Yes, rounds are difficult to maintain regularly throughout the year. I like 6 and 7 too, and I had originally wanted to include more book-related activities for bibliophages as well. I think 8 has been done before in a slightly different form though.

[petronia]

I think you could have a comm doing 5 through 8 - as in, something I would actually participate in, because there is no way at all I could follow the bibliophages model or even want to. XD;

[charmian]

Really? Wouldn't you find the "read everything on the list" format of 8 somewhat irritating if you didn't like being restricted?

[petronia]

Nah - I mean, I would do three and give up, obviously, but that is still some participation. XD As opposed to the themed lists where frankly I couldn't come up with a single one.

[charmian]

Well, commenting/participating in discussions counts as a form of participation, I think.

[verstehen]

Personally, the only model I find appealing is the traditional book club model (but that's likely the English major in me talking). I find discussion about issues raised, narrative themes, and parallels a lot more interesting than the review formats. Review formats are good, if you're looking for something new to read but I often find them unsatisfying, since reviews are often written so as not to spoil people and thus the meat of the book is left out.

So, yep, I'd love to see an online version of #1.

[charmian]

Yeah... I suppose a way to do something like #1 is do it as a comm dedicated to a single author with a relatively large oeuvre? And have people reread on a schedule?

[verstehen]

Or rotate book choices? Each member picks one book for the group? Or each member picks one book from a selection of books submitted by the group?

[charmian]

Eh, I don't think that would work nearly as well because of the time aspects. People are too lazy to read anything on time, generally.

[naanima]

I really like your # 6 to #8. It suits my, um, lack of attention span, by keeping me interested and happy.

Does this mean you are in the process of creating such a comm?

[charmian]

No. I don't have enough social capital to successfully recruit for a comm like this.

[naanima]

I really like the term 'social capital'.

We should get

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I really like the term 'social capital'.

We should get <user=petronia> to do it.

[charmian]

Thank Pierre Bourdieu. XD

No, she wouldn't... not into book clubs.

[naanima]

Pierre Bourdieu has moments of awesomeness.

She is much too interested in music to care for book clubs. *le sigh*

[charmian]

Well, someone else can definitely take my ideas and start a book club, since I have no intention of doing so.

[torachan]

I like the idea of #1, but the problem is getting other people to read the books I want to read and discuss! XD

50books_poc is having their first bookclub type thing and people voted on the book, but the winner was a book I didn't want to read, so I'm sitting out this round. Maybe next time, but idk. Fandom is big on genre and I'm not, so I think most bookclubs made up of fannish peeps (which is what I'd join since I'm more likely to do something with friends than strangers) are going to choose books I'm not interested in.

[charmian]

Yeah, that's always a problem. I suppose the way to avoid it would be to create a club based around literary genre type of works?