New Book Clubs to Check Out

There are dozens of online book clubs worth checking out these days, as it's just not feasible for many people to meet in person every month. Unputdownables has a regular Read-A-Long, for instance, where readers can sign up to follow a weekly schedule of reading (usually) a classic piece of literature. Currently, the group is reading Wuthering Heights.

Slate also has a monthly book club in podcast form, which is a similar idea but not interactive, and The Globe & Mail has an online version where the ongoing comment list provides the discussion for the selected book. At Huffington Post, the book selection has its own subsite with relevant links and articles.

This site was created to give a forum for a group to read and comment on a book but we lived in different places and couldn't meet in person; it has evolved into an open discussion, for people to read or read along, join the discussion or contribute ideas.

Of course, search "book club" in Google Blog Search and you will  have myriad options. If you want to rediscover the classics, get into a different genre or just read other opinions about the books you love, there are many, many options online. It is low on commitment and expectation, and you can leave at any time. There is an option for everyone!

Soul mates

Unshelved.com

War & Peace by Tolstoy

Yesterday I joined a book club boot camp to read War & Peace. The goal is to read the novel in 3-4 weeks - impossible, you say? Well, the impetus was that the only way to read War & Peace is to power through it with minimal distraction and a tight timeline. I tend to agree. I have previously started War & Peace, but abandoned it after only 150 pages or so because something shiny came along. My friend informed me that this was the story for many people. I dug out my Wordsworth Classics edition of War & Peace and was not quite daunted by the heft, the 964 pages of legend. However, upon opening the book, I discovered that I was but a fool: the type looks to be about 4pt, or this size. Actually smaller, as that's only 8pt. Then I was daunted. But the idea of reading such a book in such a way is a story to tell the blogosphere. How could I refuse? So myself and two friends are going to read the book and each week talk about the previous section. Good thing I found the CliffNotes site. Wish me luck!

Great Minds Think Alike

Frances from Slaves of Golconda found us this morning, revealing another great online book club. In addition to posted reviews, the team members participate in a forum discussion on an appointed date each month. If you've read any of the books, the archived discussions are quite interesting. However, if you haven't, there will be spoilers! Slaves has many, many members, many of whom have other book blogs, so it's a new world opened up of great reads and informative reviews.
Check it out!

New York City!

Digging for Cloud Atlas reviews I came across this awesome site for an independent book store in Brooklyn called, simply, Word (as in, I presume, "Word to your mother"). Its website is quite good, featuring author events, top ten lists, book club news, and a blog. Incidentally, I discovered that Cloud Atlas was their bestselling book of 2008. This may have been due to the fact that it was a book club pick for March 2008, and the book club is so popular they have two meetings a month - fantastic! So if you're in Brooklyn any time soon, check this place out!

"Funny" Book Club Analysis at NY Times

Joanne Kaufman at the New York Times writes an interesting article about book clubs called "Fought Over Any Good Books Lately?" She talks to book club members, both satisfied and disgruntled, about the tricky nature of a good book club. There's drama, squabbles, personal therapy, high-minded politics, etc. What was most interesting to me, though, was the existence of a professional book club facilitator. That's right, a professional book club facilitator. First of all, I didn't realize that you could get paid for this, and secondly, who is that serious about a book club? It seems a lot like school when you hire a teacher to instruct the class. Why a professional?
"“It’s because there’s an ayatollah,” said Esther Bushell, a professional book-group facilitator who leads a dozen suburban New York groups and charges $250 to $300 a member annually for her services. “This person expects to choose all the books and to take over all the discussions. And when I come on board, the ayatollah is threatened and doesn’t say anything.” Like other facilitators, she is hired for the express purpose of bringing long-winded types in line."
Again, I have two issues. First of all, $250-$300? Who are these people that are paying this woman? And second, why not kick out the "ayatollah"? Why the hell do they put up with someone they so obviously dislike? It is baffling, to say the least.
There is a brief comment about online book clubs: "Lately there have emerged plenty of online-only book groups too, though — given the difficulty of flinging a drink in the face of a member who suggests reading Trollope — those are clearly a different animal." Yes, it's forcing members to play nice, but it also keeps the focus on the book. No drama, no outside discussion. Only books.
The thing I like best about the online book club is the ability to contribute to the discussion at any point - the conversation will continue whether the books are read or not. If you don't have time to read the book, or just don't like the selection, you don't have to contribute. There's no pressure here - no obligation. Just enjoy the books and the subsequent discussion. Me? I enjoy facilitating. Which reminds me: I'll need $250 from everyone.