Book groups...

[rich p]

My wife goes to one of the above, and they meet every month or 6 weeks for a meal, a glug, and to discuss the merits of the latest book they've previously selected.
Having done a few debriefs as to how the evenings went, I'm slightly surprised that up to 50% of the 8 members haven't even read the damn thing.
I've come to the conclusion that it's just an excuse to have a piss up and a nosh.
Personally, I just go to the pub and have a piss up without the need for an elaborate charade.
Any personal experiences welcomed.

 

[nickyboy]

My wife goes to one of the above, and they meet every month or 6 weeks for a meal, a glug, and to discuss the merits of the latest book they've previously selected.
Having done a few debriefs as to how the evenings went, I'm slightly surprised that up to 50% of the 8 members haven't even read the damn thing.
I've come to the conclusion that it's just an excuse to have a piss up and a nosh.
Personally, I just go to the pub and have a piss up without the need for an elaborate charade.
Any personal experiences welcomed.

Piss ups in the pub? Plenty

Book club meetings somewhat less so

 

[Haitch]

My GF is in three (Dutch, English and translated). They meet every six weeks or so and gossip. People who want to talk about the book are shunned until they quit the group. The books are chosen at the beginning of the season, every member one book. Number of meetings equals number of members as the get-togethers are in the readers homes. My job is to make sure there is enough wine (red, white and bubbly) and snacks, and then to disappear till the dishwasher needs loading so that they can gossip, who's doing what to whom and how much it costs, that kind of thing. It might sound hard but some of the stories are juicy.

 

[midliferider]

I have been to both. The real book clubs which are usually organised by the local library are very boring.
The other one is more of a social gathering and it was quite good fun. It was a mixed group and not confined to particular gender or age group. We used to say, 25% of the time we talk about the book, 25% subjects around the book, 25% time a particular member who always wanted to talk about her cat and hair, rest anything else.

I must say that those discussions around the book was very informative. I still remember a discussion we had on a definition of a friend. I think the best we came up was, one you can ring at 3 am to say that I need your help.

 

[midliferider]

Basically, it is like Cyclechat, we sometimes talk about cycling as well. To be honest I cant remember when I last cycled.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Mrs McG was in one but they just wanted to talk about skiing and stuff so she quit.

I went to one years ago and we did nothing but talk about the fuggin book, I quit.

 

[ColinJ]

My wife goes to one of the above, and they meet every month or 6 weeks for a meal, a glug, and to discuss the merits of the latest book they've previously selected.
Having done a few debriefs as to how the evenings went, I'm slightly surprised that up to 50% of the 8 members haven't even read the damn thing.
I've come to the conclusion that it's just an excuse to have a piss up and a nosh.
Personally, I just go to the pub and have a piss up without the need for an elaborate charade.
Any personal experiences welcomed.

I hardly read any novels these days. I don't do piss ups at the pub any more either after the Grim Reaper whispered to me that I was drinking too much. I therefore conclude that book clubs are not for me.

So ... I fritter away the hours here on CycleChat instead, winding people up with endless boring*** reports on dental appointments, and the like!


*** pun intended

 

[Drago]

I'm not in a book group per se, but I'm part of a book exchange scheme with two other old boys in the village who have the same taste in violent thrillers with a bit of sex and some more violence thrown in.

 

[swee'pea99]

I've been in the same one for upwards of a decade. We meet up in the pub and talk about the book. Which everyone has read. I've read a lot of books I wouldn't have otherwise, and gained different perspectives on all sorts of things, books and otherwise. The one my missus goes to seems to be a lot more like the one in the OP - more of a girls' night out, with a slight seasoning of book. But she - and they - seem to enjoy that just as much.

 

[Oxo]

Basically, it is like Cyclechat, we sometimes talk about cycling as well. To be honest I cant remember when I last cycled.

Don't worry about it. It's more than likely no one else can remember the last time you cycled Either.

 

[tyred]

I take the Groucho Marx approach to club membership, so can't advise. I did once go into a pub.

Have you ever came out of it again?