Literary The MobileRead Literary Book Club Begins

[Bookworm_Girl]

I think it's the time of year. Plus the content of nonfiction plus plays. Many people like fiction novels only. I am really enjoying this book club. It has a different selection than the other club. I feel guilty because I haven't commented on Unbroken yet. Got sent on a business trip overseas. Internet is unreliable. Sitting in a bar and typing this on my mobile so I haven't been posting much! However I really wanted to weigh in on this subject,

[sun surfer]

Thanks for all of your input so far. I'm going to respond to some of what all of you said later, but for now I wanted to say that I think I'm going to try out the new hidden poll option for this month's vote. Afterwards, anyone can give their opinion on which way is better (open vs hidden).

[beppe]

Originally Posted by issybird

I'm not willing to give up yet. Early days and perhaps the process needs to be jiggered somewhat in light of interest and participation.

I had one thought, which is that this club might garner more interest if the timing in regard to nominating, voting and reading weren't virtually identical to that of the main club. It might be too much of a commitment for some. Perhaps we could reschedule a bit in future months? There's nothing magic about when a vote or discussion takes place.

Originally Posted by paola

neither do I!

Neither do I! All in all, it is a very interesting alternative to the other book club. Personally, I am ready to support it.

I share issybird's suggestion of a looser time schedule. One of the strong point of this initiative is to approach challenging readings. They need time, leisure and concentration by the participant. There is also the question of quality, which fights quantity: we might have too many categories to cover. I would not mind if the schedule both in time and subjects is redisigned.

I find that the current time period allowed for reading between book selection and discussion start is quite comfortable. Too long in some cases depending on the book length or difficulty. Then I generally just read one book through at a time and once I start do not like to take pauses or slow down to a few pages a day. If I do this sort of stop and start reading I find I not only lose recollection of what is going on in the book, but also just lose interest. So this usually means coming up with some good estimate of when to start in order to finish on the schedule.

Issybird's suggestion of offsetting the timing from the other book club does have merits I can see though. If the consensus is for this idea let's do it. As well as for the fewer books per year with longer reading periods if a significant portion of participants want this. The book per month rule was not sent down by the gods. The month names were, but not the necessity to have a separate book for each month.

Originally Posted by sun surfer

Thanks for all of your input so far. I'm going to respond to some of what all of you said later, but for now I wanted to say that I think I'm going to try out the new hidden poll option for this month's vote. Afterwards, anyone can give their opinion on which way is better (open vs hidden).

So now we will have a test and then a poll on the merits of this idea for both book clubs? What if the polls yield different outcomes? At the moment I am just happy that a vote will be needed this month.

[sun surfer]

Originally Posted by Hamlet53

So now we will have a test and then a poll on the merits of this idea for both book clubs? What if the polls yield different outcomes?

No, only a hidden poll for this month, to try it out. I say why not now that the option is available. The other club and its discussion on the matter is separate.

I see advantages to both viewable and hidden voting, and speaking for this club in particular I think any of us can give a more objective opinion of which is preferable after trying both ways. I don't see any reason to wait for the other club to try it first, especially since our vote just happens to be the first one up after the introduction of hidden polling.

[ficbot]

I participated in one of them, but then I found that the selections and genres did not interest me as much. For example, in the member lottery month, the member who chose the title picked a book which had already been covered in the other club, and when others pointed this out, they said oh well, they were choosing it anyway. I kind of lost interest after that, and then this month's choice being drama didn't really grab me.

[toomanybooks]

Maybe the categories could be rejiggered so that they remain the same but are moved to different months so we don't have two consecutive months away from narrative fiction.

[beppe]

Originally Posted by ficbot

I participated in one of them, but then I found that the selections and genres did not interest me as much. For example, in the member lottery month, the member who chose the title picked a book which had already been covered in the other club, and when others pointed this out, they said oh well, they were choosing it anyway. I kind of lost interest after that, and then this month's choice being drama didn't really grab me.

Which you manifested so strongly when that book was discussed 3 years ago, as your posts, brilliant by their absence, so clearly certify.

Send your seconds, we can meet behind the convent to morrow at dawn.

[ficbot]

Beppe, I did not post the first time because I tied the book and didn't like it. Therefore, I did not want to read it again, and as others pointed out at the time, anyone who did. Oils read the previous discussion. I think what turned me off about the whole thing was more that severL people pointed out it had been done before and they did not care to read it again, but it was chosen anyway because one person had all the say and disregarded what the group as a whole said would interest them. And I make no apologies for pointing put that this did not make a good impression. IMHO this is a justified complaint.

[beppe]

Originally Posted by ficbot

Beppe, I did not post the first time because I tied the book and didn't like it. Therefore, I did not want to read it again, and as others pointed out at the time, anyone who did. Oils read the previous discussion. I think what turned me off about the whole thing was more that severL people pointed out it had been done before and they did not care to read it again, but it was chosen anyway because one person had all the say and disregarded what the group as a whole said would interest them. And I make no apologies for pointing put that this did not make a good impression. IMHO this is a justified complaint.

3 facts

De gustibus non disputandum

On the choice of the book there was a ruling.

Of the members that discussed the book 3 years ago, Bob, Harry and Jon remain active. Only Jon had something to say.

[fantasyfan]

This is the first online ebook club I've ever joined and i really enjoy it. The problems that may exist with the choice and reading time allocated to books which derive from the presence of another similar club don't really impact on me, so I'll have to let others address that area.

So far, the categories chosen seem fine. They provide plenty of variety and all of the selected works have been interesting. Inevitably, a specific work is not going to necessarily appeal to everyone. What pleasantly surprised me was how much I liked selections that I thought I wouldn't enjoy. Would I ever have got around to reading some of these books on my own? Maybe, but I doubt it.

Now some categories {particularly poetry and drama} lend themselves less well to a book club discussion. Poetry tends to be very much an individual, introspective mode and drama a live communal experience--though exceptions exist: e.g. public and political poetry and closet drama. Still, there is nothing to prevent those who love those forms from sharing their thoughts with each other. But there may be fewer who wish to do so.

Anyhow, though I'm very happy with the club as it is presently organised, of course, I will go along with any modifications others may see fit to make.

[jersysman]

I have read this whole thread and am interested in joining a club such as this. How do I go about doing it? I hope you are still taking members.

[Bookworm_Girl]

Originally Posted by jersysman

I have read this whole thread and am interested in joining a club such as this. How do I go about doing it? I hope you are still taking members.

Welcome, jersysman! Just jump into this thread here on the November book selection.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=154664

If you like the selection, then just participate in the discussion when it starts in about 3 weeks.

[jersysman]

Originally Posted by Bookworm_Girl

Welcome, jersysman! Just jump into this thread here on the November book selection.
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=154664

If you like the selection, then just participate in the discussion when it starts in about 3 weeks.

Thanks, Bookworm_Girl!

[sun surfer]

Welcome jersysman! We are always taking members; if you want to be a part of the club you are a part of the club. Join in with the discussion and voting any time you like!


Separately for everyone, there are so many responses to reply to individually, so I won't quote anyone but will try to respond to many of the comments as a whole.

First, thanks for all the posts of support, though my post may have been too vague. To be clear, I was never pondering stopping the club. We still have plenty enough members, it seems, to be useful. I did like all the members we had in the beginning, and I suppose part of that must be chalked up to inception excitement, but we still have a good number now. I was only pondering possibly changing the method in which we choose our selections if our numbers got too low for effective nominations and voting. It seems we still have enough for now.

Second, it's a possibility to change or move around the categories some, but I'm inclined to wait until all the categories originally chosen will have had their chance before a change (so around next July).

Third, December's vote will use a hidden poll before we decide what is best. That will give us at least two months with each kind of poll to base our judgments on. Then we should have a decision on it to start the new year and January's vote with.

And finally, and perhaps most importantly since it would be a somewhat major change happening soon, I would like others' opinions on moving our club's timeline half a month over, per issybird's initial suggestion.

The advantage is that our nominations would then be half a month away from the general club's.

The disadvantage is that our club timing may then feel somewhat awkward, having our club months split between calendar months.

If we do it, as with the hidden polling decision, I'd like to decide for January and start the new year fresh.

Also, please feel free to bring up any other ideas I may have missed or that you want to mention.