I mentioned earlier this year that a friend had started a zoom book club, but I don't think I've written about it since. The way we're doing it is that each person, taking turns, will suggest four books, and everyone rank-votes, so the book with the most points is chosen.
The first book was Anxious People by Fredrik Bachman, and I didn't finish it; I started it, but wasn't clicking with it for whatever reason, and I decided hey, I don't have to read it if I don't want to, there are no book club police (not in this book club anyway). I attended the meeting, listened more than I spoke--though I was upfront that I hadn't finished it, I didn't try to bluff or anything--and though I appreciated the discussion, it didn't really make me want to try again.
(Digression, but does anyone else find it wildly difficult to recommend books? Honestly, I can't always tell when I'm going to like a book; the number I get from the library and return barely opened is not small. Even when I really enjoy a book, deciding if someone else will like it is so hard for me. I'm glad to talk about a book I liked, but will you like it? I have no idea. Anyway.)
The second meeting was my choice, so of course (being me) I suggested four books I had read and knew that I liked, as I had no interest in having to force myself to not only finish a book, but then have to lead the discussion of it. We read Small Blessings by Martha Woodroof, and as it turned out only a couple of people made the meeting*, but we had a decent discussion just the same. (And now I'm off the hook for a while, so there's that.)
*Summer weekends, you know? Things seem to come up for a lot of people
Our next book is The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George, and I just started it, and, um. In some ways I do like it, there are things I do really like about it, but overall?
I don't really want to keep reading it.
I'm going to keep trying, because I don't want to give up on the club so soon, but. Sigh. I just don't know.
I don't remember the last time I *liked* a book we read for book club. Okay, I just looked it up - it was July 2019 (two years ago!) when we read "An American Marriage" by Tayari Jones. But I love book club because it forces me to read outside of my comfort zone, which I suspect is a lot like your comfort zone (Murderbot forever). No, I don't always love the books, but I love talking to other smart people about why they DID like it. And sometimes that changes my mind a little bit and sometimes I just marvel at how other people are so different.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, I wish you luck in your book club journey. Hopefully it will get better!