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I've never been to one. I have trouble imagining discussing a book for more than 2 minutes, which might explain why I was so dismal in English Lit.

Are they highbrow, digging deep into the material, looking for hidden meaning, all that jazz? Or is it more about discussing what you liked and didn't like? Or do the discussions quickly veer away from literature to whatever people feel like talking about?

It takes me forever to finish a book, so I'd probably never keep up. But I'm looking for new things to do for fun, and got curious about this.

[This message edited by OnceInALifetime at 7:56 PM, June 18th, 2015 (Thursday)]

I really enjoyed the book club I was in. They are different, depending on the group. My SIL was in one where they drank a lot of wine and read contemporary literature, some trashy, etc., and spent the night mostly socializing and laughing.

The one I was in was with mostly older, highly educated women who took their literature seriously! I actually met one of the women while walking my dogs and she invited me. It took me out of my comfort zone and I enjoyed it. I learned a lot from the women and appreciated their respect for good literature. One of their sons was the author of one of the books we read (that has since been turned into a movie). He has other published works, as well.

We took turns hosting and whoever hosted that month got to choose the book and lead the discussion. Sometimes the hostess pulled up questions from the internet about the book. Sometimes they found articles about the book to discuss. Other times it was just 'what did you think about the book?' and discussion of the characters, plot, motives, etc.

We moved away and I really miss the club and the ladies. I was thinking about starting one here but I've been lazy about it.

It really is what you make of it. Consider that when you decide which one to join, or who to invite if you're going to start one.

if you're looking for something fun, check out writer's meet-ups

I've been in two of the "drink a lot of wine, discuss book for 10 minutes" variety. The one I'm in now specifies you don't have to finish (or even read) the book, though most people try and we do spend some time discussing what we liked/didn't like and what we got out of it.

At the other end of the spectrum, my dance teacher is very frustrated because she is in a club that is not reading serious enough books.

There is a club for everyone.

I'll second what everyone else is saying--there are many types of book clubs and when you find the one you're looking for, it's fun.

Books generate different types of discussion--theme, writing, subject, etc. Personally, I find if I close a book and don't think about it again, it probably doesn't warrant a discussion.

And book clubs generate different types of discussion! You might check with your local library. I know my library offers various book clubs and so do many independent book stores. Good luck.

The one I'm in is a mix....some people get really, really deep into the books...researching the author, etc.

Others just read the book and either like it or don't.

You just gotta find a group that works for you...!

It definitely depends on the members. I'm in several book clubs: they're all different and I enjoy them all. We do discuss the books, but in one we do so in more depth and the off-topic chat is merely before and after the actual discussion, whereas in another it's an integral part of the meeting and we laugh a lot. Both are fun, just in different ways.

I think the leader is crucial to the club's "personality". For older women such as me, book clubs seem to be the in thing nowadays. Almost everyone I know seems to be in one! And I get the impression that for some people, leading a book club is a bit of an ego trip - they do it so that they can impress other people by telling them about it and sounding clever. Another of my acquaintances, who is super-intelligent but modest, was basically thrown out of one club, because she dared to disagree with the leader's opinion! In good clubs, differing opinions are met with delight, because they lead to more lively discussions.

I don't think you need to worry about not being a natural reader. As far as I'm concerned, one of the joys of the clubs is that they've led me not only to read more, but to read books that I would never have read, or even have heard of, had I not had to read them for the book club. Some of those have been hard work: others have been a delight. However, even if you don't have to have read the entire book, if you have done so, I think you'll enjoy the discussion more and feel more confident if you're shy.

One tip: Most of my clubs' selections are relatively recent and almost all are available as unabridged audiobooks, on CD or via audible. So if you are concerned about finding a book hard work, or of not being able to finish it in time, there's nothing to stop you listening to the audio version - in the car, or while you're doing housework. If any of the other members are intellectual snobs and think audiobooks are inferior, just keep quiet about it - they don't have to know! (And in my opinion, they're wrong, anyway. Unabridged audiobooks are now hugely popular with many natural readers, too, as it's a case of so many books and so little time......)

For me, joining one book club has given me just what I gather you are looking for. The members are now friends and I see them a lot outside the book club meetings. I found all but one of the clubs via Meetup. So if you're considering starting one, or are just looking for one to join, you might try that.

ETA - I've just realized that you're male! Sorry. In my experience, book clubs consist almost entirely of women. The one that is mixed is a topic-specific one. But unless the description specifies that it's for women only, I'm fairly sure that, as with most social gatherings, a lone male would be welcomed with open arms! (Have you seen "The Jane Austen Book Club"? if not, you might find it encouraging. I loved it.)

[This message edited by Cally60 at 5:27 PM, June 28th (Sunday)]

[This message edited by shakentocore at 11:11 AM, July 9th (Thursday)]

In all seriousness, my book club does discuss the books. We gather for around 1 1/2 hours before we sit down and drink a glass of wine, eat some snacks, socialize.

Then we talk about the book. Often, books now come with "book club discussion questions" so you can look that up and see if there are any that interest you. Often, we start from "the list" (we have an English Lit major who runs the show!) but we quickly start talking about other topics...how topics in the books relate to our lives (kids, mean girls, starting something new, etc.).

I don't read every book, there is one woman who reads about 2 books a year. She hates sad endings! But she comes every time and can still contribute to discussions.

The book club at my library is mixed gender (I do not belong, but it is pretty big). I don't think they have wine (because they meet at the library). I would guess since they are at the library they would discuss more, but again, so much of the discussion is how books relate to you.