h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Are you in a bookgroup?

What sort of books have provoked discussion at your bookgroup, and what sort have been complete flops?

I'm in a book group. We tend to find that more people come along if we tackle a 'classic' (P&P, The Woman in White, Rebecca, Turn of the Screw), but we have a more lively debate about newer books.

'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy' was a complete flop with nothing to talk about. Books like 'Life of Pi', 'A History of the World in 10 1/2 Chapters' and 'The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time' were great, because people disagreed about their merits but they deal with such interesting issues that the debate extended out from the book into those areas and then back again.

How do you find a good book group would be more to the point for me. I live in a huge metropolitan area, and so far I haven't come across one I'm comfortable with. I think a lot of people start them among their friends, mostly. Does anyone have some good tips on how to start one?

My local library has them, but they're usually aimed at kids or specific focuses, not more formal groups, per se. The L.A. library system does pick a "book of the year" that gets read in all the libraries and schools by interested parties, but I don't think there's a group as such which then gets together to discuss it. Last year it was "Fahrenheit 451" by Ray Bradbury. He kicked off the thing by giving a lecture at the main library downtown.

SC

I'm lucky I found mine through google, and they're all great people. It did take a bit of nerve to wander up to a group of people in a pub and say 'are you a book group'.

Getting a group of friends together seems a good way forward. We attempted to start an h2g2 bookgroup in 2002, but I don't think it took off.

*looks around this library*

We *could* start one in here, surely?

There is the "What book have you read lately" thread in Ask, but they don't really *discuss* the books, more reel them off, as what they are reading...

Just my

*An exicited looking Mammoth!*

Yes, that would be great! What do other people think?

*thinks about bouncing around enphusiastically, but refrains as it would break things*

Well, *I* thinks it's a great idea!

Would we need to have a dedicated "corner" (thread), do you think?

I think so. We could be a bookgroup who meets in the Lirbary, and start a thread instead of renting meeting rooms.

Sounds excellent. Now, do we throw an opening, to get people to join or directions on how to get here?

Or maybe just put out a call for books to be read?

This is so ...

Well maybe we should put a notice on the Library wall?

Good thinking, Woolly! Not with spray paint, though...

F1732239?thread=3522061&


We should tell people really..

Shall I announce it in ?

Excellent idea! I think annoucing it in the post would be a great idea!

*excited Mammoth*