Another good one from The New York Times about Book Groups and how they can become a scene of in-fighting, snobbery and recriminations, like “what’s wrong with Oprah”?
“It’s a nice, high-minded idea to join a book group, a way to make friends and read books that might otherwise sit untouched. But what happens when you wind up hating all the literary selections — or the other members? Breaking up isn’t so hard to do when it means freedom from inane critical commentary, political maneuvering, hurt feelings, bad chick lit and even worse chardonnay.”
“Who knew a book group could be such a soap opera?” said Barb Burg, senior vice president at Bantam Dell, which publishes many titles adopted by book groups. “You’d think it would just be about the book. But wherever I go, people want to talk to me about the infighting and the politics.””
Blog post about article
Blog entry about this article.
Gone Clubbing (Link goes to full blog entry)
Excerpt from Gone Clubbing:
First off, there are book group facilitators that are paid to lead suburban book club discussions and keep unruly clubbers in line and lead the discussions. Who knew? The members pay the facilitators 250-300 dollars annually. Cool job I guess, but I’m having trouble getting my head around this concept. Groups of adults needing another adult who is not the author or the publisher to lead them in the discussion. In their own homes. Sort of be the expert and make sure no one person takes over the discussion.
Hmm… am I being too critical to think that this sounds like book club baby sitting? If I am tell me. Is this working for any of you out there. Have you tried it?
Another blog post
Blog post from the author of: The Professors’ Wives’ Club
The Book Group and the Bitch Fight
Excerpt: What the article fails to mention is that precisely because so many are all female, book groups offer great joy and community, fun and support. Women join book groups to read books they will enjoy. But they also join to be with their friends, to escape their families, the laundry, their kids, and the drone of a ball game for one night a month.