Starting a Book Club

[Jonni12 10]

Right, well i'll be there as well then.

[jamesstarky 10]

Hello everyone on this thread who is trying to start a book club.

 

 

I don't know how book clubs should work (apart from the idea that its members should at least read books), does it have to be the same book at the same time? Of course unless you're at still at school, its rare to find a group of people that can share experiences that are as intimate as those revealed on the pages of a great book.

 

I'm new in Sheffield and it feels like its worth taking every oppotunity to meet people, so I'd like to come.

 

I read book after book, but I'm very choosey about the kind of books I read. And I really do judge books by their covers.

 

At least the first time to meet should be interesting to thrash out what the first book should be. And it seems sensible that everyone should come carrying a book, any book, so that we may recognise each other.

 

See you there.

James

[shamozel 10]

Well that makes 2 of us at least. I go to another reading group in Walkley and I mentioned it to some of them there in case they were interested, so who knows?

 

Nobody else has responded but shall we just bring along a couple books we've read and talk about those then?

[shamozel 10]

Oops, James and I posted at exactly the same time. Weee! Looks like we may already be up to three. That's almost a gang again. Shall we change our name to the Walkley book mafia?

[shamozel 10]

James - book clubs seem to depend on the members really. There's one at the Red Deer pub that I've seen online that seems to be extraordinarily and only literary. I've been to book clubs where people just talked about books they'd been reading but that was a bit unsatisfying. Often no common ground. Part of the fun seems to be when someone selects a book you'd never ordinarily read and explains why they chose it/like it. Personally I love the different opinions and the ways people approach reading. You can usually find a solution I think. A bigger problem seems to be finding a common day and time actually.

[cathers 10]

Hi,

 

I'd like to come too if that's ok. I've got something else on that evening but should be able to come for an hour. I love books and I live in Walkley. I will bring a book for recognition purposes!

 

Catherine

[jamesstarky 10]

Hi

 

I just want to confirm again that I'll be there.

 

James

 

Thats tonight, at 7:30.

[cathers 10]

Me too!

 

Tonight at 7.30, Walkley Cottage.

 

Catherine

[shaunmwhite 10]

Hey guys, i'm going to pop along tonight hope to see a few of you there.

 

shaun

 

Its a quiz night though so it maybe a little busy, though on the plus side there are free sandwiches.....

[Code13 10]

"There's one at the Red Deer pub that I've seen online that seems to be extraordinarily and only literary."

 

Do you mean the one at the Red Lion?

[shamozel 10]

No I meant the Red Deer, Code13:

http://yellowcariboureaders.googlepages.com/

 

Found out about the Red Lion thing last night but hadn't heard of/found that one.

 

So the Walkley Book Mafia is on! I had fun last night thought we came up with a great choice.

 

We are meeting again on Dec.6 for Gabriel Garcia Marquez's "100 Years of Solitude." Same place and time. If you're worried about what to talk about (although I thought we did just fine) here's a site that gives questions to think about while you're reading:

http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_O/one_hundred_years_of_solit1.asp

 

This is the World Book Club link I was talking about last night:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/programmes/world_book_club.shtml but did not cover his book. He may _actually_ be dead. Especially if he was a friend of Castro like James said.

 

I forget who mentioned Julian Barnes, but now I remember why I had heard of him. Flaubert's Parrot. Would love to read that book (heard about it on the above site) and sounded great.

 

Gillian Slovo's "Red Dust" was the South African book I was trying to remember (which covered some of the Truth and Reconciliation Comm stuff which may be interesting for a future read based on James background and some of the political interests of peeps in the group: http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews/0393041484.asp)

[jamesstarky 10]

Yeah, that was a nice night.

 

Of course; Gillian Slovo. I've not read that, but I would recommend 'Country of My Skull' by Antjie Krog. She reports on the Truth and Reconciliation Commision and has a mental breakdown trying to comprehend the what has happend/is happening in South Africa. All this goes into the book using prose, poetry, reportage and self analysis. Its enlighteninglly brilliant but difficult. But I'm not sure I would recommend it for a book club.