How to Not Read the Book
Posted by: Admin
If you don’t think you’ll be able to finish that book in time for your next book group meeting, the Chicago Tribune recently asked several authors about how to fake it. Read a little bit, one author advised–read two reviews, and then two pages in the middle of the book and two pages at the end. Another suggests just reading the flap copy, since “most reviewers write their reviews from flap copy.” (I don’t know any reviewers who actually do this. At least at Booklist, we don’t fake it when it comes to reviews.)
January 12th, 2010 at 6:30 pm
I often find I lead better discussions when I don’t finish (start!) the book. When that happens (rarely, I assure you), I find I talk less and concentrate more on bringing out opinions from the group. We cover more topics about the book, ask and answer more of my pre-set discussion questions etc.
It does feel a bit like cheating, of course, but sometimes the mont just gets away from you…