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Book Group Buzz - Discussion of Book Clubs, Reading Lists, and Literary News - Booklist Online

Book Group Buzz

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Book group tips, reading lists, & lively talk of literary news from the experts at Booklist Online

Archive for the 'Book Club Tips' Category

Wed, November 18th, 2009
For the Mystery Book Group
Posted by: kaite stover

Over at Points of Reference, Jessica is getting ready to start a mystery book group at her public library in January. She’s going to be using Read ‘em Their Writes as a source and is wondering if there are any other good selections tools out there.
Funny you should ask, Jess. I recently put together a [...]


Tue, November 17th, 2009
Authors You Should Try: Cory Doctorow
Posted by: Neil Hollands

Even if you haven’t read books by Cory Doctorow, you probably know the name. His blogs, essays, and opinions seem to be everywhere, particularly in regards to digital culture, intellectual property, or technology. Doctorow almost always has an opinion, and whether or not one agrees with him, (like me, you’ll probably find yourself siding with him on [...]


Fri, November 13th, 2009
Historical Fiction: Bound for Repeat Readings
Posted by: Neil Hollands

I’ve been browsing my way through Sarah Johnson’s Historical Fiction II: A Guide to the Genre, one of the latest entries in the Genreflecting Advisory series from Libraries Unlimited. These big books are a browser’s paradise and ought to become familiar reference tools for in-the-know book group leaders as they seek out good group selections.
Historical [...]


Wed, November 11th, 2009
You Don’t Know Jack
Posted by: Neil Hollands

My wife and I have been reading Shadowlands aloud the last few nights. Many of you know this work from the film featuring Anthony Hopkins and Deborah Winger, but William Nicholson’s play is about events late in the life of C. S. Lewis.
Lewis never liked “Clive Staples.” When he lost a beloved dog as a boy, he declared [...]


Tue, November 10th, 2009
Adventures in Reading
Posted by: kaite stover

I facilitate three book groups, but I’m also a facilitator for hire, except I don’t charge for it. Occasionally I’m participating in as many as six or seven book groups in a month.
The groups are all different, but they share some similarities. They are all made up of women, they want to read a mix [...]


Sat, November 7th, 2009
Bah, Humbug: Revisited
Posted by: Neil Hollands

A few days ago, I put forth my miserly opinion that Christmas literature, for the most part, is ho, ho, horrible. I even asked you to convince me otherwise, and in response, fair readers, not one of you was stirring, not even a mouse.
But I know book groups, and you will not yield to my [...]


Wed, November 4th, 2009
Bah, Humbug!
Posted by: Neil Hollands

Christmas goods have replaced the Halloween gear in the stores, and so I suppose the season is officially upon us. I feel compelled to issue a word of warning. You’re going to be very tempted in December to assign holiday theme reading to your book group: a nice little book in the spirit of the season. [...]


Thu, October 29th, 2009
From the Book Group Toolkit #51
Posted by: kaite stover

I love adding to my shelf of book group resources. My latest addition is The Book Club Bible, a book that offers over 200 titles for book group facilitators to choose from.
The subtitle is “The Definitive Guide That Every Book Club Member Needs.” That may be pushing it a tad. The BCB is a balanced [...]


Wed, October 28th, 2009
Twitter Book Club
Posted by: Mary Ellen

Can you talk about a book in 140 characters? You’ll have to if you join The Book Studio’s Twitter Book Club. Now six months old, the Twitter Book Club meets online once a month to talk about a recent book. Picks for the past few months have been Elizabeth Strout’s Olive Kitteridge, Lorrie Moore’s  A [...]


Tue, October 27th, 2009
But We Digress!, Pt. 2
Posted by: Neil Hollands

Last week, I discussed a meeting where odd digressions by readers contributed to success, but going off subject can just as easily derail a meeting. When is a side discussion useful and when is it just an interruption? How can group leaders tell the difference?
First, know your group. Groups that use themes often welcome digressions, groups [...]


Mon, October 26th, 2009
Talking about Listening to Reading
Posted by: kaite stover

My blogging pal, Mary Burkey, over at Audiobooker wants to query the book group masses about methods for keeping up with book group reading. She will trade your witty insights and thoughtful comments for a narrator to be named later.
“Audiobooks & Book Clubs: not really reading or perfect partners? Curious minds want to know! I’m collecting [...]


Fri, October 23rd, 2009
But We Digress!, Pt. 1
Posted by: Neil Hollands

I was nervous as the meeting of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Group at Williamsburg Regional Library started earlier this week. Our theme this month was mad scientists and evil geniuses, but a quick scan of my readers indicated that several hadn’t finished a book and others were not happy with the book they [...]


Mon, October 19th, 2009
Life Is Short
Posted by: Dan Hubbs

Why offer a short story reading/discussion group?  A number of reasons come to mind
There have been great short story collections published recently: Dangerous Laughter by Steven Millhauser, Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri, The Boat by Nam Le, Everything Ravaged, Everything Burned by Wells Tower, Fine Just The Way It Is, by Annie Proulx, All Aunt [...]


Fri, October 16th, 2009
Caution! Contents Under Pressure
Posted by: Neil Hollands

I was talking with my colleague Andrew Smith, who ably leads several book groups at Williamsburg Regional Library. From a librarian’s point of view, we agreed that perhaps the greatest challenge for book groups is chemistry.
To draw an analogy, bringing readers together in a group, especially a new group, is kind of like assembling the [...]


Wed, October 14th, 2009
Auteur, Auteur: Asking Direct(or) Questions
Posted by: Neil Hollands

Most book groups have compared a book selection to a film adaptation or played the game where you cast roles in the book with actors you think appropriate. I’m always fascinated by the diversity of opinion in the actors who different readers find suited for characters. It’s a quick object lesson in how readers can [...]


Tue, October 13th, 2009
Everyone’s “Cup of Tea”
Posted by: Ted Balcom

I haven’t yet come across anyone who hasn’t enjoyed reading Three Cups of Tea (TCOT) or who thinks this book, a nonfiction account of an adventurer’s decision to build schools in remote areas of Pakistan and Afghanistan after an ill-fated mountain climbing expedition in which he almost perished, doesn’t  provide surefire discussion material.  A few [...]


Thu, October 8th, 2009
Great Group Reads: The Unit
Posted by: Mary Ellen

The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist  is one of the titles that has been selected by the Women’s National Book Association as a National Reading Group Month Great Group Read. It’s a dystopian tale about a society in which some people are considered dispensable–in this case, older men and women who are childless. At age 50 for women and age 60 [...]


Sat, October 3rd, 2009
Life Is Short
Posted by: Dan Hubbs

Life is short and there are a lot of books to read and to discuss. Novels are the most popular reading group choice and there are lots of novels to choose from. In fact, there are approximately 50,000 fiction titles published every year in the United States and about 10,000 of those are new titles. [...]


Thu, September 24th, 2009
Book Group Research, Part 4: Associated Content
Posted by: Neil Hollands

In the first three posts in this series, I looked at how to research author information, reviews, and publisher and book seller content, then use these resources in your book group. These basics of book research, however, are just the most obvious resources. A creative book grouper can find dozens of other items to enhance [...]


Thu, September 17th, 2009
Book Group Research, Part 3: Publisher Sites and Booksellers
Posted by: Neil Hollands

Can book groups find useful material on the websites of publishers and booksellers? It’s the essential modern dilemma: There’s good information to be mined, but to get it, you must run the gauntlet of sales come-ons, pop-up ads, and praise that borders on pandering. Is it worth the effort? The answer is yes, but focus [...]





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