A reading group for AB ?

[sunny-dave]

Hello boys and girls of a literary bent (ooh matron indeed)

After the wonderful success of chaptazbru’s thread, it was suggested a couple of weeks ago that we have a ‘virtual reading group’ on AB. After a quick exchange of emails with the esteemed Ab_Ed, I’m going to have a go at getting one going – hopefully it will then become self propelled rather than turning into a monthly chore for any particular person.

Sooo …. how could it work (just my first ideas, other suggestions welcome) :

June Week 1 : Thread opened for suggestions for June book – one suggestion per person, please check that it is available (preferably cheaply) on Amazon or similar sites. If you can check stock at a local library or two then that will help to indicate availability too.

June W2 : Five books selected and Ab_Ed opens a poll to choose between them

June W3 : Chosen book announced – discussion to start in August (gives 6 weeks to read book)

July W1 : suggestions for July book

July W2 : poll for July book

July W3 : July book announced

Aug W1 : suggestions for Aug book, discussion starts on June book

Aug W2 : poll for Aug book

Aug W3 : Aug book announced

Sep W1 : suggestions for September book, discussion starts July book

etc etc

Questions before we start :

1. What type of books do we want to read – should we have a theme/genre for suggestions each month ?
2. Who chooses the 5 books for the poll ?
3. Any other ideas/thoughts/problems ?


And finally …who’s buying the beer for the annual (real world) Foster’s Up when we shred the reputations of anyone unwise enough not to attend :+)

dave xx

[sunny-dave]

Please note :

this is a thread for discussing ideas for the reading group – not for book suggestions yet :+)

[albaqwerty]

A very good idea IMO.

I think a theme/genre per month would be good, then the 5 suggestions could follow that .

You are buying the beer :-D

[Tilly2]

I think it's a really good idea. Well done for putting some thought into it.

Perhaps the themes/genres could be sorted into alphabetical order first of all so that we do't keep having the same ones repeated.
You might get numerous suggestions for each initial list so there needs to be some criterion for choosing the five for the poll. Could that be as simple as the first five submitted? Or, one of use could volunteer to choose the five for each month. ( but who would choose the volunteer?)

Perhaps we need to wait and see how many people are interested first.

No real answers there sunny dave but those are my immediate thoughts.

I hope we can do this. It would be really interesting.

[AB Editor]

Looks good to me. Would suggest that we make sure the second favourite books from each poll get put into the next month?

Also, might be good to, once we get going, have a "theme" for suggestions - whether it's genre, theme or some other "type".

[rowanwitch]

so perhaps themes like
post war classics, historical, humour, detectives and could we have a length cap.... so no war and piece length type books

[AB Editor]

Yep, that's the kind of thing. I suppose Dave wants the first month to be a free-for-all so we can get everyone involved? I'd personally like to see a month made up of "ripping yarns" at a later point.

[yogasun]

Great idea!!

[rockyracoon]

Excellent idea, I'm in, thanks Dave. I think I'm going to leave my real world book club as I think I will like this one better, less pressure for a start.

1. Everyone will have their own ideas about suggestions for genres, so a different one each month would be good, people can then dip in and out at leisure and those that want to read something different can.
2. You should choose the first 5 seeing as you've put so much effort in, after that...?
3. Can't think at the moment, sure I will later.

[missnemesis]

I'm in!

Agree that different theme per month is a good idea. Stops the reads being samey (not a real word I know) and will maybe encourage readers out of their usual choice of author/genre.

Also agree that Sunny-D should perhaps choose the first 5, if of course he is happy to do so.

[maggiebee]

I'm all for it. Left my real world book group some time ago. Bunch of pretentious pri**s with their choice of books. Bring it on!!

[Traci66]

I'm in, never been a member of a book club before, but I do read loads.

[tonyav]

Why don't you all join that reading group they have in East Enders.

[chelle7272]

Great idea, count me in please. :-)
I agree you should choose the first 5 books dave.

A theme a month sounds good too, for some variety.

[funnygirl]

I am interested!

[sunny-dave]

Thanks for the replies - I'll nudge this at tactical times through the weekend so that it gets seen by the various AB user fraternities (sororities?) and then distill the combined wisdom next week

d xx

[friedgreentomato]

sounds good - it may keep costs down as well for those with kindles if we look at the Amazon free books

[China Doll]

Sounds fun... six weeks seems far too long to read one book to me though. Perhaps we could have two books to read in the six weeks of the same genre/theme and have a compare/contrast element to the discussions.

I would like to nominate We need to talk about Kevin and Monster Love as two books with similar themes which might be fun to read? Although actually, we need to talk about Kevin is definitely not everyones cup of tea by a long shot!

[chelle7272]

fried - nice idea - as a kndle owner I like that :)

China - 6 wweks is a awhile but personally I'd also be reading through the pile of books I've got ready for the next few months at the same time. Having said that, I don't mind if the majority wish to go with reading two.

[China Doll]

No I agree Chelle, I'd be doing the same quite happily. I just hope I remember what I though six weeks after I've read the book and not confuse it with a different book I've read! (It has happened :-/ )

[chelle7272]

Fair point, I've done it myself :)