As a member of a neighborhood book club, I’m always looking forward to the next meeting. To me, book club means getting out of the house for an evening, catching up with friends, and enjoying wine and unhealthy snacks – oh yeah, and discussing the book!
But as much as I love my neighborhood wine (and book) club, I’ve been enjoying the online book clubs I’m a part of on Goodreads where the discussion’s focus is on the book and not so much on what went down last weekend at the neighborhood pool.
Goodreads offers a bunch of book clubs that, like neighborhood book clubs, meet regularly to discuss specific books. But unlike your local book club, in a Goodreads book club, you can wear your frilly pink flip flops and not worry about ladies gossiping about your fashion faux pas behind your back. You meet at your convenience; the Goodreads website is open 24-7, so you won’t wait a month between meetings hoping you’ll remember something coherent to say about the book you read two weeks ago.
You can find an online book club by logging onto Goodreads and clicking the Groups link near the top of the screen. You’ll find groups divided by categories in the main section of the page, including featured groups, new groups, and groups reading books on your to-read shelf. You also can search for a group by name, or you can browse groups by their tags using the links in the right column. Many of the tags are genre related, so if your passion is romance, non-fiction, vampires, or literature, you might click on a link and find a book club reading exactly what you want to read and discuss, too.
(Keep in mind that not all the groups on the Goodreads page are book clubs.)
If you really want a treat, join our We Read Indie Books RG2E Book Club at http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/62304-we-read-indie-books-rg2e.
At the beginning of each month, members nominate books by indie authors, and we vote on which book to read. Then, as we finish reading the books, we discuss. We’re currently reading our fourth book, Reckless Nights in Rome by CC MacKenzie, which was one of the books included in the recent Beach Book Blast.
Your turn, WG2E-land! What do you enjoy the most about book clubs (whether it’s an online club or a group that meets in person)?
Great post. Goodreads has a book club/forum for everything you can think of. If only I had the time to take part in everything
Thanks, Sibel! It is amazing how many clubs/forums there are. I’m a member of a handful on Goodreads but only active in one or two.
Fab! I second Sibel though, if only there were more hours in the day
Thanks, Elle! I wouldn’t mind a few more hours, also. Maybe 3!
I’ll jump in with Sibel and Elle! That’s where I’m at too, Tamara!
I do want to be more active on Goodreads, but I have to figure out how to fit that in with all my other social network communities.
That said, I’d definitely go the Goodreads online book club route, unless you can wear pajamas and fuzzy pink slippers to a neighborhood one too!
Hi, D.D. Book clubs on Goodreads do take time, especially if it involves reading the book and discussing it. One good aspect that I like about book clubs is that sometimes I find myself picking up a book I normally wouldn’t choose to read – and I benefit by broadening my reading scope.
But some Goodreads aspects are automated, like having Goodreads automatically update with your new blog posts! Other than setting it up, this takes no time… until you begin getting comments on your blog on Goodreads!
The craziest piece of clothing I’ve ever worn to my neighborhood book club is my 9 3/4 shirt. I don’t think I’d get away from my friends without some gentle heckling if I wore slippers.
I do have all of the automated tools set-up and I do get a lot of traffic from Goodreads on my site…so that’s definitely awesome!
And I do use all those superfab “What I’m Reading” gadgets you taught us about! I put those on my D. D. Scott-ville site and do keep my Reading Shelves updated and also take time to rate all the books I’m luuuvvvin’ on Goodreads.
But I will be working on connecting with readers there…that I haven’t done yet.
Go, D.D.! I have trouble updating my reading shelves with books I’m currently reading. It just seems, by the time I update my shelf, I’ve read the book! Except for this one reference book I’ve been “reading” since practically the beginning of the year!
I’ve connected with some readers on Goodreads but don’t quite feel like I’ve found the best way to do it… yet. After I rate and review books, some of my readers will respond and say they are interested in certain books I’ve read. Let me know how it goes for you.
You and me both, Tamara. I have just read a book which I forgot to put on Goodreads. I haven’t had time to take part in the bookclub. I have so many ebooks to read on my Kindle as it is, so can’t fit any more in.
This is so great, Tamara. I’ve always wanted to join a book club, but time and location always seem to be a factor. Now I can do it right on-line with you wonderful RG2E folks. Very exciting! I’ll be over to connect with you all soon. Thanks!
Thanks, PJ! See you soon at the book club and looking forward to it!
It’s a nice long walk along the walkway and over the river to my bookclub, and requires me to put real shoes on. No wine! Books and fun food, and yes, gossip. It takes me out of the house and away from the computer. It also allows for face to face conversation where nuances can be gleaned from facial expressions and and an honest arguement can occur.
Patg
So true, Pat! There is much to be said for face-to-face interaction. Your book club, and the walk to it, sound lovely.
Thanks for this, Tamara! And thanks for being the dynamic force behind our RG2E book club!
I belong to several clubs at Goodreads, but I’ve also been stuck for time lately.
BTW- WordPress.com wouldn’t accept that gorgeous tile widget you told me about.
Hi, Alicia! You’re the one who started it to begin with, so thanks for getting the party started! While I belong to a few book clubs, the RG2E one is the only one I’m active in! I’m sorry to hear that WordPress won’t accept that widget. Maybe someday Goodreads will make one that does work with more sites. Until then, happy writing!
Just popping in to say I love our RG2E Book Club! Thank you, Tamara, and to those of you who moderate and take care of all the tech stuff!
Just signed up! Glad I saw the post.
xx, lauren