Book club

[tarigwaemir]

Haste Street on the Feast of St. Leonard

Ask for a meme, and a meme will come to you. Tagged by owari:

1. List seven habits/quirks/facts about yourself.
2. Tag seven people to do the same.
3. Do not tag the person who tagged you or say that you tag whoever wants to do it.

I've done this meme before, but I think I can come up with seven quirks that I haven't mentioned yet:

• I cross the tips of my chopsticks if I don't think about holding them properly. Not so much a quirk as a bad habit.
  
• I walk down the stairs in an iambic meter. I also like to skip the last step.
  
• When especially bored, I like to browse computer review and manufacturer sites to come up with the perfect customized model, much the same way certain girls like to browse clothing sites to come up with the perfect outfit. Same goes for cell phones, digital cameras and any other type of electronic gadget. If angelyrique is online at the time, we talk about the value of RAM versus processing speed or the best optical and hard disk drive manufacturers for hours on end.
  
• People think I look like my mother on first glance because we're both short and skinny, but in fact, in almost everything else, I resemble my father. The shape of our noses and hands are identical, and I've also inherited his broad forehead, his lack of eyebrows, and his extreme ticklishness.
  
• I intensely dislike being interrupted while reading, whether it be a book, a newspaper or a website. My temper grows even worse if I'm interrupted while writing.
  
• The surest way to get me to like a food is to make me read a description of eating it first.
  
• Edit: As aiwritingfic pointed out, I forgot to include a seventh quirk. Let's see...I like to keep my files sorted by type rather than by name or date modified.

Tagging no one seven times. ^_^

Had an idea yesterday while procrastinating. The way it would work: instead of everyone reading the same book, each member would recommend a book to a person and receive a recommendation from another person, with the match-ups rotating every month. To provide a forum for discussion, all recommendations have to fall under a monthly theme (almost like a book club version of Tin's maybesparrows), and people post with their thoughts on the book (either in an LJ comm or a group blog).

Upon joining, each person would write a short description of their reading preferences: what they usually read, what they're willing to read, what they're not willing to read, what they especially enjoy reading. The recommender would presumably attempt to come up with a title while taking those preferences into account, although they're not required to.

Themes would be voted on by the group of course. They would be broad enough so that everyone can readily come up with a recommendation as long as they're reasonably well-read, but narrow enough that the books can be discussed as a collection in relation to the theme. (E.g. a possible theme could be the works of a single author; the resulting discussion can focus not only on the individual titles but on the author's opus as a whole.)

Some issues:

• What if you've already read the book that you were recommended? Reread the book or get a new recommendation? Should the recommender make more than one recommendation, just in case?
  
• What if you can't think of a book you've read that suits the theme? Can you only recommend books you've finished reading?
  
• Should there be limitations on group size to make this idea even feasible? (Would there even be enough people interested?)
  
• Would there need to be a set of discussion questions for the theme every month?
  
• Would it work better on LJ or on an off-site blog?
  
• Would there need to be a system for allowing people to opt out in advance of the recommendation match-ups if they're particularly busy during a certain month?
  
• Should there be a time frame for discussion or should it take place throughout the month as people read the recommended books?
  
• What about spoilers?
  
• Should recommenders remain anonymous? (Like a Secret Santa of book recommendations?) More work for the mod, but then again, it might ensure that everyone does receive a recommendation to read for that month.
  
• For that matter, is a month enough time?
  
• What if people get lazy and fail to post? Or even worse, what if the posting starts to feel like an obligation, and no one wants to do it anymore?

Let me know what you think! Is the idea even worth pursuing?

Yours &c.

Comments

[team7.livejournal.com]

omg you read my mind <3 I was actually about to ask people if they would be willing to help start a book club -- not necessarily an extension of RoD but I do want to explore, I dunno, the experience of reading with... other people? since RoD has a specific advocacy.

I have several ideas in mind like extrapolating readingmix and maybesparrows (which could be sort of the magazine? of this club?). And something like Reading Asia.

My suggestion is to form an overarching (ahahaha) book club and then put these activities together, that is, if I'm not being uduly presumptuous.

[troisroyaumes]

Haha, great minds think alike? XD That sounds awesome! I was thinking of something small, but I have no objections to participating in an overarching book club, and it would be nice to incorporate the already existing structures for reading_mix and maybesparrows.

Not sure exactly what sort of structure you're thinking of for the club (would the recommendation model work with a presumably larger group?), but am willing to discuss/help setup.

[tsutanai.livejournal.com]

I think I'd be interested (being as the only books I can talk about with people these days are historical monographs XD). Money could be an issue, though--at least getting hands on books.

[troisroyaumes]

_-_ Completely didn't think about getting access to the books themselves. ::spoiled by having access to large English-language libraries:: sub_divided suggested that recommenders should make lists with at least one book being available through Gutenberg or some other source, and it occurred to me that maybe match-ups should be done in light of the participants' access to books in addition to their reading preferences...

[love_archived]

#3 - computer customization - OH SO TRUE.

(By the way, that's only six.)

I'm a bit too busy to read enough for a book club! T_T

[troisroyaumes]

I can't count. >_< Edited the post to include a seventh.

Sorry to hear that. ;_; Although it is only one book a month and without the obligation of finishing...

[love_archived]

*laughs* I wish I could say, "Pshaw, only one? Sign me up!" ... but I have been reading the same book for the last four months. I really have no time nor discipline. T_T

[jaebi-lit.livejournal.com]

I've never done a book club before, but it sounds interesting. Count me in!

[troisroyaumes]

Yay! ^_^

[worldserpent.livejournal.com]

Would definitely be interested... but I might not be able to get my hands on some of the books. I think due to time constraints and the vagaries of individual schedules, it would be more practical not to recommend one on one; there seem to be all kinds of logistical problems with a one on one system, and instead maybe what could be done is:

Have everyone recommend, and then people sign up?
Everyone make a list?

[troisroyaumes]

Good point! sub_divided suggested having a sign-up post as well, although for recommenders rather than readers. I think having everyone make a list would be useful as well, especially given what people have said about getting access to books. ::still thinking through logistics::

[datenshi-blue.livejournal.com]

The book club sounds wonderful, but there are some set-backs, in my opinion. I, as a "foreigner", would have lots of problems finding some of the recommended books. Also, I don't have enough money to order a book every month from amazon, for instance, and they would take a long time to arrive. In public libraries here there are not books written in other languages other than Spanish, either, so that wouldn't help. And it's obviously not the same if you're reading some book in different languages, because you're missing a lot of the nuances of the original story. Plus, even if that wasn't an issue, not every book written in English is translated into Spanish.

Well, I'm talking about my issues here, but I'm pretty sure I might not be the only non-english speaking person in the book club. So I'm just pointing out some other issues to take into account.

Other than that, I would love to join some club like this, honestly.

[troisroyaumes]

Yes, I completely forgot that people in other countries would find it more difficult. For what it's worth, I think it'll be all right for you to read the book in Spanish, since I'm pretty sure people will be recommending translations of books written in non-English languages anyway. But accessibility is definitely an issue for many people...do you think receiving a list of recommendations where at least one book is available as a free e-text (i.e. through Gutenberg or some other source) would work for you? (This being sub_divided's suggestion down below.) I think it would also help for each member to also mention briefly issues of accessibility, in which case I would try to match you with recommendation lists that have books you're likely to find (i.e. books known to be translated into Spanish or books with e-texts available for free). Anyway, you're definitely not the only one facing this problem so I'll try to think of more solutions.

[pyrefly.livejournal.com]

* What if you've already read the book that you were recommended? Reread the book or get a new recommendation? Should the recommender make more than one recommendation, just in case?
I would say it should be decided on a case-by-case basis. For example, I might be more likely to reread a book I read years ago, but not as likely to reread one I read this year.
* What if you can't think of a book you've read that suits the theme? Can you only recommend books you've finished reading?
Maybe ones you've at least read /some/ of, rather than ones you haven't read at all? I'm not sure.
* Should there be limitations on group size to make this idea even feasible? (Would there even be enough people interested?)
I don't think that'd be an issue at first. But if you allow people to opt out in advance, I think a big group would still be fine.
* Would there need to be a set of discussion questions for the theme every month?
Yes, but they should be more like springboards for discussion, not like "This is what we're going to talk about and nothing else."
* Would it work better on LJ or on an off-site blog?
LJ comm.
* Would there need to be a system for allowing people to opt out in advance of the recommendation match-ups if they're particularly busy during a certain month?
I think people should be able to opt out. I'm not sure if you'd need a specific system in place for it. It should be a free/open decision whether to participate each month.
* Should there be a time frame for discussion or should it take place throughout the month as people read the recommended books?
I think discussion could start the last week of the month or something like that. Otherwise you run into a big risk of spoilers.
* What about spoilers?
See above. X) Spoilers should be lj-cutted, or whited out, or something.
* Should recommenders remain anonymous? (Like a Secret Santa of book recommendations?) More work for the mod, but then again, it might ensure that everyone does receive a recommendation to read for that month.
I... don't really understand what the benefit of that would be.
* For that matter, is a month enough time?
Depends on the length of the book. My mom's in a book club, but they're all adults with jobs instead of school + homework. Anyway they have a certain length limit, like 300-400 pages max. If they want to read a longer book, then they take 2 months.
* What if people get lazy and fail to post? Or even worse, what if the posting starts to feel like an obligation, and no one wants to do it anymore?
That's part of the reason why I wouldn't worry about placing a cap on the number of members at first. Anyway, all I can say is: People who truly love to read will enjoy it, and I'd hope they'd continue posting.

[troisroyaumes]

Ooh, thanks for the detailed feedback. Definitely taking all of this into account and rethinking some of the logistics.

I think my idea for having anonymous recommendations was so that you don't bring any preconceptions to the book based on what you know of the recommender's tastes, but yeah, it's not a particularly important point.

[owari.livejournal.com]

My temper grows even worse if I'm interrupted while writing.

Same here, and it happens a lot. There'll be a knock at the door or the phone will ring or whatever and any kind of concentration or motivation I once had just vanishes. Bleh. ;__;

[troisroyaumes]

Yes, half of my arguments with my mother come about when she interrupts me in the middle of writing something. I especially hate it when you've just come up with a perfect word or phrase, and you forget it immediately after someone interrupts. ;_;

[emblem.livejournal.com]

*_* This sounds interesting. Let me know how the logistics work out?

[troisroyaumes]

Yay, glad that you're interested! Am working through the logistics, will keep you posted. ^_^

[issen4.livejournal.com]

I walk down the stairs in an iambic meter.

That's amusing yet geeky at the same time. ^__^

Book club sounds good! I need someone to prod me to read more, but in a low pressure setting.

[troisroyaumes]

Hee, yes, it's been a habit from when I was very little.

Yay, glad to hear you're interested. ^_^ And the book club will definitely be low-pressure.

[tsutanai.livejournal.com]

Until I had my legs all screwed up, I was unable to walk down the stairs without that rhythm. (Then I had to start taking them slowly and carefully.)

... Which I never realized was iambic until you mentioned it. XD (Not pentameter for me, since I didn't really pause after 10 steps. XDXD)

[troisroyaumes]

I was trying to think of a way to describe it and then realized it was iambic meter. But yes, not pentameter for me either unless I happen to be walking down ten steps. ^_^

[daisy-chan.livejournal.com]

I walk down the stairs in an iambic meter. I also like to skip the last step.
adorable.

[troisroyaumes]

<3

[sub-divided.livejournal.com]

Something like drabble_trade, where there's a sign-up post each month? That way someone who doesn't feel up to participating that month can bow out. Also, one way to handle the "I can't get my hands on it" problem is for everyone to comment to the sign-up post with, for example, five books they would like to see read, with a rule that at least one of those books must be available on Project Gutenberg (http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/). Then, the moderator assigns each person to another person's list.

As an "assignment" at the end of the month, maybe ask each participant to mail a three or four paragraph reaction to the moderator? Then all the reactions can be posted at the same time, and that can also be the "discussion" post for the month.

I would definitely definitely want to do something like this, just tell me where to sign up.

[troisroyaumes]

*_* These are great ideas and make much more sense than the model I was thinking of before. ^_^ Yes, I think the sign-up post with lists of recommendations would solve a lot of problems.

I like the "assignment" idea as well, although I don't want people to start thinking of it as a chore...well, maybe it'll be fine if things are kept low-key and flexible.

Can I convince you to help mod/organize? XD

[(Anonymous)]

Let me think about it...okay, I'm convinced. XD Can one of the first general themes be Mystery? Or School Story? I think those are broad enough that everyone should be able to come up with five or six books.

I'm not sure about assignments either, especially if they have to be emailed...for some reason email makes it seem like even more of a chore. XD; Maybe an alternate system, like participants can post their reactions in their own journals at their own convenience, and at the end of the month the moderator collects all of the links in one entry, which also serves as the general discussion entry.

Just let me know what I can do to help!

[sub-divided.livejournal.com]

Er, that was me. (Obviously.)

[troisroyaumes]

Ooh, great! I like the idea of having Mystery as a first theme; maybe it could serve as the theme for the initial pilot run.

As for assignments, that could definitely work. I think perhaps we could also allow people to post to the comm as well but keep posts moderated until the discussion week.

Anyway, I thought one person could take charge of setting the theme and theme-related discussion starter questions, another could take charge of sign-ups and matching up recommendation lists to readers, and a third could take charge of the discussion, i.e. keeping the posts moderated, unlocking any posts that need unlocking and making the long list of links. Would you like to be in charge of setting the themes? Since you've already had good suggestions, not to mention considerable experience from running fanthology. ^_^

Am writing up a longer post about this as well, which should go up sometime tonight. ^_^

[sub-divided.livejournal.com]

Sorry for the late reply, I was out of internet range this weekend. Anyway, I'd LOVE to be in charge of themes. XD It's like you're asking: between decorating the garden, maintaining the guest list, and licking envelopes, would you like to be in charge of decoration?

Checking out your post now.

[aestheticized.livejournal.com]

Wow, that book club idea sounds very interesting. No thoughts on the logistics, but just what you've suggested here sounds quite fun. Personally, I like the idea of the recommendations (even if they weren't one on one) because it's more personal: for me, recommending a favorite book is like introducing an old friend to a new one, I always feel deeply invested in how one reacts to the other; it's really like sharing something precious. And the more assignments per month means a longer overall reading list (for those who might be interested in more titles within a certain theme), along with discussion of the novels which might help them narrow down that list if they need to.

Not sure if this is making much sense, but I just wanted to let you know that I really like the idea.

[troisroyaumes]

That was exactly my reasoning: I mostly read on recommendations nowadays, and there's something particularly nice about receiving a recommendation as well as giving one, since you know that the book has meant something to someone else.

Glad you like the idea! Can I count on you to participate then once the comm is set up? ^_^

[aestheticized.livejournal.com]

Can I count on you to participate then once the comm is set up?

Definitely! Looking forward to it.

[tsutanai.livejournal.com]

Thinking about what other people have said, and the outline above, one problem with having many options is that then you end up with a higher probability that a book is read for discussion that only one person has read (if people can recommend books they haven't finished; if that's removed, then you end up with a minimum number of two). Unless I'm misunderstanding that point.

Then it's really a book recommendation trade community more than a discussion one. (I hate recommending books one on one, because there's too much responsibility involved. 無責任な私) But, there are probably books lots of people want to read that not everyone can get their hands upon....

[troisroyaumes]

Very good point; I think the only real way to prevent it from being just a recommendation trade comm would be to select themes carefully. I suspect that there might be some overlap in recommendation lists though (hmm, maybe a reason to keep the lists screened?), and I'm hoping there will be enough people who have already read some of the recommendations or are willing to read more than one book to keep the discussion going.

[tryogeru.livejournal.com]

Ooh, book club. That sounds like the perfect thing to push me to stop procrastinating and finally finish a book these days (I was making excellent progress with my audiobooks, until I began getting paranoid about hearing loss, >_>) Count me in!

One of these days I'll finally get around to getting a new computer and I'll call you for a long heart to CPU chat about what is best for me. ^_~

[troisroyaumes]

YAY! Definitely counting on you to participate then. ^_^

Heart-to-CPU chats are always welcome in this corner. (I keep agonizing over what sort of laptop to get even though I have no money for a laptop.)

[rondaview.livejournal.com]

Dropping by from a friendsfriends browsing session to iterate my interest. :D I'm not on your flist but if this gets the green light and is eventually set into motion, give me a head's up!

[troisroyaumes]

Great to hear that! I'll definitely let you know once the comm is set up and running. ^_^

[troisroyaumes]

Hi, I thought you'd be interested to know that the comm is finally set up at bibliophages. Please do join if you're still interested!