Book snobbery in book groups

I just love to read and have many different types of books. Some for education, some for escapism, some that are classics that I thought I was "supposed" to read. I always said I will read anything. If nothing else is available I will read the back of the cereal box.
 

DebraMae said:
I just love to read and have many different types of books. Some for education, some for escapism, some that are classics that I thought I was "supposed" to read. I always said I will read anything. If nothing else is available I will read the back of the cereal box.
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Here in Canada, reading the cereal box MAY introduce you to another "official language ". Example..." Neuveau Avoine Croquante, croquant au miel. Which is Oatmeal Crisp, Honey Crunch. A source of Elevee De Fibres. A high source of fiber. JimB.
 
I've belonged to my book club for twenty years now and it's meetings are always my favorite day of the month.

Before this club I had belonged to one of the "talk about the book for five minutes then eat and drink" types and while it was lots of fun it wasn't what I really wanted.

We are serious readers, we meet in a big room in the library, no food, just 15 of us sitting in a circle taking our turn in rotation to talk about the book. Several are retired teachers, two honors English teachers, two retired librarians, one retired judge, our fearless leader has read all of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in the original Russian, our lone male member taught English with a specialty in Shakespeare -- and yet no one is a book snob. They've never made me feel bad and I have no impressive credentials at all.

Some of the most popular books on Amazon with the most lavish reviews are dissed by some of us. I say some because we almost never all agree. I am the score keeper of our individual ratings (one to five stars) and I can tell you there has only been four occasions in 20 years when we all gave a book five stars.

Here's how it went last month. It happened to start with me and I said, "For the first time this year I'm giving a book five stars I absolutely loved it. The characters really came alive for me I particularly loved ..." and on and on I raved. The next person sitting to my right gave me an apologetic look and began, "I hated it. I can't give it more than 1 star, the time jumps were confusing and I never really got caught up in it."..and on and on. We all laughed.

Any book club that makes anyone feel bad for liking or not liking a book is not a good club. We're there to share our own opinions, not parrott each other or something we read on Goodreads.

As Holly just said it's a personal thing and If someone is touched by a book it doesn't matter if it's a Candlelight Romance, it was a good book for her.

One of the books we all gave five stars to was Anne of Green Gables.
 
Della said:
I've belonged to my book club for twenty years now and it's meetings are always my favorite day of the month.

Before this club I had belonged to one of the "talk about the book for five minutes then eat and drink" types and while it was lots of fun it wasn't what I really wanted.

We are serious readers, we meet in a big room in the library, no food, just 15 of us sitting in a circle taking our turn in rotation to talk about the book. Several are retired teachers, two honors English teachers, two retired librarians, one retired judge, our fearless leader has read all of Tolstoy and Dostoevsky in the original Russian, our lone male member taught English with a specialty in Shakespeare -- and yet no one is a book snob. They've never made me feel bad and I have no impressive credentials at all.

Some of the most popular books on Amazon with the most lavish reviews are dissed by some of us. I say some because we almost never all agree. I am the score keeper of our individual ratings (one to five stars) and I can tell you there has only been four occasions in 20 years when we all gave a book five stars.

Here's how it went last month. It happened to start with me and I said, "For the first time this year I'm giving a book five stars I absolutely loved it. The characters really came alive for me I particularly loved ..." and on and on I raved. The next person sitting to my right gave me an apologetic look and began, "I hated it. I can't give it more than 1 star, the time jumps were confusing and I never really got caught up in it."..and on and on. We all laughed.

Any book club that makes anyone feel bad for liking or not liking a book is not a good club. We're there to share our own opinions, not parrott each other or something we read on Goodreads.

As Holly just said it's a personal thing and If someone is touched by a book it doesn't matter if it's a Candlelight Romance, it was a good book for her.

One of the books we all gave five stars to was Anne of Green Gables.
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About the author of the Anne of Green Gables books.........Lucy Maude Montgomery had a really terrible life, and she eventually committed suicide in a part of Toronto ( called Swansea ) where I grew up. Her books were her escape from a horrible husband, and the isolation of being "the Reverend's Wife " in a series of small Canadian towns. A lot of mental health problems in her life, and death, too. For some strange reason, the Japanese ( in particular young women ) travel to Prince Edward Island every summer in droves, to see the " Anne House ". Given the huge population of the tiny country that is Japan, PEI must seem like a fairy land with miles of open fields and ocean beaches to them. JimB.
 
I've never joined a book group and I never will. I like to read what I want at my own pace. I may have two books going. Fiction and nonfiction. I'm sensitive to not fitting in so I'd never be able to do it.

I'm sorry for what you experienced but yes, those people exist big time. I found them in the so called vegan community. And I agree with you, books meant for younger readers can be a delight to read by adult readers.

I'm going to order another word search book for my stepfather. I was also looking at a Highlights object search book. These are of course geared at kids. But I read some reviews who said they bought it for themselves or they got it for their kids and they find it fun also, so I'm ordering one of those also.
 

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