by: Katy Lalonde
When looking for the perfect book club, I was after many of the same things I was looking for in the perfect man – smart, funny, and well-balanced. Yet, finding this mix in a book club has proven much more difficult than finding a date.
Since Oprah took on the cause of books, way back in 1996, book clubs have grown into a cultural institution all by themselves. They have also grown in diversity – from the Jane Austen Book Club (popularized by the book and subsequent movie) to those specializing in cooking books, with accompanying meals. Sizes range from the small (I was once in a book club of two) to the nationwide, such as CBC’s Canada Reads. There seems to be something for everyone, and the trick is to find your perfect match.
Finding a place in this mix can be difficult. Some people are happy to stick to the Oprah picks, or those stamped with a book club sticker at your local Chapters, while others like to stray further from the white-stickered-path. Discussion can also be difficult: My sister once participated in a book club where discussion was strictly about the book at hand; when she tried to draw a comparison between The Great Gatsby and other Jazz Age novels, she was curtly reminded not to wander from Fitzgerald as not everyone had read those other books. She never went back.
Truth be told, I have been excluded from many a book club for being “too academic” in my book selection. This led to the creation of my book club of two, and while we tried to add others, no one seemed interested in the books we were reading. Unfortunately, a book club with only two members lacks variety in the discussion and, finally, I was almost kicked out for suggesting we read Archeology of Knowledge. Clearly, it was time for change.
We merged with another book club, one with a much more fluid membership. There are thirty-some-odd members in the Facebook group, but we average five or six people each meeting. The coming-and-going of members seems to work, and people read the books in the months they are interested in reading, while skipping the others. Everyone is somehow connected through mutual friends, but no one knows everyone.
Book selections are proposed at the previous meeting, and then the choices bounce around in emails until someone finally picks one. We tend towards modern fiction, but other than that, there are no boundaries. Only one novel has been a total dud, but the discussion moved towards novels we preferred, so even that meeting remained within the realm of books.
This month we are expanding our reading to include both a novel and a graphic novel, trying to push our traditional boundaries. After all, the best book clubs move you beyond your familiar reads, introducing you to new authors, or genres.
The only advice I can offer in terms of finding a book club of your own is to treat book clubs like you treat dates: Sometimes the sparks aren’t there and it’s time to move on. Go on a few ‘dates’ before you discount a club, don’t commit right away, and don’t feel bad if someone doesn’t commit to your club. Sometimes, it’s just not meant to be.
This months book club selections are Falling Man- Don Dellilo and DMZ by Brian Wood. Previous selections include: Mavis Gallant, Aravind Adiga and Haruki Murakami.
Last 5 posts by Hannah
- Writersbox Comics: Alan Kennedy's "They Came From Space" Part 3 - October 1st, 2009
- Review: Commencement - September 17th, 2009
- A Scottish Food Pilgrimage - July 16th, 2009
- Off-Leash Adventures in Toronto - July 16th, 2009
- He Said: She’s Just Not That Ready For You - June 15th, 2009
