Blind date with a book

[tobee]

Just wondering if anyone has done this? How did it go for you?

I've just come to an end of a book and, on impulse, thought I'd try blind date with a book from Waitrose. I think I'm quite unadventurous with buying books because I feel I know what I'm going to like but have tried to be more adventurous recently. Which has worked really well. I've never wanted to join a book group because I don't want to read other people's choices () and am also a slow reader.

If you're not familiar with blind date with a book you choose a book which is wrapped in brown paper, tied with brown string and just has 4 words on the front to give you an idea of what the book is about. The tag line is "don't judge a book by its cover "

I ended up choosing in a bit of a hurry, and avoided ones I thought I could guess what they might have been, so process of elimination really.

Anyway, I opened it when I got home. Bit disappointed. Bit too chick-littty for me. I read the first 1 and 1/2 chapters and gave up.

Anyone else had a go? Or similar?

[CramptonHodnet]

No. I've seen them in Waitrose but tbh thought they were an expensive gimmick. Our library has done something similar - for free

[strawberrypenguin]

If you want to try new authors pop into your local library, tell them what you like and ask them for some recommendations. Plus side is it's free if you don't like them!

[Taytotots]

Maybe we should have a thread on here setting people up with a book blind date? Not sure how it would work in practice though........

[tobee]

Actually I also belong to a book club (got a subscription for my birthday), the kind where you list your favourite authors and books and they send you a new one each month. I've really loved the choices they've sent me so far, it's surprisingly pleasing thinking someone has chosen a book for you (even if that's a bit of an illusion!) I'd finished this month's book so thought I'd give blind date with a book a whirl, despite the gimmickry, because I'd read a favourable review. Personally, I don't think £7 is too much to pay. I really just wondered if other people had tried, or similar, and how the book matched up.

The idea of blind date books on here would be fun!

[doctorcuntybollocks]

What sort of books do you like, tobee?

[Crumblevision]

Hi Tobee do you mind sharing details of the book club? It sounds like just my thing. Thank you

[tobee]

Um, I like to read 20th century, usually written by women, fiction. Persephone books, Barbara Pym etc. Nothing whimsical. I like to listen to more "trashy" fiction, psychological thrillers etc. become I'm doing boring housework etc and I need something with momentum iyswim.

It's the Willoughby Bookclub @Crumblevision . I've since looked at a few different ones and I'm glad it's this one. As it gives you lots of space to say what you like reading. As opposed to just a genre or choosing from books with 4 word descriptions.

Someone recommended Willoughby on here l believe. They've sent excellent choices. The best so far being Frog Music by Emma Donoghue, which I'd never heard of. It really stayed with me.

[tobee]

Come to think of it, what I wanted was to actually finish some books. It's very easy to download samples on kindle or download a cheap book. And discard them. Or send back a book on audible and get a refund if I'm not getting on with it. Living by the maxim "I'm not reading the rest of this old tosh! Life's too short."

But I made a promise to myself to finish the books from the book club.

[KeithLeMonde]

I was in a Book Swap on here last year which was fab. Each month a random book would appear which had been sent on by another MNer. I might look into setting up a new one if anyone fancies it?

[tobee]

That would be very good @KeithLeMonde.

[Dottierichardson]

Keith How did the book swap work? I was thinking about offering books to people the other day, I've got some to give away if only so I don't get more flak for filling up the house, but thought it would be awkward because of anonymity etc

[KeithLeMonde]

Basically, someone offers to organise it. They recruit a number of others. Everyone sends their real name and address to the organiser who has to submit a GDPR compliant privacy notice who obviously has to be discreet and decent enough never to share. The group agree a few ground rules - no misery lit was one I remember from our last swap.

Organiser shuffles the names about at random and PMs each person to tell them who they will be sending to. Each person chooses a book that they love/find interesting/want to get rid of and posts it off on a designated day (usually once a month). If the group choose, they may also include a small bar of chocolate :) When swap day comes around again, you send on the book that's in your possession to the next person until everyone's read everything.

It takes a bit of admin but if it works then you get a parcel every month containing a random book endorsed by a fellow MN-er - often something interesting and quite different to what you might have picked up yourself. And we have a thread on the Book Swap page so we can talk about the books.

[KeithLeMonde]

Have started a thread www.mumsnet.com/Talk/mn_book_swap_clubs/3258352-Summer-Book-Swap

[Dottierichardson]

Anything involving chocolate must be worth doing!

[thelittlebumblebee]

I got one for my birthday and I loved it even though it's not my normal genre. But it's the luck of the draw I guess