To not want to read pretentious books in book club

[bookswinebookswine]

I have joined many book clubs over the years and each time we read something super pretentious that I would never choose to read but want to be in a book club so go with it. I'm moving to Bristol and want to find/create a book club that reads GOOD books! I want the read the latest crime thriller/Sophie kinsella/ who dun it book and talk over wine! I adore books but I cannot join another book club that reads a super old "classic"! join my book club and talk about good current books! Or tell me about yours and I'll join!

Can I ask, genuinely, to those who attend book groups and discuss books, what do you actually discuss? I am an avid reader but a very literal person and can't imagine discussing what I've read much as the other person has already read it. I know that sounds odd! The only thing I can imagine discussing is in something like we need to talk about Kevin where yiu have a nature v nurture debate but then that's not discussing the actual book? When it's 'what do you think the author meant by...' i just think they meant what they wrote, I can't believe there is a hidden meaning in every sentence or a book would take decades to write. Anyway I'm really interested in what you talk about - could you give me some examples? Are the book groups full of people who were good at English at school? (I ask because I excelled at maths and science but flunked at English but still love reading...but Wonder if I'm missing what most people like about it)

Sorry for hijacking the threads

@bookswinebookswine I don't get book clubs, how boring! I'm always invited to these things and always say no Ok, I can't read but that's the by the by! Just meet your girlfriends, drink wine, talk about random shiz and have fun!!

FFS the OP has already said that 'pretentious' was the wrong choice of word. Are we going to have this all through the thread - people going on about that? Or could we, you know, address the actual issue without a pile on about one badly chosen word?

People jumped on pretentious wrong word but I get you .

Salman Rushdie is a wonderful writer. Funny as hell. Try again, OP. Don’t underestimate yourself.

I’m fairly sure you’ll find something in Bristol. It’s a versatile city. :) Maybe you could start your own meetup.com group? There seems to be some in Bristol already but you could start your own and make it what you want. Just put “would like to chat Sophie Kinsella etc in a nice pub with a nice glass of wine (or a cider)” and see what happens.

People do like to have a weighty story so there is more to discuss. How about starting your own lighter styled book club?

What the hell is there to say about a Sophie Kinsella book?

I like the idea of belonging to a book club. Nice roaring fire, glass (or 3) of wine, lovely friendly funny people discussing books I like....sounds nice. The reality, however, leaves me stone cold.

I do agree with what some people have said though, the books you and I like don’t really provide much to discuss.

@AmIRightOrAMeringue

Although you'll all have read the book and presumably be familiar with the plot you can argue about the themes of the book, discuss characters in more depth (which did you like? were they developed?), some of you will have enjoyed the book others probably didn't - why did/didn't you enjoy it? How was the pace? What techniques did the author use? Were they effectively? How did the book compare to other works from around the time? Were any issues raised in the book you found interesting? Did it change your views on those issues? etc etc.

mimibunz

Seriously?

Salman Rushdie is a wonderful writer. Funny as hell. Try again, OP. Don’t underestimate yourself

How bloody patronising.

Maybe you could suggest two books: one that offers things to chat about and a lighter one that wouldn't take too much time to discuss. I suppose it would depend how much time the readers in your group would have.

Who is Rita Sackville-West? Is she a relation of Vita's?

I left a book group because they insisted on rather educational books where we all learnt something and I got fed up with the worthiness. I read most things - love Georgette Heyer and also Proust, Terry Pratchett and Jane Austen, but I hate worthiness being forced on me by others.

I actually don't blame you with Salman Rushdie.

I’d quite like to join a pretentious book club. I like light reads sometimes, but if we’re going to talk about the book I want something deeper.

I’d be happy to discuss, say, Jodie Picoult, Philippa Gregory etc!

I go to one we read non fiction books based around a mutual hobbie and interest. It works well.

Can I ask, genuinely, to those who attend book groups and discuss books, what do you actually discuss?
It depends on the book!
Sometimes we are really on fire and discuss the book, our different approaches and reactions to it, discuss themes and motifs, discuss writing styles and use of language, discuss characters and their motivations, compare it to previous books we have read, bounce ideas off each other, etc.
And other times it takes us five minutes to say 'that was a bit meh' and we then spend the rest of the time gossiping about something else instead.

She's not underestimating herself, she's underestimating salman Rushdie and quite rightly

I do,two book clubs. One is more serious about literature but we do a wide range from The miniaturist, to Dickens and Wolfe Hall. The other is more mixed and sometimes we don’t even read the books - everything from Lovely Bones, Gone Girl, The immortal cells of Henrietta Lack and Roots to Black eyed Susan and A spool of blue thread.
The joy is in being pushed to read things you wouldn’t normally pick up. It’s sometimes interesting to step outside and see new things. I was introduced to Mapp and Lucia and read them all, I enjoyed them so much. I’d not normally have picked them up in Waterstones.

I hear you, OP.

I was in a great book club where I used to live. We didn't read trash (our unwritten rule was no cupcakes/shopping bags on the cover or cafes/chocolate shops in the title, no misery lit).
We liked intelligent, well written fiction, we liked the odd thriller. We occasionally ventured near a classic (We read A Passage to India one month), but generally enjoyed more mainstream bestsellers, over wine and a bit of a chat about other books we've enjoyed and recommended. Lots of book swapping went on, a very friendly group. Had some great discussions on The Handmaid's Tale, Little Fires Everywhere, etc

I have moved area and cannot find a similar group. I have found one club but it is very literary and serious. The group leader (who is lovely and obviously a very intelligent woman) does a kind of mini-lecture about the main ideas of the group. I kind of enjoy it, but wouldn't call it a book club as such. It's more like a class. And there is no wine as it is in the daytime.

We discuss everything and anything. Sometimes mainly the book but often not. Sometimes key issues the book brings up around women’s rights, the impact of war, modern slavery etc.

OP - you want to read commercial fiction so you don't want to join a book club that reads literary fiction. You might find those two terms helpful when searching for the most simpatico book club near you.

How much discussion do you think a Sophie Kinsella book might generate?

This is the issue imo. My book club has chosen a beach read type thing for our next session and I imagine we’ll manage 10 minutes on the book before cracking on with discussing the patriarchy and local secondary school options (which frankly is how I like it).

I totally know what you mean, my reading choices are all crime thrillers but I find the books that I need to read for book group have actually been good for me as I’d never have read them otherwise. And even though I’ve struggled to read a few of them, I’ve surprised myself at how much I’ve had to say about them at book group.

My regular life is about as down-to-earth as you can get...kids, financial worries, ageing parents, partner who can be a total knob at times, a job that includes wiping arses. Would bloody love the chance to discuss pretentious books (or pretentious art, music, architecture etc) and use words of more than 2 syllables tbf.