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!

To be fair I love "pretentious" books (even though I had to look up how to spell pretentious) and would love that kind of book club but I also get what OP is saying. Sometimes you want thought provoking discussion that will challenge you intellectually, sometimes you just want a springboard for a bit of a chat over some wine. The same way you might chat about a TV show or film.

I wouldn't call it a fan club as such, you're still discussing books. As the previous poster has said, it's similar to talking about a film or TV show - there are still things to discuss.

Our book group has a list from the library and each member gets to choose one or two books per year, so we get a variety. I don’t need any encouragement to read “easy” books which is why I generally choose something more pretentious challenging.

Over the years we have all become easy in each others’ company, so if there isn’t much to discuss about a book we’re quite happy to move on to general chatting about a variety of subjects, just as any group of friends would do.

@PeonyBlushSuede I set one up with two friends. We each invited some other people to join so it was a mix of people that didn't all know each other already. We take it in turns to host (every six/seven weeks) and on our turn we choose the book, sort the questions, cook dinner and provide the wine. But then for the next year you get to go to someone else's house who does all the work!

A few years on we have had only one person leave and we've all become close.

We've had a real mix of books but I've enjoyed the vast majority.

As somebody who makes a living discussing books and reading other people's essays on books I can't quite get my head round the idea that there might be books that you simply can't find anything to discuss about. Or is that only because I read too much medieval crap?

Oh, I absolutely luvves a thread about book groups. It reminds me again that I belong to the best book group in the world (not even a stealth boast). We're 20 next summer and are planning a big Night Out to celebrate! My book group is SOOOOOOO much better than any book group anyone else belongs to. Ha ha ha

AmIRightOrAMeringue: You asking about what we discuss? We're proper low-brow (not the books necessarily, but the discussion). We do NO lit-crit at all. Literary themes literally pass us by. BUT we're 20 years old and our discussions (like us) have matured. We originally said "I like it/didn't like it, and here's why" (so, our emotional reaction to the book). In the 20 years we've been meeting (did I mention we've been meeting for 20 years!) we've got 'deeper', but it's been very organic, and it wouldn't pass an Eng Lit GCSE paper in terms of discussion. But we talk about the book, and how/why it affected us/what we like or dislike about it. How it impacts on our lives (if relevant).

what my bookgroup gives me is books I would never in a million years pick up, but I've read. We read Lance Armstrong's first autobiography when he was at his peak. Then he fell, and it was the top news story for about 3 days. I'd read his book! That was amazing. I knew who he was and had carte blanche to comment on the news story. (the book was horrible, btw. He's not a very nice man!)

When I'm not reading a book group book, I read Ian Rankin, Terry Pratchett (I've had a previous user name on here that was a tribute). It's great to move outside your comfort zone.

CherryPavlova are you in my bookgroup? We've read Mapp and Lucia and Henrietta Lacks as well! (the Hila discussion remains an irritation to me to this day... One member completely discarded anything anyone else said, because she is a scientist and, therefore - according to her - knows. I wanted to kill her that night!)

JingsMahBucket - I LOVE being read to. Audio books are gorgeous. I don't think that just because your eyes aren't moving across a page/screen it doesn't count. That's ridiculous. If you're being read to, then you are reading!

The joy is in being pushed to read things you wouldn’t normally pick up Yes, yes YES!!!! Great comment, Cherry! We've read poetry (that was my choice!). Mills and Boon (also my choice!) Classics (generally not my choice). but we've read Tolstoy, Dickens, Hardy. Crime. Real life. Autobiography. Erotica. ABSOLUTE CRAP (I threw a Wilbur Smith out of a train window because I finished it and refused to allow it shelf space!), Jodie Picolet, Nora Roberts (TM). There's some Turkish writer who's been imprisoned. We read one of his books. I fucking hated it. When I heard he'd been incarcerated, I commented to DH that it was a good thing if it stopped him writing [genuinely sorry if someone's been locked up, but "my name is red" was torture!]

Rita Sackville-West is Vita's unpretentious sister, @aconcertpianist

Why are people dismissing the Kinsella books? That’s obnoxious.

Like any book I imagine you’d discuss the characters, plot and overall success of the book. You’d probably compare it to others by the same author.

I like most books. I’d discuss the back of a cereal packet if that’s what’s at hand. Snap and Crackle are bullies and Pop has special needs.

I live in Bristol, I'll join your book club I'll read anything, sometimes shit books make for the most fun discussions.

Why are people dismissing the Kinsella books? That’s obnoxious

Because some people on Mumsnet can't understand that different people like different thing and anything "below" them is to be sneered at.

Personally I read stuff like that because I have PTSD and I don't want to be reading about violent crime and murder. I also read tons of children's literature because I'm a teacher and have been sneered at about that too. It's them who are missing out - children's lit is fantastic!

KeepServingTheDrinks I thought I might be until you mentioned Lance Armstrong. We haven’t done that and we’re only 16 this year. We did an add on of our favourite cookbook along with tastings at the last meeting. Sometimes we’re five of us, usually about 12 and sometimes up to full numbers around 24.

I get it OP. Sometimes it seems to be about being able to boast you've read a certain 'highbrow' book.

I love reading but mostly can't be asked with all that. I don't mind discussing a really good thriller over wine and nibbles. There needs to be a mix of classic and general fiction etc for me.

& I don't want to read deadly serious books all the time either, I like escapism.

Can you ask around anywhere for a book club that covers the kind of things that you like?

Oh 'chicklit is rubbish' ie books that are written by women are trivial, almost-identical books with a man's name on the cover become 'sensitive analyses of the human condition'...

And, for the PP who hated the 'erotica' selection: i wonder what book they gave you. There is an awful lot of nonsense in that genre, but some really good stuff as well.

Why not start one? Put out notice sin your new local area for a light reads book club for chick lit, thrillers and wine. There must be lots of people who would want the same.

I miss going to book club and being pushed to read things I would otherwise not have picked up. I'm a reader and did French at an RG back in the day, followed by a masters for context. In my year out in France I read all of Zola's Rougon-Macquart. I enjoyed reading lighter stuff after Uni so I didn't have to analyse every word & now I like lighter stuff too. In my first ever Book Club we read a Helena Dunmore which I didn't like. One participant said rather loudly 'you just don't understand it!'. I imagine I was as qualified as anyone to understand it!

@ProfessorMoody as a writer of children’s lit, your support is appreciated!

(I threw a Wilbur Smith out of a train window because I finished it and refused to allow it shelf space!)

Why didn’t you put in the recycling, or a bin, or just leave on the train for someone else to pick up?

Because throwing it out of a train window was hugely satisfying, Aridane

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

Oooooh I don't know, I could probably manage half an hour on what a bloody godawful character and role model that shopaholic is and how that crap got published in the first place all by myself.

Thank you for all your helpful comments! The girly book club is just what I'm after but it's full! I will start my own! I move to Bristol tomorrow and will set it up! I like the supermarket book comment by PP that's what I was getting at, that is what I want. I will advertise shortly, and put up notices the old school way! No Salman Rushdie allowed.

Oh I could talk about Sophie Kinsella all day, don't know why people are so quick to dismiss her she's an absolutely brilliant writer

I’m not dismissing Sophie Kinsella, her books are enjoyable reads. But it’s absolutely nonensial to suggest that they’re capable of generating a proper discussion. I’m not being a snob - I enjoy reading them as much as anyone, I certainly don’t consider them ‘beneath me’. But I don’t see the point of gathering everyone together for a book club when the book in question is something so light on characterisation / themes / settings / emotional impact etc. I’d feel the same about lots of writers I enjoy (Dick Francis, Ian Rankin etc). They’re good and enjoyable books, but I don’t consider them capable of generating literary discussion (which is what I want from a book club - otherwise what’s the point?).

I love our book club. We always take it in turns to choose a book and I've read some things I wouldn't normally.

However, when we have chosen more popular books we've found that there was little to say.

For example, I really enjoyed Girl on a Train but the conversation was over in about 10 minutes.

well, I have never read Kinsella, but I am not sure it is true that you can't discuss books that are "light", I mean, you might not be able to have a literary discussion about them, but you can have a sociological or political discussion, for example, what do they reveal about society, what picture of women and femininity etc., I think you can discuss almost anything really!