Book club 2011 - tell us your thoughts, please

[TillyBookClub]

Bookclub is taking a break now until January (when we have the brilliant Rose Tremain lined up to come and chat to us - official announcement coming soon). It has been a wildly eclectic year (you can revisit all the books here) with some excellent author chats. Highlights of 2010, for me, were Colm Toibin's magnificent BROOKLYN, Lynn Barber explaining that Penthouse was a far better place than Vogue, and Sebastian Faulks describing himself as a 'frightened rabbit'.

But before we kick off in 2011, we'd like to know all your thoughts on books and bookclub, and how you'd like it to run. What works? What doesn't? What would make our bookclub evening an unmissable event?

Some starters for ten, to get the ball rolling:

Which authors would you give your eye teeth to chat to?

How valuable are the author chats? Could they be better?

Author chats or discussion amongst ourselves - which do you prefer?

Is the evening the right time, or would daytime be easier?

Is discussion night too long/too short?

Is a book a month about right? Need more time to finish?

Paperbacks or hardbacks?

How do you feel about autobiographies/memoirs? Any favourite/non-favourite genres?

Or are you happy with book club as it is?

And finally, what's the best book we've done and what books do you want to see more of?

By the time we kick off next year, I hope we'll have made
bookclub into everything you want it to be. So please don't hold back...

I will think about all questions and give you considered answers but for the moment

can we please have David Mitchell of Cloud Atlas fame, pretty please
Kate Atkinson
the beloved Terry Pratchett
and in my dreams Doris Lessing

I am yet to manage to be at a chat which is vexing but perhaps I just need to be better organised

ooh have just seen this

will hve a think...

To add to Tilly's questions:

Do you want to discuss books that you might have already read )or bought and not yet read), or do you want it to give you the ideas of which book you might like?

And in that case, would you prefer to buy the book from your own local bookshop, or would you like MN to have an offer on the book that they are featuring? i.e., that they have a link to a webpage (or mail order), that has a special "exclusive" MN book offer

Tilly, I would like to read paperbacks rather than hardbacks, as they're cheaper to buy and easier to lug around with me!

I'm relatively new to Mumsnet and have a 7 month old, I therefore have not read a book in 7 months and I miss it. I hope the 2011 book club will get me reading again. Here are my answers...

Which authors would you give your eye teeth to chat to? Kazuo Ishiguro, Margaret Attwood, Kate Mosse, Tracey Chevalier, Kate Morten.

How valuable are the author chats? Could they be better? I've only read one; Sebastian Faulks and I thought it was very good however it was very web chatty rather than book clubby.

Author chats or discussion amongst ourselves - which do you prefer? Both!

Is the evening the right time, or would daytime be easier? Evening is best.

Is discussion night too long/too short? I can't remember how long it is... 2 hours would be good.

Is a book a month about right? Need more time to finish? I think book of the month would be fine, so long as a full month was given from the moment the book is announced to the authors chat. I'm not sure if this was the case with Sebastian Faulks.

Paperbacks or hardbacks? Paperbacks.

How do you feel about autobiographies/memoirs? Any favourite/non-favourite genres? Hhhhmmm depends who the autobiographies/memoirs are of... I love Dominic Hibberd's biography of Wildred Owen, but I would definitely NOT be interested in an autobiography of a celeb...

Can't really answer the next two questions, I'm not a book club regular, but I hope to be!

I haven't managed to do a book club recently, but I'd like to again in the future. My thoughts are: yes, a book a month is about right, and I prefer an evening chat. I'm not bothered about chatting with an author or not. I'd prefer paperbacks (easier to read in bed) and would prefer some of the bookclubs to be books that would be available in libraries, ie not all brand new ones. I can't afford to buy books every month, and if all the books are recent releases its hard to borrow them from the library in time to read them for the discussion night. Hopefully I'll make a bookclub in 2011!

I DO like book group and have taken part in a few this year. To be honest I'm not a massive fan of having the author there as you can't really disseminate in the same way and it all turns into a bit of a love-in. But conversely I love if it is one of my faves (maybe get Patrick Gale to come on regularly?!). Also, it is a bit more of an event with the author because more peope turn up.

Definitely evening chat, happy to have different genres - generally think you do pretty good picks Tilly (suck up)!

In my rl book group it has really helped to meet every 6 weeks rather than every month, means a lot more people are finishing the books, so that might be an idea?

I've joined in on a few - the ones I've enjoyed most have been where the author's have been online. I do a RL bookgroup anyway so this gives a new dimension to a book group. I think it makes me get more out of the books.

So, definitely yes to author chat,

evening and discussion length fine.

One a month fine for me - although I don't always join in. But, I think it makes it easier if a time is set like the first x of the month so people always know when its going to be

Paperbacks

Autobiographies fine

The ones I've enjoyed most have been JOnathan Coe and Sebastian Faulks.

I quite like talking about the book without the author there. Seems rude to not enjoy the book or say anything negative if the author is in on the conversation.

Perhaps every other month with the author?

Happy reading anything so any books OK with me

i really like book club in general but my comments are thus:

author chats v v g, more if poss but could it be kept separate from actual chat?? and speaking of actual book chat, as well as having a specific discussion time, could we not have the thread open in general before the actual official chat for people to post on? i only suggest this as i am mostly a day time mn-er, plus it allows some flexibility as well.

i do love it, am not quite sure why i didn't give it a whirl earlier

sebastian faulks was a hoot - i thought he would be more serious

I haven't done it recently but that is my fault and also none of the books have really grabbed me and time has been lacking, I would like to do it again but maybe 6 weeks in advance to decide a book, I would like to get out of the library and so sometimes need to reserve it etc.

Bit ambivalent on the author present or not.

Hi haven't taken part in this so far as I am doing a literature and education degree so I'm reading a book a week at the moment as it is. No time for reading for fun I'm afraid

I will however, keep an eye out for the book club as I am in my final year so by May-ish I should be OK to take part. Keep up the good work!

Great to hear everyone's thoughts, keep em coming...

sfx, just so happens David Mitchell and Kate Atkinson are hopefully in the pipeline for next year, so watch this space...

Strawberry lace, I'll try and make sure the books will be in the libraries - I agree, you don't want to be buying them every time

redandgreen, please do suck up as much as you like, I'm glowing with literary pride

wheelybug, glad you enjoy the chats and totally impressed that you both RL and MN bookclubs

Mayornaze, good idea to have the thread open for general discussion before the author chat, that might be the best way we combine the two...(chocoholic, that may overcome the rudeness thing a little?)

FiveGoMad, am keen to get you back in - what books would grab you?

Jaquelinehyde, look forward to having you in the summer, good luck with your degree

OOps, posted as an alterego - it is really me, I promise

Tilly thank you so much would love that

I'd love to have more than one months notice of the chosen book. The one time I tried to join in it took me 2 or 3 months to find time to get through to the end. Twas still interesting reading other people's opinions afterwards though :)

Tilly - looking forward to the return of the bookclub. Rose Tremain and Kate Atkinson are two authors who are in my huge "to read" pile.
Would it be possible to give the next three months books at the same time? So in the middle of December you gave us the books for January, February and March. This would give everyone a chance to get hold of the books and read when they got the chance? Agree with Sandk that it takes me too long to find the book and then read it!

Tilly - i only joined book club in the middle of the year and i have to say that it is one thing that i was able to commit to with a small baby. Evening is good for me as i am heading back to work in January.

I like the fact that the books are not things i would normally choose so have expanded my reading - thanks. Agree with everyone else, earlier notice of book would be great i.e. it is decided before start of month so that you have a full month to read. Autobiographies are fine. I like having author there as it is amazing to get their views. Happy to discuss books where author is not there; so mixture of both is good.

Which authors would you give your eye teeth to chat to?

How valuable are the author chats? Could they be better?
Hi, I would love to join the book club in the new year please x

Author chats or discussion amongst ourselves - which do you prefer?

Author chat on one thread if possible and a mn chat running also please.

Is the evening the right time, or would daytime be easier?

Wednesday evenging, as TV rubbish lol, please
x

Is discussion night too long/too short?

Is a book a month about right? Need more time to finish?

a book a month sounds about right

Paperbacks or hardbacks?

don't mind

How do you feel about autobiographies/memoirs? Any favourite/non-favourite genres?

no more than two autobiographies a year please

Or are you happy with book club as it is?

I like the idea that has been mentioned by someone that there is a link, each month with a mn offer x

Can I join please!

Tilly any news yet on January's book? With Christmas and the New Year I would like to get a bit of a head start!!
Really looking forward to starting again.....

would love to join, like the idea of also having ongoing thread for discussing book as like other posters I am more of a daytime MNer.

Like gailforce1 would be nice to get a head start on the Jan choice.

Looking forward to it!

New to this, but here are my answers:

Which authors would you give your eye teeth to chat to?

Kazuo Ishiguro

How valuable are the author chats? Could they be better?

Don't know

Author chats or discussion amongst ourselves - which do you prefer?

Both

Is the evening the right time, or would daytime be easier?

Evening, or else you cut out most working mums.

Is discussion night too long/too short?

Don't know

Is a book a month about right? Need more time to finish?

Suspect one month is ok

Paperbacks or hardbacks?

Paper

How do you feel about autobiographies/memoirs? Any favourite/non-favourite genres?

Prefer fiction

Or are you happy with book club as it is?

Don't know

And finally, what's the best book we've done and what books do you want to see more of?

Don't know