What would you think if your book club had chosed a "chick-lit" book?

[mm22bys]

My book club, only been going a few months, has as its next book Cecilia Ahern's "Thanks for the Memories". I don't know who made the decision, but our last one was completely different (A Fine Balance), and maybe whoever decided on chick-lit thought we wanted something a bit lighter.

I am struggling through it so I know what I am talking about when I give it a bollocking when we meet up, but would you be a bit (or maybe a lot?) if such a book had been chosed by your book group?

There are so many books so much more "worthy" of discussion I am really disappointed!

AIBU?

No it's not! Quint, I didn't say I wouldn't read it (am actually nearly finished it), and I didn't say I am not going to go to the bookclub when it is discussed (I am going to go).

I think I am actually going in with a reasonably open mind - I had read PS I love you (if you don't know, by the same author) before, which I didn't enjoy (and if you read other threads here you will see I am far from being alone in that opinion), so I think I am being more than fair in giving another person's (or people's, I don't know who chose it) choice a go.

Oh, our first choice was another one I didn't like first time I read it (Time Traveller's Wife), but given it was our first read, and I was keen to join a book club, I did reread it, and second time round I did really enjoy it!

I would be "snobby", school playgroundish if I refused to even attempt to read it based on my pre-conceptions....but I am bothering to read it....fair go hey?

Sorry MM wasn't really having a go at you, more the other book club that someone wrote about.

I still think that I prefer to read the books I lik eand get together with a group of friends and drink wine!!!!

Yeah I know, I did actually join not for the high-brow discussion (not that I would / could contribute much!) but to get out of the house and meet some new people!

It is an "interesting" choice when you look at the other book club thread currently running, and what other book clubs are reading (no Sophie Kinsella / Cecilia Ahern in sight!)

Well one chick lit book OK...but if they are mainly going to be chick lit then you are just in the wrong book club!

I would have been a bit disappointed too - I read all sorts of books and am partial to a bit of chick-lit or trash now and again but anything by Cecilia Ahern.... mmm. well it's not even really chick-lit, it's just a slow form of torture.

Can i be really niave here? Are book clubs like English lit classes for grown ups? I don't like chick lit, and i do try and read well written books, but the sub plots and imagery go wayy over my head. Im lucky if i can remember the last chapter i read tbh. Is it not all a bit poncy? Genuine question?

what is wrong with the odd, light, chick-lit book??

I love to read, and I can do 'deep' books, but sometimes, a light hearted chicklit is as good as an ice-cream after a hearty meal (IYGWIM).

it certaianly would not put me off a group if one was suggested for once.

Is the point of a book group not to discuss and dissect the book (after a few glasses of wine and several family sized packets of crisps)?

How long would it take to discuss some of the crap out there posing as literature for us 'chicks'? "Did Will really want to shag Finella or was it just a misguided attempt to get his revenge on Jasmine for shagging Julio whilst on holiday with her friend Amy who was trying to get over the break up of her long distance romance with Graeme. Discuss"

Or something along those lines. Actually, it does sound kind of fun

I think I'd be surprised (knowing my book club friends) but not horrified if one of them suggested a chick-lit. Speaking entirely personally, if one of them did choose such a book it'd probably be out of curiousity, or, a desire to look at an alternative genre.

As others have said, one of the best things about being in a book club is reading stuff you wouldn't think to choose yourself ..... but ...... I must admit that perhaps I'd be a bit disappointed by a chick lit choice, mainly because they are so quick and easy to read (and I read very fast anyway) and though great for a feel-good "easy" holiday read by the pool perhaps, would probably be unlikely to "move" you, "surprise" you or prompt particularly thought provoking discussion in the same way a "weightier" or more unusual book would be likely to.

Mind you, my club has somehow managed to have quite long talks about Mills & Boon in the past, without actually reading one I hasten to add (sorry, I know that's snobby).

LucyEllensmummy, I think they're all different. I did English Lit A level and at uni and the book club meetings I go to are not as deep as that.

We tend to discuss the book by talking about which characters we liked, whether the plot was interesting throughout, if it held our attention, particular sections we enjoyed, bits that we found annoying and why...that kind of thing. Often it leads to a discussion about the issues as much as it is about the book! I've only been to three meetings so far, though. We only meet every 2 months and I can't always make it due to work. I can't even remember what the first book was but 2 were The Sixth Lamentation and Plainsong (loved Plainsong.)

I imagine some book groups maybe are a bit more like an English class but if you ask around a bit I'm sure you'd find one to suit you. x

Actually sometimes the discussions do go a bit "deep" but they are still straightforward discussions that everyone in the group can join in with.

I'd think 'great - a quick read this month'.

I'd try to keep an open mind but if I hated it I'd enjoy slagging it off. Like any book, really.

I think the person who made the point that all book clubs have their own character is right. And if you find that reading chick lit isn't really what you want from book club then you should consider finding a new one.l Our book club varies from stuff that's really hard going to chicklit but to be honest, the chat about the book is normally only about 15 minutes!

But we've all enjoyed getting to know a new bunch of women.

... we deliberately tried to pick 'lighter' stuff over the christmas or summer holiday period for example... who wants tolstoy by the pool or on the beach?

ohbling, are you the other bling or a different one? i've lost track of who everyone is... are you getting hitched soon/ were on a diet thread last year?

I read anything. The whole point of book groups for me is to read things I wouldn't necessarily pick.

get over yourselves.

Quint - You'd probably like ours (more tea n cake than wine though). We don't all discuss the same book, no-one is even forced to finish a book each month. We have a topic (this month is Sci Fi), and everyone chooses a book from the genre. Next month, we say what we read, what we thought etc, and half the time pass on the books to whoever thought it sounded good.

Oh, and once in the cycle we watch a film (of a book) because one of the members has a great home cinema set up

Sounds more like it Flame!

flame - isn't that what most us were saying?

isn't what what most people were saying?

In our book club we have done most of the usual books aldread mentioned. I think there is a bit of snobbery attached to the 'chick-lit' type of book, when actualy some of them are not that bad - just a bit of escapism really.
The literary types who turn their nose up at some of our book selections, watch a ton of crap on TV. I don't think there is much difference in doing that.

I would never nominate a chick lit book when it was my turn to choose, but I would remind myself that I joined a book group to widen my reading!

'the whole point of book clubs for me is to pick things i wouldn't necessarily pick...'
that's what most people were saying - i'm not sure what's to be 'got over' as i can only find about two posts that suggested anything different... and both of those were aware (and expressed slight embarassment and a bit of mortification at the fact) that the view could be interpreted as snobby...

didn't want to start a ruck - was just curious what we were supposed to be 'getting over ourselves' about... apols if i appeared terse.

Ah, sorry it wasn't just this thread tbh, I've noticed a sort of book snobbery comes up a lot on MN, with people Judging (with the capital J) the likes of chick lit, Jodie Picoult etc, as if something not high brow or award winning isn't worth wasting effort on.

The same when people whinge on about the "appalling" writing of J K Rowling, ignoring the fact that this woman has gotten a new generation loving reading again, as well as a lot of our generation.