Week 9 - Book Discussions

            I am not part of a book discussion group.  I was part of one 23 years ago, but we have moved several times and have not connected with another one since.  I was very glad to be a part of one on February 16, 2015.

            The event on February 16 is called a Book Talkers.  The Book Talkers occurs at the same library branch each month on the third Monday.  The Monday shifts to a different week if it falls on a holiday that compels the library to close.  The subject of Book Talkers is not announced on the web or ahead of time.  However, I learned during the Book Talkers meeting that last month’s Talk had to do with mysteries.  The one I participated in had a working title of “Novels Coming Soon to a Theater Near You.” The books discussed were all books that had been made into movies or were movies in production.  There was no expectation that anyone would read any of the books before coming to Book Talkers.

            The Book Talkers met near the fireplace in the library, which, I am pleased to report, was burning.  February 16 in South Bend reached a high of 12.  The fireplace created a cozy atmosphere.  Popcorn, water, and lemonade were provided for our enjoyment.  We sat on comfortable couches and chairs in a wide circle.

            The librarian, Mary Ann Moore, gave us a sheet of paper that told us the name of the theme for the discussion and listed the following books that would be addressed:

The Good Lord Bird, James McBride

Me Before You, Jojo Moyes

Before I Go to Sleep, S. J. Watson

Serena, Ron Nash

The Longest Ride, Nicholas Sparks

This is Where I Leave You, Jonathan Tropper

The Hundred-Foot Journey, Richard Marais

The following books were listed under “Other Book-to-Movie Titles”:

Still Alice, Lisa Genova

Where the Rainbows End (Love, Rosie), Cecelia Ahern

Far from the Madding Crowd, Thomas Hardy

Paper Towns, John Green

A Walk in the Woods, Bill Bryson

            We started on time. Mary Ann remained seated and began with announcements about library program events that were coming up in the next couple of weeks at the main branch as well as at her own branch.  She pointed out the free Bookpage monthly that is available at the library branches.  It is a resource to learn about books that are coming out.  She also encouraged us to use the new digital magazine medium called Flipster. 

            Mary Ann then proceeded with a brief synopsis of the first seven books on the list above.  The synopsis included genre, a summary of the book, and appeal factors.  Mary Ann clearly had read the books that she was talking about.  She had notes on the table before her but did not refer to them. After her introduction to each book, she asked the 13 of us if we had read the book.  If someone had, she asked if he or she would like to share his or her thoughts on the reading experience.  A number of people did.  After the introduction of the book, Mary Ann often offered her own like or dislike of the book. She also asked if anyone had seen the movie that goes with the book.  There was often a brief conversation about whether the movie was better or more engaging, and, whether or not it was faithful to the book.  

            We completed the list of books before our allotted time ran out.  She tried to elicit more conversation by asking, “What have you been reading? What is your favorite book to movie? What books did you like from last month’s discussion on mystery books?”  The questions were answered and we had an interesting time of sharing. 

            I found that I enjoyed having the majority of the conversation come from the librarian.  The conversation felt structured and was professionally facilitated.  Erin Cataldi stated in her post, “…if you are moderating, do not lead with your opinion of the quality of the book.” (Welcome to Week Nine!) Mary Ann did share her opinion but it was after others had ventured their own opinions. 

            In Goldstein’s article Mary Beth McKenna complained about publisher’s discussion questions.  “Those questions read like something you'd find in a college-level English lit class. Book club discussions tend to focus on how the plot or characters relate to our own lives or perspectives." Members of some other book clubs weigh in with their thoughts about what works and what doesn't.” (32) The people who verbalized their thoughts on the book in discussion made a number of “I” statements like, “I like this or that” but did not relate the characters or situations described in the books to their own lives.  However, I suspect that most of the people in the group do not know each other very well, so this inhibits personal sharing. 

            The Book Talkers experience was positive and the hour passed very quickly.

Works Cited

 Cataldi, Erin. "Welcome to Week Nine!" Web log post. Readers' Advisory. Erin Cataldi,   9 Mar. 2015. Web. 10 Mar. 2015.

Goldstein, Bill. "Reads Well with Others." Publishers Weekly 252.21 (2005): 30-34.          Academic Search Premier. Web. 11 Mar. 2015.