Book Club Blues.

Not my experience- my book group has been together for over 20 years and are firm friends, sadly losing a few to the Grim Reaper along the way but acquiring new members too and I would really miss it. We read books we might not necessarily have chosen - or found - our discussions can be lively and stimulating and our afternoons are something we all look forward to.
You’ve just got the wrong group.

Oh that's a shame! It doesn't appear very structured. In mine, the person who nominated the book opens with background on the author and relevant information on the subject matter, why they chose the book. Then it's over to the rest of us, strictly one by one at first to give our appraisal our thoughts. Finally a discussion which involves the whole group. If there are just a couple of dominant voices, one friend's description of a gathering she went to, it would seem pointless to describe it as a club. I'm sorry for your experience greyfur, doesn't sound inclusive. Who's running it? would it be possible to have a quiet word with the organiser.

Thanks folks, it's a bit chaotic. I'll maybe search for another one.

I agree it's about finding the right group.

I've never had any luck with book clubs 🫣 - I feel that selecting a book to read is a very personal choice and some book club members in my experience try too hard to impress with highbrow selections.

I’m sorry to hear your Book group isn’t working.

The one I attend has been going for years and we know each other well. One person leads it - if they aren’t available someone else does. I’m third on that list! We gave a theme each month - Russian novels, classics, short stories etc. every third month we all read the same book from the local library’s stash. During the meeting we go round and everyone talks about the ‘set’ book and we go round again and make recommendations. It works.

The person leading it makes notes and after the meeting emails us all with how the meeting went and a list of recommendations. Actually the group is so successful that it has now split into two groups as the waiting list was rather long!