Last week, the LIT book group discussed Maybe In Another Life, a beach read that just about fits into the chick lit genre—even if it is quite a bit fluffier than most women’s fiction. This fits nicely with our summer tradition: Each year, we choose lighter books written in a genre we wouldn’t normally read. […]
The December 15, 2015 issue of Booklist was our Spotlight on Book Discussions issue, and we were fortunate to have Becky Spratford contribute her thoughts in “Support Groups for Book Discussion Leaders.” She candidly expresses the need to address burnout and book group fatigue, while offering solid tips on how to get your book-club-leader mojo […]
Daydreaming about a summer book group may be just the thing you need right now. But this book group is delightful for another reason: it’s a book group for children, specifically, youngsters entering grades three through five. For those who may have considered starting a book group for children, but need evidence of how to […]
In this archived video of a fantastic webinar for RAILS (Reading Across Illinois Library System), readers’ advisor extraordinaire Becky Spratford (RA for All, The Readers’ Advisory Guide to Horror) shares ways to revitalize your book group. All book groups go through their ups and downs, of course. According to Spratford, book groups in a slump need […]
In my last post I talked about the resources I use when looking for potential book-group selections. That part of the process can be tricky enough, but so can the next step—putting the selections on the calendar. Sometimes the book itself makes it easy if, say, the book mentions a holiday or deals heavily with […]
There’s a mystery afflicting several of my book groups, and many book-discussion leaders I talk with have the same problem. Might you have it too? We’re haunted by book-group phantoms—mysterious guests who sign up for our book groups, check out the book, and evaporate into thin air. We never end up seeing them! Stranger still, no […]
The Hugo Award nominees were announced earlier this month, and when the ballot was revealed it became clear to many that the Sad Puppies voting bloc had prevailed. The Sad Puppies, one of the worst self-chosen monikers in literary history, are a collection of authors that want to keep science fiction and fantasy old school. […]
One book or many? It’s a question I debate with my colleague Andrew Smith, who leads one-book discussion groups at Williamsburg Library. I prefer themed book groups that bring multiple books to the table for each meeting. Ultimately, either solution can be effective. Sue Dittmar, a wonderful librarian from St. Charles City-County Library District in […]
I have been given a label over my sixteen years as a book-group discussion leader: old-fashioned. I have also been told that my group will never succeed if I continue to lead in that manner. I have been told my group will become bored and membership will dwindle—that I will be out of a job faster […]
Our Book Group Buzz bloggers discussed over 100 books in 2014—not bad! From older books to newer books, from fiction to nonfiction, with even a few books for younger readers thrown in, they talked about (and shared their tricks for getting other people to talk about) a truly diverse array of titles. If you can’t find something here […]