Book Group meets on the second Tuesday of every month, except July and August, at 3.00 pm. The venue varies, sometimes at local cafe or at a member’s home.
The format for the meeting is straightforward. The book of the month is introduced by the member whose book choice it is, and then we spend an hour or so discussing it. Although we consider the book seriously, looking at the themes it throws up, the characters, the writing style of the author and so on, we are not an academic-style study group. Rather, we are a group of keen and interested readers, who love books and reading, and enjoy each other’s friendship and company, and the opportunity to talk about specific books and authors. After our discussion, we have a cup of tea or coffee and chat more generally. Members talk about what they are currently reading and recommend books to each other – it’s a very relaxed and friendly time.
We choose our books by means of a vote, to make sure that every member has a book listed on our reading calendar. It’s simple – each one of us puts forward three suggested titles, which are circulated on a long list. We then give each member’s three titles points: three points for the one we most want to read, two points for our second choice, and just one point for our last choice. We do this for each set of three titles until we have awarded points to every book on the list. Finally, all the points allocated to each book are totaled up and the title with the most points, in each set of three, goes onto the reading calendar. We ask members to suggest books they have read, titles they think would lead to an interesting discussion, and which aren’t too expensive to obtain. Mostly we read fiction, but not exclusively so, if a member suggests an autobiography or biography which has thought-provoking content or universal themes. Once the books are selected, a reading calendar, covering the next 6-8 months, is sent out, so that members can order books, pick them up in second-hand shops, purchase them for Kindle, get them on Kindle Unlimited, borrow them or whatever.
If you have any queries or questions about Book Group, or would like to join, please contact Mary Lynn Seaby, at mlseaby@gmail.com
