Book club
Encyclopedia
A book discussion club is a group of people who meet to discuss a book or books that they have read and express their opinions, likes, dislikes, etc. It is more often called simply a book club, a term that is also used to describe a book sales club
Book sales club
A book sales club is a subscription-based method of selling and purchasing books. It is more often called simply a book club, a term that is also used to describe a book discussion club, which can cause confusion.-How book sales clubs work:...

, which can cause confusion. Other frequently used terms to describe a book discussion club include reading group, book group, and book discussion group. Book discussion clubs may meet in private homes, libraries
Library
In a traditional sense, a library is a large collection of books, and can refer to the place in which the collection is housed. Today, the term can refer to any collection, including digital sources, resources, and services...

, bookstores, online forums, pubs, and in cafes or restaurants over meals or drinks.

Single-title clubs

A single-title club is one in which people discuss a particular title that every person in the group has read at the same time, often with each member buying a personal copy. Clearly, the club must somehow decide ahead of time what that title will be. Some groups may decide to usually choose new release titles, whilst others may choose older ones, or a mixture of the two. If it is a book discussion club that meets at a library then each member may borrow a copy of the book from the library over a given timeframe in order for a later discussion.

There may be a few problems with these clubs, Some members may regard them as opportunities to meet people for social contact and general conversation, partially veering off onto a wide variety of non-literary topics, while others wish to engage in serious literary analysis focused on the book in question and related works, with little non-literary interaction. Additionally, some members may suggest a book not because they are interested in it from a literary point-of-view but because they think it will offer them an opportunity to make points of personal interest to them or fit an external agenda. Also, different expectations and education/skill levels may lead to conflicts and disappointments in clubs of this kind.

Multi-title clubs

The characteristics of a multi-title club are such that each member may be reading different titles from each other at any given time, and they may share a reading list
Reading list
Reading list may refer to:* Reading list, required books to be read, either as part of the syllabus on an academic course, or social gathering ....

 for a period of time. What distinguishes this from any group of unrelated people reading different things from each other is that each title is expected to be read by the next member in a serial fashion.

Open loans

Open loans imply that the books in question are free to be loaned among the population with the expectation of getting them back eventually. Instead of one member deciding what everyone will read, with all the cost implications of acquiring that title, these clubs usually involve circulating books they already own. Each book is introduced with a short precis. This offers members the advantage of previewing a work before committing to read. It has the effect of narrowing the focus of the dialogue so that book and reader are more quickly and more accurately matched up. The sequential nature of the process implies that within a short time, three to five people may have read the same title, which is the perfect amount for a worthy conversation.

Catch and release

Catch and release imply that actual ownership of the book transfers each iteration with no expectation of the book returning to the original owner. The mechanism of transfer may include a personal face to face hand off, sending the items though the mail, or most remarkably, leaving the book in a public place with the expectation that unknown future readers will find it there. All three methods are utilized with BookCrossing
BookCrossing
BookCrossing is defined as "the practice of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up and read by others, who then do likewise." The term is derived from bookcrossing.com, a free online book club which began in order to encourage the practice, aiming to "make the whole world a library."The...

. Participants use a website and a system of unique identification numbers to track released items as they migrate through a worldwide community. The interaction is largely web-centric, but it does not exclude face-to-face gatherings, each of which can take on the traits of other book discussion clubs.

Online clubs

With the challenge that not all members of a club can regularly meet at an appointed place and time, and the rise of the Internet, a new form of book discussion club has emerged online. Online clubs exist in the form of Internet forum
Internet forum
An Internet forum, or message board, is an online discussion site where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. They differ from chat rooms in that messages are at least temporarily archived...

s, Yahoo Groups, e-mail mailing list
Mailing list
A mailing list is a collection of names and addresses used by an individual or an organization to send material to multiple recipients. The term is often extended to include the people subscribed to such a list, so the group of subscribers is referred to as "the mailing list", or simply "the...

s, dedicated websites, and even telephone conference calls. Also in the category of social networks, these online clubs are made up of members of a variety of reading interests and often approach book discussion in different ways, e.g. academic discussion, pleasure-reading discussion, personal connection and reaction to books members read.

Broadcast clubs

A broadcast club is one in which a television, radio, or podcast show features a regular segment that presents a discussion of a book. The segment is announced in advance so that viewers or listeners may read the book prior to the broadcast discussion. Some notable broadcast book discussion clubs include:
  • "Oprah's Book Club
    Oprah's Book Club
    Oprah's Book Club was a book discussion club segment of the American talk show The Oprah Winfrey Show, highlighting books chosen by host Oprah Winfrey. Winfrey started the book club in 1996, selecting a new novel for viewers to read and discuss each month. The Club ended its 15-year run, along with...

    ", a segment of the American television show The Oprah Winfrey Show
    The Oprah Winfrey Show
    The Oprah Winfrey Show is an American syndicated talk show hosted and produced by its namesake Oprah Winfrey. It ran nationally for 25 seasons beginning in 1986, before concluding in 2011. It is the highest-rated talk show in American television history....

    hosted by Oprah Winfrey
    Oprah Winfrey
    Oprah Winfrey is an American media proprietor, talk show host, actress, producer and philanthropist. Winfrey is best known for her self-titled, multi-award-winning talk show, which has become the highest-rated program of its kind in history and was nationally syndicated from 1986 to 2011...

  • "Book Club of the Air", a segment of NPR's American radio show Talk of the Nation
    Talk of the Nation
    Talk of the Nation is a talk radio program based in the United States, produced by National Public Radio, and is broadcast nationally from 2 to 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Its focus is current events and controversial issues....

    hosted by Ray Suarez
    Ray Suarez
    Rafael Suarez, Jr. , known as Ray Suarez, is an American broadcast journalist. Suarez joined the PBS NewsHour in 1999 and became a senior correspondent for the evening news program on the PBS television network. He is also host of the international news and analysis public radio program America...

  • "Good Morning America Book Club", a segment of ABC
    American Broadcasting Company
    The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...

    's American television show Good Morning America
    Good Morning America
    Good Morning America is an American morning news and talk show that is broadcast on the ABC television network; it debuted on November 3, 1975. The weekday program airs for two hours; a third hour aired between 2007 and 2008 exclusively on ABC News Now...

  • "Despierta Leyendo (Wake Up Reading)", a segment of Univision
    Univision
    Univision is a Spanish-language television network in the United States. It has the largest audience of Spanish language television viewers according to Nielsen ratings. Randy Falco, COO, has been in charge of the company since the departure of Univision Communications president and CEO Joe Uva...

    's American Spanish-language television show ¡Despierta América! (Wake Up America) hosted by Jorge Ramos
  • "Richard & Judy Book Club", a segment of Channel 4
    Channel 4
    Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...

    's British television show Richard & Judy
    Richard & Judy
    Richard & Judy was a British magazine/chat show which was presented by married couple Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan. It originally aired on Channel 4 from 2001 to 2008 but later moved to digital channel Watch in October 2008. It featured the world's most famous stars, along with their Book Club...

    hosted by Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan
    Richard and Judy
    Richard and Judy is the name informally given to Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan, a married couple who are both British television presenters and columnists. Since their marriage, their television appearances have been largely made as a couple. They are best known for presenting This Morning and...

  • Bookclub
    Bookclub (radio)
    Bookclub is a monthly programme, devised by Olivia Seligman and hosted by Jim Naughtie and broadcast on BBC Radio 4. Each month a novel is selected, and its author invited to discuss it...

    , a British radio show on the BBC Radio 4
    BBC Radio 4
    BBC Radio 4 is a British domestic radio station, operated and owned by the BBC, that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history. It replaced the BBC Home Service in 1967. The station controller is currently Gwyneth Williams, and the...

     station hosted by James Naughtie
    James Naughtie
    James Naughtie is a British radio presenter and radio news presenter for the BBC. Since 1994 he has been one of the main presenters of Radio 4's Today programme.- Biography :...

  • First Tuesday Book Club
    First Tuesday Book Club
    First Tuesday Book Club is an Australian television show that discusses books ostensibly in the style of a domestic book club. Hosted by journalist Jennifer Byrne, it uses the panel format made popular in The Glass House with two regular members–book reviewer Jason Steger and author/blogger Marieke...

    , an Australian television show on the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
    Australian Broadcasting Corporation
    The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...

     network hosted by Jennifer Byrne
    Jennifer Byrne
    -Early life:Byrne attended St Margaret's School, Melbourne as a boarding student, and began her career in journalism at age 16 as a cadet at Melbourne's The Age newspaper. At age 23 she became the paper's San Francisco correspondent, and later a feature writer....

  • "Jonny's Book Club", a segment of the weekly podcast
    Podcast
    A podcast is a series of digital media files that are released episodically and often downloaded through web syndication...

     Gay Pimpin' with Jonny McGovern
    Gay Pimpin' with Jonny McGovern
    Gay Pimpin' with Jonny McGovern is a bi-weekly free gay-themed podcast currently based out of Hollywood, California, originally out of New York City. The show began airing on January 16, 2006. It currently ranks the highest in popularity under the keyword "gay" on the iTunes music store, is the...

    hosted by Jonny McGovern
    Jonny McGovern
    Jonny McGovern , also known by his character name The Gay Pimp, is an American stand-up comedian, musician and podcaster. He has recorded three albums as comedic singer The Gay Pimp, and is also a cast member of Logo's The Big Gay Sketch Show.-Early life:Jonny McGovern was born to Mary McGovern and...


Organizations

  • Association of Book Group Readers and Leaders (AGBRL), also known as the Association of Professional Book Club Facilitators, is a cooperative information clearinghouse for avid readers, both individuals and those in book discussion clubs. Its founder and director is Rachel W. Jacobsohn, author of The Reading Group Handbook. The organization can be reached at P.O. Box 885 Highland Park, IL 60035.
  • Great Books Foundation
    Great Books Foundation
    The Great Books Foundation, incorporated in the state of Illinois and based in Chicago, is an independent, nonprofit educational organization whose mission is to help people think and share ideas. Toward this end, the Foundation publishes collections of classic and modern literature as part of a...

    is a nonprofit educational organization established in 1947 that publishes collections of classic and modern literature for use in book discussion clubs. It also offers workshops in conducting book discussions.
  • Library of Congress
    Library of Congress
    The Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...

     Center for the Book
    Center for the Book
    The Center for the Book was founded in 1977 by Daniel J. Boorstin, the Librarian of Congress, in order to use the Library of Congress to promote literacy, libraries, and reading in general, as well as an understanding of the history and heritage of American literature...

    is a program of the Library of Congress' Library Services division that promotes community-wide book discussion groups through its "One Book" project.

Literature

  • Xingu (1916) a short story by Edith Wharton
    Edith Wharton
    Edith Wharton , was a Pulitzer Prize-winning American novelist, short story writer, and designer.- Early life and marriage:...

  • The Stepford Wives
    The Stepford Wives
    The Stepford Wives is a 1972 satirical thriller novel by Ira Levin. The story concerns Joanna Eberhart, a photographer and young mother who begins to suspect that the frighteningly submissive housewives in her new idyllic Connecticut neighborhood may be robots created by their husbands.Two films of...

    (1972) a novel by Ira Levin
    Ira Levin
    Ira Levin was an American author, dramatist and songwriter.-Professional life:Levin attended Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa...

  • ...And Ladies of the Club
    And Ladies of the Club
    "...And Ladies of the Club" is a novel, written by Helen Hooven Santmyer, about a group of women in the fictional town of Waynesboro, Ohio who begin a study club, which evolves through the years into a significant community service organization in the town.The book, which looks at the club as it...

    (1982) a novel by Helen Hooven Santmyer
    Helen Hooven Santmyer
    Helen Hooven Santmyer was an American writer.She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio and moved to Xenia, Ohio when she was five years old. She went to Wellesley College in 1918 and was active in the struggle for women's rights. She attended Oxford University in England...

  • The Book Class (1984) a novel by Louis Auchincloss
    Louis Auchincloss
    Louis Stanton Auchincloss was an American lawyer, novelist, historian, and essayist. He is best known as a prolific novelist who parlayed his firsthand knowledge into dozens of finely wrought books exploring the private lives of America's East Coast patrician class...

  • Bloodhounds (1996) a novel by Peter Lovesey
    Peter Lovesey
    Peter Lovesey is a British writer of historical and contemporary crime novels and short stories. His best-known series characters are Sergeant Cribb, a Victorian-era police detective based in London, and Peter Diamond, a modern-day police detective in Bath...

  • Coast Road (1998) a novel by Barbara Delinsky
    Barbara Delinsky
    Barbara Delinsky is an American writer of nineteen New York Times bestsellers. She has also been published under the pen names Bonnie Drake and Billie Douglass.-Biography:Delinsky was born on August 9, 1945 near Boston, Massachusetts...

  • Sew Deadly (1998) a novel by Jean Hager
  • The Book Borrower (1999) a novel by Alice Mattison
  • The Book Club (1999) a novel by Mary Alice Monroe
    Mary Alice Monroe
    Mary Alice Monroe, also published as Mary Alice Kruesi, is a New York Times best-selling fiction writer. Many of her novels deal with environmental issues; For example, The Beach House and Swimming Lessons refer to the plight of injured sea turtles....

  • Murder in Volume (2000) a novel by D. R. Meredith (first in the Murder by the Yard series)
  • By Hook or by Book (2000) a novel by D. R. Meredith (second in the Murder by the Yard series)
  • Playing with Light (2000) a novel by Beatriz Rivera
  • The Dead of Midnight (2001) a novel by Catherine Hunter
    Catherine Hunter
    Catherine Hunter is a Canadian poet, novelist, editor, professor and critic.Hunter received a BA from the University of Winnipeg and an MA and PhD from the University of Victoria...

  • Murder Past Due (2001) a novel by D. R. Meredith (third in the Murder by the Yard series)
  • The Used Women's Book Club (2003) a novel by Paul Bryers
    Paul Bryers
    Paul Bryers, born in Liverpool in 1953, is a British film director, screenwriter and fiction author.-Biography:Paul Bryers studied Modern history, politics and economy at the University of Southampton. Later he joined the Daily Mirror’s training scheme for journalists...

  • Book Club: Books Are Their Life and Their Life Is a Book (2003) a novel by Curtis Bunn
  • Pure Fiction (2003) a novel by Julie Highmore
  • Angry Housewives Eating Bon-bons (2003) a novel by Lorna Landvik
  • Vinyl Cafe Diaries
    Vinyl Cafe Diaries
    Vinyl Cafe Diaries is Stuart McLean's fourth volume of stories that first aired on the CBC Radio program The Vinyl Cafe. It made the Stephen Leacock 2004 Medal for Humour shortlist and was the winner of the 2004 Canadian Authors Association Award.Stories included in the Vinyl Cafe...

    (2003) a novel by Stuart McLean
    Stuart McLean
    Andrew Stuart McLean is a Canadian radio broadcaster, humourist and author, best known as the host of the CBC Radio programme The Vinyl Cafe. He is often described as a "story-telling comic", though he has written many serious stories...

  • The Reading Group (2003) a novel by Elizabeth Noble
  • Little Children
    Little Children (novel)
    Little Children is a 2004 novel by American author Tom Perrotta that interweaves the darkly comedic stories of seven main characters, all of whom live in the same suburban Boston neighborhood during the middle of a hot summer...

    (2004) a novel by Tom Perrotta
    Tom Perrotta
    Thomas R. Perrotta is an Albanian-American/ Italian-American novelist and screenwriter best known for his novels Election and Little Children , both of which were made into critically acclaimed, Academy Award-nominated films...

  • The Jane Austen Book Club
    The Jane Austen Book Club
    The Jane Austen Book Club is a 2004 novel by American author Karen Joy Fowler. The story, which takes place near Sacramento, California, centers around a book club consisting of five women and one man who meet once a month to discuss Jane Austen's six novels...

    (2004) a novel by Karen Joy Fowler
    Karen Joy Fowler
    Karen Joy Fowler is an American author of science fiction, fantasy, and literary fiction. Her work often centers on the nineteenth century, the lives of women, and alienation....

  • He Had It Coming (2004) a novel by Camika Spencer
  • Murder of the Month (2005) a novel by Elizabeth C. Main
  • Tome of Death (2005) a novel by D. R. Meredith (fourth in the Murder by the Yard series)

Films

  • Scent of Love
    Scent of Love
    Scent of Love is a 2003 South Korean film, and the directorial debut of Lee Jeong-wook. The film is based on a novel of the same name by Kim Ha-in, and stars Jang Jin-young and Park Hae-il in the lead roles.- Plot :...

    , a 2003 South Korean adaptation of the novel by Kim Ha-in directed by Lee Jeong-wook
  • Little Children
    Little Children (film)
    Little Children is a 2006 American drama film directed by Todd Field. It is based on the novel of the same name by Tom Perrotta, who along with Field wrote the screenplay. It stars Kate Winslet, Patrick Wilson, Jennifer Connelly, Jackie Earle Haley, Noah Emmerich, Gregg Edelman, Phyllis Somerville...

    , a 2006 adaptation of Perrotta's novel directed by Todd Field
    Todd Field
    William Todd Field, known professionally as Todd Field is an American actor and writer/director. He has received three Academy Award nominations.-Background and personal life:...

  • The Jane Austen Book Club
    The Jane Austen Book Club (film)
    The Jane Austen Book Club is a 2007 American romantic drama film written and directed by Robin Swicord. The screenplay, adapted from the 2004 novel of the same name by Karen Joy Fowler, focuses on a book club formed specifically to discuss the six novels written by Jane Austen...

    , a 2007 adaptation of Fowler's novel directed by Robin Swicord
    Robin Swicord
    Robin Swicord is an American screenwriter and film director. She wrote the screenplay for the film Memoirs of a Geisha, based on the novel of the same name by Arthur Golden...


Television

  • "The Couch
    The Couch
    "The Couch" is the 91st episode of NBC sitcom Seinfeld. This was the 5th episode for the 6th season. It aired on October 27, 1994.-Plot:Kramer plans to start a "pizza business where you make your own pie" with Poppie . Jerry and Elaine's discussion of the abortion issue causes trouble at Poppie's...

    ", a 1994 episode (season 6, number 5) of the American situation comedy Seinfeld
  • "Books", a 2001 episode (season 1, number 2) of the British situation comedy The Savages
    The Savages (TV series)
    The Savages is a British sitcom that aired on BBC One in 2001. Starring Geoffrey Palmer and comedian Marcus Brigstocke, it was written by Simon Nye, the writer of Men Behaving Badly....

  • The Book Group
    The Book Group
    The Book Group is a comedy drama that aired on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom between 2002 and 2003, and ran for two series. It was written and directed by the American-born Glasgow resident Annie Griffin, who also wrote and directed Festival...

    , a 2001-2002 British situation comedy series
  • "Wedding Balls", a 2002 episode (season 4, number 22) of the American situation comedy Will & Grace
    Will & Grace
    Will & Grace was an American television sitcom that was originally broadcast on NBC from September 21, 1998 to May 18, 2006 for a total of eight seasons. Will & Grace remains the most successful television series with gay principal characters...

  • "About a Book Club", a 2003 episode (season 1, number 5) of the American situation comedy Hope & Faith
    Hope & Faith
    Hope & Faith is an American sitcom that aired for three seasons on ABC from September 26, 2003, to May 2, 2006. For its first two seasons the show was part of a revived TGIF comedy block....

  • "The Book Club", a 2004 episode (season 1, number 4) of the American children's series Unfabulous
    Unfabulous
    Unfabulous is an American children's television series that aired on Nickelodeon The series is about an "unfabulous" junior high school student, played by Emma Roberts...

  • "The Book of Love", a 2004 episode (season 5, number 12) of the British situation comedy My Family
  • "Breaking Out Is Hard to Do
    Breaking out Is Hard to Do
    "Breaking Out Is Hard to Do" is the ninth episode of the fourth season of Family Guy. It originally broadcast on July 17, 2005, guest-starred Dat Phan and Brian Tochi, and was written by Tom Devanney. The episode sees Lois becoming addicted to the rush of shoplifting; she, however, is soon arrested...

    ", a 2005 episode (season 4, number 9) of the American animated series Family Guy
    Family Guy
    Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...

  • "A Tale of Two Cities
    A Tale of Two Cities (Lost)
    "A Tale of Two Cities" is the third season premiere, and 50th episode overall, of the American Broadcasting Company's serial drama television series Lost. The episode was written by co-creators/executive producers J. J. Abrams and Damon Lindelof, based on a story by Lindelof and directed by...

    ", a 2006 episode (season 3, number 1) of the American drama series Lost
    Lost (TV series)
    Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
x
OK