A book club without all that reading

Just twice in my life have I become involved in a reading group, both times just for a brief period. In both instances, I joined because of my interest in the book they were discussing. And then I dropped out when they chose books that didn't interest me. It became too much like the assigned reading in high school and college, more work than play.

Participants who fail to read the assigned books is a common complaint about book clubs. People enjoy the social aspects of the group and like the discussions, but actually reading the book or finding the time to read the book can be challenging.

But does reading an assigned book always have to be a book club requirement?

The one time I was asked to lead a book group, we met near library shelves. I asked each person to find a novel they were unfamiliar with, then keep it facedown on their laps. In turn, each person read only the first line of their novel. We simply discussed that first line. Did it sound like a detective story, a thriller, a romance, a comic novel, a literary novel or what? Did the line hint at a mystery of some sort? Most importantly, did it make us want to keep reading? And so we had a wonderful discussion in which everyone participated. Some even took their books home with them to discover what happened next.

Book clubs can find other ways to talk about books without actually having to read an assigned book. This being February, club members might be invited to talk about their favorite love story or perhaps the fictional character they could most easily fall in love with.

Other months they could each spend a few minutes talking about a favorite mystery or thriller or classic novel or book remembered from childhood. They could talk about what movie adaptation is most (or least) faithful to the novel? The group could have literary quizzes or trivia contests. Or each person could take turns reading a book they chose and telling others in the group about it, making the meetings less a discussion than a lecture, with a discussion afterward.

Sometimes an assigned book is unusually long or makes difficult reading. Members might enjoy having an extra month to read it. In between the group could have one of those meetings where no reading is required.

I think I would like a book club like this. Or better yet, a book club where I alone got to make all the selections.