Reading Group, Anyone?

Online book clubs have prospered in recent years. Accessibility, enthusiastic celebrity endorsement and, more recently, lockdown have increased reading and the desire to find the next book within a cosy community of like-minded people.

Unfortunately, despite the best efforts or good intentions of celebrities and "influencers" there will always be a healthy dose of scepticism from the public regarding their book recommendations. Being a celebrity/influencer is a business in itself and the world is built on networking, deals, promotion, freebies and brand awareness perhaps more than ever in history. The celebrity/influencer who has a genuine love of books and want to share it with the world is caught between a rock and a hard place by virtue of their career clashing with their passion. Who will truly believe their book recommendation when there is a suspicion that they might have been paid to promote it? However, despite having these nagging doubts we, the public, are still happy to join their online book clubs to find our next read, both parties aware of the issues yet gleefully ignoring the elephant in the room.

Reading Groups, particularly local reading groups which are linked to libraries, takes a virtual flame thrower to many of the concerns above, but I am getting ahead of myself. For those who have little to do with reading groups in the community, a reading group is a group of people who meet regularly to discuss a book they have read.  Of course, a discussion is best if it is the same book, so they are often linked to libraries. The leader of the reading group borrows the books from the library on behalf of the group, distributes them and the group meet up again in a few weeks to discuss the book (hopefully with a glass of wine, nibbles and a bit a of laughter sprinkled in).

The benefits of a reading group are:-

1) The books are varied and pushes the boundaries of your usual reading preferences (I am currently reading The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell, something I would never have chosen myself but it has opened my eyes to the harsh living and working conditions experienced by the mining community in the 1930s).
2) They are library books so are not being promoted or endorsed for monitory gains.
3) It provides books free of charge.
4) It's a way of making new like-minded friends.
5) It provides a conduit for all those thoughts and feelings you had about the book, yet also opens your eyes, heart and mind to all the things you had previously missed as a healthy discussion always provides another perspective - in this case as seen through another reader's eyes.
6) The meet-ups/social gathering gets you out of the house. Some may see that as a disadvantage as it is quite an enjoyable experience to surf the net looking for your next read with a mug of coffee in your hand. However, neither is exclusive to the other and is only limited by the time you have to read.

The disadvantages of a reading group:-

1) Feeling pressured to read a book by a certain date. However, most members feel this and understand. It is not uncommon for someone to give up on a book due to time constraints or lack of enjoyment. At least the reader does not feel they have wasted their money.
2) Most reading group do not focus on one genre (i.e. romance). You have to be prepared to read outside your preferred genre for most of the time. If this is not for you, then reading groups may not be either unless it is genre specific.

So do you like the idea of a reading group? Are you interested in setting one up in your local area? Why not go along to your local library and find out what is in your area? Reading does not have to be a solitary hobby. Discussing the book afterwards with a varied group of people can confirm your opinions or open your mind to a different perspective.... it can also make you think more deeply about your own beliefs, character traits and morals too!

Happy reading everyone!

Victoria Cornwall