WebJunction - Group: Book Discussions

RE: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2009-01-15T23:41:00Z

I read The Road a month ago, on the recommendation of a colleague. It is quite dark, relentlessly so. Its great redeeming quality is that it is so beautifully written.

I would hesitate to recommend it for a book discussion. I know some people who had a vehement negative reaction to it. It is hard to look at the utterly bleak picture it paints. I made the decision not to read it before bed so I would be less likely to have my dreams haunted by it.

Another colleague relished the book because she loves dark and depressing novels. So, you never know.

RE: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2008-11-16T02:40:12Z

Yes, I was concerned about using it (despite its Pultizer Prize and good reviews) because it was so dark, and I was curious how other readers would react to it.

Book discussions as community development

2008-11-13T17:19:13Z

Is anybody using book discussion groups as way of either building community, or promoting dialogue about current events within a community?

I ask because last night this came up at my library book club. We were discussing T.C. Boyle's The Tortilla Curtain and it sparked a really interesting discussion on race and immigration. Members of my book club all live in the same neighborhood (our meetings often end with "neighborhood" business being discussed). Our neighborhood is a very diverse community (I think over 80 languages are spoken in the legislative district that includes our neighborhood), with in particular, a large first, second, and third generation Latino community and large immigrant southeast asian community (there are many other cultural groups represented as well). Sometimes there are misunderstandings between neighbors, that probably have to do more with not understanding cultural differences or perhaps language barriers--I'm not sure.

But, I was so inspired by our discussion last night and thought I might propose to our library if there could be some kind of book group that used literature as a touchpoint for a discussion about issues we are experiencing in the neighborhood.

I know literacy levels are not the same throughout members of the neighborhood (one of my neighbors recently admitted to me that he can't read--though he goes to the library all the time to check out movies and CDs!).

So, has anybody had any experience with starting something like this?

Thanks,
Emily

RE: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2008-11-11T22:09:13Z

We also discussed in our year-end review that we liked books that helped us understand our local environment and culture (Pacific Northwest). One book that got high marks was The Golden Spruce by John Vaillant because it talked about the local logging industry and Haida culture.

Emily

RE: What books are your book discussion groups reading this year?

2008-11-11T22:07:13Z

This is what my library book group is reading for 2009. Format is Month, Last name of author, and then title. As this group is in the Pacific Northwest, we looked for at least a few books with Northwest themes.

January - Ellis: After Life

February - Banks: The Darling

March - Smith: On Beauty

April - Seattle Reads 2009

May - Robinson: Housekeeping

June - Alexie: Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian*

July - Reichl: Garlic and Sapphires

August - Eugenides: Middlesex

September - Obama: Dreams from My Father

October - Krakauer: Under the Banner of Heaven

November - Mason: The Piano Tuner

December - Butler: A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain

RE: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2008-11-11T21:59:56Z

Hi Meredith,

What are your concerns about this particular title? My library book group (that I'm a participant in) just did a review of our first year's books, and we found that many of us had a hard time finishing books that explored the darker aspects of humanity.

For example, only two of us showed up to discuss the book When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge. The next book meeting, many in the group said they found it difficult to finish, because of the topic, and two, didn't feel they could take a discussion of it.

Our group, though sponsored by the library, doesn't have a facilitator.

I also haven't read The Road yet, though it's on my list of books to next read.

Free MaintainIT Webinar on Technology Bookclubs!

2008-10-27T23:54:16Z

When you hear the term "Book Club" you probably picture discussions of literary
classics, but at MaintainIT, we're trying something else. Every month we hold a Book Club discussion that is all about library technology. We select a chapter from one of the MaintainIT CookbooksMaintainIT Cookbooks, encourage people to read it, and then invite them to join a discussion about it. Previous Book Club discussions have focused on wireless networking in libraries, PC management software, and laptop checkout programs.

Join this train-the-trainer session to hear more about using this method for facilitating technology learning. Find out how a Book Club discussion can be used to encourage information sharing and discovery.

When: Wed, Nov 12, 2008 11:00 AM Pacific Standard Time
Register: https://cc.readytalk.com/r/2x9f051voyyk ]

Talking around the text

2008-10-27T23:31:23Z

I am so excited to find this group on WebJunction! I did my master's thesis for my MLIS on everyday information exchange in book discussion groups. I'm in the process of getting a downloadable version of it ready for WebJunction, but thought I'd share at least the worldcat link] to it.

I've also joined my local library's book club. It's amazing how quickly we've formed bonds with each other which is great since we all live in the same neighborhood. Community building in action. I've noticed that talking about books tends to also open the door to lots of personal information sharing as well. At least that's the experience of my local group and some of the groups I observed for my thesis.

I look forward to seeing this group grow!

Emily

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

2008-09-23T16:42:54Z

Has anyone used The Road by Cormac McCarthy in a book discussion? If so, then how did the patrons react to it?

RE: Welcome to the Book Discussion Group!

2008-09-17T23:00:02Z

I’d like to welcome your group to WebJunction and point out some of the resources available in the Member Center.

Help and Support for FAQ, helpful discussions and ways to contact us.
Getting Started for a number of short intro videos on WJ tools.
A User Guide which includes details on groups.

Welcome again and please let us know if you have questions.

Book Discussion Web Resources

2008-09-17T20:20:42Z

Reading Group Guides Reading Group Guides

Penguin Group USA Reading Guides Penguin Group Reading Guides

LitLovers LitLovers Book Club Ideas

Multnomah County Library Discussion Guides (YA) Multnomah County Library Discussion Guides

What books are your book discussion groups reading this year?

2008-09-17T15:42:40Z

The Kokomo-Howard County Public Library has selected the following titles for our Fall 2008 -- Spring 2009 book discussion program:

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver. Nonfiction / Memoir / Midwest Interest
Atonement by Ian McEwan. Movie Tie-In / Contemporary British Fiction
The Bonesetter’s Daughter by Amy Tan. Multicultural / Contemporary Fiction
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. Fantasy / YA Literature.
Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris. Historical / Contemporary Fiction.
Gilead by Marilynne Robinson. Contemporary Fiction.
Persuasion by Jane Austen. Literary Classic.
Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin. Howard County Reads #1 Book
When I Crossed No-Bob by Margaret McMullan. Indiana Author / Juvenile Fiction

Welcome to the Book Discussion Group!

2008-09-17T15:37:16Z

Welcome to the Book Discussion Group. What would you like this group to be? Do you have anything to share? Please post any comments or suggestions.