Hot take: People keep picking books that are way too long for a monthly club, like that 800-page fantasy novel we spent 3 meetings on.

Honestly, I noticed our group's energy totally dies when we pick a massive book, so I started pushing for stuff under 350 pages, and our debates got way better because everyone actually finishes it.

4 comments

4 Comments

jake_wells122mo ago

Wait, you guys spent THREE whole meetings on one book? That's crazy to me. My old group would have totally fallen apart if we tried that. Pushing for shorter books is the only way to keep people from just faking it.

mila2782mo ago

Faking it over a short book is way sadder.

ryan7932mo agoTop Commenter

Our group actually spent four meetings on The Overstory last year. The longer format let us really dig into the characters and themes in a way one meeting never could. People showed up more prepared, not less, because they knew we'd build on each talk. It's less about book length and more about finding readers who want that deeper dive.

jennifer_jones1727d ago

Three meetings on one book sounds like my old college class, but with wine. My book club can't even agree on a snack for one meeting.