Morning all on this foul day!..... You'd think I'd be able to read on a day like today but not with a bored three year old around!!!

 New to the forums so just wanted some advice on this one.  My local library has a reading group and i'm thinking about joining them.  Just worried that I might be out of my depth....I read books for pleasure.

 What do you think about reading groups? what should I expect?

Cheers folks, Happy Bank Holliday

 t x

hi there, my bored 3 yr old is engrossed in the telly at the moment, Fifi and the Flowerpots, so I'm on here for a minute.  I have yet to take the step of joining a reading group myself even though there are places available at my local library - maybe we should take the step together and compare notes!

From what others here have said on the subject, it very much depends on what the other members are like but I would imagine that most people are there just to discuss what they liked and disliked about a particular book and how it made them feel rather than to analyse it like literary criticism.  I'm sure others with experience of these groups will give you more hints but I think you should go for it, does you good to have adult company and will probably give you even more reading recommendations.  Good luck!

It does all depend on how seriously the other group members take the discussion, I think.  I have been a member of a reading group for about 7 years now - set up by a couple of friends who enjoyed reading and wanted to discuss with like-minded people. All the members are friends or friends of friends of the original pair and it does work extremely well, even though between the 12 of us we have a very wide range of characters and tastes, with some members who are avid readers and others who rarely read more than the books chosen by the group.  None of us take it too seriously, though we all enjoy the discussions - but, for example, if some one hasn't read or finished that month's book, they are not made to feel they've failed in any way, as I think can happen in some other groups. 

I hope you find a group that suits you, as I get a huge amount of enjoyment from our monthly meetings, and have been introduced to a wide range of books and authors I would never have considered otherwise.  If the library group doesn't suit you, you could always set up a group yourself as we did.

I just remembered this site about book groups which you may find useful:

http://www.bookgroup.info/041205/index.php

It has an advice section, recommendations, and a directory of UK book groups (though most of the informal ones like ours aren't listed).

There's also some good advice on setting up a group on the Penguin site:

http://readers.penguin.co.uk/nf/shared/WebDisplay/0,,67969_1_2,00.html

Have just joined reading group run by library, but next meeting isn't until 2 july - might have chickened out by then! Book we have to read is the master by Colm Toibin ( hope I've spelt that right) Anyone read it before? Doesn't look like my usual read but I will give it a go!

 amy

I have been trying to join a reading group for aloooonnnnggggg time!  Given up for now I think...tried emailing groups through websites about reading groups etc...didn't get a reply back or anything!  Library don't even know if they have one atm! 

I want a reading group...not an online one...I want to meet people and have a social thing going on too!

ellie02:

Have just joined reading group run by library, but next meeting isn't until 2 july - might have chickened out by then! Book we have to read is the master by Colm Toibin ( hope I've spelt that right) Anyone read it before? Doesn't look like my usual read but I will give it a go!

 amy

I read this a while ago and did enjoy it - though perhaps more so because I had read David Lodge's fictional biog of Henry James not long before, so liked the way they complemented each other.  The Toibin one is a slower slightly heavier read (and also more literary in style) than the Lodge, but still very interesting, esp if you've read any HJ or know anything about him.