1. The most obvious: I love to read and I want to share that love with others. There is something special about reading a book you know others are reading at the same time. It's so much more fun to have someone to discuss that read with when you are done. And whether you liked it, or hated it, it doesn't matter-the conversation can be amazing.
2. Finding titles you would never read otherwise. My book clubs have chosen titles I have never heard of and because of that, my reading has become more rounded.
3. No pressure. Some months it just can't be done-life gets too busy or crazy and the books don't get read.
If you have a monthly meeting where you have to show up in front of a crowd, it can make you feel as though you failed, or are unprepared. Online groups avoid all of that pressure. I have missed a month and been able to pick right back up again the next time without missing a beat (or dealing with guilt).
4. Ease and flexibility. I love that I am not forced to jam a meeting into my already busy schedule. I can log on anytime and post my thoughts on a book or comment on other's thoughts. This ease extends to the reading. Sometimes I get a book done right away, sometimes it takes all month. I love setting my own schedule.
5. New friends. Online book clubs force you to go out of your immediate circle and meet new people. Even if you only go as far as friending these people to see what else they are reading, it is fun to talk books with new faces from many different locations.
How to join an online book club? I've never had to go farther than Goodreads to find some great groups. Many of them are open for members and are based on certain genres. Myself, I wanted to stick my toe in the Science Fiction and Fantasy pool which I had never read before. I found Sword and Laser which totes not only a book club but podcasts and extras as well. My other book club is a cool one call She Geeks which requires one novel, one comic, and one manga a month. I love that so much! It's really broadened my comic knowledge. Plus we get to nominate and vote on each month's reads.
Are you in an online or in person book club?
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