Let's Talk about Club Read 2011

Back in September, our wonderful founder Lois/avaland indicated in the Message Board thread that she probably wouldn't be creating a Club Read 2011 group both because she has other commitments and because she thought there wasn't enough interest. Of course, we all chimed in that we want to keep Club Read going, and several of us volunteered to help.

That's what this thread is about!

It seems to me there are several tasks, both time-limited and ongoing, including:

Setting up the group
Setting up monthly What are you reading? threads
Setting up quarterly Best reads threads
Setting up Interesting articles threads (bimonthly, so far)
Setting up occasional challenges

Can you think of others?

If several of us volunteered, we could each take responsibility for a task and spread the work around that way. I, for one, would definitely volunteer for something, for example setting up the group or setting up one of the regular threads.

Any more ideas?
Any volunteers?

Be glad to help wherever needed. Maybe everyone who's willing to remember to open various threads or take on the larger task of the occasional and optional challenges could chime in and then one of us (Rebeccanyc?) could randomly assign things?

Rebecca - thanks for getting this going. I'm happy to help, just not sure what I should help with.

I'm happy to help too, Rebecca.

Thanks to all of you who've responded so far. I'll wait until some more people chime in, maybe with requests for what they'd like to do, and then see how it might work out.

Rebecca - I've gotten into the habit of setting up the "interesting" articles threads this year and don't mind continuing to do that in the next year of CR. I think it should continue to be bimonthly. I also don't mind setting up the "what are you reading now" threads, though I think anyone in the group should feel free to do that on the first of each month if it hasn't been done yet.

Sure, I'll help.

I'm happy to help too - the quarterly 'best reads' maybe?

I'd like to help but am a bit out of the box until Tues (yay for mobile commenting!). Just wanted to throw my hat in.

I'm currently posting on 100 Book Challenge and ClubRead, but I think I'm going to drop the 100 Book group, so I'll have time to help out here. Let me know what we need.

Thanks, everyone, for volunteering. So far, this is what it looks like.

RidgewayGirl Anything
dchaikin Will help, not sure what
kidzdoc Anything
fannyprice Bimonthly interesting article threads
auntmarge Anything?
charbutton Quarterly best reads (this means end of year too!)
janepriceestrada Anything?
Nickelini Anything?

Sounds like we have more than enough people here to take care of everything. I am prepared to set the group up, so could those of you who haven't expressed preferences so far pick among what's left:

Monthly What Are You Reading? threads
Occasional challenges
Anything else?

Also, do any of you have any thoughts on when I should set up the group? Obviously, December, but beginning, end, middle? What would work best?

I'll volunteer to take over looking after the monthly "What Are You Reading?" threads. As in the past, I'll encourage anyone to start them early in the month.

Regarding the timing: I don't think it makes much a difference. In the past Lois has started the group in early December, and kept in private until Late December/January. I think the group is familiar enough now that there is no need for a temporary private group, but I'll defer to you, Rebecca.

edited out the dumb stuff

I'll help with the challenges - maybe on two month cycles - this seems to work better for me. Any thoughts? I can set up the threads but would like a little help brainstorming some things.

Thanks, Jane. Maybe once Club Read 2011 is up and rolling, you could post a thread asking for challenge ideas. And a two-month cycle sounds good to me; one month is just too short!

>12 dchaikin: I set up Club Read privately only the first time in 2009 because I wanted time to "seed" the group via invitations. I made it public before the end of the year. In 2010, I just created the new group publicly in early December and let everyone know.

Lois - OK. I didn't realize the 2010 group was always public.

Looks like we have people for all the activities now.

Bimonthly interesting article threads -- fannyprice
Monthly What are you reading threads -- dchaikin
Quarterly and year-end best reads threads -- charbutton
Occasional (bimonthly) challenges -- janepriceestrada

THANK YOU ALL!

I will set up the 2011 group in early December.

Does anyone have any ideas to improve Club Read for next year? improve community? encourage discussion? (here I'm assuming most are looking for community in these groups, at the very least).

Great question, Lois. Since we are not chatty like some other book discussion groups, I think it's good that you started some of the group threads, like What are You Reading and the challenges, that give us places to interact with each other. But I'll certainly be interested in other ideas that people have, because I enjoy the book discussions in this group more than the chatter in the 75 book group; although that can be fun in small doses, I wouldn't want to see too much of that here too.

There seems to be less getting around to each others' threads than there used to be - or is that my imagination? I try to get around to two or three different individual threads each time I'm in here; I'll probably continue that in the new year.

I think your right Lois. I know I certainly can't get around to all the threads and read them in full. I typically only read the few people that share the most in common with. Which I think is a real shame, since there are so many others here at Clubread that have a lot to contribute but are sometimes lost in the shear volume of posts. For me it's always been hard to zero in on what others are really reading, even with the what are you reading this month threads. Simply putting the book Title and Author and tiny blurbs really doesn't tell me if I would be something I would find interesting or worth exploring, thus I don't branch out into other threads.

I don't really have a good idea of how to fix it though, just one really premature thought really.

The only thing I have come up with is doing "what are reading threads" by genres (i.e. biographies, Science-Fiction, etc.), instead of monthly. I think this would give us a better feel for who reads what and when (message are time stamped after all) and drive people more to the threads that sound interesting at that given time, tastes seem to wonder throughout the year, or at least mine do. I don't think the genres would necessarily have to be that specific even, just generalized ideas. Granted problems will arise between what we as a group define as Genre, but healthy debate is usually a good way to get people talking.

I don't know if people would find or even want to use a system like this and I can see it adding several more threads when one seems to be working for most people. Hell it may not even be a problem for others. Just thought I throw it out there...

Lois, that is a tough question you ask in #18. I agree we have as a group been getting around to each other's threads less lately. I think the same thing happened last year - In January we seem to be hopping, and then as the year goes by and the unread threads add up, the responses seem to die down. I know for me, personally, my time is irregular, and I go through periods where I can't spend time here. THen, I get more time and I'm waaaaay behind. I haven't figured out a solution to that yet.

but, the thing is, I do still get to most of threads again, eventually. And I still get responses to my own posts. So quieter isn't silent, it's just...less active.

I have ideas about why we might be quieter around here, but I haven't thought them through. I think the way to get us more active is to have fun and be more active. And maybe we need a break from teh books occassionally and start some threads on off topics - music, or something random. I mean sometimes I come here and I'm way behind on all threads and the last thing I want to do is start reading another ten reviews, but i still want to get in a converstaion...so I go to other groups....

>21 stretch:, 22 good points from both of you. Dan, I am reminded of something Joyce Carol Oates said about 10 years ago, something about that we were becoming a society who read more about books than the books themselves.

I'm not sure if my behavior is typical or not. I like to see what people are reading whether they read like me or not. Of course, that means I don't have much, if anything, to say on some people's threads. So, probably I get to about 2/3rds of the threads eventually. I don't care for lengthy synopses, I really want to hear what someone thinks about the book: personal insight or your experience with it. If I'm in Club Read, that's where I am, so I don't follow links to read commentary/reviews elsewhere, unless I've been given an excerpt that catches my interest. I'm into community: hanging out with people who love to read and the exchanges that comes with that .

I do like some non-book threads and people should feel free to start one if they would like a place to commune with others around a chosen subject. We do indeed have other interests and things in common! (oh, Dan, I'm back from Iceland, we need to talk geology!!!!)

re: genre threads. If people like that idea, I'm game (I think), but personally I aim to think of my reading holistically. Though I prefer to connect with people as people, rather than as science fiction readers or YA readers. That's just me, perhaps others would find the categories helpful?

I don't feel like I'm an authority here. I just want to voice some opinions.

A thread per genre kind of thing bothers me. I like science fiction in concept but not most realizations of it. If there were a science fiction thread I'd be tempted to read it and averse all at once. In general threads, where somebody mentions science fiction, I can take it under advisement whether it is substantial or not. In a science fiction thread, I would have to dig out what was substantial.

Literary Snobs and Le Salon..., probably among others, have musical threads and other off topic threads and are open to everybody. I wonder whether we are such a close knit group that we need to specialize in what specifically Club Read 2011 residents hum along to.

I like the book orientation, and I like seeing the takes on books aligned with the people reading them. I pretty much scan all of the threads here, although I sometimes skip a day if I have something else urgent calling me.

Robert

I think a lot of the conversation and commentary about specific books takes place individual's threads. I've certainly found many books there and have been able to comment about a book well up-thread. I don't feel a need to break down our reading into genres, but I wouldn't have a problem with people doing so.

I don't feel a need to break down our reading into genres, but I wouldn't have a problem with people doing so.

I thought it was a good idea, myself. I'm sure I'd participate. I've found the conversation across LT in general has decreased this year. Not sure what that's all about. I know some of my favourite chatty people have disappeared, and I realize that life happens. I know that I've disappeared from other internet forums that I used to be active in. Anyways, I'm still up for book chat, and lots of it, but I'm not really one to check people's threads if I don't recognize their name from other conversations.

I'm happy to pimp and promote anything CR 2011 does over in the salon. Maybe start a Club Read 2011 thread over there once the new year is up and running, to help bring more awareness to your efforts ... I consider Club Read like a surrogate group for me personally, whether I actually post much in it or not ... I'm always lurking ...

I like stretch's idea (#21) of genre-based "What Are You Reading?" threads, even if those 'genres' are as broad as "poetry", "fiction" and "non-fiction". I'm at my most active on LT in late December and January - the summer here in New Zealand - and then life gradually gets busier; plus, as Lois alludes to above (#23), I felt last year that I was spending less of my free time than I wished actually reading.

So, this year, I've confined myself to keeping track of the books I've read in my own thread, and commenting in each month's "What Are You Reading?" thread. I think that, if "What Are You Reading?" was expanded to several threads, I would manage to keep up with those.

And lets not forget what the Club Read USP is (at least it is for me): the opportunity to comment on what you are reading without having to chalk up a specific number of books.

I'm on LT a lot, between fiddling with my catalog and updating my own thread and getting bored at work, so I generally at least skim all the threads on this group. (Although I'm a little bit behind now, due to busyness and some internet troubles.) But I fear I'm not a great contributor to other people's threads, mostly because I haven't read the books in question or don't feel I have anything intelligent to say, but also because I have this weird inhibition that kicks in every so often and tells me I shouldn't jump in on the conversations of people I don't know well, even in contexts where it's perfectly appropriate. I really need to not listen to that!

Anyway. I don't know how I feel about the separation-by-genre thing, as personally I'm feeling less and less inclined to want to pigeonhole my reading in to genres at all and more and more inclined to broaden my exposure to different kinds of books as much as possible, but I suppose I can see the appeal of the idea. My own posting on the "what are you reading?" thread is very sporadic and random right now. I read pretty quickly and there are times when posting every book I'm reading would be a bit annoying for me and kind of spammy for the poor thread. If there were separate threads, I suppose I might post more often, even if I am a little unsure of the idea.

Originally, CR was created just as an alternative to the goal-orientated group focus. I "seeded" the group back then with readers I thought who read broadly, enjoyed discussion, and or might have different perspectives because they lived in places outside the US or UK. I also thought it would be neat if we encouraged people to talk about all kinds of their reading (not everything is cover to cover reading). I sort of had the idea to create a group which would be interesting and I could learn from.

We've grown and broadened over the last years, but we still have a great group of readers (and lurkers!). Something for everyone, I think.

Perhaps genre threads could be created on an as needed basis. I could see where some of the heavier SF readers, for example, might want to connect. So, if you have a need, start a thread. Sometimes these things work and sometimes not, you don't know until it's tried.

#29 USP????

But your comment brings to mind the idea that I think Lois had last year that we could use Club Read as a way to talk about things we're reading that aren't books, or that we were just dipping into. I certainly haven't done this, and I think the Interesting Articles threads are an attempt to get at other reading (magazines, online, etc.) -- is there a way to encourage people to discuss this reading as well as posting links?

>26 Nickelini: I think you are right about conversation on LT declining generally over the course of the year. Is that because a lot of us are on FB now? :-) (not that I find any thing that resembles real conversation over there)

I think Timjones board idea of genres is a good way to start at least, and gauge how things go from there. And spin off new threads as needed/desired. That way threads are more organic and live and die with people's changing taste.

I certainly don't want people to feel pigeon hold or even obligated in some way. I was trying to come up with a less passive way to drive discussion.

I joined this group earlier in the year, along with 75 Books in 2010, and then found my eyes were bigger than my actual reading appetite, so I haven't posted much. But I do hope this thread continues, and I can catch up with the readers here.

Deleted because apparently I need to post each poll in a separate post.

Absolutely I think people should feel free/be encouraged to start threads on topics that interest them.

There seems, though, to be some difference of opinion about the value of formal "genre" threads versus one formal "what are you reading?" thread (as opposed to threads individuals might set up. So I thought I would try some of the new polls that LT now provides to gauge how you all feel about this. Since these polls only allow you to vote yes, no, or undecided, I'm setting up three to include all options.

Option 1

Option 2If you vote for genre-based threads, please list the genres you would like to see included.

Option 3If you vote for genre-based threads, please list the genres you would like to see included.

I'm indifferent on the genre threads. If they appear, I'll take a look.

I voted yes on the genre threads. I think people can just start them as they see fit.

I never participate in the monthly thread, so in a way I'm a no to that one. But I certainly don't mind if other people use it, so I didn't vote on that one. If there were genre threads though I might participate.

I voted Yes on Option 3 (Hey! That sounds like a bumper sticker - "Don't blame me! I voted Yes on 3!")

My suggested genre threads are Fiction, Poetry, Nonfiction. I would probably participate in a Speculative Fiction (SF, fantasy and horror) thread, or a variant of this, if one were set up, but I'm in two minds about the desirability of splitting fiction up like this.

Ditto.

I voted yes on Option 3, mostly because I didn't want to rule genre threads out completely, but I'm hesitant. Tim has suggested three very basic "genre" threads and I've been rolling that around in my mind thinking about how these three might work—for me, at least.

>41 Nickelini: tell us why you don't participate in the WAYRN thread? And why you might if there were genre threads? (and what your idea of genre threads is, and which ones you might participate in).

Is there a way we can improve our use of WAYRN threads?

I enjoy the basic WAYRN threads because I can't possibly follow everybody's threads in Club Read and this way, if I see that someone's reading something interesting (be it fiction or nonfiction), I can go check out his or her thread and read more about the book or books. The reason I personally am lukewarm about dividing the What Are You Reading threads up by fiction, nonfiction, and poeitry is that then I would have to go to three threads, instead of one, to find out what everyone is reading. I would be more interested in more specialized genre threads, like science fiction, or mysteries, or graphic novels, because there people who are enthusiastic about these genres could exchange ideas.

So, like Lois above, I would be interested in learning about why people don't visit the current WAYRN threads and what could be done to improve them.

>45 rebeccanyc:, I feel the same way you do about dividing up the threads, Rebecca. I like to see it all mixed in together. But I do feel that sometimes people - myself included - don't post enough info on the books in question in the WAYRN threads. This thread is often more like a list than a conversation, which is totally fine - I assume that many people like to keep conversations on their own individual threads. But I find that the impact of this is that I am often scanning the WAYRN threads for people whose usernames I know, to see what they are reading, rather than just focusing on books that seem interesting.

#44 - tell us why you don't participate in the WAYRN thread? And why you might if there were genre threads? (and what your idea of genre threads is, and which ones you might participate in).

Kinda because what Fanny said in #46. Those threads tend to be a list of books I've never heard of and there usually isn't much conversation. I'm assuming, because I've never actually opened the thread. I do open the What Are You Reading threads in a few other groups, and I find that's enough. I just go to the threads of people I know and see what they are reading there.

Why would I open a genre thread? Well, only if it relates to something I'm interested in . . . for example, if someone started Dystopian Novels or 19th Century British Literature, I'd open that up and probably end up commenting. But if someone started Science Fiction or Vampire Novels, I'd know I wouldn't find anything to match my reading interests there and so wouldn't bother opening them.

I've been mostly a lurker here this year, and hope to do better in 2011. I was struck by what Joyce said about not opening a Science Fiction or Vampire Novel thread.

One of the problems of having individual threads is just that, that people assume there is nothing there to interest them and don't bother to look. In a more general thread, someone might be tempted to try a genre new to them, or previously dismissed, because of a comment or review from another reader.

The world is getting progressively (if that's not the wrong word!) more Balkanized; people stick to their own comforts, tribes, and familiar patterns. Why contribute to that?

>48 ffortsa:, Ding ding ding! exactly!!!

Well, you all can do whatever you think is best for the group. The idea of genre threads was raised and I said I would most likely participate if they existed, and I thought the idea was to increase participation.

>50 Nickelini:, Based on the polling, it seems like people want both. Even though I personally don't like the idea of narrowly focused WAYRN threads, I think we should aim to make the group work for the people in it & if there are people who want to start these threads, then they should feel free to. :)

Joyce, I meant no slight or disrespect.

I get stuck saying 'not me' to children's lit or chick lit or fantasy, and then someone drops a terrific book on my head from one of those genres. Keeping an open mind (or bookshelf) is one of my goals.

>48 ffortsa: that's true, which is why some of us are hesitating; however, I visit a wide variety of individual threads for exactly that same reason.

So, is there a way to encourage a bit more meat in the WRYRN thread or threads? Perhaps a wee-view® for books just finished? (ha ha, I made that term up). Sum your experience with the book up in 25 words or less? or 3 lines? And what to do about "I am reading Book X" - is there a way to add some meat to that? Perhaps we should rework the thread entirely and call it something different to help get away from what the thread has come to be known as.

Just bouncing things around here...

#53 Perhaps we should rework the thread entirely and call it something different to help get away from what the thread has come to be known as.

Mini-reviews of what you're reading?
Palate-teasers?
Why do you like or dislike what you're reading?
Say something about what you're reading?

>53 avaland: . Two Words: Cattle Prod.

No but seriously, that was kind of the line of thinking I had with the categories. At the very least then we would know where it fits in the world of literature.

If people were to post some basics of what they read that would be just fine with me. It essence it would self categorizing, but without the labels. I have no idea how you would get a group to do this voluntarily, without some pushing/pulling. As it stands a list of books followed by great read or nice change of pace is of little use for exploring new titles or authors (You have to know the person and what they typically to read to validate that short and sweet opinion, leading right back into the circle we've been discussing).

All I know regardless of how settle this, I'm certainly re-formatting my WRYRN posts next year.

Erasing this...see, it came from my blackberry and my thoughts don't come out in a nice linear word-after-word way...and you just can't edit on a damn blackberry...so anyway, it came out awful. Erased...

Erasing #56 to try to make sense....

I like the sum-your-reading in 25 words or less idea. One thing I like about the WRYRN threads are the sort of brief preliminary thoughts posted there - where you see our immediate reactions to books and our thoughts as we are midst of them...instead of only the more polished reviews on our threads.

I think the answer is less threads and more intense discussion in the threads we have. Less reading, more talk. Although of course that doesn't make any sense now that I think about it.

sent from my orange juice

#58 sent from my orange juice

It's not nice to make me laugh when I'm drinking coffee!

So maybe this is sent from my coffee.

>54 rebeccanyc: "Our literary trail" "bread crumbs on the path" "the literary pub" "the village square" (there could be a little note in the group's description that explains what this is).

>57 dchaikin: It's not a review, it's a wee-view®!

I do agree about "preliminary thoughts" and "immediate reactions" though (not that I always have any of the former).

>58 tomcatMurr: I admit the appeal of more in less too! (but honestly, I can see both sides of this)

>47 Nickelini: Joyce, is there anything you can suggest that might make this kind of thread palatable for you?

avaland@53, 60:

Sorry, dear, someone beat you to it:

http://myweeview.com/

:-)

#59 - I think that was sent with the coffee.

Not sure the answer is less threads or more threads, I think it the answer should be more like: let's try different stuff see what works...assuming we want to try different stuff.

Perhaps, for January I (or someone else) will open up a regular WRYRN thread, and add a theme - something to encourage us to post more than a list.

Then open a few other threads on some sort of genre-like threads. I like the fiction/non-fiction/poetry idea, but I'm just worried they won't attract enough posts just because only a sub-group of us are reading that kind of thing that particular month. So, maybe I shouldn't put a month on it?? Just, once it gets big we can go to "take 2". So, I might start a thread that title - "What Are you Reading Now - Let's focus on Non-fiction"...something along those lines.

Or maybe we could all just mentally note to add a bit to our WRYRN posts? A few months ago Avaland mentioned that adding the author is quite helpful and I think that several of us noted that and began to do so. Why don't we try to amplify our comments a bit?

I also think that we could become a little less careful about not hijacking threads and allow conversations to spring up wherever they do organically. I know that I've occasionally not posted something because it was about an earlier book in a person's thread (which I had just read myself) or because it seemed like not quite the place. Maybe we could regard everywhere as a good place and just be less organized?

I wouldn't mind both WRYRN and genre based threads, though I agree that those should be minimal. Maybe the genre threads could be a catchall - if you read a particularly good piece of fiction/nonfiction/etc and want to promote it, are looking for something on a particular topic/from a particular place. I do think it would be nice to have a one sentence recap/impression of books in the WRYRN threads.

60 > Joyce, is there anything you can suggest that might make this kind of thread palatable for you?

Really, don't worry about me. If there is conversation about books that I know something about, I'll jump right in. Maybe I'll even pop by the thread right now and start something.

One other thought - would it be helpful to have an 'other media' thread. One that could cover non-reading things - music, movies, shows, etc.?

>61 dukedom_enough: damn! (wiping coffee off my screen, omg, it's on the inside! - thanks Rebecca)

>63 RidgewayGirl: Well "I read X" or " I reviewed Y" assumes that someone will be interested if 1. they know you and your reading 2. they know the book. 3. or they know the author, if mentioned or known. I personally need a bit more than that if you expect me to take the time to go to your thread or to the book's page.

>62 dchaikin: maybe instead of a theme, just one question that could apply to any books?

>65 Nickelini: I'm not really worried about you:-), just picking your brain as an example of one person who doesn't use the WAYRN thread.

>66 janemarieprice: it would probably need to be broken down into its sub-categories. We've had a jazz thread running for quite a while although it may have fizzled of late... I think if we assume ourselves a community of thoughtful readers, then anyone should feel they can start a thread on whatever interests them. Most of us do more than just read (even Darryl! He loves music and travel clearly)

#67 - good point, I didn't mean a themed "read", but a themed response. Perhaps I shouldn't have used the word theme. But, yes, maybe ask a question (suggestions?), or request a 25-words-or-less review, or ...suggestions ??

wow just caught up on this -- nice thinking everyone, should have read this before posting on the other CR 2011 thread (I scanned, not well, the end of that and missed the link) -- see you in the new place.