BOOK BLOGGER HOP: June 15-21

It's Book Blogger Hop time again--a weekly event where book bloggers get together to talk about books or bookish things. It's a great way to discover other book bloggers. The hop is hosted by Crazy for Books.



Read the History and Rules of the Hop. This link also includes information on how to submit a question for the Hop and how to be a potential Host of the Hop!
Want to plan your posts in advance? Click this link to check out the future Hop questions!

*****What to Do:
1. Post on your blog answering this question:

Do you belong to a book club, either online or in real life?

2. Enter the link to your post in the linky list at Crazy for Books (enter your Blog Name, Genre you review, and direct link to your post answering this week’s question; failure to do so will result in removal of your link).
3. Visit other blogs in the list, spending quality time getting to know the people you are visiting. Don’t just visit the post with the question, but click around and read some of the blogger’s other content, too! This Hop isn’t about the number of people you can visit, but the quality of each visit. Readers – find a new blog to read by clicking through the links in the list!

My answer:

Up until about a year and a half ago, I was not a member of any book group and really felt I was missing out when I heard other people talking about theirs. But I wasn't sure how to ask "Hey! Can I join your group?" And some of them met during the day, when I knew I wouldn't be able to make it.

Then, a couple people from work and I, who all read a lot of historical fiction and have spent years recommending books to each other and gabbing about things we'd read, decided to try and formalize this into a book-group-and-dinner-get-together. So now we've brought our spouses into the process, along with another couple or two when we can get them to come. We pick a historical novel or nonfiction history book to discuss over dinner at someone's house. We meet every 2-3 months, which is often enough because the books are sometimes chunky- like Trinity.

And, at about the same time, a friend of mine, who is a high school teacher, invited me to join a book group that she attends. They meet at a restaurant in the evenings once a month and discuss a wide variety of books. (This month we're talking about Room.) This is a great group because not only do I read outside my comfort zone (reading memoir and such), but I've met a whole new group of interesting people. It's a very casual group, not everyone makes it every month, and I can't get there as often as I like, but it's a lot of fun.

Book groups are great. Reading is such a solitary experience that the opportunity to share time with other book lovers is rewarding in itself. There are a lot of guides out there for how to have a successful reading group. I'm not sure either of mine would pass muster for getting the most out of the text, but the groups certainly add a little extra something to the books.

What's your take on book groups?