Book Club Experience

The book club that I am focusing on was held at a local public library near the end of February. The book that was featured was A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman. Having not read this book myself, I played the role of observer.

Before attending this book club, I tried to do some research on the book club itself. Other than where it is held and what the current month's book was, I couldn't really find any information on their website or in their newsletter. From attending, I didn't glean much more information of exactly how the book club works. At the end of the meeting, the next book's title a reminder was shared for the next month's meeting and book. How they chose the books or dates, I have no idea. I assume that the dates are chosen on a schedule. The dates for both February and March were on Monday evenings about three fourths of the way into the book. Unfortunately, the calendar on the library's website did not give much information beyond March. I was hoping to see if the date was on a particular day each month and what their upcoming books were, but that information was not provided. I very much got the sense that the attendees were regulars and knew the ins and outs of how the book club worked. As a new face, I would have liked a little more explanation on what exactly the plans were.

The two book choices that I was able to find were A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman for February and Sweetgirl by Travis Mulhauser for March. I decided to read the synopsis for each of these books to see if there was a particular type of book that this club leans towards. February's pick is a New York Time's best selling book about a man who is more than he seems. From first observation, the main character is a cranky old man with an unfriendly attitude. Upon further investigation by a new neighboring family, the reader learns more about his sad and endearing history. The book is described as heart-warming. In comparison, March's book seems to have a much grittier and darker feel. It follows a sixteen-year-old, independent, and courageous girl in her journey to save a baby from a criminal home. While the setting and tone seem much different than A Man Called Ove, both seem to have strong characters with deep personalities in settings that are not ideal. Having only two books to go by, I would say that this book club most likely prefers books that focus on characters rather than plot.

The book club was held in the meeting room of the public library. There was a staff member who seemed to be the facilitator. She greeted each member as they entered and began the discussion. She started with a synopsis of the book and then opened up a question to the rest of the members. The members were all middle-aged to seniors with a good mixture of men and women. They took turns politely answering the questions and starting their own discussion. The library staff member did not answer or respond to any question directly unless the discussion was at a low point. When this happened, the staff member would share her opinion or open up the discussion with a new question. While all members participated, there were a few that were more vocal than others. While they each brought their own ideas to the discussion, I got the impression that they all typically carried similar views. The library that I participated at is in a small, rural area. The fact that the members seemed to share views did not surprise me very much. They all are from similar backgrounds and of similar ages. Overall, the discussion happened very smoothly without many pauses. The members were polite. The atmosphere was friendly. The only off-putting factor was that, as a new-comer, the familiarity between members and lack of inclusion for me. If I had read the book, this may not have been the case. I think I would like to participate in this book club in the future to see if it feels different being an active participant.