I run an online book group through this website, I write about reading groups occasionally, and have been on the radio to talk about them and yet I've never been a member of a real life, face-to-face group, but as I know a lot of you are or have been, I wanted to pick your brains on them. Don't feel you have to answer any or all of the questions, your wider thoughts and impressions are welcome, but any insights or anecdotes you're willing to give us will be of interest, whether we're group members or not.
How often do you meet?
How are the books chosen, and do you ever resort to sources of 'good books for groups' such as websites, reading guides?
Do you read non-fiction as well as fiction; do you read poetry, short stories or plays as well as novels?
Do you tend to read recently published books or range widely over works from all periods?
Has everyone read the book by discussion day? Does everyone get a fair chance to speak, or do some members dominate at the expense of the quieter ones?
Do you find you stick to talking about the book when you meet, or do you quickly move on to general chat?
Do you find you get more out of a book when you're reading it for the group, or does having to talk about it make the reading seem a bit more like 'work/school'.
Has any book been a particular hit with the group or given rise to an especially stimulating discussion? Likewise, have you had any failures - books about which there was just not much to be said?
