Have you ever wanted to try out a book club, but you were put off because you didn’t think that you were the ‘right’ sort of reader? You are certainly not alone if you’ve felt like this. Many people fear that book clubs are stuffy gatherings that expect you to be able to recount every last plot detail and know all the ins and outs of the author’s life. But the reality is that this image is far from the truth and there is nothing that you really need to fear.
So, why do book clubs seem pretentious? Well, firstly, you are assigned a book to read for each meeting which can bring back memories of studying English at school. It is also quite unlikely that you will always be reading the most popular books since book clubs tend to go for works that are a bit less well-known. This can appear as pretentious because it seems like they are disregarding the books that everyone else is currently loving. Moreover, being part of a book club can mean having to get through books quickly, as it can feel really awkward turning up to a meeting having read only half of the book. It can feel as though the people running book clubs forget that people have other commitments, which make it difficult to continuously plough through each assigned book. Personally, I have found that, as much as I would love to be part of a book club, I simply don’t have the time as an English Literature student. I already have to read quite a lot each week and unfortunately there are simply not enough hours in a day for me to get through another book every fortnight, or even every month, especially if I also want to get through my ever-growing TBR (To Be Read) list.
However, don’t be put off! Book clubs aren’t necessarily as pretentious as they might first seem. Most of them choose what to read through their members nominating and voting on books, making it a democratic process where everyone gets a say. Therefore, there is often a mix of currently popular and award-winning books as well as some lesser-known ones. This can be great because it introduces you to books from outside your comfort zone, so you can discover new genres and authors that you really like. Obviously, there is always a chance that you will hate some of the chosen books; however, I think this can actually be a great thing because it means that you will know what not to read in the future! Furthermore, book club meetings are more likely to be enjoyable if people have different opinions about the book because it will give you more to chat about. And don’t worry, book club meetings aren’t like English seminars: you don’t need to come prepared with a list of quotes to back up your opinions, it’s more of a general chat about what you liked or didn’t like about the book. Finally, if it’s the financial cost of buying each book that is making book clubs seem too pretentious for you, you don’t need to worry because it’s forever getting easier to get hold of books for less money. You can buy second hand copies online or you could opt for an ebook or audiobook version which you should be able to get from your local library or Sheffield Uni’s library pretty easily using an app like Libby.
If a traditional book club still seems a bit too pretentious for your liking, there’s several alternatives that you can try instead. There’s lots of bookish communities online where you can chat about books to your heart’s content. Goodreads, for example, has loads of forums which are all dedicated to slightly different reading ventures and challenges, and they can be a really good way to keep yourself accountable to your reading goals. There’s also loads of radio, podcast and TV book clubs which are really great for discovering new reads even if they do lack the interactive nature of traditional book clubs. If you prefer actually chatting about books with new people but are a bit too intimidated by an in-person book club, you could try finding one that meets online. That way if it all gets a bit too much for you, you can just pretend your internet has dropped out! Alternatively, if you just want to find some new friends who also love books, you could try out a silent book club. This is a relatively new concept where people meet up in a café or pub (or anywhere else that will host them) to have a bit of a general chat, and then there is some time dedicated to everyone reading their own books in silence. What’s great about silent book clubs is that there’s no pressure to read any particular books at a certain speed, but you can still discover loads of new books by asking about what everyone else is reading. They are also great for your well-being as it gives you a dedicated time to be social whilst not over-exerting yourself.
Overall, I think all booklovers should give a book club a go as it’s a great way to meet other bookish people, and it’s also a great excuse to just chat about books for hours!
