I am in two book clubs. One is local and we meet face-to-face; the other is anything but local, as our members live in such faraway places as Utah and New York. We Skype to discuss the month’s selection. Which do I like better?
It depends on the book and the month and my mood.
I’ve been in the local club fifteen years. It’s composed of women who are all my age and who have had professional careers. There are 18 of us and about 12-14 usually show up at the regular first Thursday of the month meeting. There’s history here, So when we meet there is half an hour of coffee and chatting before we get down to business. Still, since we’re all white, all women, all retired (except for one member), there’s a similarity to our responses to the chosen titles.
The Skype club is smaller and more diverse. Our ages range from late seventies to late forties. There are men and women. And, possibly because there are fewer of us, we all show up most of the time. Another characteristic of the Skype club is that we often recommend books nobody has read, so we’re all learning about the work together.
It’s a lot of assigned reading each month, but being in two groups means I’m reminded regularly that there are many interesting ways to accomplish something. It’s a good lesson, not only for book clubs but also for life in general.
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