A book discussion club is a group of people who meet to discuss a book or books that they have read and express their opinions, likes, dislikes, etc. It is more often called simply a book club.
Traditionally, a book club consists of several members who meet in person each month to talk about a specific book or literature. However, the advent of web forums and email has made it possible for book clubs to exist online. Nowadays book discussion clubs may meet in private homes, libraries, bookstores, online forums, pubs, and in cafes or restaurants over meals or drinks. While both traditional and online book clubs offer readers the opportunity to participate in spirited discussions, each type has its own set of advantages.
In person meeting book clubs offer the benefit of having all members in the same room face to face, which makes for a much more personal and intimate experience. Since most in person meeting book clubs are somewhat small in size, each member typically has more control over what books are selected to read (often members will vote on a list of suggested titles that have been submitted or take turns selecting). At the same time, it is often difficult to organize and maintain a book club that meets face to face regularly. In addition to the challenge of recruiting quality members for a book club, a regular meeting time and place may be difficult to establish, especially if members have busy schedules. A responsible and experienced moderator is also very difficult to find while maintaining such a book club. Also, the small size of the traditional book club typically limits the diversity of views and perspectives that enter into the discussion. There is less number of people and so limited ideas are shared among themselves.
Online book clubs offer several advantages over the in person meeting group model. Due to the availability of the internet anywhere and everywhere and the variety of book clubs available, readers who turn to the Internet to find a book club enjoy a much wider selection of clubs, including many dedicated to a specialized interest or genre. In addition, online book clubs can be more convenient, as many of them are available at any time of day. Of course, there are also disadvantages associated with online book clubs. For instance, the intimacy of a personal discussion is lost, along with the social interaction that is often a part of the traditional book club experience. Few of the non-serious members are added who tend to destroy the ambience of serious and long lasting discussions. There is also a need of a strong and a responsible moderator, who regularly eyes upon the activities of the members and if the need arise, may take an action on the defaulters.
In addition to discussion-oriented book clubs, a book club can also be a place to compare prices, writing previews and reviews and purchasing books. These book clubs offer lot of features like book searching, creating your own space and login id, having a specialized shopping cart, price comparison from various vendors and special discount coupons In addition to this they offer great deal for readers who wish to purchase several books each year. Many of these are available online, where readers can use the book club’s website to choose their books. One of the America’s most wanted online book club is www.gauchotexts.com. It has all the features you could wish in a book club for comparing prices and ordering books. You will come to know why it’s most wanted only after you login www.gauchotexts.com and give it a try!
