Daily Strength BookClub Community Group
Calling all book readers! What would be better than to read together in a group and discuss on here with your friends from Daily Strength?
Okay wise ones, I am trying to decide what to do about trying a new bookclub. I had attended in 2021 but found a few of the attendees kind of obnoxious. It didn't feel peaceful or positive energy. I actually wrote the woman who was the secretary at that time about why I was quitting (too much illogical political stuff).
So I found they still meet at the library and wanted to give it a try again but keep my mouth shut about why I didn't stick with them in 2021. It is the only weekday morning group I can find at this time. So this was five years ago and I don't know anyone who attends. The libary has 6 pm bookclubs but I find myself in a lot of pain by evening.
So the problem is the book for January was terrible, I could not understand the plot and gave up. And I had PT scheduled before that and just didn't feel like going that day. I mean how do you say you hated this book to a new group of people or do I lie?
The next meeting is February and I looked up the book, and once again it is a weird book. I don't expect to like every book -- but I am wondering what to do. Go or give up on this bookclub?
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Good Thursday to you!I've been watching a really long trial on Youtube these last couple of nights and will finish tomorrowHopefully I'll be in the land of nod soon and I hope my peeps are having sweet dreams followed by a great daySending hugs...xo
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My day...today...misplaced my debit card...didn't realize it until I got to the register after shopping to a full cart. Used a different debit card and pulled apart everything looking for missing debit card before I left parking lot. Got home, dropped keys. So now I have a missing debit card, missing keys. A full cartload to unload and put away. I got everything put away.Dumped purse for a...
Focus on specific, analytical reasons (plot, pacing, character development) rather than just stating "I hated it."
Use phrases like "I struggled to connect with the characters."
Use "I" Statements: "I personally struggled to get into this one," or "I found the pacing slow," which focuses on your experience rather than attacking the book.
Blame it on Taste: "I think this just isn't my typical genre," or "It wasn't for me, but I can see why others enjoyed it".
Focus on Elements: Mention specific aspects like, "I had trouble connecting with the main character," or "The ending didn't feel earned".
Analyze, Don't Just Criticize: "I didn't quite understand the author's intent with [specific scene]," which invites discussion
I'm pretty picky about the books I read, so my book club was perfect because they asked me to choose the books. :). I usually gave 2 or 3 choices and asked the group to vote. Maybe you could ask if you can choose the next book.
BTW "The loneliness of Sonia and Sunny" by Kiran Desai. I struggled to connect with the characters and the plot was complicated. I tried reading it but could not continue. Back to the library you go.
The worst thing about the book was I could not understand the plot line. I hated to admit to strangers that it was so wordy and convoluted that I could not understand things plus it was set in a foreign country and used foreign words which I would have to stop and look them up to understand what was going on.
I had trouble connecting to any character and I could not understand the plot. I was embarrassed to go and have to say all of this. Which is really my own ego butting in.
And someone recommended this book and probably liked it or thought it was fun, etc. For me, I felt dumb to not understand the plot. I just read and loved a non-fiction true history book of marriage and murder of bootleggers in Prohibition. The Ghosts of Echo Park. Loved it, reads like fiction, a story we have no idea about one hundred years ago.
So this other book really slayed me not understanding it without reading every page twice!