Went to the library in Springfield and saw something that made me rethink book club picks

I was at the main branch downtown last Thursday, just browsing the new fiction section. I saw a woman pull at least ten copies of the same bestseller off the shelf and stack them in her cart. I asked the librarian about it, and she said it was for a big book club that only reads 'hot' titles from the big lists. It got me thinking, why does every club feel like they have to pick the book everyone is already talking about? We did that with 'The Four Winds' last year and half the group hated it, but we felt pressured to choose it. It seems like we're missing out on so many good stories just to follow a trend. How do other clubs decide what to read without just grabbing whatever is on the front table?

4 comments

4 Comments

kevinallen1mo ago

Picking from different decades" is a great idea, I used to think you had to read new books to have a good talk.

schmidt.iris12d ago

Try borrowing that librarian's knowledge instead of raiding the front table. @kevinallen might hate this idea but ask a librarian for suggestions they think are perfect for your group, not just what's new. They know the backlist gems that have strong character arcs or weird plot twists that spark real fights over dessert. Our club did that once and ended up reading a slasher novel from 1988 that nobody had heard of, and it was the best talk we ever had.

the_riley1mo ago

Try a rotating pick system, it worked for us.

ivan4621mo ago

Ever notice how those front table books are always the same in every store? My friend's club got stuck in that loop and it killed their vibe. They switched to picking books from different decades, like one month is a 90s book, next month something from the 70s. It forced them off the hype train and they found way better stuff. Maybe trying a theme like that could help break the cycle.