View Full Version : MoFo Book Club?
Would there be any interest in a MoFo book club? One book per month decided on by the members based on member nominations. Then a group discussion of the book.
Stirchley
12-27-21, 03:01 PM
Would there be any interest in a MoFo book club? One book per month decided on by the members based on member nominations. Then a group discussion of the book.
If I were you, I would do a search first for “book”. There may already be a thread for something like this.
I love books, but don’t have time for a book club.
If I were you, I would do a search first for “book”. There may already be a thread for something like this.
I love books, but don’t have time for a book club.
I would but the search function here doesn't seem to work.
I would but the search function here doesn't seem to work.
Works okay here, but if you need assistance/find a bug let me know (or start a thread in the Site Stuff forum) and I'll be glad to help. :)
Citizen Rules
12-27-21, 05:13 PM
I would but the search function here doesn't seem to work.Search works real good here and I use it all the time. But it took me awhile to discover this hidden search feature: If you type a word into the main search on MoFo you only get results for thread title searches.
But if you click search without typing anything...then you get the advanced search page and you can then search by thread title or by posts and also get results as threads or posts (and a bunch of other neat parameters can be chosen too like date range and user ID.)
I say this is hidden because at least on my computer I don't see where there's a link for advanced search when I click the magnify glass icon...Though if you use the search from an individual thread, then there is an advanced search link.
@Yoda (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=1) maybe you can add an advance search link to the main search?
Stirchley
12-27-21, 06:08 PM
Search works real good here and I use it all the time. But it took me awhile to discover this hidden search feature: If you type a word into the main search on MoFo you only get results for thread title searches.
But if you click search without typing anything...then you get the advanced search page and you can then search by thread title or by posts and also get results as threads or posts (and a bunch of other neat parameters can be chosen too like date range and user ID.)
I say this is hidden because at least on my computer I don't see where there's a link for advanced search when I click the magnify glass icon...Though if you use the search from an individual thread, then there is an advanced search link.
@Yoda (http://www.movieforums.com/community/member.php?u=1) maybe you can add an advance search link to the main search?
I was actually going to ask you if there was a book club here before?
Citizen Rules
12-27-21, 06:13 PM
I was actually going to ask you if there was a book club here before?There was something like that 7 years ago, but those people have mostly left the board. The OP should go for it! Maybe some will join.
I am an avid reader, but these days, find it hard to find time everyday to read. I read mostly in the mornings lately, before I head out for work.
Takoma11
12-27-21, 09:26 PM
Would there be any interest in a MoFo book club? One book per month decided on by the members based on member nominations. Then a group discussion of the book.
I would be happy to be part of your book club. :)
I would be happy to be part of your book club. :)
Welcome! Just to be clear, it's not my book club. It's ours.
Hopefully we can attract more members. Gonna be tricky with only two of us. :D
There was something like that 7 years ago, but those people have mostly left the board. The OP should go for it! Maybe some will join.
How about you? :D
matt72582
12-29-21, 06:05 PM
I'd like to, but many times I start a biography, and then start something else that catches my fancy. I have so many unfinished books (unless it's a book I REALLY want to read, which I can finish in 2-3 days).
Citizen Rules
12-29-21, 06:07 PM
How about you? :DThanks but I don't read. By that I mean I haven't read a book in decades, just no time. If I did read a book it would probably be non fiction. But I do think this is a neat idea! Even if only a few people join in, it will be fun:)
BTW Takoma is the perfect person to have join as she will add a lot to the conversation. So maybe you two should discuss what books you're interested in reading/discussing and how the Book Club will work.
I'd like to, but many times I start a biography, and then start something else that catches my fancy. I have so many unfinished books (unless it's a book I REALLY want to read, which I can finish in 2-3 days).
A book club might be perfect for you. Put a little pressure on you to finish the book. :D
BTW Takoma is the perfect person to have join as she will add a lot to the conversation. So maybe you two should discuss what books you're interested in reading/discussing and how the Book Club will work.
We will discuss the details. Just want to give it some more time to attract new members.
Citizen Rules
12-29-21, 06:39 PM
We will discuss the details. Just want to give it some more time to attract new members.:up:
matt72582
12-29-21, 07:35 PM
A book club might be perfect for you. Put a little pressure on you to finish the book. :D
That's the problem -- pressure..
Plus, I still can't get into fiction. I spend enough time with my own imagination :)
AgrippinaX
12-29-21, 08:29 PM
I’m rereading Don Quixote. There’s the semi-new gorgeous Edith Grossman translation. Would probably get fired if job knew, but then again, I watch far too much stuff too.
Takoma11
12-30-21, 12:16 AM
Welcome! Just to be clear, it's not my book club. It's ours.
Hopefully we can attract more members. Gonna be tricky with only two of us. :D
You're right! I own 50% of this book club, and don't any of you forget it!!
Honestly, some people might be waiting to see what kind of books will be chosen before joining. If you're a romance fan, you don't want to join a book club only to find you're now responsible for reading a 400+ page biography of Woodrow Wilson or something.
Did you have any ideas about what book you might want to read?
One thought I had was that we could pick a novel that's been adapted into a film, then watch the film adaptation (or adaptations plural if we read something like The Big Sleep). That way it's like a book club and a movie club at the same time.
Austruck
12-30-21, 01:17 AM
I don't mean this to sound rude, but I find it amusing that people who watch TV shows and movies then say they don't read fiction because of some reason relating to it being frivolous (compared to, say, nonfiction). By that reasoning, one should watch only documentaries and the news. :D
I'm just funnin' with all of you. Hubby doesn't read books, either... AND I WRITE BOOKS. Sheesh. He's never read one of them.
If you don't mind people participating based solely on how the month is going and what the book is, I'd be interested. :)
You're right! I own 50% of this book club, and don't any of you forget it!!
I've created a monster! :D;)
Honestly, some people might be waiting to see what kind of books will be chosen before joining. If you're a romance fan, you don't want to join a book club only to find you're now responsible for reading a 400+ page biography of Woodrow Wilson or something.
True, and sad. I can't help them as I don't know what genre will be chosen month to month other than it won't be the same genre for back to back months.
Did you have any ideas about what book you might want to read?
I have somewhat eclectic tastes when it comes to reading so I have many books from different genre's I'd like to read.
One thought I had was that we could pick a novel that's been adapted into a film, then watch the film adaptation (or adaptations plural if we read something like The Big Sleep). That way it's like a book club and a movie club at the same time.
A great idea but I don't want to limit the club to only books made into movies. That would disqualify far too many great books imo. But we could certainly do that when the stars align.
I don't mean this to sound rude, but I find it amusing that people who watch TV shows and movies then say they don't read fiction because of some reason relating to it being frivolous (compared to, say, nonfiction). By that reasoning, one should watch only documentaries and the news. :D
I'm just funnin' with all of you. Hubby doesn't read books, either... AND I WRITE BOOKS. Sheesh. He's never read one of them.
If you don't mind people participating based solely on how the month is going and what the book is, I'd be interested. :)
I'm ok with that. Hopefully you'll participate on a regular basis. :)
My thoughts for the club:
1. Members nominate books and vote for the one they're interested in. Anything goes (except politics).
2. Genre's can't be repeated on back to back months.
3. In order to nominate a book you must have actively participated the previous month, but you can still vote.
4. Don't take it, or make it, personal. Not everyone will like the same book.
5. Have fun!!
6. Rinse and repeat... :D
Suggestions? Thoughts?
I would echo Austruck's sentiment that in some months, various people, including myself, might dip in and out depending on the book. The MoFo song tournament works in pretty much the same way, with participation waxing and waning as the rounds go by...
BTW...
Currently reading:
Fiction: Something Wicked this Way Comes - Bradbury
Non-Fiction: The Lie About the Truck - Tisdale
Yeah, I'd participate contingent on book choice, too. Nobody be offended, my standards for that sort of thing are high. :D
Takoma11
12-30-21, 12:23 PM
Yeah, I'd participate contingent on book choice, too. Nobody be offended, my standards for that sort of thing are high. :D
*looks on Yoda's nightstand*
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdg6xfr3y1xvv2.cloudfront.net%2Fhow-to-talk-to-your-cat-about-gun-safety-MAIN-563a495ee4351-1500.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
Anyway, I up for it. Were you hoping to start in January?
Selfishly, On Chesil Beach has been sitting unread on my bookshelf for the last three years.
Anyway, I up for it. Were you hoping to start in January?
Selfishly, On Chesil Beach has been sitting unread on my bookshelf for the last three years.
Yes, a January start is what I'm hoping for. Look for a new thread to officially launch the club.
MovieMad16
12-30-21, 01:23 PM
I've just bought a Kindle so I'm happy to get onboard a project that motivates me into reading more again.
Sign me up.
I've just bought a Kindle so I'm happy to get onboard a project that motivates me into reading more again.
Sign me up.
Welcome!
AgrippinaX
12-30-21, 01:57 PM
Selfishly, On Chesil Beach has been sitting unread on my bookshelf for the last three years.
I met McEwan at an idiotic festival a few years ago (he was rather unlikeable) and read this shortly after. It’s entertaining enough but seemed equally unpleasant to me. Shame this one didn’t come to my mind when we were discussing sex scenes. It’s a good read, though.
*looks on Yoda's nightstand*
https://external-content.duckduckgo.com/iu/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fdg6xfr3y1xvv2.cloudfront.net%2Fhow-to-talk-to-your-cat-about-gun-safety-MAIN-563a495ee4351-1500.jpg&f=1&nofb=1
I actually have this book...
Thoughts on nomination and voting time.
I realize that we can't be here 24/7 so some time must be allotted for the process of nominating and voting on books. I was thinking ~ 72 hrs. for nominations and ~ 48 hrs. for voting.
Please chime in if you have other ideas on this, or any other suggestion I've made.
I'd recommend longer periods for both. Forums being asynchronous means a lot of people will check in every couple of days (some maybe even once a week), and/or just not notice the threads right away.
That said, there's benefit to keeping it brisk, so it's reasonable to prioritize that over making sure as many people as possible see things and participate, if that's the way you wanna go. My feeling from running various other little events and things is that participation and visibility are always the harder things, but as long as you're aware of the tradeoffs/the decision is intentional, go with what feels best. :up:
The Rodent
12-30-21, 03:05 PM
Being locked down over Xmas and New Year... I've sat and read Jurassic Park for about the 14th time, and I've also managed to get through Lord Of The Rings for only the 2nd time ever in one shot.
I've still got no f*cking idea what LOTR was about though. Damned thing is like reading a historical document.
I'd recommend longer periods for both. Forums being asynchronous means a lot of people will check in every couple of days (some maybe even once a week), and/or just not notice the threads right away.
That said, there's benefit to keeping it brisk, so it's reasonable to prioritize that over making sure as many people as possible see things and participate, if that's the way you wanna go. My feeling from running various other little events and things is that participation and visibility are always the harder things, but as long as you're aware of the tradeoffs/the decision is intentional, go with what feels best. :up:
I agree with you about visibility and participation. But we only have 30 days to read and discuss. In addition to the nomination and voting period people will need time to acquire the winning book. That may take some people another 2 to 3 days. That's 8 days of the 30 gone.
I will gladly increase the time for nomination and voting if that's what we want to do, and if we feel there would be enough time left to read and discuss.
Would like to hear from others.
I agree with you about visibility and participation. But we only have 30 days to read and discuss. In addition to the nomination and voting period people will need time to acquire the winning book. That may take some people another 2 to 3 days. That's 8 days of the 30 gone.
I will gladly increase the time for nomination and voting if that's what we want to do, and if we feel there would be enough time left to read and discuss.
Would like to hear from others.
Use a 5-ish week rotation instead. 7 days to vote and get the book, and then start the clock on a 30 day reading period. If some people need to suck up a day or two into the 30-day portion to acquire the book, they still have a full 4 weeks to read it afterward. The nature of the forum is going to slow down the voting and nom process no matter what, so it must be accounted for somehow.
Austruck
12-30-21, 03:40 PM
Use a 5-ish week rotation instead. 7 days to vote and get the book, and then start the clock on a 30 day reading period. If some people need to suck up a day or two into the 30-day portion to acquire the book, they still have a full 4 weeks to read it afterward. The nature of the forum is going to slow down the voting and nom process no matter what, so it must be accounted for somehow.
Plus, it doesn't have to be an exact calendar month for any of this if we find out it's not a long enough stretch to include nominating, voting, reading, and discussing. I can't even guess how long it'll take to discuss a book--and that will likely vary widely depending on the book and the people who've read it.
Also factor in that folks here are from across the globe and, in some cases, are twelve hours apart or more. That's gonna affect how/when they access the forum.
Citizen Rules
12-30-21, 03:43 PM
Thoughts on nomination and voting time.
I realize that we can't be here 24/7 so some time must be allotted for the process of nominating and voting on books. I was thinking ~ 72 hrs. for nominations and ~ 48 hrs. for voting.
Please chime in if you have other ideas on this, or any other suggestion I've made.
I've been in numerous events like this on this board, in Hall of Fames (HoFs). Usually we give 5-7 days to join a 3 month HoF, but we allow people to join in after it starts AND people know in advance when the start date is so they can prepare for it before it even starts.
So in the future you could start the next Book Club a week or so before the previous one is set to end. That way you have a full 30 days to read and still give ample time for people to nominate and vote for the next book.
With that said it's your idea so you should do what works best, just consider being flexible and evolving this as it proceeds.
Yeah, I guess making it literally "of the month" makes for a pretty aggressive schedule, by necessity. So you can either fudge that here and there (and skip the occasional month to compensate), make it every two months, etc. Or just try the fast pace and see what happens.
Fair enough. Thank you all for the input.
I'll start a new thread for the next book ~ a week before the end of the month. 4 days for nominations and 3 for voting.
Would that be agreeable? If we need to adjust as time goes on we can always do that.
I can't even guess how long it'll take to discuss a book--and that will likely vary widely depending on the book and the people who've read it.
I didn't even consider this - we like to talk about here!
New thread is up: https://www.movieforums.com/community/showthread.php?t=65432
Takoma11
12-30-21, 07:16 PM
I actually have this book...
So does my BIL.
Stirchley
12-31-21, 02:13 PM
I would be happy to be part of your book club. :)
Takoma11 is gonna want to read War & Peace and Crime & Punishment followed by The Magic Mountain, all 3 in their original languages of Russian & German. :p
A book club might be perfect for you. Put a little pressure on you to finish the book. :D
Lordy, we don’t need more pressure.
That's the problem -- pressure..
Exactly.
If you're a romance fan, you don't want to join a book club only to find you're now responsible for reading a 400+ page biography of Woodrow Wilson or something.
Are you kidding? It’s my favorite book.
Don't take it, or make it, personal.
Trust me. They will.
Selfishly, On Chesil Beach has been sitting unread on my bookshelf for the last three years.
It’s a decent book. I enjoyed it.
I'd recommend longer periods for both. Forums being asynchronous means a lot of people will check in every couple of days (some maybe even once a week), and/or just not notice the threads right away.
What on earth? Never seen this word before.
I've still got no f*cking idea what LOTR was about though. Damned thing is like reading a historical document.
Tolkien was from my hometown, but I’ve never read LOTR or seen the film version.
MovieMad16
01-01-22, 06:26 PM
I met McEwan at an idiotic festival a few years ago (he was rather unlikeable) and read this shortly after. It’s entertaining enough but seemed equally unpleasant to me. Shame this one didn’t come to my mind when we were discussing sex scenes. It’s a good read, though.
I saw the film. Quite liked it. Ending wound me up though. Felt so bad for the male lead at the end.
AgrippinaX
01-01-22, 06:30 PM
I saw the film. Quite liked it. Ending wound me up though. Felt so bad for the male lead at the end.
Exactly. I feel very bad for the male lead all the way through.
CringeFest
01-08-22, 06:51 PM
I've still been reading short stories by Daphne Du Maurer, she wrote "Jamaica Inn", which was her most famous book i think made into a movie. Such incredible talent, practically all her stories have a magical realism element to them, i definitely admire her to the same degree as Phillip K. DIck and Jose J Veiga:
https://www.amazon.com/Dont-Look-Now-Selected-Classics/dp/1590172884/ref=sr_1_4?keywords=daphne+du+maurier&qid=1641682218&s=books&sprefix=daphne+%2Cstripbooks%2C182&sr=1-4
When i was reading more a couple months ago, i devoured grapes of wrath which is a fun book.
GulfportDoc
01-09-22, 07:24 PM
I've still been reading short stories by Daphne Du Maurer, she wrote "Jamaica Inn", which was her most famous book i think made into a movie. Such incredible talent, practically all her stories have a magical realism element to them, i definitely admire her to the same degree as Phillip K. DIck and Jose J Veiga:
...
It's interesting to me that Hitchcock used not only Jamaica Inn as the story for his movie of the same name in 1939, but also he used her short story The Birds as inspiration for his movie in 1963. Her novel Rebecca was likewise made into a movie by Hitch in 1940. Her stories obviously had great appeal to Hitchcock.
CringeFest
01-09-22, 07:29 PM
It's interesting to me that Hitchcock used not only Jamaica Inn as the story for his movie of the same name in 1939, but also he used her short story The Birds as inspiration for his movie in 1963. Her novel Rebecca was likewise made into a movie by Hitch in 1940. Her stories obviously had great appeal to Hitchcock.
Yeah birds is a good ine, I haven't read rebecca yet. I'm currently on blue lenses, but haven't found the time to finish it yet. I'm in the er for my broken finger, lol
GulfportDoc
01-09-22, 07:53 PM
Yeah birds is a good ine, I haven't read rebecca yet. I'm currently on blue lenses, but haven't found the time to finish it yet. I'm in the er for my broken finger, lol
Good Lord, I hope your finger heals quickly.
Rebecca is a good film, but not representative of good Hitchcock due to the fact that he was hamstrung by David O. Selznick, the producer. Their personalities clashed, and I don't believe Hitch ever did another film with Selznik.
It's definitely worth a watch though. It's got some classic stuff in it.
CringeFest
01-09-22, 08:36 PM
Good Lord, I hope your finger heals quickly.
Rebecca is a good film, but not representative of good Hitchcock due to the fact that he was hamstrung by David O. Selznick, the producer. Their personalities clashed, and I don't believe Hitch ever did another film with Selznik.
It's definitely worth a watch though. It's got some classic stuff in it.
Luckily it's not broken, but it'll be a couple weeks till I can play guitar like I was again, hahaha
Stirchley
01-10-22, 02:55 PM
When i was reading more a couple months ago, i devoured grapes of wrath which is a fun book.
First time I’ve seen The Grapes of Wrath described as a “fun” book.
Yeah birds is a good ine, I haven't read rebecca yet. I'm currently on blue lenses, but haven't found the time to finish it yet. I'm in the er for my broken finger, lol
Rebecca is a good movie & a good book.
CringeFest
01-10-22, 05:32 PM
First time I’ve seen The Grapes of Wrath described as a “fun” book.
i thought it was fun because their midwest accents, and it was adventurous.
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