Chicks On Lit discussion

Transfer of a discussion from another thread:

Laura wrote: "does anyone know what we are.reading for June?"

Sheila wrote: "We did not run a poll, or select a book, for a June read this month. Tera and I discussed this, and with all the other reads going on (Chunky reads, Classic reads, Buddy reads, etc) it seemed that participation in the monthly read had been lacking (for several previous months), and we thought Chicks might be getting overwhelmed with too many reads.
If there is a big interest in having the nominations and voting for monthly reads though, we would be happy to reinstate it for a July (or future month) read."

Irene wrote "I enjoy the monthly reads. Of course, I don't always participate. But, that has less to do with being overwhelmed than with not being interested in the book chosen. For example, I chose not to do the April monthly book because I have had lack luster experiences with young adult books in the past and the few reviews I had seen on that title gave me the impression that I would not find it appealing. With so many books and so little time, Ijust decided I would forego that one.

If anyone else would like to chime in on this discussion, please do so in this thread. Are you interested in nominating, voting for, and participating in monthly member led group reads, or do you feel we have enough read with the Chunky Reads, Classic Reads, Buddy Reads, etc.

I also like the monthly reads. I don't always participate in the chunky or classic reads because I can't get the book or don't have the time but I always like to have another book choice.

I too like the monthly reads, but don't always participate. Sometimes it's because I have little interest in the book, but previously it was because of grad school (which is over now). I do not participate at all in the chunky, classic or buddy reads. I feel sometimes the monthly read discussion isn't always monitored or moving fast enough for my pacing so I get bored. I am more likely to participate in a monthly than any other. Thanks!

What do you think are some ways we can get more interest in monthly reads? We took a break this month because discussions and nominations were pretty sparse and we thought maybe we were pushing too many reads. If you like and want to continue the monthly reads anyone have any ideas how we can get more involved? Usually 25-50 people vote but only 3-5 participate, sometimes not even the person who nominated the book.

how about using social networking like Twitter to get some interest?

you can make a twitter account just for Chicks on Lit and get a large following that is more interactive.

Twitter can be useful or facebook. I personally don't tweet because I am not interesting enough to have followings.

Since we currently have 3,725 members in Chicks On Lit, getting more of a following probably isn't the issue. I think the question is, how do we get more of these members to actually participate in the discussion of the group reads? And by participate, I mean actually read the book selected, and then post thoughts and comments (join the discussion) in the thread for the book when it is discussed.

As Tera mentioned, a couple times recently we have had only 3-5 people actually post a comment in the discussion thread for a monthly read. People vote for a book, and then never join the discussion. People nominate a book, and are supposed to be in charge of leading the discussion, and then never participate in the discussion when it is time.

So what ideas does anyone have for getting more of our current group members involved in actually discussing a monthly read?

What would it take to motivate YOU (and this is said to everyone) to join the discussion and actually post comments in a discussion thread?

Are YOU hesistant to nominate books for the monthly read because they are scared of having to lead a discussion? If so, how can we help you overcome that fear?

What types of books would YOU like to see us read (what types of books would make you most likely to join the discussion)?

I think it would be to see more recent popular or best sellers. Looking at the shelf most reads seemed to be be older works. Maybe having categories with the literature. My one group has random house select the book, they have created a list and roatate the theme each month. Ex. Mystery, romance, ya, suspense, current could be some themes? In my opinion I don't think the variety of chick lit is varied enough to maintain interest. I hope I am not offending anyone.

I would like to see more current books and best sellers.

Interesting that some want more current books since I didn't participate in some book discussions because the book was still in hardcover (e.g., The Story of Beautiful Girl). I just got it when it came out in paper, will be reading it this summer and then checking out the past discussion comments.

Other reasons I haven't participated:
Sometimes it's because I don't have the book, can't find it locally and when I order it the book arrives too late.
Other times I'm just not interested in reading (or re-reading) that particular book. I read this month's book several years ago and did not like it.
There are a couple of times when I planned to participate but was too busy to read the book in time for the discussion. And you must complete the book in order to participate at all.

Even though I am yet to actively participate, I want the group to continue having the group reads. At one point, CoL was doing two books a month which I think was too much. Doing one book a month or (since one concern is all the other 'sub-group' reads) try a general group read every other month. Also, you may want to try "theme reads", e.g., a summer book that's set at the beach or on vacation; a gothic novel for October.

I'm involved in several groups on goodreads, and it seems that they all struggle with participation with group reads. So, if COL figures out the magical formula to get more participation, please share it! I'd love to know what it is! :)

I love group reads (whether they are monthly, chunky, classic, buddy, etc doesn't matter to me). I love knowing what other people think about a particular book/author/character etc. I usually nominate books every few months, sometimes I nominate old favorites, sometimes I nominate books I haven't even read yet. Leading discussions aren't hard if you have a book that lends itself to discussing. Some books don't have many talking points.

As to if I join someone else's discussion, it depends primarily on 2 factors: 1) is it a book I want to read? 2) can I get it from my local library in time to read it for the discussion? With newer, more popular books, getting my hands on a copy from the library (and I have a *nice* library) is very difficult. I do revive old threads if I eventually get around to reading a former group read. I also try to encourage people to contribute to older threads as I peruse the "what have you just finished" thread.

I don't know if this helps, but hopefully we get more participation in the future!

Hi! I'm new here and haven't been part of a group read here but thought I'd throw in my 2cents from experience in other groups.
I enjoy a good book discussion and will read books that I would have overlooked just to be able to join in.
I don't buy many of my books; therefore, if the book isn't available from the library or has a long request list, I can't join a discussion. I will, though, revive an old discussion when I get to that book. For current reads, I prefer a book that's easy to get my hands on.
Perhaps have 2 group reads, one older (classic or near classic) and one more contemporary, would allow a wide enough range of interest?

I love these thoughts. There is more discussion about the topic of a monthly read than about any actual read. LOL!!!! I am baffled by those who nominate a book or vote for one then don't participate (understanding that on occassion unforseen personal crisis may arise preventing participation.) I agree with those who said that newer, best-sellers pose a problem of accessing the book in time. My salary does not allow me to support my book addiction, so I am often forced to borrow rather than buy. That is easier for older titles and much less expensive if it is in paperback. I am also the odd duk who liked the 2 per month schedule. If a particular title was of no interest to me or I could not get it in time, I still had an option. Also, if the selection turned out to be lack luster and did not inspire great conversation, there was no pressure to keep it going for more than 2 weeks.

All this said, I have no idea how to increase participation in the threads. If those who nominated and voted for the title don't join the discussion, well? I must admit confusion when I have joined discussions who have won with 10 or so votes and only 4 show up. And, often, I am not one of those votes since I tend to have unpopular tastes in books. If folks don't show up for books they selected, I don't know what more mods can do.

By the way, I just want to take this opportunity to tell you mods what a wonderful job you are doing. This is a great group and the variation on titles is wonderful. My reading life is richer because of the conversations I have had here. I am so grateful.

I think an online group differs greatly from an IRL group, because it's so much easier to be a flake when it comes to activity online.

I don't participate in the group reads because I'm usually not interested in reading that particular book. Many times, I still vote, because why not? It's online and there's no commitment. I have an IRL book club that I am much more committed to. There's only so much time in a day for reading and so, people are choosey about the books they are willing to spend the time to read.

Personally, I think the best thing about this group is the buddy reads. You can just pick whatever book you happen to be reading and see if others have an interest too. The buddy reads open up more possibilities because there isn't any pressure for the entire group to read that book. It's just a join if you want or not. No big deal. And many times I've gotten great discussions out of buddy reads. Doesn't matter if it's just you and one other person or if a whole bunch of ladies join in.

So, I think that you should drop the monthly reads and encourage more buddy reads.

I know I am too intimidated to lead a book discussion and I am an English teacher at the college level so I can understand if everyone else is too. Julie leading the discussion on She's Come Undone did an amazing job IMO. Having a partner who would help me lead the discussion (like a mod or someone who is awesome at that sort of thing) might make me less hesitant.

As for getting involved in the discussion itself, Sometimes I do not read the book because the discussions are not very active. I have been disappointed in the past when I read a book for the group and then the discussion is lack-luster. That is definitely a personal barrier and I have worked to try not to get disappointed and take the risk on a new book.

I like having new books each month. Often I read the book just because we are discussing it.

I like that we don't have to worry about spoilers because it is specifically stated that the discussion is for people who have finished the book or don't care about spoilers.

Maybe we need more notice for upcoming reads since people are talking about time/availability. So in other words, if we already knew what books were up for july/august, people could be on the waiting list, asking friends to borrow, getting a jump on the read (and the discussion), etc. I know I would be able to plan around it better if I had more lead time. Heck, that might help with people leading the discussion too since they would have a while to come up with questions/talking points. Just a thought.

I like group reads but honestly, time is a problem for me. But I do not vote on the monthly read if there is nothing there that I would participate in.

I like choices I see in the Buddy Reads. A chunky, a classic lit, a current book, or maybe like Rebecca suggested vary the genre. Lord knows a bunch of us jumped on the Fifty Shades of Gray bandwagon.

I join book clubs for the monthly reads. I want to be able to read and discuss a book every month. I'm happy to nominate a book, and lead a discussion, I just haven't been around in this group that long yet. I felt there was more of a discussion with May's read than the previous couple months and it was nice. I didn't pay attention to the number of contributors, but enjoyed the end of the month's discussion as everyone finished the book.

I ignore the buddy reads. A monthly schedule is good for me and keeps me on track. That said, in another group, there are always 2 monthly reads and I like having that choice. As the chunky reads here truly are chunky, and typically "classics", I only sometimes consider joining in.

I am a book addict though, so the more choices the merrier. It is not uncommon for me to have multiple books going at once. But to do away with the monthly read feels like it would do away with the book club. A book club focusing on buddy reads should be set up that way. To nominate and vote is fun.

As far as getting people to participate? Who knows. My other groups don't seem as active this spring either after a busy fall. Maybe it's just in the air.

Great comments, ladies. Thank you all for chiming in.

It sounds like there is still an interest in monthly reads, and it also sounds like there is an interest in both new release/best seller books as well as older books that are easier to get from the library or used.

How about if we tried alternating books, one month an older book, the next month a new release. We could hold nominations and votes for 2 months worth of books at a time, to get the books selected. Then we could read the older book first, which would give everyone an extra month to get a copy of the newer book.

i.e.: if we held nominations and votes now, anyone could nominate an older book for July, as well as a newer book for August. Then we could vote in 2 polls for both the July and August read, so everyone could vote for both an older read and a new read.

And for anyone scared to nominate and lead (thank you for your honesty, Jessica!) I would be willing to co-moderate with anyone who asks if their book is the winning book.

And then we would probably need a commitment from those that do vote to truly try to read and participate in the discussion if the book you vote for wins. If you don't vote for the winning books, you are off the hook. :o) But if you vote, and the book you vote for wins, please try to join in the discussion.

Thoughts, ladies?

I think that sounds like a good plan.

I agree. It sounds like a good plan.

I, too, like your ideas, Sheila. Thank you! If you are using newer books perhaps the nominations/decision can be held earlier so that people can reserve the book at the library early esp if there are other people who have reserved before you which often happens with newish books.

Nice job putting all these preferences into a plan. One technical question that we will have to decide is what constitutes a newer vs an older book. Is it newer until it is in paperback? less than a year in publication?

Irene wrote: "Nice job putting all these preferences into a plan. One technical question that we will have to decide is what constitutes a newer vs an older book. Is it newer until it is in paperback? less tha..."

I think thats a good way to think of it. If it's not yet in paperback then its still newer.

In theory, I like the paperback idea of defining new, but it's a pain in the butt to try to track down what is in paperback and what is not. It's easier to go with publication date. In theory, I shouldn't really care about it since I won't be the one doing the work in looking up what is new and old. But, if I were you, I'd prefer using publication date.

And maybe new could mean within the past 3 years. Or something like that.

I don't think its that difficult. Anybook listed on GR will show the different editions and say if its PB or HB if that doesnt work Amazon also shows if its available in HB or PB

Sounds like a plan!! I will make a conscious effort to participate more in monthly reads, even if every other month! :)

Sounds good to me. Thanks for your hard work Sheila and Tera!