r/books discussion

There has been little activity on this group these past few days/weeks, and yet when I check the poll this morning for the September book of the month, there were 17 votes and I just put up the poll late last night.

My question is why is there a lack of comments/discussions. It seems that the members are always reading books and adding books to their to-read list but there is nothing here.

Is it the lack of discussion posts? Lack of interest? This topic is open to any suggestions or new ideas about how to make this group more active.

My excuse for this month is that I was too long down the list of holds at the library, so I still haven't gotten the book!

For me on the monthly polls, if a book I didn't vote for wins, I most likely won't participate, because I have so many books I'd like to read sitting on my shelves at home. Maybe others are the same?

I'd be interested to know how many lurkers we have who read and follow comments but don't comment themselves? It's hard to carry on a conversation alone, I agree! I like to comment and have discussions here because I don't get to talk books IRL.

Contribute, people!

At the moment, I have a huge TBR list and RL stuff that means I only really quick scan the posts here. Also, it's still another week until the kids go back to school here (UK) so me/book time is still sparse.

Also, 99% of my goodreads activity is logged on my mobile, and groups are a pain to read on anything small.
That could explain the difference between individual and group activity.

Ahh, it's just the end of the convention season for me (I work at anime and comic conventions around Canada and sometimes the US) and in the midst of all that, I'm in the middle of relocating. I haven't been able to check in as much as I would like to all summer since there's been so much going on, but I'm hoping that the group will be more active as fall approaches

I just never seem to be reading the same book as anyone else at any given time, so I have nothing to discuss really. Also... summertime = less reading for me.

Now I personally wasn't super interested in John Green, only because I knew nothing about the book beforehand and was too preoccupied with other things I'm reading to look into it. I think the unfortunate fact is that online book clubs just aren't that successful in getting people to not only read a book, but to post comments about it. Just looking at the "Addicted to YA" group, they have a thread on The Hunger Games which has only 85 comments. They have 8000 members. http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/8...

That said, I like the idea of a reddit book club and I'll try to contribute some discussion on whatever book we read next.

I can't speak for anyone else, ut I have had so much going on this summer that I really haven't been able to participate in any of my groups the way I'd like to.

Well, I finally decided to read the Song of Ice and Fire series, which is taking me awhile. So, basically, I'm just not reading the books people are talking about right now. Sorry. :(

I have trouble pacing my reading, so if I read something for pleasure during the school year it happens fast. Like, I got my copy of "The School for Good And Evil" yesterday and finished it today.

I don't think it would be fair to open a discussion when I've already finished the book :/ (But if people want to talk about it I'm totally game!)

Also, I'm using school for my excuse. Apparently IB's harder than people say.

I lurk here occasionally, but I don't vote on polls.

But r/bookclub has the same problems around this time of year and are looking at ways to increase participation as well. Lots of lurkers but not many participants. Sometimes a person will nominate a book, it gets chosen, and they drop off the radar. I don't understand it, it's just one of the realities of an anonymous bookclub.

I thought it would be easier for you guys on goodreads because it's more 'personalized'.

Social interaction online can be odd. I did a guest post as an author on a blog that gets an enormous amount of traffic. My post, and most of the posts on that site, got no comments. No discussions. Nothing.

On another blog, one that gets about 1/3 the traffic of the first one, I did a guest post and within a day, the comment thread had grown to 80 comments.

My point is, having a lot of likes or members or groups or subscriptions or friends or whatever mark of membership you use to measure interest, doesn't necessarily gauge participation. Frustrating when you're the one running the group, but that's just the nature of online social dynamics.

I've found it hard to participate in group reading because I finish books in a couple days rather than a few weeks as they are set up. I've tried pacing myself and reading other books in between, but I don't like reading multiple books at once.

Here are some things that have worked well in other groups:

Having threads to recommend books or tell about your most recently read book of a certain theme or genre. This is great for finding new books and this is one of the main reasons I join groups on goodreads.

Adding reading challenges to the group - read X books about a theme or by an author by a certain date. Members can set their own goals so it helps bring together people who read at all paces, and goodreads has a really good system set up for this.

I am taking all your comments into consideration and also suggestions (such as Danielle's) I'm finding more and more that it seems it's not about how many members does a book club (especially online) have but about the members themselves and how often they want/can participate. Thank you everyone, keep commenting and I'll try to keep improving the book club. I'll keep this book club open as long as I am not alone.

Annie, you are never alone my dear! I think as others have said, a lot depends on our personal lives at any given time and which book is chosen. If we have already read the book, are interested or not, and even if it is a genre that we like. While I did not like 'The Brief Wondrous Live of Oscar Wao', I still found it a great book for discussion.

I tend to go in spurts with my reading genre types, some months I will love historical fiction, others it will be mysteries (physicological), others it will be Japanese dramas, then some fantasies. Just depends on my mood I guess.

I will always try to keep with the discussion, be the intelligent comments or not, no guarantees!!!!

Just an update on my life: I moved and my appearances will be sporadic at best until my own internet is hooked up on home. Meanwhile, I'm finding refuge in cafes.

I'm wondering if the group would benefit by perhaps something like a twitter feed?

@Rose, for the moment I've been posting updates on my own twitter about the book. I'm not sure if a twitter feed itself will have enough people following it on it's own or frequent enough tweets. We can try.

For those who don't mind, this is my twitter:

https://twitter.com/Starquietannie

I try to keep it updated with what we do on here. I'll be even more on it now if I see interest! Thanks for the idea!

Oops. I'm one of those lurkers... although lately I've been commenting. I guess my excuse is just bad timing. I'm always in the middle of a book when you guys start one, plus this year I'm trying to complete both the 2012 and 2013 Eclectic Reader's Challenge (failed '12 last year) so I've got a tight schedule all planned till Jan.

Hades, can I ask what is the Eclectic Reading Challenge? sounds exciting and fun.....how many books do you have to read?

*HadAs. With an E is the guy who gaurds hell. :)

Yeah, it's basically a challenge in which there's a list of 12 genres every year that you need to read one of each and review it (if you want to). I think there's a prize or something but I do it just to make my reading more interesting for myself.
Here's this year's:
http://bookdout.wordpress.com/challen...

I never heard of that! It sounds like a wonderful way to 'round out' your reading. I know quite a few readers who just read in one genre and don't venture out. I tend to lean towards certain genres myself but I try not to.

Perhaps the challenge should be in it's own discussion post.

Sounds great.....I looked over the selection of books and eclectic is the word for it. I may even join in next year......

How are you progressing in the list? Have you found any new genres that you like you hadn't anticipated liking? Or the opposite?

Well last year I read my first non-fiction in YEARS. I read Portia DeRossi's book b/c my sister had just bought it. I also started my first ever Stephen King novel, which was also my first ever horror novel and then... I quit a fourth in out of sheer boredom. I was missing like two last year to complete (I read a bunch of other things instead) so I decided to redo it, and then discovered there was a new 2013 list!
So far I've discovered there's such a thing ase New Adult.

I just rediscovered fiction after so long at University...sure I took English classes but some of the books they had us read...ugh! I used to love Stephen King but then some of his books all got to be too similar.

I didn't know there was such a thing called New Adult either!

Yeah, apparently it's like the transition stage from YA to adult fiction. Like, the college age demographic.

Man now I really feel old.....I am still thinking fiction, romance, murder/mystery, horror, bio, children's, sci-fi. LOL. There does look to be a couple of good books in the list though....damn my 'to be read' list just keeps getting longer and longer......

But you can just use your TBR list. I'm sure books on there fit the criteria. And yeah, New Adult is just weird. I never knew such a thing existed. Some say it's just a marketing scam.

Oh I do - thanks - the list is so long though - I should remember to look at it when I go to the store though! DUH...I never do of course because I start to look at others and there goes the list - out the window.....yeah I agree New Adult is just weird!

I also think a big problem with discussion here is that, while we have a load of members, if they do not check the group semi often Goodreads will stop notifying them with any new stuff we might be doing. So, even if a topic of discussion, or a monthly book would really interest them they wouldn't know until the bi monthly letter is sent.

@Phillip Blake, do you think that sending out the bi monthly letter once a week would make the group more active?

Hmm, I'm not sure. That could just help to bother some members. Really, we'd have to compare views before and after the mail is sent. It could just be that these people don't use Goodreads often anymore.

I am with Philip - it might bother some and some might not even pay attention to any of the letters is they get to many or they get them to often.

Hey....lurker here. I like voting, and seeing the results to see what people are interested in.

I was burned in a group on here a few years back, the members made drama and I got caught in the crossfire, and I've just been wary to get into any online community since then. Ah, well.

I'm going to put up a poll on how often people should receive newsletter updates from out group.

@Sarah, if you would like to talk to me further, I am interested in hearing about your experiences so that I am aware of how an issue like that can developed to avoid it in my group. Please message my inbox, thanks :D

I think sending out more notifs might harm the cause. I've been in this group for a while and only recently started participating, but I think people will just choose to join once they do. More notifs may just cause people to completely leave.

Another thing that might help is leaving more time between the announcement of a group read and the start. I put a hold on this month's read as soon as the poll ended, but I'm on a waiting list so I won't get it until close to the end of the month.

@Danielle, great idea! This concept went over my head because I read mostly ebooks. I totally forgot about my library days and wait list! My apologies! I'm going to try to get to this month's book of the month this week :) Thanks!

That's why I didn't join The Fault in Our Stars discussion-- didn't get the book in time.

My apologies to everyone, I should have had the hindsight to see this issue earlier. Definitely correcting this. Thanks!

I'm glad this thread is still going, it does help.

Annie wrote: "@Danielle, great idea! This concept went over my head because I read mostly ebooks. I totally forgot about my library days and wait list! My apologies! I'm going to try to get to this month's book ..."

I mostly read ebooks too, but I read too many to buy them all so I check them out from my ebook library instead. Usually I can get them instantly, but some of them have holds. (One hold I'm on was 65 long when I got on it...)

@Danielle, which popular book are you on the list for being number 65?

Annie wrote: "@Danielle, which popular book are you on the list for being number 65?"

It's P.Z. Myers's first book which just came out. I was surprised they had the book at all, and then more surprised the hold list was that long. It's a pretty obscure book.