Action Heroine Fans discussion

This is a thread you all can use, if you want to, to set up "buddy reads." That's where you and one or two friends agree to read a book together, and discuss it periodically as you read, usually through personal messages. (It works best if you read at roughly the same pace.) A couple of our members had suggested doing something like this together, on one of our other threads; so I thought it might be nice to have a thread, in a group with similar reading interests, where people can toss out invitations any time and see who's interested!

One of my other groups does multiple (voluntary) group common reads, chosen by group-wide polls, on a monthly or bi-monthly basis. That's not an approach I'd recommend here; but they also do something that might be a good idea for this group: they use the term "buddy reads" for what are in effect informal mini common reads, member-initiated, and open to anyone in the group who wants to take part. These usually have more than just two or three participants; they aren't featured at the top of the group page and there are no whole-group notifications or changes of shelf status for the book involved, but the discussions are carried on using a dedicated thread on the discussion board for each one, rather than by personal message.

So, I'd like to also open up this thread for any proposals along this line that any members might wish to suggest from time to time! Specifically, just now, some members have been kicking around the idea (on the Common Reads thread) of reading our own Justin W. M. Roberts' The Policewoman together next month (and Justin has offered a free e-copy to anyone who wishes to take part). It's occurred to me that such a read might be ideally suited to this format. What do some of the rest of you think about this?

Justin has e-mailed to let us know that the updated edition of his book is being uploaded to Lulu, and to ask when the read is supposed to start. In the past, we've always scheduled common reads to coincide with a calendar month. (I assume this would apply whether they're group-wide reads voted on in a poll, or less formal "buddy reads" with multiple participants.) So I'd envisioned a Feb. 1 starting date. That brings us to a more crucial question, though.

So far, only one person in the group (besides me --and I've read it already!) has expressed an interest in reading this book. It would be a contradiction in terms to do a "common read" with just one person taking part! In all honesty, so far I don't think enough interest has been expressed to make it a viable proposition.

In fairness, though, it's very possible that nobody else has expressed an interest in the read, or in Justin's offer, simply because they don't know about it. I follow the daily e-mail that Goodreads sends me notifying me of all posts in this group; but this is a relatively quiet group, and it's probable that many members don't follow these notifications. (And many may not have chosen to receive them in the first place.) So I'm wondering if maybe this idea should be broached in a poll, with a general notice to the membership, to make people actually aware of it?

Now that we've finished our most recent common read, some conclusions can be drawn from our experience. Danielle, E.G. and I have discussed this, as group moderators, and decided to implement some modifications in our guidelines, which we think will be constructive.

First, we think it will be best if formal common reads, chosen by an official poll and featured on the group page, are only done on a regular schedule. (We don't regularly schedule an annual common read any more, but that decision can always be re-visited.) In the event that we ever do a regularly scheduled group read of this type again, books written by group members will not be considered. Considering them creates too many perceptions of favoritism, distorts the voting process, and can (if a member's book is chosen) artificially inhibit frank discussion.

At any time, all group members, including authors, can use the Buddy Reads thread (here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... ) to propose an informal, ad hoc read by any interested members of any book, including their own books or books by other group members. These kinds of reads are not only permissible, but positively encouraged!

It's perfectly acceptable for authors, on their own threads in the Authors folder or on the Buddy reads thread, to offer free print or electronic copies of their books to group members. However, the distribution of these need to be handled by the authors, to the interested members directly. To avoid the misperception of favoritism or group endorsement as such, moderators will not act as middlemen or go-betweens in the distribution process.

(This post will be cross-posted to the Buddy reads thread.)