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| Book club meeting at Island Books, Mercer Island, Wash. | |
The stereotype that book clubs are "primarily social groups who use books as a pretext to get together for a gossip and a glass of wine" is "far from the reality," according to a new BookBrowse report called "The Inner Lives of Book Clubs." In fact, the vast majority of book clubs--84% of private book clubs and 90% of public ones--spend at least 40 minutes of each meeting discussing a book, and most "designate a facilitator to keep the conversation on track."
Based on more than 5,500 responses, the report also found that book club members are happier with the book club the longer the club discusses the book. For example, in groups that discuss the book for 75 minutes or more, some 81% of respondents described themselves as "very happy" with the group. By contrast, in groups where book discussions are 20 minutes or less, only 55% of respondents are "very happy."
Socializing has its place: "71% of those in private book clubs and 43% of those in public groups feel that a social element is very important," the report found. Many respondents observed that friendships often grow out of "open debate and sharing of perspectives."
Another stereotype is that book clubs "mainly consist of women reading 'women's' or literary fiction," but nearly half (48%) of public book groups have male participants. While 88% of private book clubs are all women, many would be happy to include men, the report found.
Some 70% of book groups do read fiction most of the time, but the books "straddle multiple genres, including nonfiction." Moreover, the longer a group runs, "the broader their reading tends to be."
While book club members almost unanimously (98%) said respect for each other's opinions is very important, a majority of respondent (71%) indicated that it's very important that their group's book choices challenge them as a reader and 55% said they're drawn to books that are "a bit controversial."
Problems that lead members to leave book clubs or cause book clubs to disband include "overly dominant participants, poor attendance, book selection, group size, and managing meetings."
Overall, the vast majority of book club members describe their group as "a vital and fun aspect of their life. Book clubbers enjoy a sense of community and, often, personal friendships within their group; but, above all else, they value intellectual challenge and growth."
For more information about the BookBrowse report, click here.