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Shamelessy stolen book group idea

Litany

Litany

Active Member
I'm a member of a book group elsewhere, and the basic idea is you list the genres you usually read and you're then paired up with someone who has to recommend a book that you wouldn't ordinarily read.

Frinstance, Person A reads horror and modern crime novels, Person B likes romance and the classics. So A suggests Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and B suggests The Moonstone. Each book is outside their normal genres but should still be a fun read for them.

Unfortunately, this went skewiff on t'other group with people making massive long lists of all the things they absolutely refused to read so that only their usual genres were left, or else seeing the other person loved chick lit so recommending Bridget Jones. Plus I got recommended an absolute turkey of a book that I couldn't finish so I'm grumpy with them anyway.

Anyhoo, I thought it was an interesting idea poorly done and while I'd be up for giving it another go I have absolutely no interest in organising it whatsoever. So if no one else wants to do it then just let this post drift slowly to the bottom of the forum and we'll say no more about it.
 
Litany,

How was this actually done?

How did you feel this was poorly done?

What would you have done differently?

Sorry for all the questions but this way the wheel won't be reinvented and we can step right into a M3.
 
I'm not sure I'm down with the idea of being automatically paired with another person who reads books that would be outside my interests. Granted, maybe it would open up some new avenues (genres) for me but I tend to stay within the same subjects. I will stray outside my usual interests everyonce in awhile. However, I usually find it a somewhat painful, frustrating experience (sounds like what you went through).

I get recommendations from this forum all the time just by reading posts within the sub-forums dedicated to the book genres that interest me. Also, I know the users on the forum who seem to have the same interests that I have and I tend to read any reviews or comments they have and take their comments under advicement. On the other hand, there are sub-forums that I have never visited and these are the forums that are dedicated to genres that don't interest me.
 
What about setting it up somewhat like the Secret Santa exchange? Interested folks put their name in the hat and the coordinator makes the matches. Have a list of genres so we have some boundaries and see how it goes. This isn't The Dating Game, just an experiment in broadening our reading horizons.
 
brk_3 said:
I get recommendations from this forum all the time just by reading posts within the sub-forums dedicated to the book genres that interest me. Also, I know the users on the forum who seem to have the same interests that I have and I tend to read any reviews or comments they have and take their comments under advicement. On the other hand, there are sub-forums that I have never visited and these are the forums that are dedicated to genres that don't interest me.
Click to expand...

Ditto here, pretty much. Worse yet, my reading has fallen way off and I still have a huge TBR pile that I am trying to work down. No hope of ever really reaching the bottom. So I am cool to the idea. Sorry. :sad:
 
sparkchaser said:
Litany,

How was this actually done?

How did you feel this was poorly done?

What would you have done differently?

Sorry for all the questions but this way the wheel won't be reinvented and we can step right into a M3.
Click to expand...

People signed up with a wee questionnaire. So, what they usually read, dealbreakers, availability of the book (paper/hardback, library, ebook/kindle), price limit, and a goodreads or similar site link to give a better idea of their tastes. And then everyone was given a partner at random. If an odd number signed up, then we were joined in a circle (A recommends to B, B to C and C to A), for a even number you got a partner.

Example as filled in by me...
Usually read: Sci fi, fantasy, nonsense.
Deal Breaker: Endless meandering prose with no plot
Availability: Paperback, amazon.co.uk
Price limit: £15
Goodreads: Super Monkey

The problem was people who set too many limits. Fair enough if you can't cope with gore and refuse to read it. But people were signing up that wouldn't read sci fi, horror, non-fiction, politics or religion and the book absolutely had to be on Kindle and they usually read romance, classics, mysteries, alternative history and fantasy.

And then there were the people that would read the list of things you liked to read and pick things from those genres which entirely defeated the purpose of the exercise.

Basically, the problem was people signing up with no real interest in reading something new and people signing up that came from Opposites Land. The Kindle was a problem for me too as a lot of the books I wanted to suggest just weren't on there.
 
OK, I think I might be willing to coordinate something like this. Now we just have to gauge interest.

We can call it Litany's Shamelessly Stolen Book Group Idea or The BAR Genre Swap or something else.


Were partners contacted privately or were partners listed on a roster?
 
Shamelessly etc

If I'm in as you say - did I already give you details of what I read - still having trouble finding previous posts - do you need any details regarding me? momac:
 
You voted yes, remember?


I have only received private messages from Fantasy Moon and eldog.
 
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