Do you think our group should have a theme each month?

[Barbara, Founder and Moderator]

For example: Since we do two book suggestions, should one be a random book suggestion list? We would still vote on it as usual?

And then have a book suggestion each month where we only suggest a book with certain animals, wildlife, sea life, etc.? Example: We could do any animal (includes sea, wild ones, etc.) that start with "A". Then the followiing month our suggestions would be some type that would start with "B".? We again would still vote on it. Does this make sense?

Thoughts?

[Barbara, Founder and Moderator]

I am hoping I'm clear on this question.

The one suggestion for books would be the same on a thread of it's own. We would vote on that book like we do now.

The other thread would contain your suggestions on a book with a animal, bird, sea life, etc. that would start with that letter. We would go through the alphabet, like the first one we'd do, you'd suggest any animal, etc. that begins with "A". So we could suggest a book about Alligators or maybe a animal or bird type that begins with the letter "A".

The following month, it would be the "B". We would then maybe suggest a book about a Bear or a Bobcat, etc. We could even include if you wanted a animal or even a horse as long as the main animals name in the book began with the letter "B". Say it's a horse about Black Beauty or a horse named Ben. Who knows?

I'm just putting it out there to see if the group would like to try it to give us something to think about and also to get more books read about different types of animals, etc. It could stretch our horizons and we could end up liking a new author or find one you've never read before.

Or, we could leave it alone, as is.

Just asking for opinions right now.

[Barbara, Founder and Moderator]

Also, just putting this out there. As it stands right now, I like everyone to only suggest one book each month for the following month. This would enable you to suggest two books.

One for each category. One of any book suggestion, like we do now.

And, one with the letter of the month suggestion.

[Tui]

Sounds interesting. We do seem to have a lot of suggestions for the next group read so it makes it harder to find a clear favourite if there are too many to vote on. Having a confinement like it has to have this certain letter, might limit it a bit.

[Bonnie]

I don't really have many suggestions for animal books- even without extra criteria, so it wouldn't help me really. I joined this group to read more animal books, but it's not a usual genre for me. I love animals, and like them in my books, but reading books specifically about animals, not so much.

[Jennifer]

It sounds to me like it could be fun and lead to finding books about animals I never knew about, but then it could also be really hard to find good books. I think it could be worth trying for a few months to see what would happen then if it doesn't work very well you could just stop doing it.

[Tui]

Bonnie, are you saying you like animals in the story but you don't like the main character to be an animal? So you really prefer to read a story about people, but you like it if there are animals involved.
If I'm right you'd prefer a book like "The Horse Whisperer" to a book like "Black Beauty" because in Horse Whisperer there are animals in it but its really about people.
Am I correct?

[Jami]

I am wondering if it would be too difficult to find books about animals in each letter that are readily available. There may be animal books for most letters, but if the books aren't available, nobody will read them (or suggest them if they are too difficult to find). What about a theme based on an overall broader subject - i.e., puppy mills, farm animals, companion animals, working animals, true stories, fiction, animal fiction series, etc.

[Tui]

I'm thinking I agree with Jami. To use a letter can seem a bit forced but there are plenty of themes within the broader animal theme. You can even go for some of a specific type of animal as Barbara suggested above.
So you might have a "working animal" theme or a theme on "birds" makes more sense to me than say "J'

Also one theme might quite naturally lead to the next. We might start talking about dogs one month and that would lead on to "working animals" the next month and each topic might throw up some terrific reading suggestions.

[Barbara, Founder and Moderator]

Tui wrote: "Bonnie, are you saying you like animals in the story but you don't like the main character to be an animal? So you really prefer to read a story about people, but you like it if there are animals ..."

I don't really mind if we read books where the book has about the people as long as the animal is in the book as the main character or the next character. Example: "A Walk Across America" by Peter Jenkins is one of those type books. It's about Peter walking across America but his dog was alot of the focus as well.

As long as we don't go too far off base.

[Bonnie]

Tui wrote: "Bonnie, are you saying you like animals in the story but you don't like the main character to be an animal? So you really prefer to read a story about people, but you like it if there are animals ..."

now you are Tui although I read animal main character books a lot when I was a kid. Now I like a more people themed book usually, but just love when they have pets or work with animals.

[Bonnie]

Barbara wrote: "Tui wrote: "Bonnie, are you saying you like animals in the story but you don't like the main character to be an animal? So you really prefer to read a story about people, but you like it if there ..."
I am happy to find recommendations here for mainly animal books. I just don't have many to recommend myself.

[Jami]

Bonnie, weren't you the one who recommended the Elephant Whisperer? That was an excellent book and I had never heard of it before; without this group, I would never have even heard of it. So it isn't the number of books you recommend - even one good one really adds to the group reading experience in my opinion!!!!!!

[[deleted user]]

I think so