You'll love this one...!! A book club & more discussion
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Group Themed Reads: Preparation
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Group Read Changes
Sounds good to me! This way people are encouraged to read one of the chosen books AND another book that fits the theme (to get both badges ;)...).And I agree that someone who reads and discusses one of the chosen books should get a 'better' badge than someone who 'only' reads a theme-fitting book (which is what I usually do...).
I like these changes. I also noticed that sometimes even discussions for the chosen reads are almost non-existent, with only 20 or 30 posts and mainly just updates on reading progress. That's such a shame. If you read a book that is not one of the two chosen ones it's also hard to discuss, as you're often the only one reading it. So it's just statements to yourself basically, which feels weird ;-) Although sometimes, when you don't like the books that were chosen, don't have access to them, or already read them, there's no other option than read a not-chosen book. But I like that that will still give you a small reward :)
Regarding the 5 choices for book nominations in the poll, I wonder if that could also have the opposite effect. If there are only 5 books to choose from chances are higher that there's not one you want to read or can read, which might cause people to not vote at all and choose a book of their own liking anyway, which could lead to fewer readers of the chosen books. I'm curious to see the results of the 5-book-polls in a few months.
I also sometimes notice in the poll votes by people who I never see post anything here. Is there a way to only make the poll accessible to active group members?
And might it be helpful to post information somewhere on ideas on how to lead a group read? I've never done anything like that before and perhaps others haven't either, and it might improve discussion even more if the discussion leader has some ideas to get the discussion going, especially now in the beginning.
Thanks for making such effort to improve the group reads :)
Sounds good to me too. My concerns about some of the chosen books is that they are not always available at the Library; I read two chosen books the month after they are picked lately, but there is nothing you could do about that.
I agree that you should have a nicer badge if you read one of the chosen books and that way you could have two badges if you read two books.
Some good points made so far.Normally we state that books in the last 3 months shouldn't be nominated as they are more expensive and difficult to get hold of at the library. Perhaps we should make it 6 months?!
I will set up a thread for info on discussion leading. Good idea Peggy. As I said, we'll leave it up to the individual to decide how they want to lead it but I'll expand a bit more in the thread when I set it up.
I also forgot to say that the discussion leaders will have a personalised badge which states they led the discussion.
As for limiting nominations and voting to active group members, I'm pretty sure there isn't a way of doing it physically other than just stating it in the thread and poll.
Anything that potentially helps to keep the group active is welcome. An active group is what all of us want. I think the changes will impact positively. I'm sure having someone to lead the discussion would improve participation. I can understand that some people doesn't really know how to discuss the book they are reading, but find easier to answer a question or reply to a comment. I can discuss a book with a lamp, if necessary. (I actually stop my reading and ask my husband "why do you think someone would blablablablabla?", and of course he have no idea what I'm reading about...). But not everybody does, so someone shaking the hive will help. It's a good idea. There is something else I would like to comment. This can't be ruled, it's a matter of good will. It happens sometimes that the majority of a group finishes the book early in the month, and the people who get to the book later doesn't have buddies to discuss it. I understand that when you can start a book depends of many things, and it's perfectly fine, but it would be great to try to be considerate and come back to the thread from time to time to accompany whoever is still working on it. A good example of this is the The Lake House buddy read we made a couple of weeks ago. I finished more than a week after everybody else, but every time I wrote a post in the thread someone read it and replied to me. That was awesome, and I really appreciated it, because I know all of us lose interest in the books we've read in behalf of the ones we are currently reading. My point is, I have desisted to read a few monthly reads because I couldn't start them early in the month and I know at some point I wouldn't have buddies for it. It doesn't make sense to make a rule for this, not at all, but maybe we can just try to help keep the thread going during the whole month. Just a thought.
I agree Sandra. Continued participation in the discussion, replying to other people's comments even once you've finished would be great. Obviously we can't insist on this as we all have real life commitments but continued participation throughout the month would be greatly appreciated if people can. :-)
I like the changes coming up. I think it all makes sense. We've made some similar changes recently in a group I'm in and it seems to have helped. As far as for book discussion leaders, I think the extra badge or stamp for that is a great idea and as long as you leave it up to the leader how to run the discussion, I think that makes it less intimidating for people to volunteer. I think as long as the discussion leader checks in and responds to readers it will help a great deal. I don't think it has to be a tough job with reader's guide questions and all the frills, unless the person wants to! :)I agree with Sandra, too, those who can't get to the book until later in the month sometimes lose out with the buddy feel of the read so the DL for that month could at least be counted on to connect with the later readers.
I also really feel strongly that if you vote for a book you should be involved in the discussion. I know there is no way to really monitor this but it's definitely a common courtesy thing. I don't see the purpose of voting for a book just to see it up on the monthly read and then never coming in to discuss it. That person could just read the book without voting, imo. :)
Thanks to you all for always trying to make this a better and better group. I think the activity this group generates really shows how much you and we all care about it! <3 YLTO
I'm also on board with the proposed changes. Anyone who knows me, knows I love book discussion, so anything we can do to encourage that is a great thing. Also, I like the idea of having a discussion leader, not everyone knows how to just start discussing their books, so someone coming along prompting it, and responding to others to encourage the conversation seems like a fine solution. I agree with Tasha, that the leader should take point in including the later conversations into the larger discussion. I agree Sandra, coming in at the end of the month with a book your finally getting to can feel a little like you missed a really good party.
I like the sound of all of these changes. I think they will be really positive for the group.
I love the idea of having the person that nominates a book lead the discussion. One concern I have is that in other groups I am in they post the discussion questions, but there is no real discussion. People answer the questions, but don't actually interact with others reading the book. So, my thought is that although questions are good, just listing a bunch of the generic pre-written questions may not be. The leader should make sure they are reading and responding to comments as well. I guess I just like the interaction of the discussions more, if that makes sense. I like the idea of getting a badge for reading the chosen book and a stamp for reading another themed book too. Since we are voting on the monthly reads, it makes sense to give it a bit more weight to read those books. Will you be able to get both?
Thanks for creating such a great group and making changes as needed to keep it fun. :)
The changes sound good to me. I think the moderators are doing a wonderful job. I'm a moderator in another group, so I know how much work it can be. I am very familiar with the frustration that comes from having people nominate books, and then never so much as comment when their book wins. There is just one other change I would suggest. Limiting the vote to five is good, but I think any book that several people have seconded should be included in that five. I know those nominees go into the fruit machine multiple times and have an improved chance, but I really think a book that four or five people have nominated or seconded should be guaranteed a spot in the poll.
I agree about the book club style questions. I think firing one off here and there is good but all listed at the beginning can make it feel like a homework assignment. I guess questions I had in mind were more to get people to expand on what they've already said, for example, "What specifically do you like about the writing style?" if someone says they like the author's style. I've just been writing some notes for the thread for discussion leaders. On the whole, books which have been seconded have made it in the poll above all others although I've still kept to the 5. I think last month we had more than 5 books which were also seconded so a couple were cut. This doesn't happen all that often but it does nonetheless. I see where you're coming from Casceil.
Sarah wrote: "I agree about the book club style questions. I think firing one off here and there is good but all listed at the beginning can make it feel like a homework assignment. I guess questions I had in mi..."That's great, Sarah. That's exactly what I meant. I don't even mind a generic publisher's question or two to get the discussion started, but not a list where people just answer and don't discuss. I think having some notes like that will really help some people to lead the discussion.
I like a more free form discussion. I often skip over reader's guide (whatever it's called) type questions although I think if the discussion is a bit stagnant it's probably a great place to get the discussion moving. So, I guess what I'm trying to say is that while I appreciate the questions and know they are a great tool for discussion, I also don't want it to feel like homework. ;)
I get what you mean Tasha. I was thinking the same earlier. Questions that make you think about deeper meaning and symbolism or that just require a lot of thinking or are difficult remind me of homework and forced reading, but I love the kind of discussions we often have in buddy reads, which is more about how we like the writing, story, characters, surprising events, etc.
One thing I like about Buddy Reads is that people comment the way they might talk to a friend over coffee. E.g., I couldn't believe how that character acted. Or, I admire this about that character. Or, comments on events in the story and speculation about what might happen later in the book. That conversational tone is much more fun than trying to answer "discussion questions" that are supposed to make you think about a book like you are in an English Literature class.
Thanks Casceil, that's exactly what I meant too :)
That's exactly what I was referring to. I agree about the buddy reads. I think the way it is discussed is partly because there is a start date, so several people are all reading at the same time, versus the books of the month, where everyone starts at a different time. It would be great if people went back throughout the month to keep up the discussion with the people that start later. I think that will be one benefit of having a discussion leader.
I also agree about the more formal book club questions reminding me of analysing a book to death in English Lit at school. I love hearing about people's experience of reading the book, their responses to events and characters. I like having wild ideas of what's going to happen. I also like looking at symbolism of things or at least what I might think it means. But I'm no English student and I wouldn't want the discussions to turn in to an English lit class. I guess it's about balance. Also just because a book club style question might be asked, we don't all have to answer it if we don't want to.
I know many of us discuss as we read but there are some members who only comment once they've finished the book. Personally, I think discussing as you read generates more discussion but we all have preferences and real life stuff going on which means we can't always do this. Plus, like this month, people may have read the book already so they can only discuss it once read anyway.
I always make notes when I read a book for a buddy or group read so I can discuss it later. But that's just me.
From what I understand, the issue is with "the vast majority of people reading another book in the theme". If the changes are made that everyone is discussing, a vast majority either will not get the nicer badge or will not participate at all. I have a suggestion. What if the last step of the voting process was eliminated, and we had just a theme for the group read? We could read whatever we wanted as long as the book fit in the winning theme.
For the discussion requirement, to earn the badge a member would need to discuss with at least two other readers their books. When a member goes to report that they have earned the badge, they would say 'I have discussed with so-and-so their books in messages...".
I'm worried that when you make it harder to earn the nicer badge, members not interested in the winning books will just not bother and the participation will drop.
Whilst not a change, I thought it worth mentioning. If a book doesn't get chosen from the poll, people can set up a buddy read for it if they still want to read it. I was just thinking of Cranford (on app so can't link) which has been nominated 3 times over the last 6 months, made it in to 2 polls but never won.
Thanks for your comments Lanelle. We want to continue having two specific books as group reads each month so the last part of the voting process is essential. If we just had a theme each month like many groups have, we'd all read different books and there'd be no discussion at all. The theme reads are tricky as we all know, discussing a book which no one else is reading. It would be even worse if we all did it.
Badges are awarded for the discussion and these changes are to encourage participation. So you might not get a shiny badge every month if you opt for reading a book in theme as opposed to one of the chosen books, but that's your decision. YLTO is pretty unique in that we award badges. We all like badges I know. Discussion tends to be more in depth for those who read one of the chosen books so they should be rewarded more for their efforts, hence the shiny badge. I wouldn't want to take badges away from those who read a book in the theme hence the stamp.
I'm aware that whatever changes occur, I won't be able to please everybody. We will reassess things in a couple of months to see how the changes affect participation.
If I have already read a chosen group read book, I always follow the discussion thread to see what people are saying and comment, if moved, to add something to the discussion. It never seemed right to me to apply for a badge for a book that I had already read, so I have always opted to read something else that fit the theme. I usually manage to read one of the books chosen because I like the discussions but I have also gone the buddy read route for the last couple of books for the group themed book. I feel that a buddy read, because of the discussion, should still warrant a full badge for a group read, even if it is an alternate. I am not sure I am okay with a stamp. I get it. You want people to participate in the group reads and discussions for the books chosen. It seems to me that you are making more work for yourselves, and I know that it is a lot of work to do the badges already. Now, you are going to have to make a stamp and a badge. Thanks, but I will just quietly read something else and not report it in the group read thread, if I do not care to read a chosen group read book.
re voting: If none of the group read books appeal to me, I do not vote. If the book I vote for does not win and I do not care for the ones chosen, I usually read the book I voted for.
Thanks for your comments Cherie. If you read a book that qualifies for the theme you should still report to get the basic badge. You're entitled to it after all. As already said, badges are awarded for discussion which is why we still award badges to people who have read a book prior to the month it is being discussed as long as they participate in the discussion.
Yes it is more work for me. I was going to not bother at all with issuing badges to those who don't read one of the chosen books but decided it would be a little harsh. Whilst it's more work, it's a good compromise which I hope people will be grateful for.
I like your idea Cherie of the buddy reads that fit the theme getting the shiny badge too. I'll have a think about that some more.
I appreciate the stamps Sarah! If they were not given out you could basically leave the whole other-book thing out. Often you're the only one reading a certain book and if there's nobody to discuss it with and nothing as a reward, it wouldn't make a difference whether you read a theme-related book or something else.
I agree with Peggy. I like that you are keeping the option for reading a theme-related book and still getting something. Otherwise, people that didn't want to read the 2 chosen books may not participate at all. To me, having the option to participate in a themed read without being obligated to one of the 2 chosen books is one of the factors that distinguishes this club from others. I also like the idea of giving a badge for a themed buddy read.
Kristie wrote: "I agree with Peggy. I like that you are keeping the option for reading a theme-related book and still getting something. Otherwise, people that didn't want to read the 2 chosen books may not partic..."I agree as well.
I'm not sure if I agree with the buddy read badge though. Seems a lot of work for the mods and to me it's just an extra bonus with the great group.
Of course, though, whatever is decided is fine with me. This is my most active group and I love it no matter what comes along down the line.
I haven't actually compared the number of comments, but it seems to me that some "buddy reads" have as much or more participation as the "chosen books." Last month I participated in the The Lake House buddy read, and it was very lively and went on a long time. There have been other months like that, when enough people wanted to read a book that didn't win, and those people set up a buddy read for the month, which was usually cross-referenced with the main topic thread. I like Cherie's idea of treating that as "active" participation for a badge.
These changes sound like a really good idea to me. I haven't participated in the last couple of group reads because of different reasons, but I'm finding that I don't enjoy reading an "other book in category" choice all that much. There isn't really anyone to discuss what I'm reading with unless there happens to be a buddy read, and to me that defeats the purpose of a group read if I can't discuss it with people. I'd much rather just read whatever I'm in the mood for if the category chosen doesn't provide any good inspiration for me. Although I must qualify that statement with the fact that I have found some really good books thanks to the group read themes. I love the idea of having the discussion lead in some way. I often don't know what to talk about. I admit to being guilty of the "I'm halfway through and really enjoying it" types of comments. Plus I have a fear of spoiling things for people or accidentally reading a spoiler. I agree with the other commenters that a list of questions will seem too much like homework. And reading everyone's answers of the same questions would feel too much like grading homework. LOL.
In the recent "Outside Your Box" challenge we did, Janice (or was it J'mom? sorry, I know it was a J-name... I think) posted a list of questions intended to spark the conversations about the books read. A lot of people took that big long list of questions and tried to answer each and every one of them, even if the question didn't apply to their book. It made reading the comments tedious and I ended up just skimming the posts. I feel like a lot of really good conversation was probably missed out on.
I'm having flip-flopping feelings on the person who nominates the book leading the discussion. That could cause a person with a really good nomination to not speak up because he/she doesn't know how to lead the conversation. Maybe a person can nominate a book but say that they don't want to lead the conversation if it wins, then someone else can agree to lead the discussion. And if no one does, the book doesn't make it into the fruit machine?
Having to lead the conversation should also make people think more deeply about what they are nominating. Let's face it, some books make for much better discussion than others. I'm struggling for a good example here... A run-of-the-mill, formulaic murder mystery isn't going to have as much to talk about as, I don't know, a Gillian Flynn book. If you are going to have to lead the discussion on the book, maybe some books that probably won't spark heated conversation won't be nominated. (BTW, I'm looking at myself in this situation, I've nominated books before simply because they fit the theme, but didn't make for good conversation.)
Geez, I didn't realize I wrote so much! Sorry for the long post! LOL
You make some really good points KimeyDiann. I'll pop in and comment tomorrow as I'm off to bed now.
KimeyDiann wrote: "I'm having flip-flopping feelings on the person who nominates the book leading the discussion. That could cause a person with a really good nomination to not speak up because he/she doesn't know how to lead the conversation. Maybe a person can nominate a book but say that they don't want to lead the conversation if it wins, then someone else can agree to lead the discussion. And if no one does, the book doesn't make it into the fruit machine? "That's what I thought as well
We do this in a different group. Often the discussion leader is someone who has read the book before and has sone knowledge of it. However that is not a rule it is just the way it tends to work. The person who says oh I love this book just tends to be the one to bw the leader of course there is no guarantee there will ve any discussion. Tons mayve 2-300 people will vite for the read over there and often no one reads it or discusses it. Its a mystery to me
In the last 4 years, only one book that I nominated for a group read has won. With those odds, I could stand to "lead a discussion". LOL!
Tasha wrote: "Of course, though, whatever is decided is fine with me. This is my most active group and I love it no matter what comes along down the line."This is me, too. You guys do a great job with this group, and shaking things up now and again is part of that.
I wonder if a BIG part of the problem is the GR app; which I realize is beyond our control.As KimmmyDian said spoilers are a problem, I worry about saying too much and ruining it for the next readers. And on the app they are maddening. Also, I haven't found a way to respond to the comments of others using the app, which makes discussions difficult.
I just do not want to make more work for the mods, Sarah. Even though you are willing to create a stamp and a badge, the next person may not. I am okay with not getting a badge if I did not read a selected group read book, but I want that choice. Isn't it hard enough to explain the rules to all of the new members over and over again without having to explain the difference between a stamp and a badge for a group read book vs. an alternate book for the monthly group read theme? How many months did it take before people got the idea of the reporting thread?
By the way, I would like to recognize Almeta for special credit with her "discussion" for her book in last month's alternate book read. Everyone has a different style when it comes to writing a book review or book discussion comment, but hers is exceptional.
I'm late to the party but I'm away from home and life has stepped in to interfere with my online presence.The emphasis with the Group Reads is discussion. That is what differentiates it from a challenge and why it is not necessary that you read the books in the current month. You are discussing it in the current month, and books may be read prior.
Regarding the discussion leader: If the person who nominated the book doesn't feel comfortable leading, or isn't able because life intervenes, perhaps someone who seconded will take it on.
Moderating can be busy at times, but it's something we are willing to do. We all love doing the activities that are here in YLTO, and we do it as much for our own enjoyment as well as for the members'. We have a great membership that we can shout out to for help if we need to.
I'm glad that Sarah opened this for discussion, and I'm thrilled to see so many positive comments.
Cherie wrote: "It never seemed right to me to apply for a badge for a book that I had already read, so I have always opted to read something else that fit the theme. "I agree with that; I don't see myself asking for a badge for a book I didn't read this month, although I participated in the thread. That feels weird to me.
Me too, Ariane and Cherie. My reluctance is because I don't feel like I can discuss a book as well if it isn't really fresh in my mind.
Same here. I usually have forgotten too much to actively contribute, all I can do is read comments and think 'oh right! I remember that!' I always read a new book for the group read, to me it feels almost like cheating to get a badge otherwise. I understand that it is about discussion, but given the point of this thread on there being too little discussion, you could get a badge by responding to two comments on a book you read a year ago. Or copy your review of a book that you read 6 months ago but fits the theme. That seems just strange to me and I never do it.
And I agree about the app (and know it's beyond ylto control). I hate typing long messages in it, you can't quote and can't read spoilers, and that makes it harder and less fun to participate in a discussion. I sometimes use the regular website on my phone to read spoilers.
About the proposed changes as a whole, I'm supportive and would love to see more discussion. I have trouble sometimes discussing and putting my spoiler alerts in place appropriately so this tends to make me wary of participating fully altho i also absolutely think spoiler alerts are a necessity. I'm not for sure why, but i notice that i have more trouble participating in the discussion if I'm reading the book in the latter half of the month, which happens pretty often for me.
By the time I'm reading the book, there are already posts about the book from start to finish. I feel unsure then how to proceed. I don't know whether to respond to the older posts that correspond to where i am as i am coming along later. Or to create new posts as i go, noting where i am now and what my points of discussion are.
I don't enjoy the discussion if it's just too much this is where i am in reading this book. I sometimes might post an update like this, but i always follow it up with some real substance, usually after i finish the book when I'm reading and reporting later in the month.
As many have noted, I'm also one who only nominates and votes for books that i plan to commit to reading if they are selected. Life can sometimes interfere with such plans, but generally this plan works for me.
I like the idea of the nominator being the discussion leader, if they're willing and available. Makes that person more invested in their nomination. Might encourage more participation overall in the monthly themed reads, which would be great.
I don't think you can go wrong TJ. I usually read the spoilers and reply with my thoughts, but sometimes I have a comment that is new and I post that too. Like someone said earlier, it's really nice if people still check back after they finish the book, so that people who post later also get some interaction. I usually manage to start my group read book early in the month, but last month I was late with Church of Marvels, and I really liked that some people still took care to reply to my belated comments.
Wow! You've all been active while I slept :-) And now I'm going to reply with a long post.Spoilers - I hate spoilers and I know you guys do too. I would also never want to ruin a book for someone else. But this is where the spoiler tags come in. As long as you write, "I've just finished chapter X" followed by the spoiler in the spoiler tags, you're fine. You won't be ruining anything for anyone. When I read through a thread, I only ever read the spoilers which are applicable to me. Once I've read a chunk more, I'll go back through the thread and read the other spoilers which it is now safe to read, then I might make a comment on them if I have anything to add in addition to my normal observations. Spoiler tags are a necessity. I know some groups don't use them but we do for good reason. If people wish to read through all the spoilers before they are ready and ruin the book for themselves that is their choice.
App - It's a bloody nuisance. I know you can't read spoilers, although you can write them if you know the spoiler tag html. I know you can't reply to someone's post. You can still comment though. I don't use it for buddy/group reads because of this reason and will access the full website on my device, or wait until I get home on to a machine which I can use the website on better. The app is definitely out of our hands unfortunately.
Discussion Leader - As I said in the first post, the discussion leader ideally would be the person who nominated the book but please do not let this put you off nominating a book. If you do not wish to be the discussion leader, someone who seconded the book can volunteer and still if they do not wish to do it, someone else who will be reading the book can volunteer.
Getting a badge for a book read in previous months - Ultimately it is up to you whether you want to claim a badge. If you've discussed it, then you're entitled to it regardless of when it is read. When we talk about "discussion" it does need to be more than just a line or two and a link to your book review. If you feel you contributed significantly to the discussion (which I know several of you have over in The Girl on the Train thread), then you can report for a badge.
Extra work - Yes more work for me. I'm not going anywhere any time soon so you don't need to worry about the "next mod". If and when I do disappear off, they can do what they like. But you can't get rid of me that easily. Haven't you noticed that YLTO is my life?! ;-) And as I've already said, we'll reassess these changes in a month or two to see if they have had the desired affect or not.
Rules - Regardless of how clear and concise rules are, someone is not going understand them. I accept that. You only have to look at all the questions that come up for challenges and topplers to see that. There is always a transition stage with changes where there are bound to be hiccups and that is to be expected. Personally, I don't think it's that complicated. If you read one of the chosen group reads, you get a badge. If you read a book of your choice in the theme, you get a badge. Those badges are different. Simples as the meerkats like to say. I'm not bothered about new members, they'll get it as they haven't experienced anything else. It's the current members that are the problem ;-)
Reporting- We have had some teething problems with the reporting thread but this is because previous to that, only challenges had them and this then made the group reads akin to challenges (in which we only have to read a book, and not discuss). YLTO is all about book recommendations (hence the name) and we all like a good book recommendation, The reporting thread is great for gaining recommendations but you can't go out and buy a book just because someone said "I read X and liked it". It needs a few more lines than that. The reporting thread is there for people to squizz through it to see what everyone read and thought that month rather than having to trail through the individual discussion threads and potentially ruin the book for them before they even buy it. The reporting thread also reduces the amount of work I have to do. Yes I still have to chase the occasional person up because they've not written a summary in the reporting thread but the vast majority of people report as per the rules.
Questions - I agree Kimey about reading all the answers to the questions feeling like grading homework. When I publish the thread about discussion questions, I've included in there that we don't want a whole list of questions listed, just one or two here and there to generate discussion.
Book choices - I agree that some books are better suited to discussion than others. But I guess we don't know that until we read it. It doesn't need to generate heated debate, just have some interesting characters, storylines etc that can be commented on. I've read a few books recently which I've discussed as buddy reads which have been great fun, we all loved the books, no heated debate present, just us all discussing and enjoying it together.
Excellent suggestions from everyone. I have nothing to add, and will agree to whatever is decided. I have always read one of the chosen books and have often been pleasantly surprised I enjoyed it. I'm always wanting my badge, which is a great motivator for me. I know it's crazy, but there you have it!
Sarah wrote: "Haven't you noticed that YLTO is my life?!":) I always say YLTO is my second home.
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You'll love this one...!! A book club & more
Books mentioned in this topic
The Lake House (other topics)The Lake House (other topics)
Over the last few months, there have been occasions where only a couple people have participated in the discussion, with the vast majority of people reading “another book in the theme”. We understand that we all have different tastes in books which is why we have the option to read a different book in the theme and still get a badge. This will stay, however the badges for those who do read something other than the two chosen books will be different. You will get a “stamp” with the month and theme on but it's not going to be an all singing-all dancing badge. Those who read and discuss one of the chosen books will get a nice pretty badge. We know you all like badges, so we hope that the lure of a nice shiny badge might encourage you to read the chosen books over one of your choice. If you read one of the chosen books in addition to a book that fits the theme, you will receive both badges.
Also, on occasions, discussion has been minimal consisting of, “I'm starting the book”, “I'm half way through now and really liking it”, and finally “I finished the book and thought it was amazing. 5 stars”. It's not really a discussion just a series of status updates. We've also had people nominate a book, it win and then that person doesn't participate in the discussion. So to change this, we thought it might be a nice idea for the person who nominated the book, to lead the discussion. This can be done in whatever way that person desires but it is hoped that they will be able to generate discussion by prompting with questions to expand on what has already been written. If the nominating person does not wish to do this, then someone who seconded their nomination may volunteer.
You will have noticed over the last few months that only 5 themes and books have been put through in to each poll. The hope was that with fewer choices, we would have a more clear winner when people voted and that this would mean more participation. It's too early to tell if that has had the desired effect so we will keep to the 5 choices for now.
We will still have the three threads as usual, one for each chosen book and then one for the “other books in the theme”. You will still discuss the books in these threads and then report in the reporting thread when you have read and discussed it. I know we've had some issues with reporting since it was brought it. Please note that the group reads are not like the challenges which only require that you read the book in order to get a badge. Group reads require that you discuss a book – it is this that the badge is awarded for. Badges are only awarded to those who report in the reporting thread in the format which is laid out in the general rules (found in the reporting thread each month).
Any questions, feel free to ask away. Or if you have any further suggestions on how we can increase participation in the group reads, please do let me know.