Book Clubs

Yesterday, local online news source MinnPost launched its Book Club Club (BCC), a place where Minnesota book clubs of all shapes and sizes can register (for free) and be part of an online community. From the looks of it, BCC will feature different reading-related posts on which book lovers can comment. One of the first posts provides a timeline for the evolution of book clubs in the United States. It's very interesting; some of the highlights:

+ While it would be silly to believe Benjamin Franklin didn't have something to do with book clubs back in the day, I love that a majority of book-club history revolves around women.

+ I also love that in the late 1700s, Hannah Mather Crocker took the position that the study of science and literature was much more important for women than other "frivolous" activities. I can only imagine what activities she was talking about.

+ Mail-order book clubs (ex: The Literary Guild) began in the 1920s. By the 1980s, when big-box discounters really flourished, these mail-order clubs felt the hit.

+ And the best line from the timeline: "It is estimated that there are more than 5 million book club members in the United States. Most clubs have 10 or more members. 70 to 80 percent of clubs are all-female." It goes to show you that women love to learn, we love to socialize with each other, and we're all about putting those two things together.

You can also catch part I of an eight-part series on book clubs in Minnesota.

Oprah

As I was trying to peel the "Oprah's Book Club" sticker off my copy of Middlesex (to no avail - too sticky), I wondered how many other people are like me. Are you embarrassed if the book you're reading has that infamous sticker on it? I am, but why? (Willikat also made a comment on my last post about enjoying/reading Middlesex "before Oprah," so that also partially inspired this post.)

I'm not an Oprah fan, so maybe I try to peel off the sticker because I don't want people thinking I actually take her recommendations. I don't. It just so happens she recommends some good books, so her book club sticker is plastered over many a covers at Target and other stores.

Maybe it's because I didn't agree with her almighty response and public reprimanding of James Frey, after he made her look like a fool for defending him in his A Million Little Pieces debacle. I may be one of the few people who haven't read his book, however, I read all memoirs knowing that some facts may be exaggerated or placed out of order for whatever reasons. That's no reason to publicly humiliate the guy even more.

Maybe it's because some authors don't even want to be mentioned in the same sentence as "Oprah's Book Club," yet their books still get the sticker (and their publicists probably love it).

Maybe it has to do with reasons completely unrelated to reading and books.

Now, don't get me wrong. I'm happy her book club gets people reading. If that's what it takes, by all means. I just personally prefer not to associate my book choices with her. I make the decision about what I read based on other reviews, friend recommendations and just gut feelings.

Anyone agree? How do you decide what to read? Oprah fans out there, I don't mean to offend...