Book group, or groups?

[nora-rocket.livejournal.com]

Hello all:

I am a recent transplant to the area, and I'm interested in joining (or starting...) a book group.  Any of you bookish types have a reading club that you frequent or of which you know?  I asked at Porter Square Books if they hosted or knew of any and I was shocked to get blank looks.  Are there any other nerdy hot spots I should check with about reading groups?  Ideally, I'd like a group that reads lit fic, narrative nonfic, SF/fantasy, female authors, or feminist writing--or any combinations of the above (woman-penned fiction, feminist SF...).  Aiming for a book-a-month pace.

If nothing like this exists, I'd be all for starting a casual book club meet-up of the type I seek--any interest?

Comments

[mysticalchild_isis]

I don't know of any, but I'd be interested.

Pandemonium is a pretty sweet all sci-fi bookstore in Central Square, they might have something...

sudden and inevitable

[nora-rocket.livejournal.com]

Well, based solely on your little "this land" avatar, I think we're going to get along swell...

I'll stop by Pandemonium. Are they just right along the Mass Ave run in Cntrl Sq?

Re: sudden and inevitable

[unferth.livejournal.com]

They're at 4 Pleasant Street, right off Mass Ave opposite the Cambridge City Hall.

Events might be posted on their LJ community:
http://community.livejournal.com/pandemonium_bks/

Re: sudden and inevitable

[mysticalchild_isis]

They are just off of Mass Ave, on Pleasant St. Turn by the 7-11.

http://www.pandemoniumbooks.com/

Wash Rocks. :)

[unferth.livejournal.com]

I found a couple possibilities on meetup.com:
http://www.meetup.com/cities/us/ma/somerville/#Books

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

I'd be interested in a sci-fi-y book group, but I have no time. I'd suggest making it an online thing. I already belong to an online book group (all discussion of the books is conducted by email) and it's great.

[tisana.livejournal.com]

But...but...part most of the appeal of a book club meeting is the wine and munchies and random chatting with other bibliophiles!

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

Yes, and the beauty of an online book club is that the virtual wine-and-munchies offerings are calorie-free and not limited to what people remember to bring! ;) Plus random chatting with other bibliophiles works just as well online as in person. More so, maybe, since a lot of bibliophiles are shy in person but not in email.

Anyway, as a single mom with two young kids and a full-time job, I simply can't manage an in-person book club (or anything else that requires me to commit to a particular day/time/place). Email is perfect for me because I can do it whenever and wherever.

[mizufae.livejournal.com]

often the establishments where gatherings happen arent aware that groups are meeting there. they're just regular customers, or a particularly talkative cluster of folks. I'd check online to see if maybe there arent local groups that fly under the radar, made up of friends and friends of friends. you could also ask in places like diesel cafe and the accursed starbucks, Comicazi the comic book store on highland, even the burren. also if you find nothing, don't forget about tufts!

[ifotismeni]

there are usually a bunch of book clubs meetups listed on bostonlinkup.com

[tastyanagram.livejournal.com]

I don't know about any but I'd be interested to join.

[buymeaclue.livejournal.com]

Hmm. I have no time, but I'd be interested--might be able to squeeze something in.

[ron_newman]

Each of the three Somerville libraries has a monthly reading group. The library newsletter lists them.

[masslibrulgirl.livejournal.com]

The awesome feministy Center for New Words (http://www.centerfornewwords.org/) in Cambridge is going to have a book club about race (http://www.centerfornewwords.org/events/2007/07/reading_race.php) soon.

[rethcir.livejournal.com]

I'm reading the same woman-penned fiction as everyone else right now.

[metagnat.livejournal.com]

I would probably be interested in such a group. Pandy's might be a good place - or a branch of the library.

-E

[hrafn.livejournal.com]

I think there is a Book Crossing (Bookcrossing?) group in the area, but since I have only heard this second-hand (from someone who went to one meeting), I do not know the details. Actually, I think there was a very short post about that here sometime in the last 3-4 months. Let me ask my source.

[rebcamuse.livejournal.com]

Ooh! Please elaborate when you are able. I just joined Book Crossing and am all about the book-hopping!

Thanks!

Rebecca

[aquaflame16.livejournal.com]

elements has been talking for a little while about wanting to start some kind of book club focused on feminist sf/f.
I'm pretty sure she's out of the country right now, but I bet when she gets back she might be interested in chatting with you. (I'll try to remember to point her towards this post.)

Sounds like there's enough interest to get something going here.

Great ideers.

[nora-rocket.livejournal.com]

Thanks to all for fabulous ideas. I have been poking around the suggested links and sources for other groups and will audition one or two of them. It does sound, however, like there is interest enough here that I might be able to throw together a small (5-15 member) super-local (Davis, Teele, Porter) reading group. Let me stew on it, get some ideas of my own, and get back to the board soon.

[elements.livejournal.com]

thebostonreader and I have gathered a few folks interested in an informal feminist sci-fi book club - including one woman we met at Pandemonium. Unfortunately we've both been too busy to get it going until the fall, tho. We're really interested in the specific niche, but our interests still might overlap...