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Non-fiction or Classics for Book Club?

Tiff

Tiff

I don't need no stinking playlists!
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I asked about this in one of the current threads, but it might get overlooked. I was wondering about choosing non-fiction books, or classics for the book club?

I looked through the voting, and I saw that just about all of the books were fiction, and most were written in the last year or so. I'd love to see some more variety. There might not be a huge interest, and I understand that recent fiction is popular, but maybe we could set aside one month for a Classic, and one month for a Non-ficiton title?

Would that rock the boat too much?
 
I love autobiographies/non fiction (ok, last three books that I read have been non fiction now that I think about it), am a bit over classics but wouldn't mind reading one once in a while. I think the idea of setting aside a month for each is a good one.
 
OMG, the boat is rocking so much we're all about to fall out!

OK, joking aside: I think it's totally cool in theory. But I'd have to see what books were nominated lol. I'm not a huge non-fic fan (or rather, the non-fic I like seems kinda random), and I read a ton of "classics" as an English major. As a feminist, the "classics" make me a bit nervous because they aren't very... how do I put this delicately? Oh yeah: they're not diverse. Or rather, what I think of as "The Classics" isn't diverse. So for that, I worry because I'd like to have more varied options. But that might be the fact that I've trod those Classics roads so much that my eyes have started to cross.
 
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I'm currently reading _An Optimist's Tour of the Future_ by Mark Stevenson and (trying to read but have barely begun) _Triumph of the City_ by Edward Glaeser.

Yes, I would enjoy reading some non-fiction with this group (or how about just a few of us if only a few are interested) if the topic is one I'm interested in.

Classics -- maybe. It depends on which one.
 
Tree City said:
OMG, the boat is rocking so much we're all about to fall out!

OK, joking aside: I think it's totally cool in theory. But I'd have to see what books were nominated lol. I'm not a huge non-fic fan (or rather, the non-fic I like seems kinda random), and I read a ton of "classics" as an English major. As a feminist, the "classics" make me a it nervous because they aren't very... how do I put this delicately? Oh yeah: they're not diverse. Or rather, what I think of as "The Classics" isn't diverse. So for that, I worry because I'd like to have more varied options. But that might be the fact that I've trod those Classics roads so much that my eyes have started to cross.
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I was an English major as well!
 
I'm glad there is some interest. Most of the books nominated so far are not the type I read, but I'm still willing to try them. I assume others would be similarly generous with their time.

After high school, I never read any classics, so there are so many I have not read. I did pick up a few after my son was born, and generally enjoyed every one (but NOT Wuthering Heights!), so I guess I get a little excited about the classics.... although maybe what *I* think of as Classics isn't what an English major would think of as a classic!

For a book club, I don't expect to "approve" of every book I read before hand. I like the idea of committing to a club, and making a go at every book, even if I don't think I would like it.
 
I'm not opposed to non-fiction, I just rarely read any, unless it's a crafty artsy type learning book. I LOVE classics though. I think it would be cool to do one once in awhile. Those that don't want to read those genres can just skip a month. :)
 
I think you should suggest whatever book you want! I read non-fiction, but I'm shy about suggesting books. I think balance is great. I was in a book club where only classics, or non-fiction was chosen, and that wasn't my style. But I enjoyed some of the books like "What Einstein Told his Cook". Then again, I read cookbooks for fun.
 
Tiff said:
After high school, I never read any classics, so there are so many I have not read. I did pick up a few after my son was born, and generally enjoyed every one (but NOT Wuthering Heights!),
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I think I read like 5 pages of Wuthering Heights and then said "Nope, not gonna do it."

If you haven't read a lot of classics, then I can see your interest. :) And I have to remember that we're reading these books for fun: I will not be quizzed on them, or have to write a 20-page paper on it, or otherwise be tortured about the character development or the unreliable narrator, etc etc etc. :evillaugh
 
Tree City said:
I think I read like 5 pages of Wuthering Heights and then said "Nope, not gonna do it."
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You were so smart! I suffered through the whole thing, assuming that it would have a "good" ending. I was so mad when I finished! It was nine years ago, and I still have a beef with that book.
 
@Tiff after suffering (which is a very good way to put it!) through a few books in school--where I *had* to finish them--I finally decided that, as an adult who paid for the book with her own gosh darn money (or I borrowed it from the library so I wasn't out anything lol), if I didn't like a book, it was OK to stop reading it, especially since it doesn't happen often. There isn't a Book Police that'll arrest me for not finishing a book. :) But I still feel oddly guilty when I stop reading a book. How silly is that? Like Gone Girl: I stopped reading it because it made me want to rip my hair out, but whenever someone talks about it (or the film), I think "Well maybe I didn't give it enough time. Maybe 4 chapters wasn't enough. Maybe I should try again, even though I talked with someone who read it and I figured out some of the plot twists just by reading the first chapter..." :banghead
 
@Tree City I've given myself the same permission. I do make myself read until page 50, unless the subject matter or swearing is too much for me. I figure I can honestly say I gave it a chance at that point. After that, nope! There are too many books I want to read to waste my time on ones I'm not enjoying.
 
I'm not violently opposed to reading non-fiction, I'm just not interested in it. Doesn't mean I'm not generous with my time, or that I would not even try . . . was just being honest and explaining I'm more interested in fiction, including classics.
 
It sounds like if a non-fiction or Classics doesn't win enough votes in the "main" book club, there might be a few of us that could do a spin-off or something. That sounds like a good compromise if those book choices don't end up working for the club.
 
I'm down for whatever.. :) I actually kept the list of "recommended books" from my AP English class wanting to go back and read them after I graduated umpteen years ago.. I still have it around here somewhere.. and how many of them do you think I've read.. probably none, LOL!

Also, I actually kind of liked Wuthering Heights.. so there. :p
 
I'll always give a book a try. (If I can get my hands on it, which only happened this month so far!) Not my usual at all, but I wouldn't want to limit myself. :) If I don't like it, I stop. If I do, I've expanded my horizons, lol!
 
There are some really good non-fiction books being written that read like they're fiction. I'm thinking of anything written by Erik Larson (The Devil in the White City, Thunderstruck, dead Wake), The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand for a few.
 
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