Fiction_L Archives discussion question Dates: 12/10/99,10:22 AM  through  12/13/99,11:51 AM  (4 postings) Search for: Select one or more indexes to search: 2009-current     2007-2008     1996-2006    (Matches from each index will be displayed separately in the results page.) Return to December 1999 thread menu   |   Fiction_L Archives Menu

FROM: "Kelly Joyce" <kjoyce@japl.lib.in.us>
REC'D: 12/10/99, 10:22 AM

Has anyone doing book discussion groups chosen to discuss a specific author
or genre, but NOT a specific book? We are looking into discussing
mysteries as a genre (what people like, favorite myst. authors, etc.) or
talking about the alphabet series by Sue Grafton, but not 'assigning' a
particular title.

If you've done this, was it successful?

Thanks! - Kelly

Kelly Joyce
Adult Services Librarian
Jackson County Public Library
Seymour IN 47274
812.522.3412 x238
kjoyce@japl.lib.in.us

FROM: <dspear@infoave.net>
REC'D: 12/10/99, 11:33 AM

We've done a couple of different things. One is a mystery session which
presents about 20 different sub-genres and allows a bit of time for
discusson in each category. This was done as a special session for a
bookclub which normally looks at one book per meeting. It was a lot of
work to prepare, but has been taken on the road for a number of different
groups so it was worth it in the end, although only the hardcore genre
fans seem to come.

Then we had a local romance writer come and lead a discussion on romance
fiction. That conversation was all over the map, and lots of fun,
especially with someone who knew some of the inside scoop on the romance
publishing industry and authors.

Then we tried to have a discussion of Pat Conroy's The Water Is Wide, but
it was attended by so many Conroy buffs (some of whom, inevitably, knew
him when he was younger since we are in SC) that it turned into a very
lively, judicious and thoughtful look at his work as a whole.

I think the best one was the Conroy and the trick was to pick an author
with a pretty hefty body of work and an even heftier fanclub. (Never mind
that I intended something completely different.) I'd like to try this
again with Kaye Gibbons or Barbara Kingsolver, maybe, or Alice Walker, and
it might also be fun to do with poetry.

Good luck.

Debbie Spear
Greenville (SC) County Library

FROM: "Mary Van Dyke" <maryv@CLSN3046.glenview.lib.il.us>
REC'D: 12/13/99, 10:57 AM

Kelly,

Just started a "sub-genre" mystery discussion group that meets every three
months(we have three mystery book stores in the surrounding area and I did
not want to compete with their monthly specific book discussions. Met in
September and discussed Agatha Christie's Hercule Poirot--21 people showed
up--discussion was lively--some "hated" Hercule, but most loved him. we
had a lively discussion about the various film adaptions and even talked
about the recorded books versions. Next Thursdays we are discussing
Sherlock Holmes(I picked him beause everyone will be busy for the holidays
and everybody has read or seen Holmes in action). For the first meetin I
handed out a complete list of Agatha Christie's works that I obtained from
the Agath Christie Society. Thursday I plan to hand out a bibliography of
the continuations of Sherlock Holmes, i.e., Laurie King, Carole Nelson
Douglas, etc availablein our library(which I will then use as one of
our RA bibliographies).

At the first meeting I gave out a ballot listing various sub-genres--
so February we will read humorous mysteries(I will pick a particular
author and we will read any of his/her books) and in June one of the
local mystery book store owners will talk about cooking mysteries.
I picked male sleuths in the hopes of attracting men to the group-
for the first meeting I had four men and seventeen women. I had collected
names of people who loved mysteries over the summer in my capacity as
Readers Advisory librarian and sent everyone a notice of the meeting--we
also have a sign-up sheet at the Information Desk. Interestingly I have
heard both times from people who could not make a meeting, but asked to be
kept on the list.

If you would like a copy of the ballot or any other information, e-mail
me, write, or call---good luck. Do you attend any mystery conmventions
i.e. Malice Domestic, Magna Cum Murder, etc?

Mary Van Dyke
Readers Advisory Librarian
Glenview Public Library
1930 Glenview Road
Glenview, IL 60025
(847) 729-7500

FROM: "RENEE ZURN" <RZURN@duluth.lib.mn.us>
REC'D: 12/13/99, 11:51 AM

Kelly, our library does not have a mystery discussion group
so I attend the Barnes and Nobles mystery book group.
We meet, usually 12 people, for about an hour every month -
sometimes a little longer. We usually read the same book
and discuss it - that seems to work the best. We did read
different Ngaio Marsh books but that discussion had to cover
plot and well as what we liked about the book and was not
as involved as previous books. In January we will read
different Nancy Drew and/or Hardy Boys mysteries and that
might generate some discussion.

We have people suggest books that have loved, we pick
books from the best sellers list, the mystery award lists, and
I suggest titles from book reviews or best of lists I run across
at work. It is hard to find a book that someone in the group
has not read since we pick only paperbacks so people can
afford to buy the book if they want to. We have also had
discussions about why a book is in the fiction area and not
the mystery area and if we should read some of those fiction
writers that do mysteries.

Renee Zurn
Duluth Public Library
520 W. Superior St.
Duluth Mn 55802

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