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Shoutout to the person who brought a 12-page annotated character analysis to our 'fun summer read' meeting
Last week at the Denver Public Library, our club discussed a breezy romance novel, and one member, Karen, showed up with a binder breaking down the male lead's toxic traits. She talked for 25 straight minutes, sucking all the joy out of the room. It turned a chill chat into a tense debate about literary merit versus pure entertainment. Has your club ever had someone completely derail the vibe of a meeting like that?
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river_burns6mo ago
That "25 straight minutes" part is the real killer. Been there. You need a hard time limit for each person's thoughts, like two minutes tops. The host has to cut people off when they go over. It feels rude but saves the whole group. Also, set the tone at the start by saying this is for fun, not a college class. If someone still brings a binder, thank them for the passion but say we're keeping it light today.
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terry16mo ago
Honestly, where did you read that two minute rule, @river_burns? Tbh I saw a thing online about using a physical timer for book clubs, like one of those big kitchen ones you can see across the room. The sound of the bell going off makes everyone laugh and it stops the long talkers without feeling as mean. Ngl, setting that fun tone from the start is the only way to stop the binder people.
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terry15mo ago
Read an article in some parenting blog actually that said the same thing about using a funny timer. They recommended one shaped like a cow that moos when time is up. Made me laugh but honestly I bet it works because nobody can stay mad at a mooing cow. The whole key is keeping it light and not letting the serious types take over. If someone brings a binder, I just say "oh cool notes!" and then immediately ask the next person a question to move things along.
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