Why does every book club pick the same 3 bestsellers? I'm so tired of it

I joined a local book club downtown about 4 months ago, and every single pick has been a Reese Witherspoon or BookTok rec. We just did 'The Women' and before that 'The Housemaid' and I swear I'm gonna lose it. I get that easy reads get people talking but I miss when we'd pick something weird or old. Last week someone actually suggested 'Crime and Punishment' and the group shot it down because it's too long. Has anyone else dealt with a club that just plays it way too safe with their picks?

3 comments

3 Comments

olivia_rivera8825d ago

but actually there's something nice about everyone being on the same page with those popular books because then nobody feels left out or can't finish it in time for the meeting. the people who suggest those picks are usually the ones hosting or bringing snacks so they kinda earned the right to pick something they actually want to talk about. if you want weird books maybe start a second club for that instead of trying to change the one you're in.

felixfisher24d ago

Big mood lol. Popular book club picks keep the peace and snacks flowing.

lily_singh224d ago

everyone being on the same page" really hit me. I was in a book club once where one guy named Dave insisted we read a dense history of the Icelandic wool trade. He was not the host. He didn't bring snacks. We spent three meetings pretending we'd read it while he explained sheep breeds. We lost four members that month. Snacks and hosting rights are basically the social contract of book clubs.