AdrianaSage

AdrianaSage t1_je2wnj4 wrote

My favorite book is up to 600 so I guess it no longer qualifies.

But for a hidden gem with fewer reviews, I will say "Because of You" by Lisa Walker. It only has 17 ratings on goodreads and is no longer in print. It follows the story of a girl from childhood into her early 20s, as she deals with a dysfunctional family and dysfunctional relationships. There are some interesting thoughts and observations that she offers along the way. I read it as a teenager when it came out, and I'd still consider it one of my all time favorites.

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AdrianaSage t1_j9f21bk wrote

At my book club, we go around and each person gets a chance to say what they thought of the book. I'd suggest looking at your notes and listing out the things you want to say. You might even want to type things out on a page that you will just be reading from. I have social anxiety as well. I used to stumble over what I wanted to say when I was just trying to wing things with my comments.

My book club also has a dedicated researcher who looks up information about the book or the author. After we've gone around and given our opinion, the researcher shares what she's learned with us.

Then there is more of a period for open discussion regarding the book. The person who heads the book club often has a list of questions that she asks the group and whoever wants to can answer.

We're meeting on Zoom these days. The meeting typically lasts an hour and ends at this point. Before the pandemic, we used to meet at people's houses. When we did that, the hostess would serve food and drinks. Then there would be a period for people to just chat more openly. As somebody with social anxiety, that part was a little awkward for me. But it's a good opportunity to practice your socialization skills. People are usually pretty nice, and after you go a few times, you will start to get to know them.

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