There are lots of occasions in which democracy is a great idea. Government, for example, seems to do pretty well in a democracy. Family meetings are sometimes a good place to hold a vote. In book club, however, I think democracy’s time has come and gone.
‘But Katie,’ you ask, ‘how do we make sure we pick a book that everyone will like?’
Well, you don’t. And, I’d argue, you shouldn’t.
A book club is an amazing opportunity to expand your tastes and read books that are so far off your radar you could never even imagine plucking them out of a bargain bin.
Taking a vote or reaching a consensus defeats the purpose of social reading. You’re there to have your perspective widened and to consider insights that you’d never have come up with on your own. By voting as a hive about what to read next, you’re shouting into an echo chamber and doing your club and yourself a disservice.
What I’d advocate for instead is a rotating dictatorship. Sure, maybe you have a few ground rules (no vampires, no classics), but otherwise it’s up to the individual to determine what the group will read next. This way you’re exposed to huge variety of genres that you’ll actually have to take seriously and reckon with.
A rotating dictatorship model also comes with the added benefit of a built-in revenge mechanism. If you’re still feeling salty about your friend’s dense and snobby high-literature pick, you can get back at her by choosing a pulpy mid-series supernatural romance novel. Or vice versa, and on and on forever.
Having someone from your book club usher you into a new genre (or maybe a genre you once tried and dismissed) is like having a friendly guide there to help you understand and appreciate what you’re reading. The generous dictator will provide you with all the context and subculture you need and you might even find yourself – gasp – enjoying it.
However open minded a reader you consider yourself, chances are there are at least a few gaping holes in your library (military history anyone?). If you’re lucky enough to have found a group of people with shared passions and diverse interests, take full advantage of their expertise and pass around the control.
Especially as we get older, it can become easy to fall into lazy reading habits, returning to the same sections of the bookstore or library again and again. Enforcing a book club dictatorship will make sure you don’t get stuck in your ways and will help you take a friendly step out of your comfort zone. Let’s face it; we could all use a push.