Last night saw the first meeting of the online Crime book club, held on Google+ Hangouts.
I was incredibly nervous before we went live and wondered what on Earth I had set myself up for. I finished work late so that didn’t help matters.
I needn’t have worried though because the first four members of the book club were wonderful. They were enthusiastic and engaging and completely made the whole experience worthwhile, interesting and brave!
If you hold a Hangout with more than 10 people it is automatically live streamed onto YouTube. Because we expect the club to grow and this to happen at some point, we had a brief discussion and decided that even though we didn’t need to, we would stream the meeting live and have it on YouTube for all to see, so we have a record of how the club started and how it progresses. Like I said, Brave!
We discussed Agatha Christie’s Murder on the Orient Express and the general discussion points were around whether the group thought it would be published in todays market and how the plot worked. It was felt that it was slow and there were no real clues as to who had committed the crime in this particular book. There was also an issue of stereotyping which the group felt was used as a tool to identify characters. You can see the full thought processes behind this on the recorded video. I hope you enjoy it as much as we did. You will see at the end (it is 36 minutes long I’m afraid) that we are genuinely excited for the next months meeting.
The results of the voting for Septembers book was announced and by a clear lead, we are reading The Silent Wife, by A. S. A. Harrison.
Don’t forget, to join the club, you can read the books in any format they are available in, and borrow them from libraries. This club is about inclusivity. If you have terrible eyesight, please consider audio. If a kindle is lighter to hold in arthritic hands than a book, please consider a light ebook device. If finances are an issue, then please, order the book from the library. Being online is all about inclusivity. People who struggle with mobility, time, etc, can maybe stop for an hour and have this book meet in their own homes.
To get into the Hangout you can see above, you just need to find me on Google+. I’m easy to find, I use the same photograph everywhere. Once you’ve found me, tell me to add you to the crime book club circle I’ve created, as that is the one circle that gets invited to the book club Hangout. If I’m not informed, you could be missed.
All in all, I was nervous. I was definitely a little clunky in quite a few area’s but I had great members who were willing to engage with the group and make it work, so for those founding members I am grateful. They are on Twitter and fantastic. Many, many thanks to @djkirkby @Nicola_Johnston @AnitaSDavison and @_alisongray You are complete stars.
I had some apologies from others Twitter and Facebook users with technical difficulties. This isn’t something we’ve done before so we do hope to grow as more and more people hear about it and hear how easy it is to do.
Thank you for everyone who has supported this project. It has meant a lot.
I’m looking forward the The Silent Wife and the next book club, which is to be held on Wednesday 18th September 2013 at 8 p. m. GMT.
I can’t wait!
What are your thoughts? – On the meeting, our thoughts on the book, or book clubs on general?
So sorry I couldn’t join you last night. Should have got the technical stuff sorted out earlier, you had given us plenty of warning, but I somehow assumed mine would work, since I do teleconferences all the time (not for the past month or so, though). Anyway, even though Twitter played up too, I did manage to catch your livestreaming, so I felt a little bit as though I was there.
Haven’t read The Silent Wife, so I look forward to discovering it and hope to join you in September!
I’m glad you managed to catch the live streaming and enjoyed it Marina. It was pretty nerve-wracking but felt really great at the same time. I know what you mean about expecting things to go OK. It wasn’t until two days before that I actually did a trial run and found out what I needed to do! I look forward to seeing you in September 🙂
Well done all – it sounds like a great idea going forward! If somewhere down the line you consider reading The Doll’s House, I’d be delighted to be part of an interactive exchange about it’s creation. All the very best with it all. I’m in a book club in Dublin, and we get utterly passionate about the books we read, so have a blast going forward!
Thanks Louise. I attend a book club in Nottingham and love it, this seemed like a good idea because I spend so much time talking crime fiction online. It is so great to be able to share that love of books and reading with others who share that same passion. It was scary last night but I think we all loved it. Thank you for your offer. Having author talks is something that has crossed my mind for the future when we get a little more established and comfortable with the format, so thank you 🙂
Rebecca – I’m so glad to hear the first meeting went so well! And The Silent Wife sounds like a great choice. I’ll be all ready for the next meeting!
Thanks Margot. I think we all really enjoyed it and came away smiling. I look forward to seeing you next month! 🙂
Live on YouTube? That’s scary. Glad it went well.
Yes, very scary Alex! I was quite conscious that anyone could tune in at any point, but despite that, I really enjoyed it and love the members for agreeing to do it from the get go.
Hey Rebecca!
So glad it went well. Was thinking of you x
Thank you Jane. I really appreciate that xx
Enjoyed the video a lot – interesting conversation! Sorry you weren’t too enthused about the book, but as a big Christie fan, I agree this one gets bogged down with the interviews in the middle. I find the Miss Marple books better because she doesn’t investigate in a formal way – it’s all done by gossip and chit-chat, and the characters tend to be much more filled out. Maybe not as a book club entry, but I’d encourage those who were disappointed to try The Moving Finger – in my opinion, a much better book…
Thank you! I haven’t read Christie in so many years, so when I made the choice, it really was a blind to which were the better books or otherwise. It was interesting though and I was pleased with the discussion around it. I would probably pick up another book at some point just to compare, because I do remember enjoying them when I was much younger.