I'm brainstorming and thinking of ways we can make BookTalk beter and this is what I'm thinking. Having a nonfiction book discussion last an entire quarter is starting to seem slower than is ideal. How do you all feel about ending this book at the end of this month and starting to do a new nonfiction book every two months?

Sounds like a good idea to me, perhaps with extensions for longer books. Either that, or some sort of structure to the whole process. Although, I don't know how to introduce a structure without limiting the ease with which people jump in on on-going discussions.

I would enjoy more frequent discussions. To be frank, as the Discussion Leader for End of Faith, I really have not been commenting much as I completed the book over a month ago and have added anything I wanted to already to the discussion. Hard to stir conversation when a book is already posted to half.com and I have completed 2-3 books since End of Faith, lol.

I prefer to think of it like this: reducing book discussion times by only 1 month only really adds 2 additional readings for the year (six instead of four). That really isn't that many more books for book lovers even though it is a fifty percent increase mathematically. Off setting the fiction and non-fiction might keep things moving a bit as well, so if someone were to read every fiction and non-fiction book for the year, that would be one per month if it was an every other month cycle with fiction and non-fiction off set.

I was here for the two months readings...before you knew it, the period was over. I think we started the three month readings with Collapse...and the discussions since then have, on average, had more activity.

Maybe it shouldbe based on the book selected. Every book is different and some may warrant more time spent.

If we staggar the fiction and non-fiction, the pace of the readings should help make the longer period seem shorter, yet still keep a discussion open for input.

Mr. P.

The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.

Once you perceive the irrevocable truth, you can no longer justify the irrational denial. - Mr. P.

The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart...Scorsese's "Mean Streets"

I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper

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I was here for the two months readings...before you knew it, the period was over. I think we started the three month readings with Collapse...and the discussions since then have, on average, had more activity.

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I do not think three readings is indicative of a trend, you would need more data to make such a conjecture. Also, confounding variables such as perhaps new members boosted discussion or perhaps the latest three readings were particularly interesting, noteworthy, or otherwise discussion infusions readings could also have much to do with total posts. Also, of course, if the reading goes an extra month, it does allow for some additional posting. But I think we should focus on quality over quantity here. If most people are not reading and participating on posts made during the last month of a three month reading period, are those posts really quality posts? No, they are keyboard masturbation. In a book discussion community, if most readers have already stopped discussing the book, those posts would have been better utilized had the discussion only lasted two months and the posts been made while active discussion was occuring.

It has been four readings. The average post counts for those four equal the past nine.

Just saying. Active member participation per book has not changed much...usually onnly 4-6 members at most.

Just saying. I have been around since 2004 and I have noticed the discussions have been better since we went to 3 months.


Mr. P.

The one thing of which I am positive is that there is much of which to be negative - Mr. P.

Once you perceive the irrevocable truth, you can no longer justify the irrational denial. - Mr. P.

The pain in hell has two sides. The kind you can touch with your hand; the kind you can feel in your heart...Scorsese's "Mean Streets"

I came to kick ass and chew Bubble Gum...and I am all out of Bubble Gum - They Live, Roddy Piper