I actually prefer paperback over hardcover for book club meetings

At my last book club meeting in Austin, everyone was raving about their hardcovers and how they look good on shelves. But I brought my beat-up paperback copy of Circe that cost me 9 bucks and it was way easier to pass around the table when we were looking at specific passages. Nobody had to fight with a heavy book that kept sliding shut on itself. Has anyone else found paperbacks easier to actually discuss with in a group setting?

3 comments

3 Comments

eric_murphy362mo agoMost Upvoted

Totally agree with you on this. My book club tried hardcovers for a while, but we switched back to paperbacks because they're just more practical for passing around and marking pages. Saves a lot of hassle when you're trying to point out a specific quote without the book snapping shut on your finger.

skylerc862mo ago

I don't know man, is it really that big of a deal? Paperbacks jam up your fingers too when you're trying to hold them open to a certain page, and the spines crack and pages fall out after a couple passes around the group. Hardcovers at least stay flat on the table if you set them down. But hey, whatever works for your book club, I guess.

andrew9161mo ago

My buddy Dave tried to start a book club with hardcovers last year. After three meetings, one dude cracked his spine trying to hold the thing open one-handed while eating chips, and another girl dropped a copy right in the mud because it slipped off her lap. The rest of the group just stopped showing up. Now they're all back to cheap paperbacks and nobody's complained.