Picked the literary fiction pick over the thriller and my book club nearly split in two

Last month at our Chicago book club, I had to choose between two finalists for our next read: a family drama about grief in a small town or a fast-paced thriller set in a high-tech lab. I pushed hard for the literary fiction because I thought the thriller would be too light for our group's taste. Man, did I get it wrong. Three members told me after the meeting they felt the grief novel was too slow and depressing, and two others actually skipped the discussion claiming they couldn't finish it. Meanwhile, the pro-thriller crowd brought up how the other option would've sparked better conversations about ethics in science. Has anyone else seen a pick backfire this hard?

2 comments

2 Comments

umathompson7d ago

oh man, that is rough. i totally feel for you, i've been there where you think you're making the right call for the group and it just blows up in your face. honestly though, that thriller sounds like it would've been way more fun for some real debate anyway.

jana1197d ago

Oh come on, it's a book club pick not a hostage situation. People act like choosing the wrong thriller is on the same level as a betrayal of trust. I still remember when my group picked a romance novel that one lady called "literary garbage" and I'm pretty sure we all survived. If the "wrong" pick is going to blow up then maybe it's time for new friends.