Am I the only one who saw a huge change in my book club after we switched to shorter books?

My book club in Austin had been reading these 400 page novels for over a year, and attendance was dropping. People would show up and admit they only read the first 50 pages or just skimmed online summaries. Then last March I suggested we try books under 250 pages for three months. The difference was night and day. More people actually finished the book and came ready to talk. The debates got way more detailed because everyone had the same info. I think the shorter books forced us to focus on smaller details instead of just plot. Has anyone else seen this kind of shift in their group after changing up book length?

3 comments

3 Comments

nelson.wren14d ago

Huh, longer books always sparked the best debates in my group actually.

zara_sanchez14d ago

Oh man, try shorter books then. They're easier to finish.

amy_martin14d ago

Keep telling yourself that, shorty.