Book clubs fill post-Oprah void
By Shaun Conlin
Gannett News Service
Talk-show host Oprah Winfrey's surprising decision earlier this month to end her popular book club, which during the past few years introduced dozens of novels and authors to reading enthusiasts, has left thousands of fans wondering where they'll turn next to find great literature.
But the final chapter of Winfrey's reading circle isn't the end of the story. In fact, Winfrey's decision to disband her book club has redirected the spotlight on Internet-based book discussion groups of similar caliber.
"It's not like everybody was just staring at a blank wall before Oprah came along and told us to read," said Kevin Smokler, publisher of Web site Central Booking (www.centralbooking.com). "She just confirmed that the public has a huge appetite for books."
In the "post-O era," Smokler said that people don't need to look any further than the Internet for book club information that's matched to their tastes.
"There are tons of book lovers out there who aren't book publishers or book critics," he said. "But they are really well-read people with very good opinions."
Central Booking draws 1,000 visitors per day and skews toward young readers and their reading interests, though Smokler said the site attracts readers of every literary inclination and age. And more of them are visiting since Oprah announced the end of her book club, he said. Central Booking's "Readers Resource" page, which is an index linking into other reading destinations such as the African American Literature Book Club (www.aalbc.com), has been especially popular.
Because intelligent discussion is key to any book club's success, Web-based clubs are rapidly becoming the preferred forum, now that Oprah is not doing them on TV, said Kristine Ball, founder and CEO of BookMuse (www.bookmuse.com), another online reading club.
"Readers will remember a book much more richly after discussing it — even years later," she said. "Once people discover this pleasure they don't abandon it just because their book selector disappears."
But not all clubs are Oprah clones with Oprah-esque discussions. In fact, there are dozens of groups covering all genres and styles.
The Science Fiction Book Club (www.sfbc.com), the Mystery Guild (www.mysteryguild.com), The Children's Literature Guide (www.bookhive.org), and the Garden Book Club (gbc.booksonline.com) are destinations dedicated to a particular type of literature. One site, Book Clubs.com (www.book-clubs.com), links to dozens of clubs and organizes links by particular tastes.
While Web-based book clubs are more informal than traditional face-to-face discussion groups — you can participate in your pajamas and no one will know — the task of finding a new club and collection of trusted opinions is often daunting.
"In this day and age we're bombarded with so many activities that reading really takes a back seat," said Suzanne Beecher, founder and CEO of Chapter-a-Day (www.chapteraday.com). "I mean, you have to slow down in order to read."
