Have you ever been a member of a book club? How did your group choose (or, if you haven’t been, what do you think is the best way to choose) the next book and who would lead discussion?
Do you feel more or less likely to appreciate books if you are obliged to read them for book groups rather than choosing them of your own free will? Does knowing they are going to be read as part of a group affect the reading experience? – BTT

No, I have never been apart of a formal book club per se. I have discussed books with friends of things we recently read whether by coincidence or by choice. I really do not know how a group would choose. I guess it is good to have a theme or like minded tastes. Then it’s a matter of brainstorming and narrowing it down in one session. I think someone who may have read the book before or studied it (or read many of the selected author’s works) could lead the discussion. Or maybe it is a matter of taking turns, drawing straws, etc.

Though I do not speak from personal experience, I think it would be very interesting to read a group and discuss it with others. I do not think I’d appreciate it less; I would like to see others opinions on interpretation of characters, story, prose, and themes. I would very much like to be in a book club with only a few members, getting together to actually talk about books. I find that being bookish can be solitary and sometimes, I’d like the option for it to be social as you can learn from others and their perspectives. Though, I would not want to join the first book club I see. Books are still personal to me in a way, and I would want to make sure the club has people who genuinely love books and literature. I’d want it to be pleasant experience with people I know. It really comes down to the fact that presently I do not know many bibliophiles especially ones open to being in a real book club.