Book club dilemma

booneybear · March 2014

So the person that got to pick the book for our next IRL book club meeting picked "Dreams of Joy" by Lisa See. Turns out it is the second book in a series (Shanghai Girls was the first). I have not read Shanghai Girls.

Can anyone tell me if I need to read Shangai Girls in order to get what the heck is going on in Dreams of Joy. I really don' t want to have to read Shanghai Girls as I have no interest in it (nor do I have any interest in Dreams of Joy) but if I am going to be lost, I will bite the bullet and read both (hopefully in time for bookclub).

And for the record, who the hell picks the second book in a series for book club anyway. Jeez Louise.

Hoycie · March 2014

Life is too short to read bad books.

packfan20 · March 2014

Shanghai Girls was extremely depressing and awful. Skip book club this month. You have to wash your hair that night.

ThisModernLove · April 2014

I feel like that's so wrong to pick the second book of a trilogy unless the club has already read the first one and even then, there are too many good books out there.

ZeusLBA · April 2014

Are they aware it's the second book?

Jliongrrrl · April 2014

A 2nd book in a series? Seriously? Can you veto her pick? Or pick like the 5th GOT or Outlander book for your next selection? I agree with packfan that Shanghai Girls was pretty depressing. I have not read Dreams of Joy to know if you really needthe background though.

Raeily · April 2014

I haven't read either but I think it's awful to pick the second book in the series, especially if the club hasn't read the first.

84Lauren · April 2014

Jliongrrrl said:

A 2nd book in a series? Seriously? Can you veto her pick? Or pick like the 5th GOT or Outlander book for your next selection? I agree with packfan that Shanghai Girls was pretty depressing. I have not read Dreams of Joy to know if you really needthe background though.

OMG you should totally pick A Dance with Dragons for your next book. hahahahaha

RhymeReason · April 2014

I read them both and I think you do need to read the first one to get some background but you may be fine without it, it just helps a little to know who everyone is and their back stories. That being sad, they are pretty depressing books.

RiverPlate · April 2014

I hate to say that you should stage a rebellion, but if the first book wasn't a book club book, the chances of anyone in the group reading and finishing both books might be slim. What are the others in your group doing?

How do you choose your books? I love the idea of an IRL book club.

booneybear · April 2014

RiverPlate said:

I hate to say that you should stage a rebellion, but if the first book wasn't a book club book, the chances of anyone in the group reading and finishing both books might be slim. What are the others in your group doing?

How do you choose your books? I love the idea of an IRL book club.

Most people have read the first book and there are only 6 of us in book club. I heard that the second was pretty stand alone but I see that there are charaters that are carried over from book 1 and I hate the feeling of missing out and HATE reading anything that is a second without reading a first KWIM? I think I am just going to not read it but go anyway for the food.

@RiverPlate Whoever hosts book club in our group chooses the book and cooks dinner.

Book club dilemma

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