Happy Friday! Fun fact: it has rained heavily every single day so far this year where I live.
Let’s Talk Bookish is a weekly bookish discussion meme created by Rukky @Eternity Books and co-hosted by Aria @Book Nook Bits and Dini @DiniPandaReads. Each Friday, bloggers will write posts about a particular topic and share on their blog.
Do you enjoy buddy reading or participating in group reads? If you do, what do you like most about them?
I really love a group read. I don’t participate in many, purely because my book choices are not often mainstream, but when I find people who do want to do a group read, I love it! As for buddy reading, I think I have done two. I am not a great buddy reader on the whole.
What I love about group reads is the range of approaches to a book you get. Most of my group reads are non-fiction, and I always find it so interesting how different people interpret books, or parts of books. We are all from different backgrounds, and everyone always takes something different away from the books. Being a scientist, I often approach my non-fiction in a very logical way, seeing what I can learn and evaluating how the knowledge has been delivered. I love hearing from people who aren’t in science, because they always see something I don’t, often connecting emotionally rather than logically.
Do you prefer 1-1 or in a big group?
My ideal is a small-ish group. As I said, I really enjoy seeing a range of interpretations and opinions, but I find a larger conversation overwhelming. I would say around 10 people is probably the maximum group number I feel comfortable in, but I have also found the platform the read is happening on plays a large role in this.
A lot of the reads I am a part of happen on Discord. I tend to find them much easier, even if the group is large, purely because it tends to move a bit slower, and people take more time to write out their thoughts. A platform like Instagram immediately overwhelms me, as it moves so fast and tends to be filled with quick, spur-of-the-moment exclamations.
I’d love to try some 1-1 reads sometime, I think I would enjoy them with the right book. I tend to either binge-read or take ages, though, which often isn’t ideal for a buddy read!
For those who might not have access to in-person group reads, do you have a recommendation about where to join online reading groups?
My reading communities are all on Discord, however I first found them through Instagram. I’d definitely recommend having a browse of Instagram and seeing if you can find a community that fits what you enjoy reading. There are so many on there, including my favourite, @rewildyourshelf, the group I read my non-fiction with.
Pages of Emma 
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