Winter is many months of the year But now at last Maytime is here; And birds sing from a leafy screen In the trees and hedgerow freshly green; And the wood-anemone is out in the shade, With its blushing petals which too soon fade; Once more the bracken is unfurling there, And bluebells gently perfume the damp air. — Veronica Ann Twells,Maytime

Can't We Get Everything Online Now?

Some newspapers have downsized their book review section and even laid-off some book reviewers due cost-cutting measures. Does the nation need print material to examine and recommend literary work? Can’t we get everything online now?

Reading groups certainly go online to search for information for their discussion, but they also rely on newspapers and magazines to get recommendations for their discussible booklist. Reports from a recent Reading Group Choices Survey show nearly half of the respondents said that they learn about new books from newspaper printed materials “frequently” or “almost always,” and another third learn about new books from newspaper printed materials “sometimes."

Some of the respondents cited specific sources of reviews that they used to learn about new books, including the NY and LA Times Book Reviews, NPR, The New Yorker, other journals, and book stores.

Over half of the respondents said that they prefer to get discussion questions for their reading groups on the Internet, but nearly 40% prefer to get discussion questions from printed materials.

The web serves its purpose for quick and easy information about books and authors. For the most part though, reading group members don’t have the time or, more importantly, don’t want to devote their time surfing the web in search of every literary blog and podcast. They rely on print material as well as the opinions from their friends to assess and recommend books to their group.

Reading Group Choices has both print and online information because there is a need for both. Reading group members tell us they like the print edition – in the words of one subscriber, “the tidy package filled with dozens of great reads to last throughout the year."

There is room for all media information regarding books, just like there is room for all genres of books. What would happen if publishers just stopped publishing poetry or science fiction? We think it will bring the dark days of civilization.

What do you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts on this issue.

Thanks for keeping the joy of reading alive,

Barbara
bmead@readinggroupchoices.com

Order Your Copy of the Print Edition of Reading Group Choices 2007