OutReaders:2019-08
First meeting of the relaunched OutWorlders Book Club
8/17/19 1-3:30 pm
Kirkwood Library
Robert Allen was the coordinator. Twenty people attended.
The meeting began with an ice breaker called “Who Am I” that got people talking and mingling for about 30 minutes.
We discussed the types of books to read. The genres will be sci-fi, fantasy, and horror in keeping with OutWorlders’ tradition. Anyone can nominate any book within those categories. Books with authors or themes from underrepresented groups are welcome but not mandatory. (Women, minorities, LGBTQ, etc.)
We agreed to select monthly books by voting. Anyone can nominate a book. We nominated 12 books. We set up an online poll using ranked voting and all attendees voted. Two books were chosen: For September, we will discuss The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin. For October, we will discuss Vox by Christina Dalcher. We decided that voting on books is limited to people in attendance. We decided we would choose books two months in advance so everyone has time to get and read the book.
We discussed where and when to meet from now on. We decided that weeknights are not good because of work and traffic. Some people expressed interest in meeting at the library after hours so alcohol could be brought. We decided on the third Saturday of each month. The next meeting will be on Saturday, Sept. 21 at 2 pm at the Kirkwood Library again. It will be potluck.
We decided that the person who nominated the chosen book will be the leader for the month’s discussion. Robert Allen will serve as backup in case the discussion leader can’t or doesn’t want to lead the discussion.
Leah will lead the September discussion. Jameson will lead the October discussion.
Nominated books (winners in boldface):
- The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin
- Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire
- Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
- The Word Exchange by Alena Graedon
- Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
- Vox by Christina Dalcher
- Old Man's War by John Scalzi
- Commitment Hour by James Alan Gardner
- The Book of Lost Things by John Connolly
- Pendragon by DJ MacHale
- SkinHunter (Jane Yellowrock series) by Faith Hunter
