Debate: Does a book club pick have to be 'likable' or just 'discussable'?

My group read 'The Vegetarian' last month and half of us hated it, the other half couldn't stop talking. The woman who picked it said she chose it because it would spark debate, not because she enjoyed it. Our next pick is 'Project Hail Mary' which is way more fun but nobody really has much to argue about. So where do you land on this? Should book club picks be made for discussion value, or should everyone actually enjoy reading them?

3 comments

3 Comments

rose_reed1mo ago

Nah, life's too short to slog through a book you actively hate.

the_diana1mo ago

Just discussable" is my vote because I once picked a book I LOVED and the group was so bored we spent 45 minutes arguing about dip recipes instead. So apparently my taste is only good for a good debate, not for actual enjoyment.

rose_reed1mo ago

Did your group ever try the dips though? My buddy Kevin picked a book for his club once, a thriller about a plane crash, and they ended up spending the whole night arguing about whether you could survive a fall into the ocean from 30,000 feet. They never even got to his favorite twist, the one where the pilot is secretly the guy who sabotaged the engine.