Warning: I tried a new way to pick our next book and it saved our club from a fight

Our group in Austin was stuck for two months, just arguing over what to read next. Someone wanted a long classic, another wanted a new thriller, and it got tense. Then I saw a tip online about a 'book bracket.' We each put in four titles, made a 16-book bracket, and voted round by round over a week. The winner was 'Project Hail Mary,' which no one had even suggested at first. The voting made it fun, not personal, and we found a book everyone was cool with. It turned a bad debate into a game. Has anyone else tried a system like this to stop the picking fights?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_faith8d ago

That book bracket idea is a total game changer for clubs stuck in a loop. My old group used a random number generator on a shared list when we hit a wall, which also took the personal edge off the choice. The key is making the process feel fair and a bit fun, so no one feels like their pick got shot down. Honestly, any system that lets the book win, not the person arguing for it, saves so much hassle.

blair_lewis858d ago

How do you keep the voting from taking forever? I love the bracket idea, but my crew would debate each match-up for an hour. We do a ranked choice list instead, everyone sends their top three and we tally points. It's quick and you still get a surprise winner. That point from @the_faith about the process needing to feel fair is so true, it totally stops someone from feeling salty their book lost. Making it a game is the only way to avoid the drama.