Every time I visit a book club I leave brimming with energy from meeting people who share my love for books. And every group I’ve visited has its own twist to make it unique.

Not as unique, however, as the Outdoor Co-ed Topless Pulp Fiction Appreciation Society. Here male and female members meet al-fresco to  discuss only pulp fiction -and they must be topless. Why? To desexualise female breasts AND to make reading sexy again. I’m thinking these objectives may be directly opposed. But in any event, it’s not my thing. If it’s yours hightail it over to New York where it’s legal to be topless in public. But be prepared to join a veeery long waiting list.

Then there’s the Movie Book Club. I’d rock up at this group in a heart-beat. Members read a book, see the movie together and share hearty discussion over dinner and/or drinks. Count me in!

Cook and Book clubs are surprisingly popular. Members come together to read cook books, each choosing a dish to bring to the next meeting. As the world’s most reluctant cook, I’d probably be cleaning out my socks drawer that night! However, I’ve visited a couple of reading groups whose members share novels and take turns to bake a cake. Thanks to these brilliant cooks I’ve tasted slices of heaven in the form of Chocolate Raspberry Torte and Apricot Yoghurt Cake. Oh yum!

Finally, there’s the Speed Dating Book Club. You know . . . a gang of singles spend five minutes or so talking to each other to identify potentially like-minded partners. Well, this particular club confines its discussion to books. That means right from the get-go anyone who doesn’t like books is a dismal drop out through not having anything to talk about. I’ve not been invited to one of these meetings yet, but the social worker and the author in me sing in harmony at the thought.

So, having said all that, I must confess I have never belonged to a book club. Well, apart from the Goodreads online reading club, along with 40 million other members. Instead, I live vicariously through others. That’s why I jump at the opportunity whenever (normal) book clubs contact me and ask me to talk about my books.