Finding an online hangout for fans of supernatural books

Open Book Society is an online hangout for fans of supernatural lit

There are scores of Twilight fan sites. Plenty of places for Muggles to ogle over Harry Potter. And countless forums dedicated to the Sookie Stackhouse books and the latest episodes of True Blood.

But never before has there been such a place for fans of supernatural books to come together quite like Open Book Society. It’s part news, part book club and 100% fun. Founded just this summer, the site already has an impressive collection of affiliates, news postings, reader polls, discussion boards, quizzes and a one-stop shop for books mentioned on the site.

It also helps that Dawn and Nikki – the ladies who started Open Book Society – are fans themselves, and their enthusiasm seeps into every aspect of the site. The two met last year on a popular Twilight site and learned quickly that they shared a passion for the same books. They were soon swapping books to read and “fueling each others’ obsession.”

Now you can hear more from Dawn and Nikki about Open Book Society in this exclusive interview with the Portland Books Examiner:

How did you get the idea for Open Book Society?

Open Book Society came about during a brainstorming session. We were throwing ideas around for a book forum/online book club and trying to come up with names that were easy to remember and conveyed our need for open discussion about books of interest. We desperately wanted a place to share our love of reading. No other sites fit our vision so we started our own.

What has the response been like so-far for OBS?

The response has been surprisingly good. I don't think either of us expected it to flourish like it has. We've just passed our one month mark (of OBS being open) and already the interest is growing at a phenomenal rate.

We have been lucky enough to have a wonderful staff and really involved members. It's been so much fun to come up with ideas and watch our members just run with them.

What books/genres are you focusing on? Why these?

We are focusing on books with a supernatural theme, i.e. vampires, werewolves, fairies, ghosts, witches, demons, angels, shape shifters, and all the creepy creatures and genres in between. We chose this genre and type because it's what we like to read. And, of course with the popularity of the Sookie Stackhouse series, The Twilight Saga and Vampire Diaries, it just works. It's what millions of people are reading right now.

What do you have planned for the future?

We have some amazing features coming up. First up, on September 1st, we begin our New Moon (book club). We'll be posting chapter summaries, character break downs, favorite quotes, discussion questions and more. Some of our affiliate Twilight sites will be participating by adding their thoughts on New Moon.

Each month we will feature one book. It's a fun way to pick apart your favorite books.

What are your goals as a site?

At some point, we'd like to have more than one book club going on each month. We hope to continue to grow and have fun reading, reviewing and sharing books. Our members are the heart of OBS. We plan on working very closely with them to update our current features and add new ones to encourage better book discussion.

Final thoughts?

We just want to say first and foremost that we LOVE reading. That's entirely why we created this site. As Edward Cullen so eloquently put it, we "are essentially selfish" creatures. We wanted a place to chat to our hearts content about our favorite books/series.

Open Book Society has a lot planned for the coming months. Besides their New Moon book club for the month of September, future book clubs will focus on The Time Traveler’s Wife, Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse book 1), Wicked; Witch & Curse, Marked (House of Night Book 1), The Vampire Diaries: The Awakening and The Struggle, and Vampire Academy (Book 1).

The ladies are also planning some great features for the coming weeks and months – including book reviews and ratings by both fans and staff, author profiles and interviews, contests, reading suggestions and a book exchange.

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