Long Live Book Clubs...A Waiting Room Chat

I was sitting in a doctor's waiting room yesterday, and reading my current book, The Guts by Roddy Doyle, when the receptionist struck up a conversation with me about books.  She saw that I was reading and we began chatting about our separate book clubs.

Turns out that the receptionist belongs to a book club of a very different format than my monthly group. This is how hers works:

At the beginning of the year, all 15 members of her group pitch in $25 towards a common purchase of new and popular titles. The list is determined by majority rules, and all of the books are put into a "shared library" of sorts. There is a master list drafted of the new titles and each book is fitted with a membership list. The books are then distributed, and as the members read them, their
names are crossed off and they slip their thoughts into the back cover of the book. They then pass them onto the next person on this list who needs a new read. The group meets every 8-10 weeks to catch up with each other and chat about what they have been reading. The receptionist mentioned that her book club was dominated by women from South Africa, and that a few of the novels have been based in South Africa.

I found this concept of a common and travelling library really interesting. Nice to know about other Book Club formats. Anyone else know of different book club formats?