But after 50 years of regular meetings, the members of a Dunedin book club have found the controversial texts make for the best discussions.
The club, which remains nameless, met at Glenfalloch yesterday to celebrate the occasion over a lunch a few glasses of Champagne.
Chota Moore joined just a few months after it was founded and had looked forward to every meeting since.
She said the group was formed by a group of young mothers who needed some time out with "no kids" and "no worries".
It provided a valuable social space for people who rarely had time to spend time with friends.
Once a month they would meet, discuss literature and catch up with each other.
Together they had read about 550 books, all of which were logged in a detailed list.
Some of Mrs Moore’s favourites were Mind That Child by Dr Simon Rowan and Margaret Foster’s Good Wives?.
The first book they read was Bullshit and Jellybeans by Sir Tim Shadbolt and the most recent was The Bookseller at the End of the World.
The more diverse the opinions, the better the meeting, Mrs Moore said.
The club started with 12 members, but the roll now sat at nine.
The group all understood life could be busy and it was never a big deal if somebody could not finish a book on time, she said.
Carol Montgomery, who joined the club in 1976, said it provided a much needed space for busy mothers to enjoy a glass of wine and talk among friends.
The meetings rotated around members’ homes and each host was allowed to bring a guest if they wanted.
However, the club had run for so long it ran out of new people to invite and had not had a guest for ages.
The club helped its members broaden their horizons and she had read very widely because of it.
The next book on the club’s agenda is The Sixteen Trees of the Somme by Lars Mytting, which will be reviewed after a Christmas break.
