While I am sorry to hear about your brother and I understand just how taxing new jobs/responsibilities can be, I cannot help but think there's another dimension to this that just isn't being stated directly right now.

To have a meaningful and fruitful discussion of a book, there has to be greater commitment than what has been shown lately. That's not an accusation, but rather a observation grounded in fact, it seems. You and Rebekah apparently, due to your personal situations, cannot make the needed commitments right now.

Sure, there's that sense of self-doubt and guilt. I should know, since I was in that exact same situation from late 2003-late 2005 and again from late 2006 to recently. You might feel that you're being pressured to have something up for people to react to and discuss and comments like the ones that Tom and I made probably aren't the most pleasant to read, since they are bald statements about how there really isn't much in the way of discussion going on beyond the most superficial of levels.

No doubt about it, you are justified to feel frustrated and perhaps wish that others would take over and guide the thing. The problem with that is that there is no perceived "leader" here; people are making a few back-and-forths, but it's more like a bunch of external monologues than anything resembling an actual discourse. Sometimes, a "leader," or at least someone who engages all of those subthreads and questions are needed. Doesn't have to be someone "official" (really, that's a ridiculous title for any book discussion on a forum). Tom and Greg certainly have done very well in engaging others with their first two Russian Book Club discussions and the level of activity and interaction is higher because they are so pro-active and get others curious about the books.

And of course, this doesn't have to be limited to "book club" posts. I'm very pleasantly surprised at the level of discussion in response to my comments in the Dune Chronicles thread. There isn't simple agreement or disagreement going on there; people are sharing and it didn't take some pre-planned announcement. Sometimes, all it takes is a few people being curious and the threadstarter being active enough to engage in a true discussion.

If you're as burdened as you say, then back off. There's no wotmania-style collecting tag for these discussions (at least not right now). Either don't do them for a while, or just ask those who are active around here to choose a book, with the understanding that this person (or better yet, a group of 2-3 people) would try to respond to others' comments. Decentralization isn't a bad thing. In fact, I would almost be willing to bet you money that if a small group were to start a Harry Dresden (for example) re-reading/discussion group, that there would be some interest and activity without any Admin interventions. Sure, that would mean others would have to "stop holding hands" (really, I don't think you meant that to be as insulting as it came out, but it was rather bad the first few times I read this), but sometimes, all it takes is just being active while avoiding a centralization of discussion.

As for Solaris, I'll finish it after I write my commentaries on God Emperor of Dune and The Shadow Rising later today. Then I might just go to town on it, as the first half was so turgid as to make me wonder if the paper was reverting back into tree fiber.