Sponsored by A Long Time Comin’ by Robin W. Pearson
To hear Beatrice Agnew tell it, she entered the world with her mouth tightly shut. Just because she finds out she’s dying doesn’t mean she can’t keep it that way. If any of her children have questions about their daddy and the choices she made after he abandoned them, they’d best take it up with Jesus. There’s no room in Granny B’s house for regrets or hand-holding. Or so she thinks. Read this Southern family drama about long-hidden secrets and the hope of forgiveness.
Welcome to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met, well-read, and well-fed.
Feliz Año Nuevo, friends! It’s so great to be back. I hope you all had some time to reset and refresh since we last spoke and are ready to get back to books! Let’s jump right in.
To the club!!
When 2020 Tells 2019 to Hold Its Beer
If you’re anything like me, you watched the clock strike 12:00am on January 1st with a loud exhale, welcoming 2020 with open arms and a basket of mini muffins. But just as we were all, “Goodbye, 2019! So glad THAT’S over!” 2020 was like, “Is that a challenge?!” The romance world is reeling, WWIII might be a thing, Australia is being ravaged by bushfires… whew. It hasn’t even been 10 days!
Know what all this calls for? Some happy. Let’s find some happy.
Nibbles and Sips
We’re indulging here, folks. Don’t talk to me about calories and nutrition at book club because I don’t need that sort of negativity in my life. Have that third bottle glass of wine, that extra large cup of hot cocoa; treat yourself to those french fries, and get that pizza with extra cheese. Ask all club members to bring one or two of their comfort foods, and maybe also a bottle of Tums.
Come Sail Away With…
You may be the kind of person for whom “serious” literary fiction and/or heavy/issue books are escapist. If so, do you! These are just some of the types of books I turn to when I need a bandaid for my soul.
… a Cozy Mystery: I love a good cozy in general. Who doesn’t want to be cozy?! One of my faves in recent years has been Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions. Auntie Poldi is like a Polish Sophia Petrillo, but more drunk and who also solves crimes. Enjoy the whodunnit and also discuss what including a woman of her age as the protagonist does for the story. It’s a vantage point we don’t see as often as we should!
… a Twisty, Turny Thriller: In The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, a psychotherapist becomes obsessed with the case of a woman who has gone silent after killing her husband. There were enough delightful little red herrings here to throw me off the scent in a psychological thriller that felt like an homage to old school mystery. I don’t want to give it all away, but I think you’ll find yourself discussing a lot about mental illness and the stereotype of the hysterical woman.
… am Ouch-My-Ribs-Hurts Book of Humor: In spite of the very unsubtle book cover, I managed not to know that Kevin Wilson’s Nothing to See Here is about some spontaneously combusting ten-year-old twins. I laughed SO hard at this one on audio. It’s hilarious, but also has a lot to say about class and privilege and the ways in which we “other” people we either don’t understand or that don’t fit into our stupid human plans. Talk about what the children’s condition represents metaphorically and about false victimhood.
… a Juicy Romance: Nothing says, “Calgon, take me away!” like a happily ever after. I asked one of our romance experts Jess Pryde, writer of the Kissing Books newsletter, for a rec and she told me about Xeni by Rebekah Weatherspoon. “It’s got some grief but it’s pretty low angst and LOL funny,” says Jess. I was going to write by own summary but this one from the publisher is just too good: “It features a woman sick to death of her family’s sh*t and a plus-size Scotsman who just wants to make sweet, sweet music. And love.” Bring on the bagpipes and body positivity! Note: This one isn’t our until March, sorry! But hey- you’ll still need joy a few months from now.
Suggestion Section
Being a huge hip hop fan like I am can be a tough hang when you’re a feminist: to call a lot of my favorite songs problematic is the most generous. While there’s a lot that one could say about artists like the late Nipsey Hussle, he spent the latter part of his life doing important work to uplift his community. I was so moved to read about the book club for black men that his legacy inspired and invite you to read up on The Marathon Book Club.
E! rounded up lots o’ celebrity book club picks for January: see what Reese, Oprah, SJP, and others are reading. Side note: Such A Fun Age by Kiley Reid is so. dang. good. Such a striking examination of race, class, and privilege, told by a fresh and very funny voice.
More book club picks from Good Morning America, PBS, BuzzFeed, and Marie Claire.
Thanks for hanging with me today! Shoot me an email at vanessa@riotnewmedia.com with your burning book club questions or find me on Twitter and the gram @buenosdiazsd. Sign up for the Audiobooks newsletter, get it on the Read Harder podcast, and watch me booktube every Tuesday and Friday too.
Stay bad & bookish, my friends.
Vanessa
More Resources:
– Our Book Group In A Box guide
– List your group on the Book Group Resources page