Welcome back to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met and well-read. Let’s dive in.
This newsletter is sponsored by A Place in the Wind by Suzanne Gates.
On a frigid night, a school girl walks out of an English class she tutors for immigrants—and vanishes. Suspicion quickly falls on the men she was teaching, many of whom are undocumented. As disturbing evidence trickles in, news of the incident spreads beyond the scenic town of Lake Holly, New York, unearthing deep-seated fears and enflaming cultural tensions. For county police detective Jimmy Vega, the situation is personal. His girlfriend, Harvard-educated attorney Adele Figueroa, heads the immigrant center where the teen volunteer disappeared. Someone wants to destroy far more than Vega’s career. And no matter which way he turns, every step will put him and his family in the killer’s cross-hairs.
The 9 to 5 slog can be weird, but here are five books with surreal workplaces that might put things into perspective, from academia to temping.
It’s October, which means it’s time for witchy reads! (Well, it’s always time for witchy reads in my life, but I know others prefer seasonal.) Here are 16 books on the Salem Witch trials, both fiction and nonfiction, that will give your book group a lot to talk about.
Today’s fun pairing: K-Pop (a.k.a. Korean pop music) for your ears and matching book recs for your brain!
I’m not sure anyone really wants to read/talk about money, but a lot of us could use a nudge to get better at it, and what is book group for if not to nudge us? Here’s a list of personal finance books that might be worth adding to your club’s TBR.
Been watching HBO’s The Deuce and/or trying to get your club members on board? Here are some crime novels about NYC that might help that along.
To further that mystery fix: here’s a round-up of this fall’s mystery/thrillers with an inclusive bent!
Bi Visibility Day was September 23, and in case you missed it here are 100 must-read books about bisexuality.
And finally, some food for discussion and thought: This conversation, courtesy of PEN America, with Jamaica Kincaid, Marlon James, Valeria Luiselli, Kwame Anthony Appiah, and Colum McCann, is great reading. They start out talking about the word “expatriate” and touch on immigration, diversity and racism in publishing and in America, the writing life, and so much more. It made me want to start a book group, to read one of their books each and then talk about this conversation. Maybe you’ll want to, too.
And that’s a wrap: Happy discussing! If you’re interested in more science fiction and fantasy talk, you can catch me and my co-host Sharifah on the SFF Yeah! podcast. For many many more book recommendations (including the occasional book club question!) you can find me on the Get Booked podcast with the inimitable Amanda.
Your fellow booknerd,
Jenn
More Resources:
– Our Book Group In A Box guide
– List your group on the Book Group Resources page