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In The Club

In The Club Nov 10

Welcome back to In The Club, a newsletter of resources to keep your book group well-met and well-read. Let’s dive in.


Today’s newsletter is sponsored by Unbound Worlds!

Build your library with a collection of classic science fiction and fantasy novels from Unbound Worlds! Fall is in full swing, and it’s the perfect time to cozy up with some classics. Unbound Worlds is giving away thirty-two books from timeless sci-fi and fantasy authors like Philip K. Dick, T.H. White, Anne McCaffrey, and Samuel R. Delaney, plus some bookish swag from Out of Print! Enter for a chance to win.


Want to win $500 towards the bookstore of your choice? Of course you do!

Put some books in your books: novels about novelists writing a novel, a list. You might think this would be all literary fiction, but you’d be wrong! There’s a lot of range here, and a lot of potential.

The Women’s National Book Association has some picks for you! They’ve selected their favorite great group reads from 2017, with book clubs specifically in mind. If your group does hardcovers, there are a lot of amazing books to consider.

The more you know — about retellings, that is! Barnes & Noble put together a post on five books you might not know were remakes. (I did know two, but the other three were a surprise!) If you need an excuse to do some book pairings, here you go.

Ta-Nehisi Coates was pulling no punches when he wrote this post about books to read on the Civil War. He focused on readability and length, and if your group feels like it needs to beef up on our history there are a lot of good options here.

Ok but poetry: it’s having a moment right now, and I’m all for it. You might have heard of Rupi Kaur in particular — she’s young, accessible, and very good at social media — and here are some poets to pick up if you’re a fan.

As the year winds down and the holidays pick up, many book groups skip a regular discussion for December and do something a little more fun. You could just have a party and not talk about any books, but aren’t there enough of those in the world? Here are a few ideas:

– Trade books that you revisit! Pair off your members and exchange some of your personal favorites; you’ll learn a lot about each others’ tastes, and add some excellence to your TBR pile.
– How about a general book swap? This is a tradition with one of my groups, and basically just involves bringing in whatever you’re ready to part with in a big tote bag and then diving in.
– Play bookish games instead! May I suggest our new card game Lit Chat? You could also spend an enjoyable evening answering bookish quizzes — for example, this very entertaining and difficult Would You Rather.
– Back to book swaps: want to do something a little more targeted, but still fun? I highly recommended blind date with a book, courtesy of your fellow members. Perhaps play by White Elephant rules?

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