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 Penguin Random House Audio.
Love is in the air when you play an audiobook. Find your perfect match for your next Galentines Day book club pick with some great listening suggestions. Get started at PenguinRandomHouseAudio.com/bookclub.
Instagram giveaway alert! Want a shot at completing your classics collection? You could win $500 in clothbound Penguin Classics; may the odds be ever in your favor.
Get techy: What better place than book club to explore the many nuances of the tech world, and women’s role in it? Here are 5 books about women in tech (cosign on Reset by Ellen Pao, there’s a ton of discussion fodder in that).
For your Read Harder challenge: Our recommendation posts continue, this time with books about social science, and YA/MG series suggestions!
Speaking of YA: If you wanted to break away from Gone Girl comps but still love a good crime story, how about some YA thrillers? (Big fan of Liar over here.)
Speaking further of YA and relevant to those looking forward to the film adaptation of A Wrinkle in Time, here are some mixed race YA heroines.
Who’s nostalgic for the 90s? (Raises hand.) Here are books for us! And Gabrielle Union’s We’re Going To Need More Wine is great for so many reasons in addition to hearing about the set of 10 Things — she’s not afraid to be messy and complicated on the page. Note: trigger warning for discussion of rape.
Dark books for the dark of winter: If you want to lean into the bleakness of February/March, we’ve got some picks for you — and in translation, no less.
Speaking of dark, you can get even more atmospheric with these gothic winter tales.
A new favorite and an interview: We’re all in love with new all-ages graphic novel The Prince and the Dressmaker, and Jen Wang sat down with us to talk about gender expression, fashion, illustration, and more. Interviews are one of my favorite discussion-starters for book club, especially with a book that might seem very simple on the surface!
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