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 Mulholland Books.
In 1901, Evelyn Nesbit, a New York society darling, dined with Stanford White in his decadent 24th Street apartment. Evelyn was given champagne, lost consciousness, and woke, nearly naked, in bed next to White. An acclaimed architect and notorious womanizer, White was 47. Evelyn Nesbit was just 16.
Four years later, Evelyn married Harry Thaw, a playboy millionaire rumored to be mentally disturbed. One night in 1906, a vengeful Thaw shot and killed White before hundreds of theatre-goers at Madison Square Garden—a venue designed by Stanford White himself. The murder and ensuing trial were the scandal of the century, perhaps the nation’s first tabloid murder.
Under the radar: We’ve put together our own favorite overlooked books from 2017, as well as 10 small press books from 2017 you shouldn’t miss. If your group feels like it’s read everything popular and doesn’t know where to go next, these should help!
To put on your radar:
– Our most anticipated LGBT reads for 2018
– Most anticipated Nonfiction for 2018 from Bitch Media
– Book Riot’s overall most anticipated for 2018
What did we recommend over and over again on Get Booked? Several of these were directly related to book group questions — in particular Behold the Dreamers, The Fortunes, and Young Jane Young.
More games, less reading! Here are some literary games to try out at your next meeting — I particularly need my group to do “A Book A Minute.”
More 2018 Read Harder suggestions, you say? We’ve got posts up now for the tasks concerning nature and genre.
How about some body-positive reads? These can be hard to find. Here are a few Alison recommends, and she’s included a few personal favorites of my own (Come As You Are! This Is Who I Am!). While some are less ideal for groups than others (especially public-facing ones), all of them are worth a look.
Love literary fiction, and also curious about graphic novels? Here are some graphic novels with less capes and more interpersonal story arcs. I had only heard of two of these, hello TBR!
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