Kathryn Cope's Blog
January 8, 2021
How to Keep Your Book Club Thriving in the Pandemic
Go Digital
There are numerous platforms you can make use of to keep your book club members in touch. Voice/video meetings, can be held on Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp and FaceTime, to name but a few. At first, the experience will lack the spontaneity of your regular meetings. Everyone has to get used the pauses, accidentally speaking over one another, etc. On the plus side, digital meetings are more likely to stay on topic. There is less chance of discussions wandering off the book altogether.
If video calls aren't for you, then try communicating through the written word. Book club discussion threads can be set up on a range of messaging services such as Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. If this all sounds like hard work, there are also platforms dedicated to organising online book clubs. Bookclubz.com and Goodreads are two of the best. These sites do the heavy lifting for you. Visitors can set up their own online book club or join an existing one.
Hook up with a Book Buddy
Online meetings aren't for everyone. If you've tried them and still feel they lack that certain something, then consider a book club for two. Your book buddy could be a friend, relative, or someone in your household.
My book club buddy is my mum. Thanks to Covid, the last time I saw her in person was March 2020. Since we've become book buddies, our regular phone conversations have taken on a new energy. As well as bringing us closer, discussing books provides a guaranteed source of conservation when neither of us has anything interesting to say. Thomas Cromwell is our current hot topic as we're working our way through Hilary Mantel's The Mirror and the Light For at least a couple of hours a week, we immerse ourselves in the world of Henry VIII and his court.
Vive la Book Clubs!
Book clubs are needed now more than ever. They may not have the power to slay the virus, but they can help us briefly transcend it. Reading groups offer escapism, mental stimulation and, most importantly, the social contact that we crave. Defy the pandemic and keep those book discussions going.
February 27, 2018
‘Before We Were Yours’: Why Lisa Wingate’s Gripping Historical Novel Should be Your Next Book Club Read
[image error]If you love a historical novel that is moving as well as informative, ‘Before We Were Yours’ by Lisa Wingate is an ideal book club choice.
Here are the reasons why:
The History Behind the Story
Wingate’s novel is based on a real historical case that took place in America between the 1920s and the 1950s. American readers may already be familiar with the story of Georgia Tann and the adoption scandal surrounding the Tennessee Children’s Home Society, on which the book is based. As a Brit, I came to the story fresh and was horrified to learn that thousands of children were effectively stolen from poor parents and sold to the rich during this period. Inspired by reading the accounts of survivors of this large-scale adoption fraud, Lisa Wingate conveys what this experience must have been like for the children and parents involved.
[image error] A Loveable Narrator
One of the novel’s two narratives is told by twelve-year-old Rill Foss: a river gypsy who has been brought up on a shanty boat with her four siblings. Rill has a disarmingly frank, down-to-earth voice reminiscent of Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. She is the perfect narrator for readers who like to empathize with their protagonists.
Location
For those yearning for sunnier climes, Wingate evokes an intoxicating sense of the American South in her novel, from grand plantation houses to life on the Mississippi River.
Themes
‘Before We Were Yours’ explores universal themes such as love, family history and the imbalance of power between the poor and the privileged. The novel also looks at wider societal issues, including the ethics of adoption when money is involved and the best way to care for elderly loved ones.
A Readers’ Favourite
The members of the Goodreads community are a discerning lot and voted ‘Before We Were Yours’ the Best Work of Historical Fiction of 2017.
[image error]The Study Guide for Book Clubs
A new study guide is now available, aimed specifically at book clubs discussing ‘Before We Were Yours’. This guide will prove really useful for anyone leading a discussion and includes an analysis of themes, characters and literary style as well as a list of thought-provoking discussion questions.
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The post ‘Before We Were Yours’: Why Lisa Wingate’s Gripping Historical Novel Should be Your Next Book Club Read appeared first on Study Guides for Book Clubs.
January 6, 2018
12 Great Book Club Reads for 2018: a month-by month guide to a year in books
Wondering what your book club should be reading in 2018? Here are 12 great choices to take your reading group through the year; all ideal for book club discussion. If you want a little help in structuring your reading group meeting, Book Club Study Guides are available for a number of these recommended titles.
January
If the dismal winter weather is getting you down, be grateful you don’t live in Beartown: the isolated Swedish community at the centre of Fredrik Backman’s latest novel. Punished by the harshest of weather conditions, the town sees only a few hours of sunlight each day. To make matters worse, it is also suffering economic decline. The potential of the junior ice hockey team is Beartown’s last hope. When a scandal erupts around one of the star players, however, members of the small community are forced to decide where their loyalties lie.
Darker in tone than A Man Called Ove, Beartown (published as The Scandal in the UK) is a gripping exploration of the dark side of small communities and the moral responsibility of the individual.
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February
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Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Gabrielle Zevin’s The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. This quirky novel involves a heart-warming romance but is, above all else, a love letter to books. Its hero is a reclusive bookstore owner who sees little point in existence after his wife dies. The discovery of an abandoned baby in the children’s section of his store, however, soon forces him to re-engage with the world and rediscover its joys.
This novel explores the many different forms that love can take (friendship, romance, parental etc.) while radiating the author’s passion for reading. Peppered with references to great literature, it will speak to the heart of every bibliophile.
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March
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As St Patrick’s Day approaches lose yourself in the Irish brogue of the characters in John Boyne’s stunning new novel. The Heart’s Invisible Furies follows the trials and tribulations of a gay man who has the misfortune to be born in the oppressive atmosphere of Ireland in the 1950s. Spanning the entirety of Cyril Avery’s life, from boyhood to old age, this is a moving portrayal of one man’s quest to find his place in the world. Although, in parts, horrifying and heartbreaking. The Heart’s Invisible Furies is also packed with hilarious dialogue and absurd incidents. Rich, rewarding and entertaining, this book is a joy from beginning to end.
April
April is Pulitzer Prize month and, as we speculate on this year’s contenders, why not discuss last year’s fiction winner: The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. Set in nineteenth-century America, it describes the adventures of a slave girl, Cora, as she escapes her owner and travels across the country in an attempt to reach a state where she will finally be free.
Combining the realism of a slave narrative with elements of fantasy, The Underground Railroad has been hailed as one of the most remarkable fictional depictions of American slavery since Toni Morrison’s Beloved. Presenting a damning portrait of the U.S. past it also raises some uncomfortable questions about the present state of race relations.
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May
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The month of May heralds Mother’s Day in the USA. To mark the occasion try Celeste Ng’s new offering which has the theme of mothering at its heart. By focusing on the explosive interaction of two very different families, the novel explores a loaded question: what makes a mother?
Ng’s debut novel, Everything I Never Told You was a runaway book club success and her follow-up has all the same ingredients: vividly drawn characters, the sensitive portrayal of family dynamics and an exploration of the themes of race and privilege.
June
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With the longest day of the year looming, why not discuss Matt Haig’s How to Stop Time? In this new novel, the author encourages readers to contemplate what it would be like if our lives as a whole could be extended. His narrator, Tom Hazard is 400 years old but only looks around 40. Tom is no Dorian Gray, however, as his perpetual youth has become the bane of his life. Over the course of four centuries, he has been doomed to watch those close to him (including the love of his life) age and die.
Tom’s lengthy life allows him to encounter many of London’s major historical events, including witch hunts and the Black Death (first-hand experiences which come in handy in his present life as a history teacher). It also leads to encounters with great literary figures such as Shakespeare and F. Scott Fitzgerald.
A must for fans of Audrey Niffenegger’s The Time Traveler’s Wife, How to Stop Time is soon to be adapted for the big screen with Benedict Cumberbatch in the starring role.
July
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With the arrival of summer, many readers thoughts turn to beach reads. Books that make suitable holiday companions, however, may not always prove meaty enough for book club discussion. Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend is the perfect compromise. Set in the heat of 1950s Naples, this coming-of-age tale is as compelling as a soap opera but written with a fierce intelligence, leading one critic to compare Ferrante to an “angry” Jane Austen.
The first of a series of novels known as the Neapolitan quartet, My Brilliant Friend follows the toxic friendship of Elena and Lila. Determined to escape the fates of their downtrodden mothers the spirited twosome plan to educate themselves out of poverty. As they become teenagers, however, rivalry and raging hormones hinder their progress. So addictive you’ll be glued to your sun lounger until the very last page.
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August
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Ah, the summer holidays and the temperature is (hopefully) soaring. What better book to read than F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic The Great Gatsby?
In the summer of 1922, Nick Carraway moves to Long Island and finds himself surrounded by dazzling wealth. Quickly, he falls under the spell of his languorously beautiful cousin Daisy and his mysterious neighbour, Jay Gatsby, who holds the most spectacular parties. As the heat of the summer reaches its peak, however, disaster looms. Faced with the tragic consequences, Nick is forced to confront the moral decay that lies beneath this glittering yet vacuous world.
This wonderful novel has the dual advantages of being short (to match our attention spans at this time of year) and perfectly conjuring the atmosphere of a long, hazy summer.
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September
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As a new academic year begins, Liane Moriarty’s Big Little Lies paints an entertaining picture of the lion’s den which some parents may be stumbling into. Set in a desirable neighbourhood close to one of Australia’s most beautiful beaches, this is a tale of yummy mummies with murderous intent. Recounting the events leading up to a murder that takes place during a school fundraiser, this novel incisively delineates the politics of the playground not only among children but also between warring parents. Recently brought to the small screen with a stellar cast, Big Little Lies nicely balances humour and page-turning drama while exploring the serious issues of bullying and domestic abuse.
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October
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The leaves are turning and there’s a chill in the air. This is the perfect time to pick up a copy of Benjamin Ludwig’s debut novel, Ginny Moon. Told from the perspective of the eponymous heroine, this book describes a few months in the life of the troubled autistic teenager. Although recently adopted by a ‘forever family’, Ginny feels unable to settle and secretly plans to sabotage her new life at the upcoming school Harvest concert.
While despairing of Ginny’s attempts to derail her life, readers will be hard-pushed not to fall in love with her as she recounts her difficulties in negotiating with the world. Hearts will also go out to her adoptive parents whose efforts to be compassionate and supportive towards their new family member go largely unappreciated.
Benjamin Ludvig writes from personal experience, having adopted an autistic teenager himself. This first-hand experience shows in the author’s sensitive exploration of the double challenge of taking on an autistic child who has been indelibly scarred by an abusive childhood. While there are many serious issues to muse over here, this is a life-enhancing read, written with compassion and humour.
November
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As the nights draw in it’s the perfect time to get your teeth into a really substantial read. Perfectly fitting this bill is Margaret Atwood’s 1996 novel Alias Grace. A tribute to the great Victorian novel (albeit with a feminist twist), Alias Grace is a fictional interpretation of the true story of Grace Marks. In 1843, the Irish-Canadian servant girl became notorious when she was imprisoned for her involvement in the murder of her employer and his housekeeper. Polarising Victorian opinion, Grace was either condemned as a she-devil or presented as an innocent victim.
Atwood uses the uncertainty surrounding Grace’s innocence or guilt to examine ideas about women and crime which remain depressingly current in the 21st century. In doing so she creates one of the most tricksy, enigmatic female protagonists readers are ever likely to encounter.
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December
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During this month of festivities, reading your book group choice should add to your festive anticipation, rather than becoming another entry on your endless -to-do’ list. For this reason, Jeanette Winterson’s Christmas Days is the ideal choice. This book can be dipped in and out of in between shopping, wrapping presents and making mince pies. An eclectic mix of ghost stories, love stories and modern fairy tales (one for each of the twelve days of Christmas), this collection encourages readers to reflect on what Christmas means to them by exploring its traditions and associations (including both its Christian and its pagan roots). Interspersed with the stories are festive recipes and the author’s reflections on her own festive customs. Get your book club together by a roaring fire, enjoy one of Winterson’s recipes with some mulled wine and read your favourite story aloud. A perfect end to the reading year!
The post 12 Great Book Club Reads for 2018: a month-by month guide to a year in books appeared first on Study Guides for Book Clubs.
June 8, 2017
Recommended Reads for Book Clubs – June 2017
With so many new books out there, which should you pick for your next book club read? The following recommended reads are very different in style and subject matter but all guarantee a great book club discussion.
The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Since its first publication in 1985, Atwood’s chilling dystopian novel has never gone out of fashion. It has, once again, reappeared at the top of the book charts thanks to two factors. Firstly, the screening of the American TV adaptation, with which Atwood collaborated. Secondly, the disturbing parallels that have been drawn between the misogynistic society of Gilead in Atwood’s novel and the sexist attitudes expressed by the new President of the USA. If your book club has yet to get round to The Handmaid’s Tale, now is the perfect time. Read it and discuss how the novel compares to both the TV adaptation and the troubling views expressed by President Trump.
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
When A Gentleman in Moscow was declared to be the new must-read for book clubs, I was sceptical. After all, if it’s so popular can it really be any good? On reading Towles’ novel, however, I realised that it is popular for all the right reasons. Clever, quirky and fiendishly well-written, it is a long way from the formulaic crowd pleaser that I feared.
If, like me, you have resisted Amor Towles’ book club smash simply because of the hype, then you are missing out. A refreshing tonic to contemporary life, A Gentleman in Moscow is a celebration of old-fashioned courtesy and good manners. What’s that I hear you cry? But does this charming, life-affirming novel make light of the horrors of post-revolutionary Russia? Well, I will leave it up to you and your fellow book club members to decide. If you need any back-up, there’s an excellent Study Guide for Book Clubs to accompany the novel. What more could you ask for?
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
If you loved A Man Called Ove, this wonderful debut novel should definitely be at the top of your to-read list. Quirky, hilarious and heartbreaking, the story follows an eccentric and, ultimately very endearing, literary heroine.
Painfully at odds with the modern world, Eleanor is socially unaware and finds the behaviour of others utterly baffling. When she falls in love with someone from afar, however, she does her best to transform herself into a ‘normal’ woman. Honeyman has the reader howling with laughter at the absurdities of modern society one moment and then crying at the depths of Eleanor’s loneliness the next.
Despite the novel’s Scottish setting, Reese Witherspoon (who has proved herself no fool when it comes to picking production projects) has already snapped up the movie rights.
Golden Hill by Frances Spufford
Frances Spufford’s fantastic first novel follows the adventures of Mr Smith, a mysterious stranger who arrives in New York in 1746 – a time when the great city was nothing more than a small town. Smith becomes the object of small town speculation when it turns out that he possesses an order for a thousand pounds. Is he a fraudster or the genuine article?
Acclaimed by critics across the board, Spufford’s novel has not yet achieved the popular success it deserves. This may be because potential readers are put off by the eighteenth century subject matter. The author not only recreates the eighteenth century in Golden Hill but also emulates the style of an eighteenth century novel and readers may be forgiven for thinking that this sounds a little stuffy. Don’t let this put you off, however, as the result is a rollicking riot. The pace of the story is frenzied as Mr Smith is catapulted from one hair-raising escapade to another and the tale is topped off by a fabulous twist at the end.
Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
If you haven’t read it already, Ann Patchett’s latest novel is now out in paperback. Spanning fifty years, the novel traces the way a drunken kiss at a party changes the lives of two families forever.
Patchett’s most autobiographical novel to date, Commonwealth is loosely based upon the author’s childhood experiences when her own parents divorced. Subtle and beautifully observed, it explores the knock-on effects of divorce without being overly judgemental. As a child of divorced parents myself, I don’t think I have ever come across another book that is quite so perceptive about the unique dynamics of step-families. For groups who decide to read Commonwealth, a Study Guide for Book Clubs is now available.
The post Recommended Reads for Book Clubs – June 2017 appeared first on Study Guides for Book Clubs.
