These Books About Book Clubs Celebrate the Magic of Reading

I've laughed so much at the unlikely reunion of childhood sweethearts in their eighties who discover they live in the same retirement community.

Irving was a delivery boy at Augusta's family-owned pharmacy whose promising relationship abruptly ended, leaving her heartbroken.

Now discovering her old flame is a beloved fixture in this retirement community bewilders Augusta.

But what floors her more is that the boy she thought could barely read is enthusiastically leading the community's book club. This is just the start of the layers this novel unpacks about their lives as teenagers that neither ever knew.

With a light hand, Loigman sprinkles magical realism elements that readers not typically accustomed to this type of literature will still find satisfying.

Release Date- 8 October 2024

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Eileen, an English professor and romance novel enthusiast, sets off for her book club's annual retreat in the Catskills, only to get lost in a rainstorm and end up in Eloraton—the charming setting of her favorite romance series.

Stranded in this familiar small town, Eileen discovers the characters are stuck because the author died before finishing the series.

But, her presence begins to create ripples that move the story forward.

As she finds unexpected joy and friendship in this fictional world, she faces the temptation to stay in this beloved place.

Release Date- 25 June 2024

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When Gia's sister asks her to return to their hometown to help with their sick mother, she knows she has no choice but to go.

Despite their complicated relationship, it's her turn to help, as Margot has been caring for their mother alone.

Her homecoming faces resistance, especially after she founded the Banned Books Club in response to the PTA's excessive cuts to the high school reading list.

But complicating things further is her former favorite teacher, who was fired after Gia accused him of misconduct.

Now the town, including members of her book club, takes sides.

Release Date- 17 September 2024

Bea Rose and Grace Le Motte are best friends on the Isle of Jersey in the early 1940s, navigating the harsh realities of German occupation.

But, the women stage their own protest to these existences in savvy ways. Bea, a postwoman, intercepts dangerous letters to protect her neighbors, while Grace, the local librarian, hides banned books to preserve their heritage through her Wartime Book Club endeavors.

This highly-rated historical fiction novel offers book clubs a chance to explore the courageous efforts of wartime book clubs and highlights the power of friendship.

FUN FACT: The author, Kate Thompson, works as a journalist, author and library campaigner. Her novels The Little Wartime Library and The Wartime Book Club utilizes her rich background highlighting libraries in wartime settings.

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This cozy novel does a lot of POV switching, which might be easier to navigate through a print copy.

Karissa Newcomb is starting fresh in Gig Harbor after her husband's affair with her best friend.

With her nine-year-old daughter in tow, she embraces her new job at a small publishing company despite her boss being a curmudgeon.

But luckily, she finds friendship in her new neighborhood, with Alice grieving her husband and Margot struggling after a divorce and job loss.

Along with Alice's grumpy sister, Josie, a book club is born to help each other find joy in their new beginnings.

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Within the walls of a Portland bookstore, Violet struggles with guilt after serving time for a fatal drunk driving accident.

But she's not the only one navigating challenges—Harriet faces a new stage with an empty nest, and Frank has marriage problems.

As these three cross paths through the bookshop's book club, their encounters spark a new journey through the healing power of literature in this latest novel from the beloved author of One-In-A-Million-Boy.

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Sloane Parker, a librarian in a small town, enjoys bantering with her grumpy patron, Arthur McLachlan.

When Arthur stops showing up, she finds him bedridden and creates a book club to bring cheer into his gloomy life.

Slowly, the lonely misfits of their town come together, finding joy in unlikely friendships and the pages of special books.

One of the first books that got me back into reading was this "chick-lit" novel I devoured when my kids were little. As I raised my children in a warm circle of women, I loved funny ensemble books like this.

Readers are pulled into the heartwarming and hilarious world of the Freesia Court Book Club, where five women bond over books, bonbons, and the ups and downs of life.

From the 1960s through the 1990s, we are involved in their love, loss, and everything in between.

If this is your first time reading Lorna Landvik's books, you have many fun books to discover.

In researching this list, I immediately moved this backlist book to the top of my stack, especially after reading so many readers raving over the uproariously funny audiobook narration.

As the title implies, this has steamy storytelling aspects to it, but readers appreciated the feminist-forward plot in this novel.

In the heart of London's Punjabi community, Nikki, a modern and independent woman, takes on an unexpected teaching gig at the local Sikh temple.

What she expects to be a simple creative writing class for widows turns into something much more vibrant and rebellious when her students begin sharing their own erotic stories.

While not a perfect fit with the "books about book clubs" theme, the shared stories around their writing feel like a great addition to the adjacent book club stories.

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I recommend this endearing novel in a print copy so you can experience Nina's ever-evolving planner as her meticulously planned days go haywire.

In carefully plotted increments, Nina navigates her bookstore job, book clubs, trivia team, and cherished reading time.

But when she discovers she has multiple siblings from her estranged father's different marriages, her carefully structured life is thrown into chaos.

Amidst the overwhelming surprises, Nina is drawn to her trivia nemesis, who may be the guy of her dreams. Waxman masterfully crafts a beautiful midlife love story of self-discovery and evolution that readers will adore.

Ava North reluctantly joins her friend's book club after her husband leaves her, not to confront old family traumas but to escape her loneliness.

As she navigates the club's theme, "The Book That Matters Most," she and her estranged daughter, Maggie, find unexpected comfort and clues in literature.

Famous and obscure books form the backbone of her novel, but their universal messages allow these characters to shine.

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In their powerful group memoir, four friends—black and white, gay and straight, immigrant and American-born—use Toni Morrison's novels to catalyze candid book club discussions.

From Soul Train to Black Lives Matter, they confront uncomfortable truths about race, gender, and identity while exploring Morrison's profound impact on their lives.

This slim yet profound confessional reimagines book clubs as spaces for self-discovery and communal healing, urging readers to embrace Morrison's literature as a tool. I can't wait to screen this for my book club.

In full transparency, I've discovered that I'm not the target audience for Grady Hendrix books, but this horror novel has been a hit with many of our readers.

In the charming town of Charleston, a group of southern housewives gathers for a seemingly ordinary book club.

But when Patricia Campbell, one of their members, begins to suspect their new neighbor is a bloodthirsty vampire, the book club transforms into a fierce band of vampire hunters.

Readers should be aware that Grady Hendrix novels contains graphic violence and gore scenes, which some might find disturbing. The depiction of vampire attacks and their aftermath can be pretty intense for many readers.

Epistolary novels are tricky for me as a reader. I haven't enjoyed books like these in the past, but within a few short pages, I felt attached to this story.

This novel is set in both London and Guernsey Island. It is presented as a series of letters from Juliet, a budding author in search of a new story, to the people of Guernsey Island.

Throughout the letters, Juliet learns about the book club, which was formed as a whimsical means of survival to stay out past curfew during the German occupation.

Juliet is a hysterically funny and witty character who comes to know The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Society when one of the members happens upon a book of hers and inquires if she has any more books to share with his book group.

After much correspondence, she decides to visit Guernsey Island, and adventures ensue. While the book is cozily predictable in parts, I found this story incredibly endearing.

In 1954, Alice Campbell turned a run-down building into The Cambridge Bookshop, where college women Tess, Caroline, Evie, and Merritt found solace in Alice's reading club.

But, as they each navigate their independence as college women, their world is shattered when one of them faces a crisis that will test all they know to be true about themselves.

Don't let this cover fool you. This novel tackles significant issues like alcoholism, wealth disparity, women's rights, and sexual assault.

Fun Fact: The author, Julia Bryan Thomas, is a Yale Writers' Workshop graduate married to mystery novelist Will Thomas!

The Air Raid Book Club is the author's first venture into historical fiction. You may be familiar with her writing through her memorable novel, The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett.

This story originated from developing Eudora's character. The author's enjoyment of writing her flashback scenes led her to explore the genre.

In this historical fiction novel, losing Gertie's husband complicates running her bookstore.

When she takes in a Jewish refugee named Hedy, they decide to start an air raid book club to uplift spirits during the war.

Despite unimaginable losses, the book club finds strength in their stories and bonds to see them through to brighter days.

Maggie steps out of her comfort zone to fulfill a pact with her son to get out more and make friends. Her first big outing is to join a local book club, only to find it's more about gossip than reading.

Seeking a connection she can brag about to her college-aged son, she uncovers a local online gaming guild through the book club nonsense, led by another local.

As the banter grows between the guild leader and Maggie, she finds Aiden might be chipping away at her grumpy exterior in this cozy romance story.

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I'm a notorious series quitter, but I've adored each of these novels from the Bromance Book Club Series.

This story offers an unconventional secret romance book club where men dive into romance novels to master the art of love.

With laugh-out-loud moments and endearing characters, this first installment is a joyful read from start to finish.

This series benefits from being read in order as each book focuses on a different member of these adorable book club bros.