Tips to Start a Book Club on the Right Foot

Book clubs are as much about the books as they are about being part of a community of readers. But starting and sustaining a book consistent book club can be tricky. That's why our book reviewer Carole Barrowman is back to offer up great tips on great book clubs, as well as a few book picks the whole group will love! For more information on Carole, visit BarrowmanBooks.com. And see below for her picks and reviews! "The Dutch House" by Ann Patchett - I love books about houses, especially ones where the place is more than just the architecture of the setting. It’s an integral part of the story and its themes. A brother and a sister grow up in a mansion with their loving father and absent mother and like the fairy tales the book plays with brilliantly in its structure and imagery, when their father dies and their stepmother takes over the house, their lives change forever. Patchett’s Bel Canto has always been a favorite book club choice since its publication. I predict this one will be a popular choice too. Out at the end of the month. "The Warehouse" by Rob Hart - If you ever ordered anything online, you need to read this book. It’s set in the near future (could be right now if you ask me) when an online mega-store (think Apple, Amazon and Costco all in one) has taken control of our culture and our communities. The book follows two characters both in their own way trying to fight the system but with very different results. Your book club will have lots to talk about and you may think twice about your next online order. "The Swallows" by Lisa Lutz - This would be a great book for a mother/daughter (15+) book club. It’s packed with BIG issues about sexual double standards, challenging gender roles, and fighting family expectations. There were times when I laughed out loud and other times when I was clenching my fists in fury. The book is set in a private high school that could be almost any community of young people where secrets carry more value than grades. "I Feel Bad about My Neck" by Nora Ephron - If your book club is women of a certain age (like me), make time for this choice sometime this fall. It’s a series of funny essays about the BIG dramas in aging from adjusting to an empty nest, menopause, and purses.