Do Not Underestimate the Importance of Book Clubs

I am in a neighborhood book club.  It causes me to read all sorts of things I would not have, such as A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman, which I adored, though I had to restart it several times, not liking the title character at first.  But, more importantly, I believe, is that I have exposed them to books and authors they might not otherwise have read.  Word of mouth is indeed still a viable form of advertising.  As my example, I finally succeeded in getting them to consider a book I wanted to read and chose Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal.  I had been waiting to read it to share with the group, but was being held back from my podcast study by not being able to listen to the project-in-depth on this book.  I was going crazy.

So, we finally read it for club and it was even better than I anticipated.  My clubmates had not know what to expect and whatever it was, they didn’t get it because Mrs. Kowal really kept readers on their toes with this one.  But I digress.  Having enjoyed this book so much and hearing a bit about my being a Patron of Mrs. Kowal and attending her writing classes online, they asked what else she had written, and I got to tell them about the Glamourist History series.  One of them, being a Austenphile, devoured the series (which I still have not finished) by the next meeting.  Two other women had started reading the series, and one had recommended Ghost Talkers to a friend in North Carolina.  Between the original book club book, those reading the series, and the friend who also recommended the book to friends, 22 books had been purchased.  While I am no longer counting, I am sure they will spawn others.

I just finished The Calculating Stars and  its project-in-depth and cannot wait to read the sequel.  I recommended both for the book club, but will not be there to decide what we will be reading, as I have a onetime vegetable gardening class that night, just in time for a Fall garden.

Spread the word about your favorite books, join book clubs, and support artists of all stripes!