Posted by The Bibliofile (https://the-bibliofile.com/) has said “a good book club book generally needs to be at least somewhat accessible, have some positive buzz (no one wants to read a book everyone says is garbage), and has to strike a good balance between having an eventful plot but also digging into some interesting issues everyone can get excited about discussing. It also helps if the authors are well-known.” I believe that entirely (except for the “well-known authors” part… sometimes there’s something to be said for a new, independent author who has a strong point of view… but I digress).
I also believe these are the books that keep you up till the early hours of the morning, those that you must tell your friends/ family about and “force” them to read it, because you need to talk about it with SOMEONE, and those you can tell you love since it’s carried with you everywhere, dog eared, marked, and scribbled in.
They were meant to be shared, discussed and debated. They do not simply make you feel, they make you think, too – perhaps about something that has not occurred to you ever before. Teaching you a lesson, making you think about things differently, bringing you to a different time / place. It’s a wonderful kind of alchemy; finding a story and set of characters that move, challenge or teach you something, never feels anything less than miraculous.
This is why book club is so important, be it in person at a house, in the coffee shop, or over zoom or some form of technology during the pandemic. It gets you thinking and exchanging ideas and opinions. If you haven’t joined a book club, why not start now!
Dara Rochlin Book Doctor 