Book clubs in America: Why do we love them so much?

A casual observer of the book-club scene could be fooled into thinking that this summer was a hard one for the nation's leisure readers. Late in spring, Oprah's club shuttered, stranding publishers in what promises to be a long shoal of short print runs and offering the rest of us one literary arbiter fewer to love or hate. Borders, which ran a sort of book group of its own, shut down stores, too, after creditors refused a buyout offer from a book-club mega-company. Could reading groups be losing their sway in our culture? On one hand, this is a reasonable question; on the other, it's like asking whether the United States should worry about being out-powered by Belgium. More than 5 million adults are thought to be in reading groups, not counting online clubs, and a number of those adults have a noticeable missionary bent: If Oprah didn't get you onboard, there's a good chance that your neighbor with a Thursday group will have you marking up Love in the Time of Cholera before summer is through.[more ...] Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2011-07-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
News tagged with: #buyout offer #reading groups #good chance

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7 Babysitters Club Books that Changed My Life

I can’t remember exactly when I discovered The Baby-Sitters Club books. Maybe it was at a Scholastic Book Fair at my school. But I’ll always remember the very first book, Kristy’s Great Idea, with its bright yellow cover and alphabet block letters. I saw four friends hanging out, and I... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2023-05-05 11:10:00 UTC ]
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Love & Other Epic Adventures: Science Fiction Romance Books

Get your fill of space adventures, AI hunks, and shipworthy pairings with these science fiction romance books like The Red Scholar's Wake. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-04-28 10:36:00 UTC ]
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This book club connects incarcerated fathers to the outside world.

When Ashley C. Ford showed up to the book club in March, she found an audience who had all read her 2021 bestseller, Somebody’s Daughter, and were primed for a lively discussion. “I gotta tell you, I’ve been to a lot of bookstores where they didn’t do that,” Ford laughs. The event took place... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2023-04-17 16:03:16 UTC ]
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Sign up for the Los Angeles Times Book Club

Join our community book club. Our mission is to get Southern California reading and talking. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-04-13 19:22:10 UTC ]
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Book banning is sweeping parts of America. These celebrities want you to help stop it

Celebrities including Julia Roberts, Julianna Margulies, and Selma Blair are urging people to take part in the #LetAmericaRead campaign. April is National School Library Month but, unfortunately, some of the books in school libraries have never been under greater threat in parts of America than... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-04-11 12:01:00 UTC ]
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20 Must-Read Indigenous Historical Fiction Books Set In North America

These compelling Indigenous historical fiction books cover hundreds of years and take place all across North America. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-04-11 10:36:00 UTC ]
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Don’t Miss These April 2023 Book Club Picks

Get involved in a book club with this roundup of what all of the online book clubs are reading in April. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-04-10 10:36:00 UTC ]
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Book Club Picks for April 2023

The latest novels by Curtis Sittenfeld, Jeannette Walls, and Colleen Oakley are among this month's selections by the nation's most influential book clubs. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-10 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Scholastic to Integrate School Book Fairs, Clubs Businesses

The new integrated school reading events business will be launched by June under the direction of Sasha Quinton, who has been president of Scholastic Book Fairs. Judy Newman, president of Scholastic Book Clubs, has been named Scholastic’s first chief impact officer. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-04-03 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Making Books Come Alive: Close-Up on Hardie Grant North America

Longtime publisher Hardie Grant is kicking off their North American line of food and lifestyle titles in style. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-31 04:00:00 UTC ]
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And You Get Counted! And You Get Counted!: Oprah’s Book Club by the Numbers

Here's a fun breakdown of Oprah's book club by the numbers! She just picked book 100—how many have you read Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-03-29 10:39:00 UTC ]
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How to watch Annalee Newitz at the L.A. Times Book Club

Sci-fi novelist Annalee Newitz will discuss "The Terraformers" March 28 at the L.A. Times Book Club. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2023-03-28 21:24:50 UTC ]
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The Best Graphic Novels, as Chosen by a High School Comic Book Club

If you're looking to get a tween or teen into comics, here are the 8 most popular graphic novels with our high school comic book club, including The Witch Boy by Molly Ostertag. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-03-28 10:32:00 UTC ]
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12 March 2023 Book Club Picks To Get Reading With

Get involved in a book club with this roundup of what all of the online book clubs are reading this March. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-03-17 10:35:00 UTC ]
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How Online Book Clubs Transformed Reading Groups — And What's Lost When You Don't Meet IRL

Many readers are back to meeting in person after being forced to embrace Zoom book clubs during the pandemic. Continue reading at HuffPost

[ HuffPost | 2023-03-16 09:45:02 UTC ]
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Ann Napolitano’s New Novel, “Hello Beautiful,” Is the 100th Pick of Oprah’s Book Club

Ann Napolitano toiled in obscurity for years. Novels went unpublished; agents turned her down. She found recognition with “Dear Edward.” Then came the call: “Hello Beautiful” was the 100th pick for what is arguably the most influential book club in the world. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-03-14 12:35:55 UTC ]
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Book Club Picks for March 2023

Debut novels by Diane Marie Brown, Lakiesha Carr, and Claire Jiménez are among the nation's biggest book clubs' March picks. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-09 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Hey, Reese: About that Book Club Selection…

Hey Reese, can we talk? It's about your most recent book club selection. In the fight against antisemitism, I think there were better choices. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-03-08 16:57:32 UTC ]
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Book Club Picks for February 2023

Debut novels by Jessica George, Monica Heisey, and Leanor Shearer get the book club treatment from Jenna Hager, 'Marie Claire,' and 'Good Morning America.' Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-09 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Book Review: ‘Love, Pamela,’ by Pamela Anderson

Her second memoir — about her small-town coming-of-age, her multiple traumas and Hollywood escapades — is an attempt to set the record straight. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-01-27 10:00:07 UTC ]
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