ReadingGroupGuides.com contributor Heather Johnson's latest book club selection was an unknown title --- or so she thought. Read on to find out what novel is garnering some serious book club buzz...


It seems to me that many book clubs are reading the same books, and my club is no exception. Over the past few years we've read The Kite Runner, Eat Pray Love, Life of Pi, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time, and The Secret Life of Bees among others. So I was pretty excited when the book chosen for our September meeting was one most of us had never heard of...Redeeming Love.

Imagine my surprise when, all of a sudden, I was seeing this title everywhere! There was an eight-person waiting list for it at the library. Book bloggers were posting reviews of it. Other book clubs said they had read or planned to read it this year. And then recently on this very site a guest blogger wrote about her club's experience with it.

Why the sudden interest in this book? Most of the popular book club titles are new books, but Redeeming Love was first published in the 1990s (although it was re-released in hardcover last year). And it's technically Christian Fiction; that's not a genre most book clubs usually go for. I can't figure it out...

Regardless of what started it, there's no denying that this is a hot book in book club circles right now. It just goes to show the power of book clubs --- the power of word-of-mouth --- to bring attention to an otherwise overlooked book.
FYI, our meeting was last Thursday, and most of the girls in my club loved this book. Of the 11 who read it, 7 gave it an 8 or higher (on a scale of 1-10, 10 being the best). The remaining 4 members just thought it was "meh".

Now I want to hear from you! Have you heard of Redeeming Love? Where did you hear about it? Has your book club read it? Do you have any ideas about what started its recent popularity? Please share your thoughts...this inquiring mind wants to know.

---Heather Johnson

Last weekend Heather Johnson attended the Baltimore Book Festival and reports on her experiences there. To read more of Heather's commentary and to view video and pictures of the events, visit her blog, Age 30+...A Lifetime of Books.

'Tis the season for literary festivals, which would make a fun outing to attend with your reading group. Click here for a list of book festivals across the country, and check with your state arts and humanities council to find out about others in your area.


Fall seems to be the season for book festivals across the country. I'm lucky enough to live just 20 minutes from Baltimore, a city that dedicates an entire weekend to its book festival. Last year we had beautiful weather all weekend...this year, not so much. But despite the rain, people still turned out to meet the 200+ authors who were scheduled to appear.

The festival began on Friday evening with Ladies Night Out and Guys Night at the Grill. A gal from my book club came with me to the ladies event and we had a blast. Free wine and hors d'oeuvres were served while we heard from two consecutive author panels. Plus, the event was held inside an art museum so we felt quite ritzy.

The first panel included three authors: Kathleen McCleary (House and Home), Megan McCafferty (the Jessica Darling series) and Norma Jarrett (The Sunday Brunch books). I read and reviewed Kathleen's book on my blog, Age 30+...A Lifetime of Books, so I was really there to meet her. After the panel I had a chance to speak with her, and she even signed my book for me. The second panel featured Andrea Lavinthal and Jessica Rozler, co-authors of Friend or Frenemy?: A Guide to the Friends You Need and the Ones You Don't. That was an entertaining talk to say the least! The guys event was outside and involved a grill and a cookbook author; that's all I know about that.

Saturday's events began at 11 a.m. and didn't end until late in the evening, in spite of the drenching rain. There were author talks, panels on how to get your book published, and a wide variety of other bookish topics. My husband, Chris, and I attended cooking demonstrations by chefs and cookbook authors such as Martin Yan (his new cookbook is Martin Yan's China) and the Hearty Boys (their new cookbook is Talk with Your Mouth Full). Chris loves to cook and always buys cookbooks at the book festival because the authors are right there to sign them.

In between cooking demos I caught part of a talk by Susan Fraser King in which she read from her new book, Lady MacBeth. The most interesting part to me was when she explained the research she did, as I'm a stickler for facts in historical novels.

Sunday dawned bright and sunny --- a huge change from the rest of the weekend. Good for me, since my panel was set for 11 a.m.! I spoke along with two editors from The Baltimore Sun newspaper on the decline of book reviews in printed media and the rise of book blogs. There were lots of other events on Sunday, but by this time my crazy weekend was catching up with me and I was ready to head home.

Do you know the one thing missing from this wonderful weekend? Book clubs! There were no panels on how to start or improve a book club --- can you believe that? I'll have to talk to someone about that for next year's festival.

Are you planning to attend a book festival in your neck of the woods this year? Or maybe you have already? I'd love to hear about your experiences!

---Heather Johnson

ReadingGroupGuides.com contributor and book club facilitator Esther Bushell shares some upcoming publications reading groups might want to keep an eye out for...


Recently, Carol Fitzgerald and I had lunch at The Spotted Pig in New York City, courtesy of Random House; this was a way of introducing us to four young writers, all of whom have their books scheduled for publication in 2009, and the energy at the event was absolutely palpable.

Caitlin Macy's first book, the novel The Fundamentals of Play, takes place in Manhattan, where Caitlin lives. Her wonderful new book, a collection of stories connected by theme and gender, is Spoiled, and it'll be published on March 3rd. Of particular interest to me was the story "Carrie," about a young woman from Greenwich, Connecticut --- a product of the public schools --- and her young married life in NYC. I asked Caitlin the question that's always in the forefront of my consciousness, "Why Greenwich?" and being a resident of the town I loved her answer: "Greenwich is iconic; you don't have to explain too much." I hope that my book groups will see this as a perfect board from which to dive headlong into a multilayered discussion.

Sandra Novack lives near Atlanta with her husband, a paleontologist, and Precious, her first novel, will be published on February 17th. This novel is about a fractured family and the dynamics during the summer when a young girl goes missing. Sandy knows what she's writing about, and in talking with her, I was fascinated at how much autobiography is included. We all know that happens in novels, but when you know the specifics, the whole novel explodes for the reader, or at least for me.

Lewis Robinson won huge recognition for his collection of stories, Officer Friendly and Other Stories. Due out on January 13th, Water Dogs takes place on Meadow Island, Maine, and focuses on the trust and loyalty between two brothers. Robinson's descriptions are so evocative that the setting is as much a character as the people.

Deirdre Shaw flew out for this event from Santa Monica; though only thirty-six, Deirdre has been a prolific writer of short stories, so her debut novel, Love or Something Like It (don't you love the title?) has been long awaited. Its publication date is April 14th. This is a story of brave Lacey Brennan, a woman of great universality, for all of us have had to evaluate our lives and the paths we've taken --- or not taken.

Lots of press was at this event, so I'm sure you'll be hearing and reading about these significant 2009 publications. They'll garner raves --- and deservedly so!

I'm planning to be at BookGroupExpo in San Jose (yes, I know the way --- why does everyone feel compelled to ask that?) from the 24th through the 26th of October. I've never been to Expo, so you can just imagine how excited I am about an entire weekend of book talk! Heavenly! I've been in touch with Ann Kent, the mastermind behind this event, and I'm so pleased that Carol Fitzgerald will be there, too.

Right this very minute I'm reading The Good Thief, a captivating novel by Hannah Tinti. I'll report back when I return from San Jose.

---Esther Bushell

October is National Reading Group Month! At your next book club gathering, take a few minutes to talk about why you enjoy and appreciate your literary get-togethers...and one another's company. Reminisce about the books you've read. Make plans for the coming months.

National Reading Group Month is an annual extravaganza sponsored by the Women's National Book Association. The organization is hosting events across the country, so gather your group together and head out on the town. Live in Seattle? Mark your calendar for October 20th. The University Book Store's National Reading Group Month event features Nancy Pearl, the author of Book Lust, and Nancy Horan, the author of Loving Frank. Other festivities will take place in Boston, Los Angeles, Nashville, New York, San Francisco and Washington, D.C.

Whether or not you live in one of these cities, you can take part in Random House's month-long Book Club Fest. It's a virtual way to join in and celebrate National Reading Group Month. Read on for details...


For more than ten years Random House Reader's Circle has had so much to celebrate: compelling stories, talented authors, and dedicated readers. We're always trying to reward our readers. This month we've found a special opportunity to offer even more during National Reading Group Month by hosting a special month-long event: Book Club Fest, where you'll find special podcasts, sweepstakes and much more.

In the past year we've hosted a series of podcasts with our Random House Reader's Circle authors --- and it has been a great success. During the month of October celebrate with us as select authors talk about their books --- and their experiences with book clubs --- in exclusive audio interviews. A new interview will go live each week so don't forget to keep checking back. Elizabeth Strout's podcast is up now --- she discusses her latest book, Olive Kitteridge. Mark your calendars for Therese Fowler (Souvenir) on 10/8, Louise Shaffer (Serendipity) on 10/15 and Stefan Merrill Block (The Story of Forgetting) on 10/22.

For book clubs who love to snack while they chat, we've included a special Recipe section. We'll also be giving away a Celestial Seasonings Tea Basket and one copy of The Book Club Cookbook each week. There will be 5 winners total so be sure to enter here.

These are just a few highlights of our online Book Club Fest --- come visit and see what else we have in store. This site will only be available for a limited time so stop by BookClubFest.com today and celebrate National Reading Group Month with us!

Today, guest blogger Elizabeth Strout offers insight on her latest book, Olive Kitteridge, which last week Nancy Pearl listed as one of her top five picks for book clubs this fall. Elizabeth is also the author of Abide with Me and Amy and Isabelle.


I grew up along the coast of Maine, and I have lived in New York City for many years. I love New York, but I think I am always living with a low-grade fever of homesickness, and that's why so much of my work goes back to New England. Writing Olive Kitteridge was a real trip home, in the sense that I went to places in my mind that I hadn't been for years. It's a kind of love song, in a way, because the more I wrote about this woman the more I understood her; that happens with writing. I understood that she is a person of the land, a barnacle in a sea that is now really changing, as all things eventually change.

Olive is fierce in her passions, unkind in her needs, large-hearted at the most unexpected times, and intuitive while being blind to her own actions. Writing about her was freeing --- I thought, I will not protect this character, I will let her be herself on the page, and she was. There is sometimes an unconscious tendency to be careful, and as the person writing her I realized that she is not careful, and so I could not be either.

Some of the stories had been written earlier, but all of the new ones were written one summer in a cottage on the beach in Provincetown, Massachusetts. The little bedroom of the cottage was facing the beach and the ocean, and lobster traps, and every morning there was a lobster fisherman who came to work on his traps and he brought his German shepherd with him. It was stunningly similar to the scenes of my childhood --- every morning I thought that. I think it was very good for my work, as though I had slipped through time and was inside that coastal world again.

There was no television or radio in this cottage, and each day I wrote intently for as long as I could. Then I would ride my bike like mad, all around the trails and through the woods. I would swim in the ocean, then get back on my bike and pedal like crazy again, as I had when I was a child. I returned to New York a few weeks earlier than I had planned because I was so strung out from the intensity of working like that. But it was great.

---Elizabeth Strout

Nancy Pearl knows books. The former librarian and bookseller is the author of Book Lust: Recommended Reading for Every Mood, Moment, and Reason; More Book Lust; and Book Crush, with reading suggestions for kids and teens. She is a regular commentator about books on National Public Radio and has a monthly television program, "Book Lust with Nancy Pearl," on the Seattle Channel. There is even a Librarian Action Figure modeled in her likeness.

Today Nancy weighs in on some topics pertaining to reading groups --- including how they've changed over the years --- and offers her top Fall book club discussion titles.



ReadingGroupGuides.com: How have you seen book clubs change over the years?

Nancy Pearl: Obviously, the biggest change is their huge proliferation. I know many people who belong to more than one. Also, I'm hearing more and more that people don't want to spend book club sessions talking about their children, vacations, jobs, and gossip, but rather that they want to really discuss the book.


RGG: Is there a book you think universally works for groups?

NP: There are three: A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines, In the Lake of the Woods by Tim O'Brien, and The Sweet Hereafter by Russell Banks.


RGG: What suggestions do you have for livening up discussions?

NP: Don't be afraid to pick books that some people won't enjoy --- discussions are always better when some participants like the book and others don't. Don't start the discussion with a question about who liked the book and who didn't. Make that the last question instead. Have everyone come to the meeting with one question they want answered --- that's a good way to broaden the discussion and ensure participation. Choose a "mini-series" of three books over a three-month period on a similar topic (perhaps two fictional and one non-fiction) --- like The Poisonwood Bible, Heart of Darkness, and King Leopold's Ghost. Don't weigh down the discussion with a long bio of the author and a recap of reviews.


RGG: Have you heard of any imaginative ways that book clubs utilize their local libraries?

NP: These aren't particularly imaginative, but lots of book groups use the expertise of the librarians to help them choose books and find background information about the author. Also, if food is involved in the meeting, the library is a great resource for recipes and dishes that relate to the book in question.


RGG: What are your top picks for book clubs this Fall?

NP: Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout (fiction)
The Suicide Index by Joan Wickersham (nonfiction)
Lulu in Marrakech by Diane Johnson (fiction)
The Book of Dahlia by Elisa Albert (fiction)
Song Yet Sung by James McBride (fiction)