A book club for everyone

Dear friends and fellow readers,

My book groups went online at the start of the pandemic and quickly became bright spots in my isolation, times of connection and warmth in the midst of such extreme disconnection. There is something especially satisfying about meeting with fellow literature lovers around a shared enthusiasm, about the intellectual and emotional stimulation of conversations with good friends about good books.

With the pandemic abating, I am thrilled to be able to start offering in-person as well as virtual facilitation. As you slowly establish your new post-pandemic routine, I hope you’ll consider adding a book group to your schedule.

If you live in the Monterey area, I’m launching, in partnership with The BookWorks bookstore in Pacific Grove, an in-person book club starting in September. The first selection is the Booker-winner The Promise by Damon Galgut, which follows one white family in South Africa through four decades, whose struggles, losses, and revelations mirror the tumult of the larger society. It’s one of my favorite books of recent years, both for its superb writing and probing social questions. Both of this year’s Pulitzer winners are also on the list (Demon Copperhead and Trust), along with another recent Pulitzer winner (The Overstory) and many other award-winning and bestselling authors and books. The full line-up is pictured above. Check out all the details and register here.

If you prefer a virtual group, I have two with space available. There are a couple of spots available to join the Writers Book Club in August (and onward). The August title is The Overstory by Richard Powers. Read about the other Writers book selections, or register here. I also facilitate an online group reading general fiction that’s recruiting new members to start in September. If you’re interested, contact me (jennifer@tothelighthouse.net), and I’ll put you in touch with them.

If you have your own group but are curious about professional facilitation, please email me! I’m happy to discuss the benefits of facilitation and/or send you more information on what to expect. If you book one session by June 30, I’ll do it at half-price, so this is a great time to see if professional facilitation is right for your group.

If you want to dip your toe into a guided book discussion, without the commitment of a full group, consider joining the 3-week Read Like a Writer class I’m teaching for Book Inc, where we’ll close-read The Promise. That starts this Wednesday; you can learn more and register here.

Either in person or on Zoom, I hope to have a chance to discuss a good novel with you soon.