The Beauty of Indie Bookstores & Book Clubs
I just spent the most fantastic evening with a room full of (almost) complete strangers!
Chris Bohjalian’s Novels
I say “almost,” because I ran into, and happily sat with, a woman I’d met at a lunch honoring author Chris Bohjalian (Midwives, Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands)…which is another blog post entirely.
Tonight’s event event was a “Book Club” evening at Page and Palette, Inc. in Fairhope, Ala. Stephanie and Anderson, two dedicated P & P employees, host the gathering a few times a year. Nearly 40 men and women crowded into the Latte Da coffee shop section of P & P as the dynamic duo discussed their must-read recommendations for March, April, May, and June.
Of the 25 books on the list, a few of the picks included:
Stephanie & Anderson
The Bone Tree, Greg Iles (Natchez Burning, Iles is a Natchez, Mississippi author)
The Truth According to Us, Annie Barrows (The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society)
The Nightingale, Kristin Hannah (Firefly Lane)
Early Warning, Jane Smiley (A Thousand Acres)
The World’s Largest Man, Harrison Scott Key (Humor, Growing Up, Family Relationships)
My Winnings!
The evening involved lots of discussion, questions, laughter, and prizes. I am happy to say that everyone who attended took home one free Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of a recently released novel. Mine was Our Endless Numbered Days by Claire Fuller. (Premise: A father takes his 8 year-old daughter to live in the woods after telling her the world has been destroyed. It hasn’t.)
At the end of the night, Stephanie and Anderson encouraged everyone to come back with written thoughts about the novels so that they could tape up our recommendations on the shelves! (Fun!)
So, I say cheers to Page and Palette for hosting a wonderful evening, spreading the word about authors and their books, and keeping the love of reading alive.
I’d love to know … do you belong to a book club? What books are you reading this year?
xx, Laura