You're Invited! A Book Club for Writers (and Curious Readers)
I have an idea for a very different kind of book club, and I want you to be a part of it
Hello, lovelies!
I’m thinking of starting an online book club—low commitment, once a month (whenever you can make it), led by me. And I wanted to find out if you would join me.
For 7 years, I ran a wonderful book club in the San Francisco Bay Area. It wasn’t an ordinary book club… this one was composed mostly of writers (and some awesome, curious non-writing readers). And it was THE BEST.
Every month, we would get together to chat about the book we read, but not just whether we liked it. We would also try to figure out why we did or didn’t like it, from a writing perspective. It was so fun to listen to other writers analyze the stories. I felt like I learned something every time.
We talked about things like plot structure (what kept us on the edge of our seats? how was the pacing? was it predictable good or predictable bad?) and details about characterization (what made Character A likeable for one person, but annoying for another? And why was Character B universally loved?)
This book club was a positive, uplifting place. Even as we discussed the books constructively, we always approached with generosity and kindness and the spirit of learning, because most of us were writers, too. (And those of us who weren’t writers loved books so much, they came from a place of admiration for the authors).
I stopped running that book club because my husband Tom got very sick, and the recovery from his double lung transplant took a lot out of us emotionally and physically.
But now he’s healthy and I have so much energy again, and I miss that book club and how we all came together to share our love of reading. It was such a unique community, and I loved all the smart insights and the cozy warmth of hanging out with other writers and readers. Truly, I looked forward to it every single month.
So I’m thinking of re-creating that, except this time, I get to invite all of you!
What if we started a book club for writers and curious readers? Where you get to share your thoughts but also listen to writers analyze how the books were written and what works (and what doesn't)?
Would you help me figure out if there’s interest in this book club? This survey is just a few very, very short questions. It’s about book club interest, and also what you like about this newsletter (so I can make sure I keep writing emails/posts for you that you love and want to open!)
Thank you!
xoxo,
~e
What’s on My Nightstand?
I’m heading out on vacation, so what’s better than reading a book called The Vacationers? I loved Emma Straub’s This Time Tomorrow, so I’m looking forward to this story that seems like it’s about a family vacation, but really about “the sides of ourselves that we choose to show and those we try to conceal, of the ways we tear each other down and build each other up again, and the bonds that ultimately hold us together.”
Get your copy of my latest novel!
“Cleverly imagines the epilogue Romeo and Juliet didn’t get to have, and how curses can be blessings in disguise.”—JODI PICOULT
My Book and Movie Release Calendar: 2024
March 5th - Damsel movie tie-in paperback edition
March 8th - Damsel movie releases on Netflix
May 7th - The Hundred Loves of Juliet summer paperback edition
July 30th - One Year Ago in Spain - NEW RELEASE
Would love to join!
Yes count me in!