Booksellers know very well how ubiquitous the reading group has become, and The Book Club Companion is full of innovative ideas designed to entertain their members and enrich the book club experience. Inside, club members will find:
- The 10 Indispensable Titles across several literary genres including Beloved Lit, Brit Lit, Book Club Favorites, Classic Lit, Black Lit, Noir Lit, Literary Respite, Nonfiction that Reads Like Fiction, and Memoir
- Childhood favorites
- "Guilty pleasure" titles
- Conversation starters and tips for keeping discussions lively
- Theme gatherings and special places for meetings
- Drink and food recipes
- Craft ideas
- And much more
The Book Club Companion
Introduction
Chapter One: The Beloveds
The Ten Indispensable Titles
No Leader, No Problem: Discussion Basics
Club Rules: May We Knit?
When Pets Misbehave: Flying Minnies and Slobbering Horaces
Club Rules: When Pets Meet the Club Checklist
The Unexpected Meeting Place: The Botanical Garden
Hosting Basics: How to Be Popular
Angry, Often Desperate Housewives: The Novels
The Beloved Cocktail
An Anne Tyler Celebration
Time Travel: If You Were in a 1920s Book Club
Chapter Two: The Book Club Classic
The Twenty Indispensable Titles
Four Questions for Isabel Allende
No Leader, No Problem: Your Next Book
Club Rules: E-mail Stylings
When Pets Misbehave: Baddest Kitty
Book Club Style: Flowers from The Hours and Mrs. Dalloway's Hothouse
The Costume Drama
The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath: An Appreciation
The Tween Book Club 101
A Bel Canto Evening
Time Travel: If You Were in a 1930s Book Club
Chapter Three: Classic Fiction
The Twenty-one Indispensable Titles
What Is a Classic?
Club Rules: How True! Mark Up Your Book without Mercy
When Pets Go Missing
The Tween Book Club: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis
The Many Favorites of Ernest Hemingway
Classic Fiction Anniversary Party
Chapter Four: Brit Lit 101
The Ten Indispensable Titles
Touring Thematically: Channeling Jane Austen
Meeting Thematically: Form a Spin-Off Literary Society
When Pets Preen
The Tween Book Club: The Witches by Roald Dahl
P. G. Wodehouse 101
Luncheon at the Club
Time Travel: If You Were in a 1940s Book Club
Chapter Five: Red, White And Noir
The Ten Indispensable Titles
No Leader, No Problem: Customizing Discussion Questions
When Pets Misbehave: The Fearful Guest
Touring Thematically: Authors at the Lectern
The Indispensable Short Story Collection
Peyton Place by Grace Metalious: An Appreciation
The Indispensable Platter: Vegetables All Year Long
Time Travel: If You Were in a 1950s Book Club
Chapter Six: Literary Respites
The Ten Indispensable Titles
Six Questions for Alexander McCall Smith
The Best Generic Questions for Discussing Series
New Year's Resolutions for Book Clubs
Book Club Craft Essentials
The Tween Book Club: A Christmas Memory by Truman Capote
Book Club Style: Gift from the Sea
Holiday Celebration
Snacking at the Club
Time Travel: If You Were in a 1960s Book Club
Chapter Seven: Black Lit
The Ten Indispensable Titles
Five Questions for Bebe Moore Campbell
No Leader, No Problem: The Flip Side
Book Club Style: A Color Purple Flower Celebration
The Indispensable Reading List: Memoir and Nonfiction
The Tween Book Club: Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred D. Taylor
Casting Call
Book Club Supper
Time Travel: If You Were in a 1970s Book Club
Chapter Eight: Nonfiction That Reads Like Fiction
The Ten Indispensable Titles
No Leader, No Problem: Meeting Style
The Indispensable Reading List: Biographies
Savannah Style
The Indispensable Reading List: The Arcane Thriller
A Restaurant Meeting
Best Generic Discussion Questions for Nonfiction
Supper at the Club
Time Travel: If You Were in a 1980s Book Club
Chapter Nine: The Memoir
The Ten Indispensable Titles
Five Questions for Ann Patchett
The Cultural Revolution, Before and After
Enchanted Summer Book Club
Seasonal Fruit Platters
Supper at the Club
Time Travel: If You Were in a 1990s Book Club
Bibliography
Acknowledgments
