What’s up, Bookworms?
I have been having so much fun with The Fellowship of the Worms lately. Y’all are a super fantastic crew to have a book club with. I also adore my neighborhood book club (lovingly dubbed “My Neighbors Are Better Than Your Neighbors.”) Frankly, all the book club love has got me thinking about books about book clubs. Naturally. Who’s ready for a list?!
1. Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons
by Lorna Landvik: I read this book while I was still in college, but it’s stuck with me. A group of female neighbors who like to read form a book club. They navigate through their lives, motherhood, and the 1960s while leaning on each other. For as cute as it is, it focuses on some tough stuff. Women’s rights, family drama, the Vietnam War, domestic abuse- it’s got everything. Luckily it’s still optimistic and has a great feeling of sisterhood. Love this book. Actually, I might make my neighborhood book club read this. It seems appropriate, no?
2. The Jane Austen Book Club
by Karen Joy Fowler: A group of ladies and one lone dude team up to read ALL THE AUSTEN. The crew tackles all six of Jane’s masterpieces… And their own lives. Books about book clubs always have such great tidbits about the people reading the books. Since reading this about a thousand years ago, I’ve had a goal to read ALL THE AUSTEN. Mansfield Park
is the only one left on my list!
3. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows: Meta moment, y’all. We totally discussed this book about a book club in The Fellowship of the Worms, our online book club. It’s turtles all the way down, seriously. I love, love, loved this book! Post WWII tales from occupied Guernsey? Bonding over books? Love in the countryside? So sweet!
4. Xingu
by Edith Wharton: The latest addition to my collection, this is a short story by the brilliant Edith Wharton. That Edith Wharton, man. What a pistol. She was constantly lampooning the uppity upper crust and this story is no exception. Lesson: don’t be a snob. You’ll make a fool of yourself. Especially if you mistake a river for a book.
I know there are more books about book clubs out there, I’ve just not read them yet. What are some of your favorites, Bookworms?
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Athira
I’ve only read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and LOVED that one! I have heard about the Jane Austen Book Club but haven’t read it. I will have to check the other two out!
Words For Worms
They’re all good, but I feel like Angry Housewives doesn’t get enough love, so if you’re going to pick one first, go there :).
Tanya
Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons is the best title I’ve heard in a long time. Maybe that’s because I always joke that as a SAHM i spend my time eating bon bons and doing my nails!
Words For Worms
Isn’t that a great title? I’ve never quite figured out exactly what bon bons are, but I like to imagine they’re filled chocolates… Because I like filled chocolates and they seem like the most indulgent candy…
Charleen
Huh, I can think of lots of books that are about books, but none that are about book clubs… other than Guernsey, of course, which I love… and that End of Your Life Book Club memoir, which I’ve never read (and I’m pretty sure isn’t even a book club so much as just two people reading together).
Words For Worms
Yeah, I have heard of End of Your Life Book Club, but it sounded too depressing for me to pick up at the time (which was the middle of winter when I was full BLEH.) I’ve been procrastinating since.
Charleen
Yeah, book-love or not, it’s not on my TBR.
Andi (@estellasrevenge)
Xingu! Sooo on my list. The one in my head that dictates what I read next. And I loved Guernsey.
Words For Worms
Xingu is so cheeky. You will love it. And it will take you no time at all to read because it’s like 26 pages or some ridiculous shortness.
Chrissy
Great list! I’ve been wanting to read The Jane Austen Book Club for a while. I saw the movie first. Now I really want to read it.
Words For Worms
I never saw the movie version, but I’ll vouch for the book, it’s quite good!
Emily
I’ve recommended Angry Housewives to tons of people and never found another person who had actually read it. I loved it and have no idea how I stumbled upon it but good job spreading the word. I don’t need to express my love for Guernsey anymore so I’ll just leave it with the generic, “great list!” Seriously.
Words For Worms
Yay! I’ve found the same thing, and then when I mention the title I always get “question mark face” from people. I’m glad you know where I’m coming from, girl!
Darlene @ Lost in Literature
The End of Your Life Book Club is all I can think of.
My book club read that one. But it’s just two people, mother and son.
And it’s a memoir so not so much about the “book club” but more about the books they read.
I’ve had friends who didn’t want to read it because they thought it would be too sad or depressing, but I didn’t think it was at all. I thought it was a great tribute.
Words For Worms
Not depressing you say? I’m re-thinking my avoidance…
Darlene @ Lost in Literature
That is correct. Not depressing to me anyway.
You would be so in awe of his mom and the incredible life she lived. That’s what I took away from it.
And the fact that those people obviously are in a different tax bracket than me.:)
Let me know if you give it a shot.
kristin @ my little heart melodies
I want to read The End of Your Life Book Club too but I think it might be emotionally tough right now (after losing both my grammas in the last 8 months)… maybe next year.
Words For Worms
Oooh yeah, that’s rough. I read Still Alice around the time my grandma was suffering dementia and it was a weep-fest. Maybe let yourself heal a bit first. (Internet hugs. Grandmas rule.)
Allison (Allure of Books)
I’ve never heard of Xingu, but Edith Wharton and her sass get me every time, so I’m off to download the Amazon ebook!
Words For Worms
Yessss!!! I love Edith Wharton, she’s snarky and brilliant.
Leah @ Books Speak Volumes
I haven’t read any of these, but I’d like to add The End of Your Life Book Club!
Words For Worms
Duly noted. Not a complete downer?
Katie @ Doing Dewey
Great list! I love books about books and bookish people 🙂
Words For Worms
Thanks 🙂
Monika @ Lovely Bookshelf
Angry Housewives sounds great!! I hadn’t heard of it until now — thanks!
Words For Worms
It’s really a fun read, I think you’d like it!
ThatAshGirl
Other than The Jane Austen Book Club, I don’t think I’ve ever read another book about book clubs specifically. Or at least I don’t think so.
Words For Worms
But you’ve read just about everything ever. I’m sure there’s one out there, it’s just buried beneath the eleventy billion more recent reads.
AMB (Koiviolet)
I really enjoyed the movie version of The Jane Austen Book Club, but I’ve never read the book. Mansfield Park is actually the only Austen left that I haven’t re-read within the last two years (thanks to you, I managed to cross Northanger Abbey off my list!). Now my husband is making his way through all of Austen’s books. He’s read P&P and Sense and Sensibility (he wrote about both on my blog), and he’s reading Persuasion right now.
Words For Worms
Your husband is reading Jane Austen? I love that!
AMB (Koiviolet)
Yeah, and he really likes the books he’s read so far! He’ll probably post his thoughts on Persuasion on my blog within the next two weeks.
Angie @Angela's Anxious Life
I have often wanted to read a book about a book club. Though it would probably make me jealous since I don’t have any real world book clubs!
Words For Worms
Real world book clubs can be a lot of fun. Fictional ones can be fun as well!
Melinda
I loved Xingu!
Words For Worms
It was your review that spurred me to read it, so thank you!