Blog

Each month novelist and creative writing professor Joshua Henkin shares behind-the-scenes stories about his meetings with reading groups to discuss his novel Matrimony. Today he answers a question that he has been asked by book club members. Read on to find out whether he prefers e-readers or printed books.

Carol Cassella's novel Oxygen is the story of Marie Heaton, an accomplished Seattle anesthesiologist involved in an operating room disaster. As her life and career fall to pieces, she uncovers the fault lines of responsibility, betrayal and truth that can divide us, and discovers that conviction and love --- like oxygen --- can sustain us.

Today RGG.com contributor Jamie Layton raises a terrific issue --- inspiring kids to read over the summer. She has come up with an interesting list of books for her 14-year-old son, ones that will make great reading and discussing for everyone, regardless of age.

Marjane Satrapi is the author of the memoir Persepolis, in which she recounts growing up in Iran in the 1980s. As our review on Bookreporter.com says,"Those were particularly turbulent years for Satrapi's native country of Iran, encompassing the overthrow of Mohammed Reza Pahlavi (the Shah of Iran), the installation of the Islamic Republic, and the war with Iraq.

Yesterday we shared some of the activities, trips and other things reading groups are doing differently during the summer months. Here are some more of their plans...INVITE OTHERS

In a recent ReadingGroupGuides.com newsletter we asked if book clubs do anything different during the summer months. Some groups change up their meetings, while others forego getting together --- which, as one person noted, means more time for lengthy solo reads like Ken Follett's 1,024-page novel World Without End. And for some book clubs, although the discussions might be on hold, it doesn't mean gatherings necessarily stop.

Sonja Somerville, Robin Beerbower and Liz Hughes from the Salem Public Library in Salem, Oregon, have teamed up to tell us about The Local News by Miriam Gershow. Along with their thoughts on the debut novel, they've crafted questions you can use if your group decides to discuss the book.

RGG.com contributor Heather Johnson's book club recently read Chris Cleave's Little Bee, the story of a Nigerian girl orphaned by violence whose life intersects with those of a British couple on holiday. Heather shares the varied reactions of her book group members to the novel.

ReadingGroupGuides.com recently conducted a survey of book group members. Many, many thanks to the more than 7,700 respondents who completed the 62-question survey, weighing in on topics like where they get information, if they use online social and book networking websites, and whether their book-buying habits have changed in the last year.

Lists, lists, lists. In a recent ReadingGroupGuides.com survey (results coming soon), book club members indicated they like lists of recommended reading selections. In The Pulpwood Queens' Tiara-Wearing, Book-Sharing Guide to Life, RGG.com blog contributor Kathy L. Patrick has lots of them, including summer reading suggestions. It's also the story of how books changed her life.