In the March 15th Bookreporter newsletter, Carol Fitzgerald talked about listening to Simone Gorrindo’s upcoming memoir, THE WIVES. When an author writes a memoir, she enjoys hearing it in their own words. So she was curious about how our readers have adapted audiobook listening in their lives. We received so many wonderful replies that we decided to make a blog post out of it. Many thanks to all those who told us about their audio experiences! Angela H. I became an audio listener years ago when my son convinced me to listen to books while I was walking at the mall so that it would be less bor ..read more

In the January 18th ReadingGroupGuides.com newsletter, Carol Fitzgerald wrote about meeting with her book group: “We often meet at my house as I am the only one without young children, so gathering here assures that everyone has a night out --- and I love company…. I look forward to these two hours every month. Besides discussing the book, we kick back and talk about life…. What I really love is that they are women who are very supportive of one another. There is a camaraderie that I think can be rare these days.” Carol asked readers to email her about their own group and what makes it so spec ..read more

Contributors Rebecca Munro On October 13th, readers from all over New England descended upon Brattleboro, Vermont, for the 22nd annual Brattleboro Literary Festival. Nestled between the West and Connecticut Rivers, Brattleboro was the perfect setting, boasting not just the festival itself but many delicious restaurants, plentiful shopping and tons of recreational activities. The festival began (somewhat ominously, though you’ll see why it was perfect) on Friday the 13th, when Jennifer McMahon (MY DARLING GIRL), Margot Douaihy (SCORCHED GRACE, the first novel from Gillian Flynn’s imprint), and ..read more

I’m not sure what other book festivals are like, as our group of four has only ever attended the Tucson Festival of Books, but this two-day event on the University of Arizona campus is truly outstanding. Authors present in small groups in various locations for one-hour increments, all focused on a common theme. There are 300 presentations and 250+ authors. In addition, there are a myriad of booths set up where people can buy books and children can play games, learn about science, etc. The event is definitely geared toward families. My husband, sister, brother-in-law and I started our day by vi ..read more

What has your book group been up to? Are you meeting remotely? Are you still reading and emailing each other about the books you are reading? Are you postponing your discussions? We asked readers these questions in our April 30th newsletter, and we are happy to share some of their comments with you. We hope you can find ideas on how to meet virtually, as well as some book recommendations here.   Sue from Murrells Inlet, SC: “Our book club read SUMMER OF ’69 by Elin Hilderbrand for the month of April. Since we couldn’t meet, I asked members to send an email to reply all and share wha ..read more

Contributors Kim Michele Richardson Kim Michele Richardson’s novel, THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller that released to rave reviews last year. It is based on the true story of the Pack Horse Library Project, a group of librarians who delivered books on horseback to rural areas of Kentucky during the Great Depression. In this timely and much-needed blog post, Kim Michele draws on the history of these brave and dedicated traveling librarians to deliver an important message to readers: Support local bookstores, because today’s booksellers are yeste ..read more

Contributors Kim Michele Richardson Kim Michele Richardson’s novel, THE BOOK WOMAN OF TROUBLESOME CREEK, is a New York Times and USA Today bestseller that released to rave reviews last year. It is based on the true story of the Pack Horse Library Project, a group of librarians who delivered books on horseback to rural areas of Kentucky during the Great Depression. In this timely and much-needed blog post, Kim Michele draws on the history of these brave and dedicated traveling librarians to deliver an important message to readers: Support local bookstores, because today’s booksellers are yeste ..read more

Contributors Fiona Davis The last weekend of January, I was lucky enough to join 19 other authors and over 150 avid readers aboard the Queen Mary ocean liner in Long Beach, CA for the first ever Super Book Weekend, hosted by Adventures by the Book. Organizers Susan McBeth, Kathie Bennett and Robin Hoklotubbe kicked off the weekend with a sunset cocktail party at nearby Signal Hill Public Library, where the authors shared their love of libraries. The next morning, in the ship’s elegant Queen’s Salon, historical fiction author/opera virtuos ..read more

Contributors Fiona Davis The last weekend of January, I was lucky enough to join 19 other authors and over 150 avid readers aboard the Queen Mary ocean liner in Long Beach, CA for the first ever Super Book Weekend, hosted by Adventures by the Book. Organizers Susan McBeth, Kathie Bennett and Robin Hoklotubbe kicked off the weekend with a sunset cocktail party at nearby Signal Hill Public Library, where the authors shared their love of libraries. The next morning, in the ship’s elegant Queen’s Salon, historical fiction author/opera virtuos ..read more

We recently asked our newsletter readers to let us know how their book group will be celebrating the holidays this year. Many thanks to all who shared their holiday plans with us! Perhaps they will provide some last-minute ideas to those who need them. Kristen: "We each bring a wrapped book with three clues to the title on the gift tag. We then draw numbers and do an exchange where up to three steals are allowed. We also bring a beverage container to swap: wine glass, coffee mug, water bottle, tea cup, beer glass. Our reading beverages are diverse! It's tons of fun, and we all come away with a ..read more