3 Great Books Set In Book Clubs

In this post, we explore excellent books that are set in book clubs.

If you enjoy this, you may want to read these blogs in the series:

1. 4 Great Books Set In Libraries
2. Great Books Set In Bookstores

People who like to read books, write books and talk about books can be a real bore to people who (gasp!) don’t read. But put a group of book lovers in one room, with snacks and coffee, or wine, and they will have found their tribe! Talk of language, plot, characters, and ‘what the author meant’ will flow as freely as the wine. It come as no surprise that books set in book clubs will be read with delight and appreciation. Let’s take a look at some of the best.

3 Great Books Set In Book Clubs

1. The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy Fowler

This book was so good it became a New York Times Bestseller and a movie staring Emily Blunt. Karen Joy Fowler’s eye for the frailties of human behaviour and her ear for the absurdities of social intercourse, has never been wittier nor her characters more appealing.

With jane Austen’s work as the foundation of the book, it’s delightful to find echoes of her books appearing within the unfolding relationships, dramas, break-ups and reconciliations that take place among the five women and one man who form the book club.

2. The Blackout Book Club by Amy Lynn Green

This book has the added advantage of being set in both a library and a book club. Despite the fact that she’s never been much of a reader, having promised her brother she would, Avis Montgomery takes the position of Head Librarian in a small town in Maine. She discovers that to keep its doors open she will have to create a book club to keep its doors open.

The club is made up of very disparate women. A wealthy spinster determined to aid the war effort, an exhausted mother looking for a fresh start, and a determined young war worker. All of whom need an escape from the war, it’s hardships, and the U-boat battles raging along their shores. At first, it is this that draws them together.

But secrets of the past and the present emerge forcing them to question if their friendships are worth the cost.

3. The End Of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe 

This novel chronicles the inspiring, true story of a son and his dying mother, Will Schwalbe and Mary Ann Schwalbe, who form a book club with only the two of them as members. It is a ‘book club’ that brings them together as her life comes to a close.

While his mother is waiting for her chemotherapy treatments Will casually asks her what she’s reading. One simple question, the answer to which is the start of a hospital waiting room tradition between them. It doesn’t take long before they are reading the same books and discussing them in the hospital waiting room. Howards End by E. M. Forster, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo  by Stieg Larsson, and The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien are only a small selection that they read. Through their intimate and searching discussions, the reader discovers their deep love for each other.

Ultimately tragic, The End of Your Life Book Club is a profoundly moving testimony to the unconditional love between a child and parent, and the power of reading in our lives.

Reading is one of the best ways to discover the lives, thoughts, dreams, hopes and tragedies of our people, living and fictional. It raises questions in ourselves that need answering. Being able to work through those questions is easier with people you trust, people who read the same books as you. That’s why book clubs are so popular.

The Last Word

If you’re looking for a story set in a book club, try one of these great books.

by Elaine Dodge. Elaine is the author of The Harcourts of Canada series. Elaine trained as a graphic designer, then worked in design, advertising, and broadcast television. She now creates content, mostly in written form, for clients across the globe, but would much rather be drafting her books and short stories.

More Posts From Elaine

1. 4 Great Books Set In Libraries
2. Great Books Set In Bookstores
3. Book Traditions Around The World
4. The Different Types of Series You Could Write
5. The Last Days Of NaNoWriMo
6. 5 Ways Plotting & Character Development Is Like Playing Chess
7. 5 Tools To Use When Writing A Historical Novel
8. The Thing About Life And 5 Things To Consider When Killing Off A Character
9. 4 Writing Challenges To Keep Your Writer’s Brain Alive That You May Not Have Thought Of Before
10. Book Banning And Why It Matters

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