Readers Recommend: A Literary Show-and-Tell That Masquerades as a Book Club

Unlike a traditional book club with everyone reading the same book, you can think of this as a literary show-and-tell.

Come ready to recommend a book you've recently read that's on-theme with the month's topic.

November means COZY READS. Not sure what that means? Here are some ideas:

• Books you want to curl up with on a rainy day! Think warm, comforting, and inviting.
• Evocative settings! Think small towns, bookshops, libraries, tea houses, or pastoral landscapes.
• Emphasis on mood! Think gentle, nostalgic, or whimsical rather than dark or frenetic.
• Likable characters! Think found families, strong friendships, or quirky communities.
• Low stakes or "soft stakes"! The drama might be personal or relational, but not world-ending.
• Narratives that value kindness, humor, or everyday joys! Think happy (or at least hopeful) endings.
• Cozy mysteries! Think Louise Penny, Richard Osman, or Agatha Christie.
• Good company! Think food memoirs, travelogues, or essay collections.

A few rules:

1. No self-promotion. The book cannot be written by you, nor by a friend or family member.
2. Recent reads only. Bring something you've read (or re-read) in the last month. Keep it fresh in your mind.
3. Respect the time. Keep shares brief so everyone gets a turn. If you're sharing, plan to speak for about three minutes on what the book is, why you loved it, and who else might enjoy it.
4. EMAIL AHEAD! Let us know what book you'll be promoting at least a week in advance so we can stock copies. Please email [email protected].
5. Keep it conversational. After each recommendation, others can ask questions or chime in, but keep it friendly and supportive.
6. Any genre goes! Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, graphic novels - it's all fair game.

The goal is discovery. Everyone will leave with a list of new titles to explore!

Interested in attending, but don't want to share? Not a problem! Everyone is welcome.

Host or Publisher Bookstore1Sarasota