Hello, 2021! Goodbye, 2020 — and good riddance! As your book club turns the page on the New Year, consider choosing your next read from a genre or subject matter that’s atypical for your group. January is all about shaking things up a little, stretching beyond your comfort zone, and making a fresh start into uncharted territories. Here are six thematic recommendations to challenge your book club’s thinking.
| January Challenge | Check Out This Pick |
|---|---|
| Explore a little-studied corner of history: Whether your club regularly reads mainstream historical fiction or prefers contemporary settings, consider going off the beaten path to discover unsung heroes and under-recognized societies whose influence is all around us today. | The Secret Diaries of Juan Luis Vives by Tim Darcy Ellis |
| Escape time itself: Ever wish you could fast-forward past the pandemic or rewind to more carefree days? Wouldn’t it be great to have a time machine or some other time-travel ability right about now? A good time-travel sci-fi might be just the ticket. Where would you go? Would you simply observe, or would you try to make changes? | Franklin Rock by Mark E. Klein |
| Re-examine your definition of family: Whether close-knit or estranged or somewhere in the middle, the ties of family extend beyond bloodlines and boundaries. Learning about other families always leads to a deeper understanding of our own — the ones we grew up in, and the ones we are part of today. | The Bond by A.M. Grotticelli |
| Get to know an inspirational person: Feeling stuck in a rut? Full of doom and gloom? Gain perspective from the stories of people who have faced and overcome circumstances and obstacles worse than our own — people who can teach us what a life of joy and self-actualization looks like. | The True Adventures of Gidon Lev by Julie Gray |
| Tuck into a YA tome: Young adult fiction isn’t just for teenagers anymore. Many novels in this genre deal with complex and thought-provoking issues as well as coming-of-age experiences we’ve all been through (sometimes again and again!). Better yet, embark on reading a YA series and form a spin-off book group! | Qualify by Vera Nazarian |
| Get steamy: Spice up your usually staid selections with a hot romance that will get your group dishing on love, lust, fantasies, reality, and the many shades of gray surrounding all of the above! Goes great with wine or cocktails, so get your virtual party on. | Façade by Melody Saleh |
Visit our January Book Club Network page for more information about the titles suggested above.
Not a member of our Network? Find out how your book club can receive a free copy of each of our monthly picks here.
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