This summer, we have book club discussions of two unique and intriguing novels taking place in our online forums.

Matt Goldman's recently published Carolina Moonset blends mystery, romance and a sensitive depiction of dementia within a vivid rendering of Beaufort, South Carolina.

Maggie O'Farrell's Hamnet, winner of a BookBrowse Best of 2020 award and now out in paperback, is a nuanced work of historical fiction based around the death of Shakespeare's son.

We also have a new list of novels for discussing reproductive rights with your book club, and a blog on 13 things clubs look for in books.

Very best,

Davina

Joey Green has returned to Beaufort, South Carolina, with its palmettos and shrimp boats, to look after his ailing father, who is succumbing to dementia, while his overstressed mother takes a break. Marshall Green's short-term memory has all but evaporated, but, as if in compensation, his oldest memories are more vivid than ever.

Resurfacing from decades past are mysteries that still have the power to shatter lives - and change everything Joey thought he knew.

"I loved the book and had never read anything by Matt Goldman. It was a surprise as I thought it would be a somewhat mono-theme book dealing with dementia but I especially enjoyed the romance and mystery/thriller plot as well. I had been in a bit of a meh reading slump and Carolina Moonset was just what I needed!" - paulak

"A loving story about protecting those you love and not wanting to let go, as well as finding gratitude in the small moments in life. I found myself revisiting in my mind the people and places that made up my childhood. The author does a wonderful job of describing the challenges of aging adults, specifically those who struggle with dementia, and the demanding role of families and caretakers. I loved this book and I'm going to recommend it for my next book club selection." - debbiec

"I really enjoyed the book! I was drawn in from the beginning when Joey was being picked up at the airport and the dialogue that ensued...The story unfolded at a good pace, never rushed, but as each chapter ended I wanted more." - joang

"Of all the stories that argue and speculate about Shakespeare's life … here is a novel … so gorgeously written that it transports you." - The Boston Globe

Agnes is a wild creature who walks her family's land with a falcon on her glove and is known throughout the countryside for her unusual gifts as a healer, understanding plants and potions better than she does people. Once she settles with her husband on Henley Street in Stratford-upon-Avon she becomes a fiercely protective mother and a steadfast, centrifugal force in the life of her young husband, whose career on the London stage is taking off when his beloved young son succumbs to sudden fever.

"This was one of my favorite books of last year. The writing is absolutely beautiful, and I have been comparing it to every other book I have read since. The scenes of grief, though heartrending, are made less so by the beauty of O’Farrell’s writing. And I was fascinated by the fictionalization of Shakespeare’s life, since so little is known, and also by the character of his wife." - juliep

"This was a great read. The writing is remarkably poetic (which is just like Shakespeare's writing: always poetic)...Just as much fun as Tom Stoppard's Shakespeare in Love (movie). You can argue that it's not factual or you can sit back and plunge into the beauty of the author's imagination." - lesleyf

"I loved this story! Well-written, sad, yet true depiction of the era. Could not stop reading to the end to know what would happen. This is a book I will read over and over again." - RuthEh

For our 2019 report, The Inner Lives of Book Clubs, BookBrowse conducted two surveys of a total of more than 5,000 book club participants. This report--in conjunction with our 15 years of research into book clubs and readers in general (during which time we've surveyed over 20,000 people)--has given us new, data-driven insights into how book clubs function and what they want from the books they read.

While 70% of book clubs read fiction most of the time, the book selection process has less to do with a book's genre and more to do with its attributes, with most book clubs open to reading a wide range of genres as long as the books allow for deep discussion.

So, according to the data, what do book clubs actually look for in the books they pick?...continued

BookBrowse's forums-based discussions are open to all, so please join us!

We currently have four open discussions, two of them new since our last Book Club News issue: Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, and Matt Goldman's Carolina Moonset.

These are the last discussions that will open this side of September, as we're taking a break during July and August so as to focus on preparing for our exciting fall season!

Click below to see all past and current discussions

Usually published once a month, Book Club News is one of BookBrowse's four free newsletters. We also publish BookBrowse Highlights every Thursday, Publishing This Week every Sunday; and Librarian News monthly.