This month, in BookBrowse's book club forum, we're discussing Gabrielle Zevin's Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, a novel about friendship, love and video game design likely to appeal to readers who aren't gamers as much as those who are. Discussions are open to all, so do join us!

Another current discussion is focused on Brad Meltzer and Josh Mensch's fascinating The Nazi Conspiracy, the true story of a plot to kill three Allied leaders during World War II.

We also have a handy list of discussion topics your book group can apply to any book, an interesting new interview with librarian Giovanna Fiorino-Iannace — who runs an English as a Second Language book club — and upcoming online discussions.

Very best,

Davina Morgan-Witts

I'm giving a talk on Niche Academy next Wednesday April 19th at 2pm ET, 11am PT on the topic of Building Community Through Book Clubs.

It's open to all librarians. If you're interested but not able to attend the live webinar, register and Niche Academy will send you a recording after the fact. You don't need to have a Niche Academy account to access the recording, and a certificate of completion is available.

--- Davina

In this exhilarating novel by the best-selling author of The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry two friends - often in love, but never lovers - come together as creative partners in the world of video game design, where success brings them fame, joy, tragedy, duplicity, and, ultimately, a kind of immortality.

"I found the book to be a wonder. Ms. Zevin is truly an author to watch. The novel was compelling, even to a 71 year old who has never played, but I noticed the novel itself was reflective of the games she described. It was unlike any book I’ve read lately. Her pacing, her vivid characters, her use of language made the book a joy. In addition to these qualities, Ms. Zevin shows a deep understanding of the human heart, its strength and its foibles. Loved loved loved it." - mceacd

"This is the best-written book I’ve read in a long while. The character development and backstories are given us a piece at a time, as you get to know a person in real life. The narrative also has nuance from the game mirroring and complex Shakespearean and mythological references. ... It’s a novel of friendship and love and the various ways they can develop and play out in one’s life. I’d recommend this novel to anyone who likes good writing and well-developed characters." - Galatea

"I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be recommending it to my book club. I liked her previous book, so completely different. I am looking forward to what the author will publish next." - LS

From the New York Times bestselling authors of The First Conspiracy and The Lincoln Conspiracy comes the little-known true story of a Nazi plot to kill FDR, Joseph Stalin, and Winston Churchill at the height of World War II.

"I love Brad Meltzer's work. He makes history exciting and thrilling - which it is. Lots of history books seem to work hard to make the past as boring as possible. Taught well, history class in grammar, middle, high school and college should be riveting and informative...in my view, being knowledgeable about how our country and our world became how it is today is critical for our survival." - shirleyl

"Exceptional... It is revealing of the Nazi logic with enough depth to elicit horror and sorrow without being overly explicit. The people involved on all sides are made three-dimensional and real - some so real that it is impossible to believe that any humans could be so cold and calculating when it came to determining the fate of others." - katherinep

"World War II is complex and fascinating in so many ways. Trying to make sense of the history is difficult. Meltzer and Mensch add still another layer to that complexity. It is said that politics makes strange bedfellows. Stalin and Hitler were more alike than different, yet Roosevelt and Churchill became allies with Stalin. A conspiracy to eliminate all three leaders seems very real. I keep trying to peel the onion, and the authors offer still another perspective on those times." - lynne z

You're in a book group and it's your turn to lead the discussion. You've found the perfect book, but there's no reading guide for it. What to do? Why, create your own, of course! With some all-purpose book club discussion topics like these below, you can turn out a top-notch discussion guide that will be an awesome fit for your book group.

Simply pick one to three topics from most of the categories for a well-rounded discussion. ... continued

Giovanna Fiorino-Iannace joins us from Harrison Public Library in New York to discuss her English as a Second Language book club that attracts participants from far and wide.

The ESL Book Club (English as a Second Language) started in January 2018 to meet the needs of the community. There's great interest in our English classes in Westchester County, but very few ESL Book Clubs currently in place. Over the years, we’ve had people join the group from many countries, including Japan, Korea, Finland, France, Germany, Spain, Brazil, Taiwan, Ecuador, Mexico, and Afghanistan. ... continued

Discussions are open to all, so please join us! If you would like to receive a message when a particular discussion opens, you can sign up for a one-time notification. You can also find inspiration for your book club among our more than 200 past 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.