I don't think I've ever been part of a book club, at least not one like I seem to imagine. You know, people in artsy, flowing clothes taking cucumber sandwiches (sans crusts) from a silver tray, laughing winningly, and drinking fancy drinks garnished with mint leaves (bruised by a pestle). Lighthouse instructor Eleanor Brown's bestselling debut novel, The Weird Sisters, is no stranger to either the book club or the bookish loner--let's just say, in clubs or not, this book has been read by tons of people. Later this month she'll be teaching a four-week course on great book club reads, so I thought--what better time to interrogate her and learn more about book clubs?
Q. Your book has been called everything from Women’s Fiction, to Mainstream, to Literary Fiction, to Book Club Fiction. What does that even mean?
I think it means we love to put things in boxes! (Metaphorically. Though I enjoy a nice afternoon at U-Haul as much as the next gal.) Genre labeling (either explicit, as in bookstore shelving, or implicit, as with book cover design) can be useful insofar as it helps us find books we might be likely to enjoy based on what we’ve liked in the past. But it can also be a frustrating limitation. If my book is labeled as literary fiction, it will draw and alienate different readers than if it’s called women’s fiction.
My editor calls her imprint “the sweet spot between literary and commercial” which fits The Weird Sisters well, and applies to a lot of book club favorites. But when people ask me, I just say my novel is a family story.
Q. What’s your idea of a great “Book Club” book?
Book clubs read all different kinds of books, so to me there’s only one vital quality: a great book club book has to invite good discussion. That means topics that can be debated, characters who do things worth arguing about, and stories that inspire members to share their experiences and their thoughts.
Q. Can you give us a glimpse of what you have in store for your class, “Writing the Perfect Book Club Book”?
My aim is to combine the feel of a book club (alas, without the wine – it is a morning class) with the productivity of a workshop. We’ll spend the first session discussing successful book club books, focusing on contemporary fiction and memoir, and figure out what makes them tick.
Then we’ll spend a session each on character, plot, and theme, looking in more detail at what might make each of those worthy of discussion, and do exercises to crack open our own projects and elevate them to book club level.
I’ve got some exciting plans for topics to explore, but like a good book club meeting, our conversation will affect where we end up.
If you want to be part of Eleanor's Book Club course or her Social Media for Writers workshop, sign up online or by calling (303) 297-1185. Oh, and if you know how to make excellent cucumber sandwiches (or scones, or nachos), maybe it's time we all started our own Lighthouse book club?
