Book Club Archives - Joyana Peters

Joining a Book Club

Have you hit a reading slump? Do you need to shake things up a bit? Check out the benefits of joining a book club!

Book Club. The excuse for women to get together, drink wine, and take a night off from life while discussing some great literature. I’ve participated in a number of book clubs over the years and they’ve forged some of my greatest connections and conversations. It’s amazing how fast you can forge a friendship over a shared love of reading! They’ve also been my way to break the ice and find my “peeps” in new chapters of my life- moving to a new place, starting my children at a new school etc. Joining a book club can have many benefits.

If anyone follows my blog or Goodreads profile you know I’m an avid reader. And I read a variety of genres and authors. But the thing I love about Book Club is it forces me out of my comfort zone.

One of my current book clubs has what we call the “magic bag”. On the first day we got together we all tossed suggestions into the bag. Each month we choose something from the bag and that’s the book we read. Since we all come from a variety of tastes and backgrounds, we’ve read quite the gamut of books. Things I wouldn’t necessarily have chosen myself and yet enjoyed immensely.

I think it’s important to spin the wheel sometimes in our reading choices. Whether it’s by joining a book club or entering a reading challenge that’s accompanied by new book/genre choices (like a reading bingo or master list of categories, I’ve added a few for inspiration below), it’s great to shake things up. How else can we avoid those-“nothing’s grabbing me” reading moments?

What are some of your favorite ways to shake things up when you fall into a reading slump? Leave a comment below to share!

Some great Reading Challenges to try-

https://www.girlxoxo.com/the-2022-master-list-of-reading-challenges/

https://www.beyondthebookends.com/2022-adult-summer-reading-challenge-bingo-is-back/

Looking for some other inspiration? Check out Joyana’s Book List page here!

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What Are the Best Book Club Books From 2022?

Best Book Club Books 2022!

Are you looking for some great reads? What about some of the best book club books 2022? I’m aware, I’m a little off on my timing- forgive me, the year, as usual, is going faster than I plan. But, one of my resolutions this year was to give quarterly checkpoints of some of my favorite books of the year thus far. So, better late than never right? Here you go- my favorite books from 2022 thus far!

Beautiful Little Fools by Jillian Cantor

Calling all Gatsby fans! If you ever wondered more about the women in the famous tale- this is the book for you! Cantor does an amazing job telling The Great Gatsby from the POV of Daisy, Jordan and Catherine. She also adds in some mystery about who really killed Gatsby at the end of the story.

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Woman on Fire by Lisa Barr

This historical fiction thriller follows an art thief and journalist in their cat and mouse game. “Woman on Fire” was the last famous painting created by Jewish artist, Ernst Engel, before he was taken by the Nazis. This books demonstrates how far people will go for art and questions the ambiguity that comes with determining ownership of paintings. Especially, those looted during the Holocaust. This is a sit on the edge of your seat Must Read!

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I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

Romania 1989. Communist regimes are crumbling across Europe, but for seventeen-year-old, Cristian, being a good citizen and obeying the regime is all he’s ever known.

This chilling tale puts you into the heart of the danger this family and teen experience every day. Who can you trust? And just how much are you willing to sacrifice before you stand up and say enough?

This was a thrilling read I could not put down. I was not familiar with Romanian history and although I’d read about Communist Russia- this close account truly made me feel the oppressive reality of the situation. I learned a lot while being entertained. Always a plus for me! 🙂

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The School for Good Mothers

Not historical fiction, but just a REALLY good book!! I predict this will be one of the top talked about books of the year!

For starters, it’s meant to be dystopian, yet it hits WAY close to home!

What is considered an unforgivable offense in parenting? Looking at your phone when your child falls at the playground? Leaving your child in the car alone for five minutes to run into the store when it’s raining?

Where is the line and who should determine it? And even more importantly– what should the punishment be?

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