I love joining book club meetings to discuss my book Broken Chair, because when members have read the book, they ask great questions are so engaged with the characters in the story. I come home rejuvenated and ready to get back to work. I’m doing a Can Lit group of about 60 members (I expect about 40 at the dinner and meeting). They are passionate about supporting local authors when possible. Denyse Mouck, Belleville On.
So the question is, how does an emerging writer get invited to book clubs? I’ve presented to two book clubs here in Ottawa but in both cases the host knew me personally and proposed my book to the club. It’s obvious that a known book will be selected and read by book clubs, and the confident club can reach out and invite the author, but that is self reinforcing. Maybe there should be a book club registry where budding authors can go and propose themselves.
Mar 21, 2023·edited Mar 21, 2023Liked by Terry Fallis
I appreciate you visiting all my book clubs Terry,
at Taylor, Leaside, and Victoria Village. You were one of my first author visits that I hosted in my library career. You inspired me into searching for more opportunities to host. I have officially read all your books, and I hope to read many more.
Your humour, knowledge, and thoughtful plots and storylines, food for thought phrases, are a perfect combination for those looking for books that are ' light but with substance,' or ' not boring Canadian' ( sorry, their words, not mine, I LOVE Canadian) ' a book that everyone can read.' I have heard it all in my career! And I more often than not refer them to Terry Fallis.
Having said the above Canadian novels have picked up in steam in public libraries, and book stores. Sticking Canadian stickers is no longer the 'kiss of death' for them as they used to be. Now a Canadian sticker is a reason to pick up the book to take a second look at it.
Your book club sounds perfect! I belonged to one once and it was - not so perfect. Some members trying to impress others with how "literary" (?) they were. Noses turned up at genre fiction. Everything had to be "important". If it wasn't on a list, it didn't rate. I read for all sorts of reasons - mostly for fun - and feeling like I'm in a graduate school seminar wasn't all that fun. I didn't stay long!
Oh, I am envious! While reading has been a central part of my life, I've never been in a book club. I tried a couple of times--to join one, they had too many members, and to start one, the lovely ladies talked about everything but the book (The Da Vinci Code, a winner for sure). An an author I've been a guest at quite a few and you're right. They are great. The members come up with so many interesting questions. I love when someone gives me a new way to think about something!
So great to hear about your book club, Terry, and thanks for sharing the wonderful photos!
My Grade 5 teacher had a fantastic way of teaching literature to 10-year-olds: she divided the class evenly, and gave each group a novel to read. Then we would meet once a week, chairs drawn into a circle, to discuss our book. There were question sheets to help prompt conversation, and a few worksheets about figures of speech and sentence structure to help us learn about writing. This was way before grownups were hosting wine and book clubs in their living rooms. It was the best, and only, book club I have ever belonged to. :) Pamela Kat Johnson, Montréal
Another excellent and very entertaining column. I don't know if this is appropriate Terry but in my second book that you kindly blurbed, I had a column called The Secret Societies of Denman. Here's the relevant book club excerpt..."Have you ever experienced a conversation with a self-confessed BOOK CLUB disciple who was panicking over their failure to research the latest mandatory obligation of membership? The torment and guilt are a heartbreaking exhibition to behold. The impression is that many of these Book Clubs (you notice they generally are generic in name...aka THE Book Club... so you have no idea where they are located or who else might be a member) are indefatigable in their fervour that members toe the line, to read that book, to tote that bale (apparently a specific requirement of certain rural, agriculturally oriented book and hay-baling clubs.)
In their defence, secret society Book Clubs may not be totally unwholesome entities. Many people function best if they feel they are distinctive, engaged in the noble and highly discriminating act of reading a taxing work, have innocuous yet comforting ‘special secret’ rituals such as determining which obscure novel or, God forbid, non-fiction opus, they will next coerce their supplicants to read and report back on in detail: all of the garish gratifications of a shared literary encounter. Additionally, Book Clubs seem to demand a mind-boggling allegiance and regular time commitment, all Protestant work ethic values much admired far and wide, particularly in the countryside, where many people smugly profess that they enjoy arising to the cock-a-doodle-do of a neighbour’s rasping, albeit rhapsodic, rooster.
Love the book clubs! I've been part of a few over the years. One was a book club of 7 women and me! That one was interesting as I'd been asked, initially, to come in as a guest to speak on the topic of introducing "spooky" to children? It was a fun session wherein the book club members had decided to read my full "Popchuck" series prior to my arrival. They all had children in the middle grades, and they thought they'd dip into the books their kids were reading.
I was then offered an invitation to join them as a member, afterward, and for many years, I enjoyed our gatherings.
I love joining book club meetings to discuss my book Broken Chair, because when members have read the book, they ask great questions are so engaged with the characters in the story. I come home rejuvenated and ready to get back to work. I’m doing a Can Lit group of about 60 members (I expect about 40 at the dinner and meeting). They are passionate about supporting local authors when possible. Denyse Mouck, Belleville On.
So the question is, how does an emerging writer get invited to book clubs? I’ve presented to two book clubs here in Ottawa but in both cases the host knew me personally and proposed my book to the club. It’s obvious that a known book will be selected and read by book clubs, and the confident club can reach out and invite the author, but that is self reinforcing. Maybe there should be a book club registry where budding authors can go and propose themselves.
I appreciate you visiting all my book clubs Terry,
at Taylor, Leaside, and Victoria Village. You were one of my first author visits that I hosted in my library career. You inspired me into searching for more opportunities to host. I have officially read all your books, and I hope to read many more.
Your humour, knowledge, and thoughtful plots and storylines, food for thought phrases, are a perfect combination for those looking for books that are ' light but with substance,' or ' not boring Canadian' ( sorry, their words, not mine, I LOVE Canadian) ' a book that everyone can read.' I have heard it all in my career! And I more often than not refer them to Terry Fallis.
Having said the above Canadian novels have picked up in steam in public libraries, and book stores. Sticking Canadian stickers is no longer the 'kiss of death' for them as they used to be. Now a Canadian sticker is a reason to pick up the book to take a second look at it.
Your book club sounds perfect! I belonged to one once and it was - not so perfect. Some members trying to impress others with how "literary" (?) they were. Noses turned up at genre fiction. Everything had to be "important". If it wasn't on a list, it didn't rate. I read for all sorts of reasons - mostly for fun - and feeling like I'm in a graduate school seminar wasn't all that fun. I didn't stay long!
Oh, I am envious! While reading has been a central part of my life, I've never been in a book club. I tried a couple of times--to join one, they had too many members, and to start one, the lovely ladies talked about everything but the book (The Da Vinci Code, a winner for sure). An an author I've been a guest at quite a few and you're right. They are great. The members come up with so many interesting questions. I love when someone gives me a new way to think about something!
So great to hear about your book club, Terry, and thanks for sharing the wonderful photos!
My Grade 5 teacher had a fantastic way of teaching literature to 10-year-olds: she divided the class evenly, and gave each group a novel to read. Then we would meet once a week, chairs drawn into a circle, to discuss our book. There were question sheets to help prompt conversation, and a few worksheets about figures of speech and sentence structure to help us learn about writing. This was way before grownups were hosting wine and book clubs in their living rooms. It was the best, and only, book club I have ever belonged to. :) Pamela Kat Johnson, Montréal
Another excellent and very entertaining column. I don't know if this is appropriate Terry but in my second book that you kindly blurbed, I had a column called The Secret Societies of Denman. Here's the relevant book club excerpt..."Have you ever experienced a conversation with a self-confessed BOOK CLUB disciple who was panicking over their failure to research the latest mandatory obligation of membership? The torment and guilt are a heartbreaking exhibition to behold. The impression is that many of these Book Clubs (you notice they generally are generic in name...aka THE Book Club... so you have no idea where they are located or who else might be a member) are indefatigable in their fervour that members toe the line, to read that book, to tote that bale (apparently a specific requirement of certain rural, agriculturally oriented book and hay-baling clubs.)
In their defence, secret society Book Clubs may not be totally unwholesome entities. Many people function best if they feel they are distinctive, engaged in the noble and highly discriminating act of reading a taxing work, have innocuous yet comforting ‘special secret’ rituals such as determining which obscure novel or, God forbid, non-fiction opus, they will next coerce their supplicants to read and report back on in detail: all of the garish gratifications of a shared literary encounter. Additionally, Book Clubs seem to demand a mind-boggling allegiance and regular time commitment, all Protestant work ethic values much admired far and wide, particularly in the countryside, where many people smugly profess that they enjoy arising to the cock-a-doodle-do of a neighbour’s rasping, albeit rhapsodic, rooster.
"
Thank you for visiting The Canadian Book Lovers Club, Terry! It was so enjoyable. Book Clubs bring joy!
Love the book clubs! I've been part of a few over the years. One was a book club of 7 women and me! That one was interesting as I'd been asked, initially, to come in as a guest to speak on the topic of introducing "spooky" to children? It was a fun session wherein the book club members had decided to read my full "Popchuck" series prior to my arrival. They all had children in the middle grades, and they thought they'd dip into the books their kids were reading.
I was then offered an invitation to join them as a member, afterward, and for many years, I enjoyed our gatherings.
Thanks again for the great posts, Terry.