Love this idea! I have a shelf full of my favorite books. I don't think I've ever thought to write about why those books are on that shelf. Seems like a worthy project.
This is what I love about Substack! Everybody's great ideas, all together in one place. I'm in learning mode and this is just what I was looking for. Thanks!
I don’t run a club BUT I write about books in translation from around the world. I think what I find weekly has to be shared with my fellow humans who love to know about other cultures and other times. More at http://kalpanamohan.substack.com Last week it was a German book from the time of Hitler. The week prior was a collection of Tamil stories. Prior to that was a Spanish Xavier Marias work. Assamese. Catalonian. Telugu. Vietnamese. Marathi. I’m having fun.
Wow! Kalpana - I am amazed by the range of your reading, the depth of your discussion (including author biographies, information about translators, some national/cultural history when needed), and the wit of your prose. AND then come your beautiful travel photos, when relevant. Good grief! I also write about books, so I know how much you provide to your readers on a weekly basis.
***All book fans: Be sure to check out Kalpana's Letters from Everywhere! ***
Here is a recent sample with biography, history, and description of a book :
Thank you so much, Tara!!!! I appreciate your words so much. Yes, it has been a lot of work and I’m doing it for the love, while building the first draft of my third book. I do hope I’ll be able to sustain it. 😬
Love this concept, just subscribed! I write a newsletter highlighting works by creators from across the Asian diaspora -- let me know if you'd be interested in collaborating :)
Kalpana - If you read anything that strikes you as wondrous and enchanting, would you Restack it in a Note and tag me @ Tara Penry? I keep a monthly digest of enchanting Substack reads. You are casting a wide net and bound to see some. Thanks!
When I rolled out paid subscriptions last year, a book club felt like the perfect thing to offer! My Book Club for Writers discusses books about the craft of writing. We're having our third meeting on July 30. It's been a blast!
This is wonderful, thank you for highlighting these Substacks - I look forward to reading more about them. I keep toying with the idea of launching a monthly discussion thread a la the salons of the Bloomsbury Group writers and artists - to discuss the previous month’s biographies. Much to think about. Thank you again!
As a fellow dystopian lover, I’d say the two are inextricably inter-twined ;) Elle's reading list is well worth checking out. (Current read: Brave New World. You?)
The last one I read was Margaret Atwood “the heart goes last “ Pretty interesting read! Unfortunately, I’m not reading anything dystopian currently although I did just start reading “their eyes were watching god” definitely not a dystopian novel. But interesting book and I had never read it before. 😀
There was also another one I read a few years ago, that I really enjoyed I forget the authors name, but he’s Japanese, and it was about young people being cloned, and their body parts used for wealthy humans. It was really well done.
I’ve started my substack page in hopes to start a cookbook club! I try recipes from a different cookbook each month. I hope to one day have group discussions with my readers as they cook along with me.
Thanks for including the Peak Notions book club! I’m figuring it out along with subscribers every month, but most liked the idea of a book club that doesn’t commit you to ever book or session. People sign up only when they’re interested in the book, and my hope is that this ensures a small group of enthusiastic attendees and a good conversation every time!
I run a Zoom book club that reads classic works of literature by dead authors -- Dickens, Baldwin, Woolf, Vonnegut, Didion -- and I also read biographies of those writers so that during book club meetings I can tell stories about their lives and how they created their masterpieces. People all over the world, ages 18-80, participate, including lots of writers, musicians, filmmakers, etc., plus normal folks too.
We record the Zoom meetings, and then I drag those recordings into iMovie, edit them down to the funniest and most insightful comments, and post those videos to Substack for my paid subscribers.
I also run something called the Silent Reading Party (which I invented in 2009) where a live musician plays piano for two hours in the lobby of a 100-year-old hotel in Seattle (Hotel Sorrento). Music designed to be read to. For people to tune out digital distractions and get some reading done with a community of others who are doing the same thing.
During the pandemic, we started a virtual version of the reading party -- a live broadcast on Zoom of the live music. Paid subscribers to my substack get those reading party Zoom links free every first and third Wednesday of the month. Unlike the book clubs, there is no talking at the reading party.
I have a book recommendation newsletter! I focus on non-bestsellers that may have flown under the radar for people looking to branch out of the popular reads they have already read!
A substack world I'd happily get lost in. Thank you for the list, it's beautifully curated, each book club uniquely described. This whole situation is what I'm here for. Thank you!
I run a community not-quite-book-substack called The Books That Made Us.
Every post is written by a different guest writer on a foundational book. A book they feel made them who they are today.
More details here:
https://booksthatmadeus.substack.com
This looks wonderful!
Thanks, Emily. Would absolutely love to feature a post from yourself at some point, if you can spare the time!
Also, am sad I hadn’t discovered your book club when I was still living in London, would have loved to join the walks!
Ah wow, I'd love to, thanks! And hopefully you'll be passing through London at some point in the future ....
Let's be in touch!
Love that you got featured here, Emily!
Such an inspired idea for a Substack ✨💫
Can’t wait to read it!
Supposed to read ‘not-quite-a-book-club Substack’🤦🏼♂️
I love this. 👏👏
Love this idea! I have a shelf full of my favorite books. I don't think I've ever thought to write about why those books are on that shelf. Seems like a worthy project.
This is awesome! I just read some old posts and subscribed. Would love to write something like this - I already know the PERFECT book haha
Please send in a pitch!
This is what I love about Substack! Everybody's great ideas, all together in one place. I'm in learning mode and this is just what I was looking for. Thanks!
Agreed! A book club would integrate beautifully with my newsletter, but it hadn't occurred to me until I saw this post.
I don’t run a club BUT I write about books in translation from around the world. I think what I find weekly has to be shared with my fellow humans who love to know about other cultures and other times. More at http://kalpanamohan.substack.com Last week it was a German book from the time of Hitler. The week prior was a collection of Tamil stories. Prior to that was a Spanish Xavier Marias work. Assamese. Catalonian. Telugu. Vietnamese. Marathi. I’m having fun.
Wow! Kalpana - I am amazed by the range of your reading, the depth of your discussion (including author biographies, information about translators, some national/cultural history when needed), and the wit of your prose. AND then come your beautiful travel photos, when relevant. Good grief! I also write about books, so I know how much you provide to your readers on a weekly basis.
***All book fans: Be sure to check out Kalpana's Letters from Everywhere! ***
Here is a recent sample with biography, history, and description of a book :
https://kalpanamohan.substack.com/p/a-german-war-classic-from-singapore
Subscribed.
Thank you so much, Tara!!!! I appreciate your words so much. Yes, it has been a lot of work and I’m doing it for the love, while building the first draft of my third book. I do hope I’ll be able to sustain it. 😬
Wow. What is your 3rd book going to be about, Kalpana?
Love this concept, just subscribed! I write a newsletter highlighting works by creators from across the Asian diaspora -- let me know if you'd be interested in collaborating :)
Sure, sounds wonderful. When I finish my work day I’ll go and read what you’re doing!
Kalpana - If you read anything that strikes you as wondrous and enchanting, would you Restack it in a Note and tag me @ Tara Penry? I keep a monthly digest of enchanting Substack reads. You are casting a wide net and bound to see some. Thanks!
Like
Sure I will!!!!
I tagged you on two posts about books I found very moving.
Reading them . . . thank you!
Yay! Thank you! 😄
Wow 🤩
When I rolled out paid subscriptions last year, a book club felt like the perfect thing to offer! My Book Club for Writers discusses books about the craft of writing. We're having our third meeting on July 30. It's been a blast!
Like
That's awesome! Feel free to leave your own tips on running a book club for other writers here.
Like
🙌🙌🙌
This is wonderful, thank you for highlighting these Substacks - I look forward to reading more about them. I keep toying with the idea of launching a monthly discussion thread a la the salons of the Bloomsbury Group writers and artists - to discuss the previous month’s biographies. Much to think about. Thank you again!
I would definitely enjoy that, Victoria
Thank you. Maybe I need to stop just thinking...
Yeah!!
Love the salon idea Victoria!
Thank you Hannah :)
I’m more of a dystopian novel reader, but I suppose I can check out the utopian novel list from Griffin. ☺️
Fictionistas, the Lunar Awards, and Erica Drayton’s “The List” are two places to find more fiction writers. Someone is surely writing dystopias. :-)
Don’t forget about The Library! https://thelinklibrary.substack.com
Right!
Oops - three places!
As a fellow dystopian lover, I’d say the two are inextricably inter-twined ;) Elle's reading list is well worth checking out. (Current read: Brave New World. You?)
The last one I read was Margaret Atwood “the heart goes last “ Pretty interesting read! Unfortunately, I’m not reading anything dystopian currently although I did just start reading “their eyes were watching god” definitely not a dystopian novel. But interesting book and I had never read it before. 😀
Ditto. Favourite dystopian novel?
This is a great one: “We” by Russian writer Yevgeny Zamyatin
Good shout. I only read that recently actually, but it was impressive.
There was also another one I read a few years ago, that I really enjoyed I forget the authors name, but he’s Japanese, and it was about young people being cloned, and their body parts used for wealthy humans. It was really well done.
Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go?
If you have any suggestions for any titles, and I will see if I’ve read them yet if not, I will buy them and add it to my library
Yuppers
Thank you for this! I’ve long thought about both joining and running a book club. Lots of great ideas here.
This is pretty cool, and a unique idea. I hadn't even considered this as a possible "substack world" but I'm glad I know about it. Fun stuff.
I’ve started my substack page in hopes to start a cookbook club! I try recipes from a different cookbook each month. I hope to one day have group discussions with my readers as they cook along with me.
Such a good idea!! Cookbooks are my latest obsession.
This sounds rad!
Love this idea!
Wonderful ideas 💡
This is amazing this is why I love you Substack!
I plan on starting one of these down the road with a focus on subversive fiction.
Thanks for including the Peak Notions book club! I’m figuring it out along with subscribers every month, but most liked the idea of a book club that doesn’t commit you to ever book or session. People sign up only when they’re interested in the book, and my hope is that this ensures a small group of enthusiastic attendees and a good conversation every time!
I love how flexible that idea is, and how it allows a more permeable attendee group, while keeps the engagement and conversation quality high.
👍👍
I love this thread!
I run a Zoom book club that reads classic works of literature by dead authors -- Dickens, Baldwin, Woolf, Vonnegut, Didion -- and I also read biographies of those writers so that during book club meetings I can tell stories about their lives and how they created their masterpieces. People all over the world, ages 18-80, participate, including lots of writers, musicians, filmmakers, etc., plus normal folks too.
We record the Zoom meetings, and then I drag those recordings into iMovie, edit them down to the funniest and most insightful comments, and post those videos to Substack for my paid subscribers.
I also run something called the Silent Reading Party (which I invented in 2009) where a live musician plays piano for two hours in the lobby of a 100-year-old hotel in Seattle (Hotel Sorrento). Music designed to be read to. For people to tune out digital distractions and get some reading done with a community of others who are doing the same thing.
During the pandemic, we started a virtual version of the reading party -- a live broadcast on Zoom of the live music. Paid subscribers to my substack get those reading party Zoom links free every first and third Wednesday of the month. Unlike the book clubs, there is no talking at the reading party.
More info on the reading party: silentreadingparty.com
Upcoming book clubs: FrizzLit.com/bookclubs
Deals and discounts on all of the above available for my free subscribers here ✨
Your ideas are really interesting. How long does it take to edit those Zoom recordings?
Quite a long time. Several days.
Sounds pretty cool. Long love reading!
Hear, hear!
Thank you!
Thanks for including Readable Moments Book Club in this amazing list! ❤️
I have a book recommendation newsletter! I focus on non-bestsellers that may have flown under the radar for people looking to branch out of the popular reads they have already read!
https://readingundertheradar.substack.com
I love your newsletter!
Eee thank you so much!
Love this 🙏
This is awesome! Just read through and subscribed.
A substack world I'd happily get lost in. Thank you for the list, it's beautifully curated, each book club uniquely described. This whole situation is what I'm here for. Thank you!
Woot woot