Before I wrote Knightess, I had never been to a book club. I knew about them. I watched the movie Book Club where they read Fifty Shades of Grey. But joining one? Having someone else pick which book I was going to read that month? I just didn’t have the time. And boy was I missing out.

This past month I’ve gotten to hang out with three very different book clubs, and they all have been a blast for different reasons. It has made me realize just how many options are out there, and how many fun people there are. There is a group for everyone that loves to read I bet.

First there is “my” book club at the Orwigsburg Library, which I’ve stuck with since they first volunteered to read Knightess in 2022. There I was, an unknown author with a first novel that no one had ever heard of and I didn’t want to tell anyone about. They were brave enough to read it, but I wasn’t brave enough to own up to writing it just yet. I joined the club the month before they were scheduled to read Knightess. Then when my book’s turn came, I sat there pretending to be just a new member of the club and not the actual author. I was delighted to hear they approved. Not only that, but they were so invested in my story and characters that they discussed those things on a pretty deep level. I’ve made quite a few fans and friends in that group, and I keep going back because I never know what they’ll read next. They seem to hit all the genres (which if you follow me on Goodreads you know is totally how I roll), and they also have a lot of authors join in, just like they’ve had me do. That book club’s style is to go around in a circle and share your thoughts on the book, so everyone gets to talk. Discussion builds from there.

When I visited the Market Square Book Club last month when they read The Last Farm, it was a little different. More of an open conversation, of course with coffees in hand which was amazing. It was a great group of people.

Then this past Thursday I joined One More Chapter Bookstore’s Book Club, and wow, do they have style. They bring food aplenty, and I thought it was so cool that they try to tie the food into the book. For example, The Last Farm had a scene where they went out for chicken wings, so the club had chicken dip in addition to “farm favorites” like watermelon and wine from a local multi-generational farm. We had a great chat about the book, which was open conversation. I got to know the readers as they shared their own stories. Then the book club leader had a game! Apparently she changes the game to match the book, so for my book there was a version of The Price is Right where we had to guess farm values through Pennsylvania. As if that wasn’t enough, the bookstore has a little incentive baggie to get patrons to join in.

Inside is a raffle coupon, a coupon to trade the book back to the store, and a mini book that they then add into a Christmas ball with all the other books read this year. How fun is that? It’s given me a lot of ideas for when I head to my next book clubs.

Thank you again to One More Chapter for hosting me and reading my book! I had a blast with you all.

If you’re reading this and you aren’t yet a member of a book club, I hope you consider checking some out in your area. Bookshops and libraries are great places to find them, though you can always start your own with friends, too. I’d love to hear what cool things your book club does. Leave a message in the comments!