Book Club Girl

UPDATED NEW TIME! Talk Live to Target's Book Club Author Juliette Fay about Her Novel Shelter Me

The time of this week's talk with Juliette Fay has changed, it is now TOMORROW, FEBRUARY 3RD AT 12 PM EST. Tune in here.

For those of you who picked up Target's current book club pick Shelter Me, first discussed here, you'll be pleased to know that you can have the opportunity to talk live with author Juliette Fay about her novel next Wednesday, February 4th at 12 pm EST on Book Club Girl on Air! Set your reminder for the show here. And check out the reading guide and other background on the book on Target's site here.

Target's New Book Club Pick is Shelter Me

Target's new book club pick went on sale in all their stores this week and it's the debut novel Shelter Me by Juliette Fay. In this compelling novel, a newly widowed mother struggles to care for her two young children as she battles the grief that threatens to undo her. Bestselling author Marisa de los Santos called Shelter Me: "A gorgeous paradox of a book: a deep, thoughtful exploration of a young mother's first year of widowhood that is as much a page-turner as any thriller." You can read a full description of the book here, an excerpt here and check out the reading group guide here. Learn more about author Juliette Fay here. I can't wait to dive into this one.

Target's New Book Club Pick is the Classic A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

"The world was hers for the reading."

Target's new book club pick is Betty Smith's classic coming-of-age novel A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. This marks the first time that Target has chosen a classic for their book club--where their focus has been primarily on contemporary literature. It's exciting that they've chosen such a timeless work, one that will be re-introduced to many who read it growing up, and newly introduced to their many shoppers. Read an excerpt here, and here is the reading group guide.

The Next Book Club Books?

We hit Target today as part of our holiday weekend--the girls had gift cards from Christmas burning holes in their pockets and I needed another one of those so-heavy-you-can-barely-lift-it bottles of detergent.  I managed to spend a fair amount of time in the book area which is always so great. While Target obviously doesn't stock a ton of books, the ones they do are very well chosen, especially in the trade paperback area. I always come upon books I haven't heard of, which is one of the true pleasures of browsing any book store. And they have the big new releases as well, and a nice kids section. To that end, my purchases--and perhaps book club picks on down the line--were:
The Friday Night Knitting Club -- because I love to knit and the cover features gorgeous skeins of yarn
The Romance Readers' Book Club -- because of the quote from Mary Kay Andrews on the front and the one from Michael Lee West on the back -- I'm looking forward to a good southern read here (here's the reading guide)
The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller -- because I love her and any novel that can combine story with my current obsession of politics is the book for me (here's the reading guide)
And lastly: The Snowy Day, Ezra Jack Keats -- because I hope we have one soon and in the meantime I read it to my 22-month old tonight so he can at least begin to understand the concept of snow

New Target Book Club Pick Announced -- Summer People by Brian Groh

The new Target Book Club Pick has been announced and perhaps to help us prolong these summer days, it is Summer People by Brian Groh. This is a wonderful novel about a young man in his twenties, who is plunked down in an insular (to say the least) Maine summer town as caretaker to an elderly matriach of the community. Nathan finds himself face-to-face with long-standing traditions and social morays and meets a woman he's interested in, all while struggling with his charge's increasingly eccentric ways in this compelling novel.

Target provides great book club resources including a book overview, reviews, an author interview and letter, as well as a book club discussion guide on their site.

Target's Book Club Pick -- Veil of Roses

Target has been selling the heck out of trade paperback books, largely books that are great for book clubs, for some time. They announce a book club pick each season and the current one is Veil of Roses, by Laura Fitzgerald. In her novel, Fitzgerald tells the story of a young Iranian woman who leaves the confines of Iran for the freedom of America, where she begins to discover her own independence. On their Bookmarked site dedicated to their book club picks as well as to many more books and authors, Target offers some really nice book club resources to accompany your reading experience. Along with the standard reading guide and excerpt are club meeting ideas along with recipes and beverages to serve that are specific to the current book. Be sure to sign up for their newsletter to hear about new selections as they're announced.