Fall Book Preview, Book School, and highly discussable selections

Once upon a time, I didn’t have readers in my life who loved books as much as I did. I thought I was pretty weird, actually, because I didn’t know anyone who loved to read as much as I did.

I enjoyed the time I spent reading by myself, but I didn’t have people to talk about those books with. I longed for a community of avid readers—people who would be not only willing to discuss what they’re reading, and what they think about it, but eager to.

Since that time I’ve discovered that I’m not the only person who really loves to read. Far from it. And yet every day I hear from avid readers who are having trouble finding their book people.

If you love the sound of a community where you can talk books all day long, the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club is the place for you.

Our one-of-a-kind community is more than a book club, and it’s filled with people who love reading as much as you do. Reading together is a joy—and it’s also a means to a richer, more satisfying reading life. That’s because not only are we reading and discussing books every day, we’re also learning to read better, together.

What does that mean, exactly? We read books and discuss them together, often with their authors. With our monthly book selections, we have a structure to support our reading lives—yet we have a ton of flexibility to read what we want, when we want, knowing we’ll always have someone to discuss those books with.

We enjoy classes that help us build our reading skills, making us more insightful readers and better bookish conversationalists, as well as classes that support our reading lifestyle, like learning how to book journal or improve our #bookstagram game.

My team and I are bursting with bookish enthusiasm about our amazing fall lineup. Our carefully constructed plan will do great things for your reading life, and provide regular doses of readerly delight for your fall season.

Please note: you don’t have to participate in every single thing to get a lot out of your MMD Book Club experience! But everything here is included with your membership. Take a look at what we have in store …

We’re kicking things off with our Fall Book Preview

Last year’s first Fall Book Preview was such a hit with our community members we’re bringing it back—with a twist.

Fall is shaping up to be an amazing season for new books. Join us live on September 1 when I share 41 hot new fall books. (I know, it’s a weird number—I had 40 titles, realized I’d forgotten a favorite fall release, and couldn’t bear to cut one to make room!) I’ll feature a mix of titles I’ve read and loved, titles I can’t wait to read, and titles the book industry is abuzz about for the season to come.

New this year: for the first time we’re creating a Fall Book Preview magazine to accompany our online event. I can’t wait to put it in your hands on September 1!

Our Fall Book Preview event and companion magazine are exclusively for members of our MMD Book Club community and What Should I Read Next Patreon “Book Lover” supporters.

We’re going Back to Book School

Early last year in Book Club we went to Book School—that is, we jumped into an eight-week experience designed to build your bookish skills and give your reading life a boost.

This year we’re going back to Book School, with an accessibly nerdy (and excessively nerdy) curriculum designed to help you get more out of the books you read—and to have fun while you’re doing it. This special content is included with your regular Book Club membership.

Our theme this season is “Reading with a Literary Lens,” and we’re going to have all kinds of bookish fun. We start in September; I’ll share the full syllabus in the coming weeks.

Our Fall Book Club selections

This fall we’ve crafted our line-up around a common theme: the coming-of-age story. And we’ve woven it through our main selections, our flight picks, and our Book School content. As you’ll see, after a summer of new releases we’re leaning heavily into the backlist. There’s so much good stuff in store—I can’t wait to read with you this season!

All these picks are available in a special book box from one of my favorite indies, The Novel Neighbor. Click here for book box options.

September

Main Pick: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo
Flight Pick: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Acevedo’s stunning novel in verse tells the story of Xiomara Batista, a 15-year-old Dominican-American girl struggling mightily in nearly every area of her life—with her strict immigrant parents, twin brother, Catholic church, burgeoning sexuality. Poetry is the one thing that makes her feel at home and gives her strength to tackle her problems.

Xiomara lives in Harlem; we’re pairing her story with Betty Smith’s tale of another young girl in NYC facing resistance at every turn, a century prior.

And I am THRILLED that we will chat with Elizabeth Acevedo on September 29!

October

Main Pick: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
Flight Pick: Picnic at Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

In his unusual campus novel, Ishiguro slowly introduces the reader to three teens in a 1990s British boarding school. His prose says so much while revealing so little, as it slowly dawns on the reader what is not-quite-right about these children’s lives.

We’re pairing Ishiguro with another eerie campus novel: a short Australian classic in which three students and their teacher from the Appleyard College for Young Ladies set out on a hike during a class picnic and are never seen again.

November

Main Pick: Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
Flight Pick: The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

Jones beautifully writes about the link between two African-American half-sisters, one legitimate and one secret, only one of whom knows the other exists—until the secret of their father’s unlawful second marriage starts to force its way into the open.

We’re leaning into the secrets theme with the newest book in our fall line-up, Brit Bennett’s June 2020 release fueled by themes of family, race, identity, and belonging—and the secrets that threaten to destroy life as they know it.

Tayari Jones (!!!) is joining us to discuss Silver Sparrow on November 18.

Invest in your reading life this fall

Our fall content will help you get more out of your reading life—and we’ll have so much fun in the process! Members keep telling us that right now Book Club is their island of delight in a difficult time. Click here to get started.

I can’t wait to read with you this fall!