Friends, we’re starting a book club.
I’ve always liked the idea of book club in theory but not so much in practice. Mostly because I really only have time to read what I actually want to read. Ya dig. Selfish? Maybe. But it birthed this idea of a virtual book club open to every District Sparkle reader. I like you. I like books. And now seems like as good a time as any to kick this off.
Each month a new book will be introduced. We’ll have 30ish days to read it and we’ll discuss it on the first Monday of each month. Readers will be able to suggest books for the following month and discussions will take place amongst the group. For now, I’m planning to host this DS Book Club on the blog – within a post and the comments – but we could potentially migrate to an Instagram/Instagram Live situation. Trial by fire, friends.
We’ll kick this off with a book that’s been on my list for awhile: Then She Was Gone.
“Ellie Mack was the perfect daughter. She was fifteen, the youngest of three. She was beloved by her parents, friends, and teachers. She and her boyfriend made a teenaged golden couple. She was days away from an idyllic post-exams summer vacation, with her whole life ahead of her.
And then she was gone.
Now, her mother Laurel Mack is trying to put her life back together. It’s been ten years since her daughter disappeared, seven years since her marriage ended, and only months since the last clue in Ellie’s case was unearthed. So when she meets an unexpectedly charming man in a café, no one is more surprised than Laurel at how quickly their flirtation develops into something deeper. Before she knows it, she’s meeting Floyd’s daughters—and his youngest, Poppy, takes Laurel’s breath away.
Because looking at Poppy is like looking at Ellie. And now, the unanswered questions she’s tried so hard to put to rest begin to haunt Laurel anew. Where did Ellie go? Did she really run away from home, as the police have long suspected, or was there a more sinister reason for her disappearance? Who is Floyd, really? And why does his daughter remind Laurel so viscerally of her own missing girl?”
My post on Then She Was Gone will go live on the first Monday in April (April 6) and begin discussions! It’ll be a tighter turnaround time than most other months but I’m hoping it kickstarts a healthy habit during this time of social distancing.
Already read the book but want to join in the discussion? The more the merrier! Just wait until the end of the month and join in the chat!
Want to read ahead? April’s Book Club book is Where The Crawdad’s Sing.
Who’s excited!? If you have book recommendations for the coming months, please leave them in the comments section. Additionally, if you have an idea about how to better facilitate a virtual book club, let me know!
Catch my 2020 reading list here.
