The Next Best Book Club Novels & Stories

The book club ladies were in fine form this afternoon. Margaret Thompson sat primly on the floral couch in a rented out space close to the library, a half-empty teacup balanced on her knee, her Bible study notes open on the coffee table. The conversation had started with the latest Christian fiction novel — something about redemption and resisting temptation — but it had drifted, as it always did, into more personal territory. Gossip dressed up as prayer requests. “Speaking of temptation,” one of the women said, lowering her voice with dramatic concern, “have you heard what’s going around about that poor Thompson boy?”

“This club isn’t just about reading books. It’s about sharing ideas, writing your own stories, and exploring literature in all its forms. We organize poetry slams, writing workshops, book discussions, and even field trips” I found myself intrigued despite my initial nervousness. The way Nathan spoke about the club made it sound exciting and welcoming. Rachel took over. “We know some of you might feel shy or nervous, especially if you’re new. Don’t worry. By the end of this semester, we’ll all be like a family”. Hearing that, I relaxed a little, a soft smile forming on my lips. Maybe this wouldn’t be as intimidating as I thought. Nathan clapped his hands. “Alright! We’ll start with a quick in

To Be Continued… Find the next instalment of this series with book two Sad Girl Next Door.

And last call, time to pack up and go. This time of the day was both of our favorites. A great book club, with great conversations, growth that is hard to anticipate, and to end the day a nice walk in the park. Sometimes followed with conversation, not too deep or too light, and the most important thing is being together. Words didn’t matter all that much, like our company. Our choice to start the walk was a nearby garden with different flowers, insects galore, and, if lucky, the occasional squirrel, bunny, or bat.

“Before you decide to give up on the story, you should read the next two books in the series.” “Where did you get those from?” Jo asked quietly as she looked at the small stack of books. “Probably the same place that you got that one. Little library up on the second floor.” “Yeah.” She admitted and gave a little blush. “That’s my library.” “I thought that it might be Shelby’s book.” “Nope. Shell is a card-carrying member of the audiobook and podcast book club. I’m pretty sure that if she had to actually read something not for school, she’d probably burst into flames.”

Among the people I loved, what more could I wish for? Alessia delivered a hurried speech with Claudine at her side. Her restless movements and hopeful gaze conveyed her excitement, seeking a reflection of her emotions on my face. My lips twitched, sending her little heart at peace. Beside me, Sarah held my hand, squeezing for comfort. For the second time, I saw her fighting tears and losing. "...Let this book club be a source of inspiration, fostering new friendships and providing a space where the love for literature transcends age." Observing the building ahead, a crowd gathered on the terrace, their attention shifting between Alessia and the scissors in my hand. Anticipation filled their

Being alone with a good book and alcohol or caffeine is the best feeling in the world, probably better than sex. The next day, I walked into Monet's and met a group of ladies who were fine as hell. I was relieved to see that there were no men here. At least if there was going to be a man, he should be gay, and we all agreed to that. We were six: Cindy Bellman, Aisha Mohammed, Drew Finch, Jessica Boston, Lexi Hale, and me. We were just six beautiful ladies who loved to talk about our favourite books and rant about how J. K. Rowling is a bitch for her transphobic tweets. Sometimes we'd just go out to have some fun. We weren't just a book club; we were a sisterhood.

“Markle and Tanya.” “What?!” Rachel laughed. “Goody two shoes Markle and Tanya?” “The one and only.” “They were even worse than me as kids. Is the club any good or are we going to sing hymns all night?” “I will let you decide,” Mabel answered with a mysterious smile. “If we are going there we should probably start getting ready because believe it or not The Night’s bar – that’s what they call it – is actually the hottest place to be right now.”

Beneath were flawless downward-turned lips she knew Sean satisfyingly feasted on now and then. A grim stare in her direction had Gianna turning her face in embarrassment. He caught her staring. Should she call it a miracle that Sean hadn't looked her way all day or gotten two meters close to her? Was it due to the effect of the slap or simply a bite of guilt? Whatever it was, she hoped it lasted a while longer. "We have a book club going on, I believe you must have heard about it." Gianna began. "The book donation thingy?" "Yeah, we campaign for you to join us. If you're interested that is," she offered. "New ideas for improvements are welcome at any time." She added, for effect.

"You stop reading because it feels like work instead of escape." "Exactly," I said, relieved that he got it without me having to explain. "I keep rereading the same pages and realizing I don't remember anything I just read." He smiled. "That's why book club helps. Other people keep you accountable. I’m part of a book club actually that started out in January. It’s just a dozen people, and we read different genres every week. But it’s so nice, and it helps to keep me accountable because without it, I won’t even read anything."