Happy Tuesday, Teacups! And boy, have I got something awesome for you this morning!

You know I’m all about reading, and while I enjoy curling up with a good book and just relaxing by myself, I’ve missed the kinds of discussions from my undergrad days, the ones that stemmed from many people reading the same book and talking about their experiences with a particular story.

I’ve been toying around with the idea of a blogger book club for some time now, and with summer in full-swing, I couldn’t think of a better time to kick off a chill, commitment-free book club (though it helps that you read the book in order to talk about it, you’re not obligated to join in if book clubs aren’t your thing or a particular book doesn’t interest you) that has one rule: love reading!

 It’s no Book-It (though, perhaps maybe we’ll get buttons and stickers one day!), but I’d like to invite you to join NovelTea – a book club for readers of My Life as a Teacup, lovers of good stories, and fans of literary fiction, YA fiction, sci-fi/fantasy, and the occasional classic novel!

Here’s how NovelTea will work:
  • On the last Tuesday of every month I’ll post the book club selection for the upcoming month. For instance, today just so happens to be the last Tuesday in June (coincidence? I think not!). The book NovelTea will read in July is posted below. This gives you some time to decide if you’re interested in participating for that month, and if so, to get your hands on a copy of the book.
  • Over the course of a month (in this case, the entire month of July), we’ll read the selected novel. But that’s not all – you’ll have plenty of opportunities to join in the discussion as we read the book together. I’ll be posting my thoughts on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook – you name it! – with the #NovelTeaBookClub hashtag. Don’t forget to join the NovelTea Facebook group, where we’ll be discussing everything about the novel (down to what type of tea we’d pair with it!)
  • On the last Tuesday of that month (the last Tuesday in July, for instance), I’ll post my own recap here on the blog along with a link up for you to share your own post about the book. And don’t forget – I’ll be posting the selection for the coming month’s book club in this post as well!

You might’ve seen this Instagram picture I posted last Thursday. Deciding which book to read first hasn’t been easy, but thanks to your input and suggestions, July’s book selection for NovelTea is…

Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan

 

The books that didn’t make the cut this time, such as My Name is Memory and Love Letters to the Dead, may rear their heads again in the not-too-distant future, as will a poll to allow you to really get involved with NovelTea, but after hearing such great things from book lovers and readers of My Life as a Teacup, Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore seemed like a novel many of you were excited to read! And besides, kicking off a book club with a novel about a magical bookstore seemed like a message from the cosmos.

What’s the next step?

  • Grab a copy of Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore. You can purchase the book here (this is an Amazon affiliate link, meaning I will receive a kickback if you purchase through this link, though the funds go right back into My Life as a Teacup to keep things running smoothly!), though you can certainly pick up a copy from your local bookstore, or check it out at your library!
  • Start reading!
  • Join the NovelTea Book Club group on Facebook to share your thoughts on the novel, or follow along on social media with the #NovelTeaBookClub tag.
This project is something completely new to me, at least in a digital setting, and I welcome your input throughout the process! If there’s something you’d like to see happen in the book club, or something that just isn’t working, please don’t hesitate to bring it to my attention. I’m looking forward to the many great things NovelTea can become (Google Hangouts, I’m looking at you!) and I’d love your help in making that magic happen!