A few months ago, I started coordinating the virtual book club, The Unusual Historical Romance Book Club, founded by author Jackie Barbosa. Since then, I have learned a few things. Namely: although formats and themes may vary, historical fiction book clubs are surprisingly straight-forward. All you need are a to-do list, a few extra lists, and some time. With that said, let’s get started, shall we?
Stay Up to Date with New Releases
In order to choose books, you need to know what’s being published. But don’t stay on the surface: there are a lot of great books being published by authors of color and LGBTQ authors that don’t get the same publicity as those by cis het white authors. Follow bloggers and authors on social media, sign up to newsletters, and look for databases in order to find hidden, or at least under-publicized, gems. Naturally, Book Riot has many lists that highlight diverse authors’ new releases.
Define Your Focus
What kind of books do you want to read? Fiction or nonfiction? Classics? Mystery? Choose your niche. Of course, your niche may simply be “the book that most of our members want to read that particular month.” But it’s important to know that going in.
Choose a Format
In-person or virtual? If the former, you’ll need to pick a venue. If the latter, you’ll need to decide how the discussions will take place. In a meeting? In a Discord channel or Facebook thread? There are pros and cons for all options, so take the time to really think about what you want your book club to be.
Give Out a Brief Intro to the Historical Period and Setting — or at Least a List of Resources
It’s hard to understand a book sometimes if you don’t know enough about the socioeconomic context in which it is set. A story set in 1942 England will not look the same as one set in pre-colonial India. If you understand the context and the cultural mores of the time/setting, you’ll be able to appreciate the conflicts and characters better. Give your members a little context, like a map, political system — is it an absolutist monarchy? A republic? A bare bones historical timeline is a good way to start. If you want more historical books to read, why don’t you give historical nonfiction a try? There’s also historical romance manga or mystery! 50 of The Best Historical Fiction Books 9 of The Best Historical Fantasy Books The Most Anticipated Historical Fiction Reads of the First Half of 2022 The Historical Fiction Club Historical Mystery Lovers Historical Fiction Lovers Book Club Historical Fictionistas The Unusual Historical Romance Book Club
