One of the biggest challenges for book clubs is deciding what to read or listen to next.
Hoopla’s official book club program, The Club offers a selection of recommended audiobooks, eBooks, and comics and manga that libraries and patrons can use to host book clubs in person or virtually.
The Club is yet another way for libraries to connect with their communities and increase patron engagement. It’s a value-added service that promotes library resources and encourages patrons to explore what the library has to offer.
Every quarter, The Club explores up to three different themes, with as many as six title suggestions from each. The themes span a variety of topics and genres and feature content with broad appeal. This quarter’s themes feature a mix of content that’s sure to be popular with clubs of all shapes and sizes:
Audiobooks and eBooks
- “New year, new you” has achieved meme status in recent years, but February is when those self-improvement journeys can start to taper off. Whether your patrons are looking to change their habits, improve their sleep, boost their health, or level up their life, the titles featured in the Mental and Physical Wellness theme are curated—and perfectly timed—to help keep them on the right track.
- For patrons that like their romance with a twist of fantasy, the Romantasy theme is here just in time for Valentine’s Day. According to The Guardian, ”It is unclear where the ‘romantasy’ label originated: though Bloomsbury [Publishing] said it coined the term to ‘identify the genre [author Sarah J. Maas] was spearheading’, the term was posted on Urban Dictionary as early as 2008.” Regardless of the origin, the subgenre has surged in popularity.
- Selections for the Historical Fiction theme transport readers to different time periods, offering rich narratives that blend real events with captivating stories. From the Victorian era to the Great Depression, these titles provide a unique opportunity to explore history through the eyes of unforgettable characters, sparking both reflection and discussion.
Comics and manga
- With a mix of historical and modern classics that have been adapted for readers to have a more digestible entry point to classic stories, the Literary Adaptations theme features content that is more approachable and less intimidating than the text-only versions. These standalone titles are great for a quick read.
- The young adult audience is perpetually challenging to reach, but with interesting titles that will entertain and also spark discussion, the Popular YA theme focuses on newer titles for teens that also appeal to adults. The content comes from a wide variety of smaller publishers in the industry to provide a broad view of what comics and graphic novels have to offer.
- A celebration of past award-winning comics and manga—and the accomplishments of the writers and artists that created them—the Award Winners theme revisits some of the top titles that critics and audiences have loved.
All recommended titles from The Club are available on Hoopla Instant, so book club members can read or listen all at the same time with no holds or waiting. And starting this year, The Club is also available in Canada for the first time!
See the entire collection of currently featured audiobooks, eBooks, and comics and manga on Hoopla, and don’t forget to promote The Club with downloadable marketing materials from the Hoopla Resource Center!