Do you know of any teacher book clubs? Have you ever been interested in joining a book club? Reading is often viewed as a solitary activity. Still, when you gather the people you work with every day together in a teacher book club, you turn a solitary activity into a social and engaging experience that creates a community amongst coworkers.
If you’ve read my non-fiction article about The Benefits of Reading, you’ll know that the benefits of reading are plenty:
- Reading is a simple and effective way to exercise the brain, providing mental stimulation.
- Reading can help you grow your vocabulary, boosting your confidence when speaking to people.
- Reading will improve your memory as you strengthen your brain’s pathways by reading every day.
- Reading enhances your thinking skills as you put the pieces of a story together to anticipate what’s coming next or how the story ends.
- Reading can help your writing style as you absorb new styles of writing and learn new words.
- Reading is a relaxing and enjoyable form of entertainment – and it doesn’t have to cost any money if you use your local library.
As we are constantly encouraging our students to read, we need to model what we say and actually read ourselves. Forming a teacher book club can not only help you model reading, but it can also give you a reason to set time aside each day to read. With a deadline to finish a book, you’ll want to make sure you schedule it into your day.
But how do you form a teacher book club, and what do you need to know to run one? Janssen over at Everyday Reading has some great articles on this topic:
- How to Start a Successful Book Club
- How to Pick a Good Book Club Book
- How to Come Up With Good Book Club Discussion Questions
In her articles, you’ll see that starting a teacher book club doesn’t have to be intimidating and that if you follow certain guidelines – such as making sure everyone knows they need to read the book, picking books that are worth reading, and ensuring someone will lead the conversation – you can definitely have a successful teacher book club.
Just as we try to make reading fun for our students, we need to make reading fun for ourselves. That’s why this list of teacher book club picks has a little bit of everything – from realistic fiction to mystery fiction and even some non-fiction picks. And if you’re looking for even more recommendations on what to read, I’ve compiled a few lists already of books I know teachers will love.
This blog post contains affiliate links that are of no cost to the reader. If you make a purchase through the provided links, this blog will receive a small commission to help with the financial costs of maintaining the site.
Realistic Fiction
Beartown by Fredrik Backman
When a star hockey player is accused of a violent crime right before the national semi-finals, the people of Beartown take sides, and no one is left untouched.
Us Against You by Fredrik Backman
The second book in the Beartown trilogy shows what happens to a hockey-obsessed town after a town falls apart and needs to rebuild a once-great hockey team.
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
A seventeen-year-old girl escapes her abusive husband and becomes a popular henna artist until her husband finds her.
The Giver Of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Based on a true story about five women who were Horseback Librarians during the 1930s and their journey to deliver books in the mountains of Kentucky.
Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman
Eleanor avoids social situations until she meets Raymond at work, and together they save Sammy, who has fallen on the sidewalk. Together they help each other escape being alone.
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
An Indian wedding brings a family back together, and they all need to face the reasons why they fell apart.
The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
2 people who enjoy a stationery store fall in love and, on the eve of their wedding, are separated by a coup d’etat. Sixty years later, they are reunited.
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
A group of strangers attending an open house at an apartment are taken hostage by a bank robber.
Mystery Fiction
The Girl On The Train by Paula Hawkins
Rachel rides the same train every day and sees the same couple on their deck. One day she sees something shocking before the train moves on and reports it to the police, but she doesn’t seem to be a reliable witness.
Something In The Water by Catherine Steadman
A couple on their honeymoon in Bora Bora finds something in the water while scuba diving. They need to decide if they will tell anyone about what they found or keep it a secret.
The Last Story Of Mina Lee by Nancy Jooyoun Kim
Margot finds her mother dead and starts to dig into her past to piece together her life. At the same time, the story of her mother’s first year in LA is told.
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Twin sisters run away when they are sixteen and, as adults, find their lives very different from one another but still connected.
The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton
As a teenager, Laurel witnesses a crime that involves her family. Fifty years later, they are celebrating her mother’s 90th birthday, and Laurel has a chance to find answers to the crime from the past.
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
A perfect wedding on an island turns out to be the scene of a murder.
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
The story of three women and how their perfect lives start to fall apart and ultimately end in a murder.
Historical Fiction
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Best friends and British spies crash their plane in France during the war. Verity survives and is captured by the Gestapo and must reveal her mission to survive.
Non-Fiction
Nobody Will Tell You This But Me by Bess Kalb
A memoir told in the voice of Bess’ grandmother, telling the lives of 4 generations of women.
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
Tara lived with her family in the mountains of Idaho and never attended school until she was seventeen, then found a love of knowledge that took her across the world.
When you’re ready to start your teacher book club, remember that the whole point of a book club is to have fun and socialize with your peers. Of course, book discussion is a must, too!
We have to remember that free time as a teacher is limited and that it’s important to make reading a priority for our mental health and take the time to bond over a shared interest in education and teaching with our peers.
I’ve made several lists of books teachers will love on my blog, and I encourage you to check them out as you start your teacher book club journey.
Related Posts
