We’ve got all the makings for your next book club

Whether you’re looking to start a book club or are in need of convenient options for your long-established reading group, Whitman County Library is the perfect place to start. We have a collection called “Book Club in a Box” that ranges from biography to science fiction, and includes everything from classics to popular new titles.

Each of our book club boxes include six to eight standard print copies of the book, multiple copies of discussion questions, and a list of tips for running a successful book club. We also add a copy of available titles in large print, audiobook on CD, and e-book and e-audio to our collection so everyone in your book club can find a format they like. If your book club needs more copies than Whitman County Library can provide, we may even be able to request additional copies for you through our interlibrary loan services.

Book club boxes are spread throughout our 14 branches and can be searched through our online catalog at www.whitco.lib.wa.us. Like most other items in our collection, if the book club box title you want isn’t available at your local branch, you can place a request and have it sent to your nearest library for in-person or curbside pickup. To place a request, simply call or stop by any of our branches or use your library card number to log in to your online account.

Since January, we’ve been adding a new book club box to our collection every month. Each title we select is considered not only due to the book’s online ratings and reviews, but is also based on recommendations from book club members all over Whitman County. If your own book club members have recommendations for a new book club box title, please share them with us. If you need help choosing your next book club book, here is a sneak peek of our newest book club boxes now available for checkout at the Whitman County Library:

“Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens

A mystery novel set in the late 1960’s. Kya Clark is a young naturalist girl living in a small fishing village called Barkley Cove. Her wild ways and appearance have made her an outcast in the village and the subject of the “Marsh Girl” rumors told throughout the village, so when a popular boy in town is found dead, she is everyone’s first suspect.

“The 7½ Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle” by Stuart Turton

A locked room mystery and suspense novel reminiscent of Agatha Christie. When Evelyn Hardcastle is murdered at Blackheath Manor, Aiden Bishop is forced to relive the same day and watch Evelyn die repeatedly. He wakes up in a different suspect’s body each morning and will continue to do so until he can identify her killer.

“The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue” by Victoria (V.E.) Schwab

A fantasy novel that starts in 18th century France. In 1714, Addie LaRue makes a deal to gain immortality. The consequence of her immortality is that no one she ever meets will remember her or her name. Addie lives many lifetimes on multiple continents until almost 300 years later when she discovers a hidden bookstore … and a young man who finally remembers her name.

“They Called Us Enemy” by George Takei

An illustrated biography written in graphic novel format. In 1942, when George Takei was only four years old, his birth country was at war with his father’s. Under Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Executive Order 9066, every person of Japanese descent on the west coast was sent to one of ten “relocation centers,” including George and his family.

Do you have children or students who are interested in starting their own book club? We also have book club boxes with juvenile and young adult titles like “Charlotte’s Web” by E.B. White and “The Book Thief” by Markus Zusak.

To check out a book club box, contact the Whitman County Library at (509) 397-4366 or stop by your local branch. If you’d like to join a book club, Whitman County Library hosts virtual book clubs throughout the month. Visit the events calendar on the website for more information.

Shepherd is a library assistant for Whitman County Library.