No-Obligation Book Club
You love curling up with a classic novel. You love talking with friends about the latest Jodi Picoult bestseller. But you can’t stand the obligations of a book club. (What time? What place? Who’s bringing the chip dip?)

We feel your pain. That’s why RealSimple.com has started the No-Obligation Book Club.

No time frame, no deadlines, no obligations: just the pleasures of reading good books, as suggested―and led―by Real Simple editors. The goal is to get the benefits of a book club...without feeling overwhelmed by rigid schedules.

Recent Posts By No-Obligation Book Club

The History of Love, Pages 65 Through 134

August 10, 2012 | By | Comments (5)

Hi, Bookies: On our journey to page 134, we meet Zvi Litvinoff, the Polish writer of The History of Love within The History of Love. We learn about his marriage to Rosa; how he immigrated to Chile; how he wrote the book in Yiddish and Rosa helped translate it into Spanish; how the original manuscript was lost in a flood; […]

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The History of Love, Pages 1 Through 64

August 3, 2012 | By | Comments (10)

Hi, Bookies: Now that we’ve begun our book together it’s time to start the conversation. Let’s look at how the story unfolds and the journey Nicole Krauss has begun to take us on. The story so far: We meet Leo Gursky, a Polish-Jewish retired locksmith who immigrated to New York City after WWII, during which his family was assassinated by […]

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Hello Again, Bookies!

July 27, 2012 | By | Comments (2)

Hi, Bookies: I’m Claudia Bloom, and I’m so happy to be back here for another summertime read, as I was last year with many of you. Although our winning book, The History of Love, by Nicole Krauss, may not be exactly a “beach read,” I’m still very excited about its selection for August. When I led the book club last […]

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Gone Girl: Boy Gets Girl Back (or Vice Versa) (Major Spoiler Alert!)

July 20, 2012 | By | Comments (24)

Bookies, what an ending. You know it’s a good book when you are still thinking about it days later. What did you think? Did you like the ending? Dislike? Still thinking? I have to admit that I wanted justice for Nick. On the other hand, I admire Flynn for keeping us on our toes until the very last page. If […]

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Gone Girl: Boy Meets Girl (Spoiler Alert!)

July 13, 2012 | By | Comments (5)

Hi, Bookies: I think the biggest challenge with this month’s book is not reading it entirely in one day. Most of you are probably knee-deep in Part 3 (or even finished), but I still want to take some time to discuss Part 2, which really dives in to the psyche of Amy. Before we begin, I want to give this […]

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Gone Girl: Boy Loses Girl

July 6, 2012 | By | Comments (21)

Hi there, Bookies: First, are you feeling the same way that I am—that you can’t read fast enough? This book is like a good episode of Lost. It’s been a while since I’ve read such a true page-turner. I am currently on vacation—at the beach with my family for a few days—and my head has been buried in this book. […]

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Hello, and Welcome to Gone Girl!

June 29, 2012 | By | Comments (16)

Hi there, Bookies! I’m Emily Schroeder and I work in the business development group for RealSimple.com. I will be your July book club leader, and I am very excited that Gone Girl won the poll (it was my first choice!). Like Maura said, I recently moved (as in, just a few days ago), so I welcome the distraction from unpacking […]

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I Totally Meant to Do That: Surface

June 15, 2012 | By | Comments (1)

Well, hello there, Bookies! Did you finish? How did you like it? Do you think Jane has truly “surfaced” during this last part—and are you all ready to move to New York or are you running straight for the comforts of the South? I must confess, I spent one night this week Googling Jane. And trust me, if you want […]

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I Totally Meant to Do That: Sink

June 8, 2012 | By | Comments (5)

Hi there, Bookies! Hope everyone is here and ready to chat about the second part of I Totally Meant to Do That. “Sink” is a very appropriate title for this second part, wouldn’t you agree? Not only is Jane dealing with the pangs of independence that are associated with post-college life, but it’s the toll of trying to find her geographic […]

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I Totally Meant to Do That: Dive

June 4, 2012 | By | Comments (4)

Hi there, Bookies! I’m posting on Monday instead of our usual Friday because a few of you asked for the weekend to finish up Part 1 of I Totally Meant to Do That. And as your faithful book club leader, I’d never leave you without a weekend of page-flipping. So, what do you all think? Are you all in stitches […]

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