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 Space Between Us: Chapters 1 Through 7

July 7, 2011 | By | Comments (4)

Hi, Bookies: I’m excited to report on the first chapters of our book. And I will admit that I read one extra chapter, but we won’t chat about that one until next week. I guess I just wanted to know even more! As I sat on a beautiful North Carolina beach for my July 4th holiday weekend, it was pure […]

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Hi, RS Book Club Readers!

June 30, 2011 | By | Comments (5)

I’m Claudia Bloom, and I’m happy to be here as your next Real Simple No-Obligation Book Club leader. It’s my first venture doing this, and it’s exciting for me to step away for just one month from my real, live New York City book club friends to join all of you involved readers here. As a research editor at Real […]

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Talking to Girls About Duran Duran, Part Three

June 24, 2011 | By | Comments (8)

Hi again, Bookies! Well, we’re here to wrap up our discussion of Talking to Girls About Duran Duran. I have to say that I really loved this last section—I found it to be meaty and touching and (in some spots) heavy. I had two favorite chapters: New Kids on the Block “Hangin’ Tough” and Big Daddy Kane “Ain’t No Half Steppin’.” […]

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Talking to Girls About Duran Duran, Part Two

June 17, 2011 | By | Comments (1)

Hi Bookies! I hope you’re still enjoying Talking to Girls About Duran Duran. I will fess up: Like Chris, I finished the book. This week I’m feeling a little mixed. I still love it and am finding it a fun read—I think one of the reasons I was able to finish it so quickly is that it’s turning into a […]

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Talking to Girls About Duran Duran, Part One

June 10, 2011 | By | Comments (8)

Hi Bookies! So what do you think—have you been enjoying Talking to Girls about Duran Duran? I sure have. I’m actually reading ahead! That’s near unheard of for me (if I’m not into a book, it’s like slogging through mud to finish it. In fact, I usually don’t finish it). I have been reading largely on my commute to and […]

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Welcome, Bookies!

May 27, 2011 | By | Comments (1)

Hi! I’m Lisa Whitmore, and I’m excited to be your No Obligation Book Club leader—for the first time—this month. Here at Real Simple, I’m the senior beauty and health editor. That means I edit our beauty and health stories, research all sorts of interesting health topics, interview doctors and other experts, and, yes, test out a lot of lipstick. Tough […]

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The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Part Two

May 20, 2011 | By | Comments (1)

Hi, Bookies! I hope you’ve enjoyed this month’s book, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark. This discussion will cover the second half of the book, chapters 4 to the end (pages 79 to 137 in my version). Let’s get started… Okay, so, I’m one of those people with a rule about movies: If there’s a book attached […]

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Have You Voted Yet for June?

May 19, 2011 | By | Comments (0)

Hi, Bookies: At the moment, Rob Sheffield’s Talking to Girls About Duran Duran is in the lead, but we’ve all been around the block enough times together to know that any of the four books could still win. So have you picked your favorite yet? Vote before the poll closes at 11:59 p.m. ET this Sunday, May 22. Look Me […]

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You Could Be in the September Issue

May 16, 2011 | By | Comments (1)

Hi, Bookies: For the book club page in the September issue, our friends over on the print side would like you to weigh in on this: What book do you often quote? Answer in the comments below, making sure to include the book’s title and author, and you may see your name in print in the September issue. Thanks, all! […]

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3 Things to Love About May’s Book Club Pick

May 13, 2011 | By | Comments (0)

Hello, Bookies! Hope everyone is off and running with this month’s book, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, by Muriel Spark. This discussion will cover chapters 1 to 3 (pages 1 to 78 in my version). Shall we begin, class? First off, let me say that, as a former English major AND a former major loudmouth in my former book […]

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