This is Songbird by Laci Barry Post and it may be the greatest book club read available today. But what truly makes the perfect book club read? And why is this book so special? Let’s find out.
Genre?
Songbird is a historical fiction novel set in a small southern town during WWII. Historical fiction is a great book club genre because it offers a wealth of actual history to discuss in addition to the book’s storyline. This particular book draws the reader into the day-to-day life of a young woman and her family dealing with the changing world of 1940s America. It is as much historical as it is fiction, and would be as welcome in an American History class as it would be in an American Literature class. So is the fascinating historical conversations or the riveting story of a young girl coming of age in a changing south the key to Songbird’s book club readability? Nope.
Series?
As readers we latch onto book series to alleviate the paradox of wanting to finish a book and still never wanting the book to end. Book series can be hit or miss for book clubs though. While the ongoing story lines promise the group a continued experience and multiple books give an author more opportunity to develop characters readers have come to love, the cliff hanger endings can be a big negative for a group that doesn’t want to get caught up reading a seven book series to complete a story arc. An appealing series for a book club can have an ongoing story, but with a definitive ending to each volume. Songbird is the first book in The War Song Series, the continuing story of Ava Stilwell and her family and their experiences dealing with a world at war. Each book however, is complete in itself with no major book to book cliffhangers. So is the fact that it is part of a series what makes Songbird so appealing to a book club? No.
Availablility?
What about format availability? Some book club readers still appreciate the feel of a dog-eared paperback that they can reference in group discussion. Others love the easy access of a digital book that can be downloaded instantly. Songbird is available in both formats. Digital and paperback copies are available for order from all major book retailers. This is true for most major book releases in the market today though, so it can’t be responsible for making Songbird such a great book club read. So what is it that makes Songbird so perfect for book clubs?
So What is it?
Here it is. “By Laci Barry Post”. This is what makes this book so special. Now I understand that most of you reading this have never heard of Laci Barry Post. What makes her more worthy of your next book club read than Stephen King or Dan Brown? Laci Barry Post is an independently published author. What was known, and looked down upon, only a couple of years ago as a self-published author. Why is the distinction between an indie author like Ms. Post and a traditionally published author like Mr. King so important?
When you read a book by a traditionally published author, your interaction with the story and the characters is limited to what you get from the book itself. What if you have burning questions about the story, the characters, setting or anything that you would love to pose to the author himself? The odds of contacting Mr. King directly or even getting a response to an email are slim to none. Indie authors however, have the unique ability to directly interact with readers in a way that the big mainstream authors cannot. There is no major marketing firm, publishing company or publicist between the indie authors and the readers. Book clubs can email authors directly, post questions on social media, or even invite the author to participate in group discussions through skype or Facebook chat. When was the last time your book club was able to actually discuss the book you just finished with the author who wrote it? Most indie authors have Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, or websites where they actively interact directly with readers. This unparalleled access gives a self-published book an extreme advantage in the book club world.
And that is what makes Songbird a wonderful choice for your next book club read. Maybe historical fiction isn’t your preferred genre though. No problem. The independent publishing revolution has created thousands of talented indie authors spanning every genre imaginable. The best place to find you next favorite book is online at sites like “The Book Quest” who are dedicated to reading and reviewing indie books to help promote the best work available. So for your next book club read, look beyond the New York Times best seller list and discover the next diamond in the rough. Connect with a story and an author in a way your group never has before. You won’t be disappointed.
For groups who are interested in Songbird for their next read, more information can be found at www.TheWarSongSeries.com
If your group has questions for the author you can e-mail her directly at LaciBarryPost@gmail.com
For more discussion points on the history behind the book, visit the War Stories blog at www.thewarsongseries.com/#!blog/c1wut
And for more information on books by independent authors, visit The Book Quest at www.bookquest.wix.com/thebookquest
