No, trust us the book really was better!

Why our club doesn't just have a clever name

Can you like a book but hate all the characters in it?

That was my dilemma with our last pick for The Book Was Better book club. We read Apples Never Fall by Liane Moriarty, and while I enjoyed the intrigue of the family drama in its pages, I didn’t really care for most of the characters.

After talking it through with the other book clubbers, I did slightly change my mind on a couple of characters, but what really got us riled up was the total mess of a TV series based on the book. (Disclaimer: I have not yet watched the show myself, but I trust my book clubbers to not lead me astray.)

We spent a significant amount of time talking about all the ways the series got it wrong from switching the setting (from Australia to Florida) to major plot points altered or missing to terrible acting. One of our regulars, Andy, even wore his “The Book Was Better” socks. (It’s not just a clever book club name! It’s a lifestyle!) I’m now planning to hate-watch the series because sometimes that’s fun.

When I set out to lead a book club centered on books that have been adapted for the screen, I wasn’t sure what would happen. Would there be book purists in the group who scoffed at the idea of watching a show based on a book? Would there be people only interested in watching the show and not reading the book? Would anyone find these books interesting enough to show up to a little bookstore in downtown Lancaster once a month?

My worries were for naught. What is actually happening is both remarkable and completely ordinary: a handful of strangers meet up and talk about that month’s book (and sometimes other books) and we often get really passionate about the screen adaptation, if we’ve had a chance to see it.

It’s one of my favorite evenings every month.

Consider joining us?

Next up for May is The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin. I’ve heard mixed reviews of the movie adaptation, so maybe it’ll be another passionate discussion of all the ways the book really was better!

Here’s the blurb:

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. He lives alone, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. But when a mysterious package appears at the bookstore, its unexpected arrival gives Fikry the chance to make his life over—and see everything anew.

There’s no cost to join the club, and if you’re looking for a copy of this month’s read or any of the upcoming book club picks, there’s a special display in the front room of Nooks or click on the links in this post to support Nooks via Bookshop.org.

And here’s a look at the lineup through the end of summer for The Book Was Better.