Erika Chase | Ghost Stories

I love writing the Ashton Corners Book Club Mysteries because they’re about books! And I love books. If you’re reading this, then you know what I mean. You also are a lover of books.

I’m also a great believer in book clubs. I belong to one, and although it in no way resembles the Ashton Corners Mystery Readers and Cheese Straws Society, except maybe for the quantity of food consumed at each meeting, it has its own special traits. And most importantly, we’ve met through books and become good friends.

That’s the same with the Ashton Corners gang. They’re a variety of ages and interests but they enjoy sharing and discussing. Several of the members met for the first time at the very first meeting in A KILLER READ. And they’ve become close friends.

Curious as to the origins of book clubs, or book discussion groups as they’re often called, I consulted the trusty internet. It looks like men were the first to join together for the purpose of reading and discussing books, possibly as early as the mid-1700’s. And these were very upper class men indeed. What a far cry from today when the majority of book clubs are comprised of women. Rachel Jacobsohn, author of The Reading Group Handbook, mentions a reading group of "white glove-wearing, hat-wearing, tea-drinking, elitist old white women" from the late 1800s.

As literacy became a right rather than a privilege, the book clubs remained but the composition of members changed along with the times. It’s wonderful that they are still thriving and going strong. I’m also curious if there’s strictly e-reader book club around. I’m sure there is. As mentioned, they seem to evolve as need be.

Another aspect of writing this series that’s lots of fun for me is finding books for my characters to read. Throughout each book, when Lizzie has the time, she’ll consult her many TBR piles around the house and pull out a book to read, usually a cozy. I do name names! And titles, too. And of course, this is research – these have to be read by me.

At the end of each book, each book club member posts a reading list of their top ten books and authors. Since, as I already mentioned, their reading tastes are quite different, mine have become so, too. That’s a perk of writing a series about books. Finding the time to read them all is another matter.

BOOK FAIR AND FOUL takes the book club into an entirely new adventure, that of the book fair. And who attends the many fairs, festivals and conferences around the country – book lovers, of course. Happy reading!