The Book Haters' Book Club
Summer is a season of adventure, and what better way to embark on a literary journey than with “Between the wines Book Club”? This summer, we’re challenging the norms of reading and diving into a selection that promises to surprise even the most skeptical of readers. Get ready to be hooked, captivated, and ultimately converted as we explore the hidden gem of this season’s reading list.
Say goodbye to conventional reads and hello to a book that defies expectations. “Between the wines book club” has handpicked a novel that will leave you questioning your literary biases. Drumroll, please… It’s The book Haters Book Club by Gretchen Anthony.
Let’s face it, sometimes we all need a little nudge to step out of our reading comfort zone.
Synopsis
That was Elliott’s belief and the reason why he started The Book Haters’ Book Club—a newsletter of reading recommendations for the self-proclaimed “nonreader.” As the beloved co-owner of Over the Rainbow Bookstore, Elliott’s passion and gift was recommending books to customers. Now, after his sudden death, his grief-ridden business partner, Irma, has agreed to sell Over the Rainbow to a developer who will turn the cozy bookstore into high-rise condos.
But others won’t give up the bookstore without a fight. When Irma breaks the news to her daughters, Bree and Laney, and Elliott’s romantic partner, Thom, they are aghast. Over the Rainbow has been Bree and Laney’s sanctuary since childhood, and Thom would do anything to preserve Elliott’s legacy. Together, Thom, Bree and Laney conspire to save the bookstore, even if it takes some snooping, gossip and minor sabotage.
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SummaryWhen the beloved Minneapolis indie bookshop Over the Rainbow is sold out from under its staff and community, the people who love it most must reckon with grief, belonging, and what it truly means to call somewhere home.
Co-owner Irma Bedford has quietly agreed to sell the shop in a shockingly short six-week window following the sudden deaths of her business partner Elliot and her boyfriend Nestor. When she summons her daughters back to Minneapolis for a meeting with investment brokers, chaos erupts. Bree, the devoted assistant manager who has poured her life into the Rainbow, is blindsided and heartbroken. Laney, the free-spirited daughter who fled to Oakland twenty years ago and married a B-list NASCAR driver named Tuck, returns reluctantly carrying her own unfinished business. And Thom, Elliot’s surviving partner, is quietly furious about the legal and financial gaps that Elliot’s incomplete estate planning left behind.
Woven throughout the novel are installments of The Book Haters’ Book Club Newsletter a decades-long series of book recommendations for non-bookish people, narrated in Elliot’s warm, witty, and irreverent voice from beyond the grave. Elliot acts as a kind of ghostly emcee, guiding the reader through the story with a wink and a reference to Judy Garland.
What unfolds is a story about grief and the many shapes it takes, the weight of family obligation, and the unexpected courage it takes to stop running. Laney discovers she is pregnant and, for the first time, turns toward home rather than away. Bree finds love with a warm and steady man named Witt. Thom, freed from his long-simmering resentment, finds unexpected joy volunteering at a neighborhood library. And Irma, with her daughters by her side, helps reimagine the Rainbow into something new a smaller, scrappier, community-embedded bookshop that carries Elliot’s spirit forward.
— Elliot Gregory, Foreword
Irma Bedford
Bree Bedford
Laney Hartwell
Thom Winslow
Elliot GregoryGRETCHEN ANTHONY is the award-winning author of The Kids Are Gonna Ask, recipient of the 2021 Alex Award from the American Library Association. Her debut novel, Evergreen Tidings from the Baumgartners, was a Midwestern Connections Pick and a best books pick by Amazon, BookBub, PopSugar, and the New York Post. Her work has been featured in The Washington Post, Medium, and The Write Life, among others. She lives in Minneapolis with her family.
Another books by the author:
Several books are recommended during this story, below the list of those books
Hollow Kingdom: is a humorous, big-hearted, and boundlessly beautiful romp through the apocalypse and the world that comes after, where even a cowardly crow can become a hero.
Hudson Bay Bound: The remarkable eighty-five-day journey of the first two women to canoe the 2,000-mile route from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay Unrelenting winds, carnivorous polar bears, snake nests, sweltering heat, and constant hunger. Paddling from Minneapolis to Hudson Bay, following the 2,000-mile route made famous by Eric Sevareid in his 1935 classic Canoeing with the Cree , Natalie Warren and Ann Raiho faced unexpected trials, some harrowing, some simply odd. But for the two friends—the first women to make this expedition—there was one timeless the occasional pitfalls that test character and friendship.
Southern Lady Code: funny collection of essays on marriage and manners, thank-you notes and three-ways, ghosts, gunshots, gynecology, and the Calgon-scented, onion-dipped, monogrammed art of living as a Southern Lady.
The Awakened Woman: Through one incredible woman’s journey from a child bride in a small Zimbabwe village to one of the world’s most recognizable voices in women’s empowerment and education, this manifesto inspires women to pursue their sacred dreams through nine essential lessons brought forth from ancient African wisdom.
Tuck Everlasting: Doomed to – or blessed with – eternal life after drinking from a magic spring, the Tuck family wanders about trying to live as inconspicuously and comfortably as they can. When ten-year-old Winnie Foster stumbles on their secret, the Tucks take her home and explain why living forever at one age is less a blessing that it might seem. Complications arise when Winnie is followed by a stranger who wants to market the spring water for a fortune.
A man called Ove: A grumpy yet loveable man finds his solitary world turned on its head when a boisterous young family moves in next door.
The Cape Ann: Lark Erhardt, the six-year-old narrator of The Cape Ann, and her fiercely independent mother dream of owning their own house; they have their hearts set on the Cape Ann, chosen from a house catalog. But when Lark’s father’s gambling threatens the down payment her mother has worked so hard to save, Lark’s mother takes matters into her own indomitable hands. A disarmingly involving portrait of a family struggling to stay together through the Great Depression, The Cape Ann is an unforgettable story of life from a child’s-eye view.
Healing after loss: For those who have suffered the loss of a loved one, here are thoughtful words to strengthen, inspire and comfort.
So grab a glass of wine, make yourself some pasta and enjoy this great selection.
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Behind the pages Fun Facts
Book club questions
General Impressions
What was your initial impression of the book? Did the title and synopsis accurately prepare you for the story?
Did the dual-narrative of Irma and the “conspiracy” group keep you engaged?
How does the book’s central conflict—saving a bookstore—resonate with the broader theme of preserving a legacy?
What role does grief play in the story? Do you think Irma’s decision to sell the bookstore was a logical response to her loss?
Character Analysis
Irma seems to be the main obstacle. Did you find her character sympathetic, or were you frustrated with her actions?
How does Elliott’s presence, even after his death, shape the decisions and motivations of the other characters?
What do we learn about Thom through his loyalty to Elliott’s legacy? Do his actions seem driven more by love or by a need to fulfill Elliott’s dreams?
Compare and contrast Bree and Laney. What do their individual connections to the bookstore reveal about their personalities and relationship with their mother?
Do you think the characters are justified in their “snooping, gossip, and minor sabotage”? At what point did their actions cross a line for you?
Which character’s perspective did you find most compelling, and why?
Thematic Discussion
The book is about a club for “nonreaders.” What does the novel suggest about the true purpose of books and reading? Is it just for enjoyment, or something more?
What does the bookstore, Over the Rainbow, symbolize for the characters?
The story contrasts traditional book culture with modern real estate development. What do you think the book is saying about the value of art, community, and personal history in a profit-driven world?
The novel explores the idea of a “book-hater.” Can a person truly hate books, or do they just need to find the right one?
The story is a mystery in itself—the characters are trying to figure out what happened to Elliott and why Irma is selling. Did you feel like you were part of the investigation?
How does the book portray family, both the one you’re born into and the one you choose?
Creative Engagement
If you were a member of “The Book Haters’ Book Club,” what book would you recommend to a self-proclaimed nonreader?
Imagine you are a new character moving into one of the new high-rise condos. What is your role in the story?
What would a playlist for this book sound like? What songs would you include for each character?
The book is a tribute to Elliott. What legacy do you hope to leave behind?
Broader Context
The novel uses a book club as a central plot device. Do you think book clubs are still relevant today? What’s the most valuable part of being in one?
How does the novel’s focus on a local business speak to the broader conversation about the challenges facing independent shops?
The book has a unique tone that blends humor, grief, and mystery. How did the author balance these different emotions?
If the book were adapted into a movie, who would you cast for the main roles?
What is the most important lesson you took away from the story?