Host an Unforgettable Spy-Themed Book Club in 2023
Have you noticed that more and more books are being published about spies, in particular female spies? With this trend in publishing not going anywhere, we thought it would be helpful to give you tips on how to host a spy-themed book club!
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Hosting The Best Spy Book Club for Novels about Female Spies
Females have been on the front lines of war for a long time, though they are often overlooked. They have engaged in espionage for as long as the practice of spying has existed.
At your book club, you can look to discuss the spy in your book, female spies in general, and whether or not you would be able to be a spy.
Spy Book Club Discussion Questions
How have female spies played a role in history?
Why do you think women are often overlooked and underestimated?
Are there any qualities women typically possess that could potentially make them a better spy than a man?
What about any qualities women typically possess that could potentially make them a worse spy than a man?
Do you think you have what it takes to be a spy?
If you had to be a spy, where would you want to go undercover?
Spy-Themed
For a spy based book club, we love the idea of serving food from WW2 that were popular in the 30s and 40s. Think Jello Molds, pickles, preserves, toad in the hole.
You could also go the British route and do a full English tea or create a French charcuterie board for easy snacking.
Spy Book Club Activities
Digital escape rooms are all over! Connect your computer to the TV and work together to solve the clues and get out of the room. Here are a few free options:
- Harry Potter Digital Escape Room
- Cinderella Escapes
- Rebus Puzzles
- Starwars Escape Room
- Escape the Sphinx
You can also play two-truths and a lie or find a code-breaking game. For smaller book club groups, try playing a spy board game or murder-mystery game from below.
We went old school with tunes from WWI & WWII since a majority of spy books featuring female spies that we had read take place in that era.Spy Spotify Playlist
The Best Spy Books for Book Club
Code Name Hélène: A Novel by Ariel Lawson
I LOVED this book so much. It is so beautifully written, amazingly researched and absolutely enthralling. This book is based on the life of Nancy Wake who is a nurse and journalist who becomes a Special Operations Executive during WWII.
She was an amazing woman and I had never heard of her before this fictional biography. It has wonderful characters, a fabulous story, romance, adventure, and the terrifying reality of life during WWII. I could not put this historical fiction book down and is one of the best books for book clubs to read.
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
While the main portion of this story features 3 code breakers at Bletchley during WWII, one of the main characters is dating Prince Philip. You know, the same Prince Philip who eventually marries the queen?
It’s a dual-timeline story and one of those storylines is set against the backdrop of Philip’s wedding to QE2. Plus it’s a Kate Quinn royal novel, so the writing and story are both top-notch. This choice from mystery books about WWII is a must-read.
The Alice Network by Kate Quinn
July 2017 Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick
This historical fiction takes place during the First World War and after the Second World War as the story of two women come together. One is a female ex-spy another is a pregnant single woman, and they are joined by a shady ex-con as they embark on a quest.
This was such a good book to listen to and although the subject matter was serious, there were moments when I was laughing out loud. There was just the right amount of humor to make this a very readable book and a perfect book for book clubs to discuss.
