Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

Real Men Knit is the official March Pick for the Peanut Blossom Book Club for Recovering Readers.

When I asked for requests for this year's book club reads, the overwhelming feedback from our 6,000+ members was that they wanted a more diverse book list featuring a variety of voices, both in authors and characters.

As I hunted for fun, light-hearted fiction by new-to-me authors for us to enjoy together, the cover of this month's book jumped right out at me. The title made me laugh out loud and made me imagine my own husband who has become quite a sourdough roll baker this year. Real Men DO enjoy their hobbies, whatever they may be.

I loved The Friday Night Knitting Club several years ago but it has been ages since I read anything set in a yarn shop. The thought of a set of four sons taking over mom's knitting store in Harlem after her passing sounded like exactly the sort of book that would be perfect for a fun book club discussion.

I can't wait to hear your thoughts on this month's pick!

P.S. Just joining us? Don't miss the full 2021 line-up for our book club picks.

Want Free Reminders for Each Book Pick?

Sign up for my book club newsletter right here:

March's Official Book Club Pick: Real Men Knit by Kwana Jackson

I’m pleased to announce that it is our official March Pick for this year.

Get your copy of this month’s book club pick:

Buy the book on Amazon.

Buy the book on Audible.

Money-saving tricks for reading this month’s book pick:

• You can get the book from your library.
• The Kindle version is cheaper than the paperback AND you can save money on the Audible version if you own the Kindle copy! I love to use the Amazon Whispersync feature to go back and forth between audio and digital reading.

What Is This Month's Book About?

"When their foster-turned-adoptive mother suddenly dies, four brothers struggle to keep open the doors of her beloved Harlem knitting shop.

Jesse Strong is known for two things: his devotion to his adoptive mom, Mama Joy, and his reputation for breaking hearts. When Mama Joy unexpectedly passes away, he and his brothers have different plans for what to do with Strong Knits, their neighborhood knitting store. Jesse wants to keep the store open. His brothers want to tie off loose ends and close shop....

Part-time shop employee Kerry Fuller has kept her crush on Jesse a secret. When she overhears his impassioned plea to his brothers to keep the knitting shop open, she volunteers to help. Unlike Jesse, Kerry knows the “knitty-gritty” of the business, and together they make plans to reinvent Strong Knits for a new generation.

But the more time they spend together, the stronger the chemistry builds between them. Kerry, knowing Jesse’s history, doesn’t believe their relationship can last longer than she can knit one, purl two. But Jesse is determined to prove to her that he can be the man for her forever and always. After all, real men knit."

Get your copy of the book here.

Discussion Questions for Real Men Knit:

Want to discuss this month's book with your book club friends? Here are some great conversational questions to get the party started.

You can download the full discussion guide here and then print it to have handy.

1. Do you know any male knitters? 
   
2. What did you think of the OKG (Old Knitting Gang)? 
   
3. Who was your favorite Strong brother and why? 
   
4. Did you have anyone like Mama Joy in your life growing up? 
   
5. Did you find the swearing in the book distracting? Would the story still feel the same without it? 
   
6. Did you enjoy the love story in the book? Were you happy with the way it evolved? 
   
7. Were you motivated to take up knitting or another form of crafting after reading Real Men Knit?

Book Club Party Recipes

Looking for fun foods to serve at a Real Men Knit book club party? Since the story takes place in Harlem, try pulling together classic New York foods or even order a New York Style pizza for delivery. Pour the cosmos and dig in.