A reader question at a past Books & Bars event.

Way back in early 2004, Jeff Kamin started a book club. There’s nothing terribly remarkable about a book club. At its most basic, a book club is a group of people coming together to discuss a book they’ve all read, sharing their likes and dislikes. If you poll a room full of people, it’s likely you’ll find at least a few book club members–or at least a few folks who purchased Cormac McCarthy’s The Road because Oprah told them to.

The Books & Bars logo.

But Kamin was looking to do something different, maybe even reinvent what a book club could be, so he started Books & Bars. The premise of Books & Bars sits in that lovely place of both making you question whether or not people would show up and wondering why no one thought to do it sooner. Each month, with input from regular attendees, librarians and random people on Twitter, Kamin selects a book. Book club participants gather at The Happy Gnome on Selby Avenue in St. Paul to discussion the book over beer, wine and bar food.

Aside from taking place in a bar, what sets Books & Bars apart from a traditional book club is that it is open to the public, and that moderator Jeff Kamin also happens to be a very talented comedian and improviser. Kamin’s background make it so that Books & Bars is as much a show as it is a discussion. The literature is taken seriously, regular attendees come prepared with thoughtful questions and comments. Everyone with something to say is given voice, but Kamin keeps things moving and keeps things interesting, whether the conversation turns serious or humorous. And, whenever possible, the book’s author is invited to participate.

Host Jeff Kamin.

This month’s Books & Bars is on Wednesday, January 21st, at The Happy Gnome. Up for discussion is acclaimed writer and educator Roxane Gay’s debut novel An Untamed State. While An Untamed State has had praised heaped on it by places like The New Yorker and The New York Times Book Review, if you haven’t already read this novel, it’s probably too late to get through it in time. But it may be worth your time to read some of Gay’s funny and devastating Tumblr posts and then enjoy a beer at the Happy Gnome while listening to others reveal whether or not you’d like the novel.

The exterior of The Happy Gnome.

Bookseller Magers & Quinn sponsors Books & Bars, and thus the company is always present with discounts on books for future events, including copies of The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wicker, which is the pick for the February 17th event. In addition to the monthly event at The Happy Gnome, Books & Bars events also take place every month in Minneapolis at the Republic in Calhoun Square and in Excelsior, Minnesota at 318 Café. These events are all free and open to the public.

The January 2015 Books & Bars event will take place on January 21 starting at 5:30 p.m. at The Happy Gnome, 498 Selby Ave., St. Paul; 651-287-2018; www.booksandbars.com.