A Book Club Just For Authors (like you).
POP’s Craft Book Club runs three times a year, in-person. Get on the list!
Written by PHX Oasis Press
You’re a writer—of course you read books! But are you reading closely and using them to learn more about writing craft to enhance your own writing? Our Writers Read Book Club hosted by Arizona author Eric Boyd has you covered.
This in-person book club + craft talk series helps authors of all skill levels dig deeper into craft by reading works of fiction. Then, Eric leads discussion around craft elements within the chosen work. He also shares actionable writing tips and resources attendees can put into play in their own work. All of this happens in a friendly, comfortable group setting.
Meet Craft Book Club Host Eric Boyd
Eric loves to geek out over writing craft, story ideas, and the last book he read. A lawyer and dad to two teenagers, he writes middle grade and adult horror. Eric has led events and workshops for SCBWI, Shut Up & Write, and the Ubergroup.
Eric chooses each craft book club title carefully, aligning it to topics that help the group move their storytelling skills forward. Genres rotate.
New Partner: ASU Author-Preneurship
In 2026, POP partnered with ASU’s Author-preneurship team to expand our Craft Book Club for Authors. The partnership brings us access to a wonderful location in Mesa, along with ASU’s support and promotion. ASU Author-Preneurship is a friendly and inclusive meetup where local creatives can connect, share ideas, and explore the ins and outs of writing, editing, publishing, and the business side of books, blogs, and more. Everyone is welcome, whether you're just starting out or looking to take your skills to the next level! By ASU’s J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute.
Previous Craft Book Club Reads & Handouts
March 2026 Craft Book Club: All Systems Red
Author: Martha Wells
Published: 2017
Pages: 150
Craft Discussion Topics: Voice, unlikeable characters, world building, motivation reaction units (MRUs), and more.
A murderous android discovers itself in All Systems Red, a tense science fiction adventure. Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth.
Sept. 2025 Craft Book Club: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd
Author: Agatha Christie Published: 1926 Pages: 320
Group Handout Linked Here
Craft Discussion Topics: Key elements of mystery writing in relation to pacing, surprise, and reveals.
Roger Ackroyd was a man who knew too much. The woman he loved had poisoned her first husband, she was being blackmailed, and she had taken her own life. The evening post brought one last fatal scrap of information, but before Roger finished reading the letter, he was stabbed to death.
April 2025 Craft Book Club: Generation Ship
Author: Michael Mammay
Published: 2023 Pages: 384
Group Handout Linked Here
Craft Discussion Topics: Breaking down how to use multiple points of view to create a compelling story.
Humanity has sent out a colony ship from Earth to a distant planet on a multi-generational journey. But the arrival isn’t going as smoothly as anyone on board wants. The ship’s society has changed over the hundreds of years of the journey, giving rise to various factions who find themselves at cross-purposes, and that’s before adding in the inexplicable natural hostility of the planet itself. Will anyone survive?
Oct. 2024 Craft Book Club: The Haunting of Hill House
Author: Shirley Jackson
Published: 1959 Pages: 246
Group Handout Linked Here
Craft Discussion Topics: Establishing characters, interiority, building tension, queer subtext.
Rumors of psychic disturbances surround Hill House. Is it a ghostly presence, or is the mysterious reputation mundane? Eleanor Vance jumps at the chance to join a group of ghost hunters assessing the strange happenings at the house. But what begins as a simple experiment soon turns into the stuff of nightmares.
Ready to Join Craft Book Club?
POP’s Craft Book Club is open to authors of all skill levels and genres. There’s no cost to participate, but attendees do need to read or listen to the book at their own expense. We post all upcoming events, including Craft Book Club, on POP’s Meetup and also on our event calendar. And don’t worry, it’s okay if you don’t finish the book in time for the club. Join us for the conversation, and to meet other local writers.