But access to magazine content is only part of the story. Each month, just like many of its real-world counterparts, the Spectator Book Club will select a Book of the Month. It may be fiction or non-fiction; new or, occasionally, old. The only consistent thread is that they will all be books we at The Spectator admire, and which we think readers will find worthwhile. March’s Book of the Month is a case in point: Jonathan Littell’s The Kindly Ones (Chatto & Windus), a profound meditation on the Holocaust, and one of the most impressive recent novels that I’ve come across (reviewed on page 29 of this issue).

With the book selected, it’s time to read and discuss. The reading you do yourself, in the time-honoured fashion. But for the purposes of debate, we’ve set up a Discussion Board, where your digital self can chat with digital others about the Book of the Month or, indeed, about any other aspect of the literary world. From time to time, Spectator staff will drop by to join the discussion, as will some distinguished authors and critics. It’s all geared towards forming a vibrant online community — much as has happened elsewhere on Spectator.co.uk, with the popular Coffee House blog (www.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse).

A final point: the incentives to get involved are financial as well as social or intellectual. In partnership with the venerable bookseller Blackwell’s, the Spectator Book Club will offer featured titles at a reduced price for its readers — including a special 20 per cent discount during this month. Look on it as our own attempt at a fiscal stimulus, and one that’s certainly more stimulating than a temporary VAT cut.

So put your latest read down for a second, swap it for a mouse and keyboard, and join in the discussion at www.spectator.co.uk/books.

Blackwell Bookshop

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