January 2021 Fiction Book Groups
 
(See below for new January event!  Save the date!)
 
First Thursday, January 7, 2021
Mrs. Everything : a novel
by Jennifer Weiner

Jo and Bethie Kaufman were born into a world full of promise. Growing up in 1950s Detroit, they live in a perfect “Dick and Jane” house, where their roles in the family are clearly defined. Jo is the tomboy, the bookish rebel with a passion to make the world more fair; Bethie is the pretty, feminine good girl, a would-be star who enjoys the power her beauty confers and dreams of a traditional life. But the truth ends up looking different from what the girls imagined. Jo and Bethie survive traumas and tragedies.
Zoom Details for connecting together:
 
Topic: First Thursday Fiction Book Group
Time: Jan 7, 2021 10:00 AM Central Time 
 
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/97399157873?pwd=aWVqQVZObDlOWjIyUE5SV3FvMXVldz09
 
Meeting ID: 973 9915 7873
Passcode: everything
 
Preparing for our meeting:

Get to know Jennifer Weiner
 
Simon & Schuster Reading Group Guide
 
In 'Mrs. Everything,' Jennifer Weiner explores her mom's sexuality, evolving gender roles and Donald Trump's America. Is it a beach read? Maybe!
 
NPR: Author Jennifer Weiner On 'Mrs. Everything' & Plus-Size Representation In Books
 
Interview with the author in Parade magazine
 
Listen to this podcast interview with Jennifer Weiner
 
 

Second Thursday, January 14, 2021
The Red Lotus : a novel
by Chris Bohjalian

The first time Alexis saw Austin, it was a Saturday night. Not in a bar, but in the emergency room where Alexis sutured a bullet wound in his arm. Six months later, on the brink of falling in love, they travel to Vietnam on a bike tour so that Austin can show her his passion for cycling and he can pay his respects to the place where his father and uncle fought in the war. But as Alexis sips white wine and waits at the hotel for him to return from his solo ride, two men emerge from the tall grass and Austin vanishes into thin air. The only clue he leaves behind is a bright yellow energy gel dropped on the road. As Alexis grapples with this bewildering loss, navigating the FBI, Austin’s prickly family, and her colleagues at the hospital, Alexis uncovers a series of strange lies that force her to wonder: Where did Austin go? Why did he really bring her to Vietnam? And how much danger has he left her in? Set amidst the adrenaline-fueled world of the emergency room, The Red Lotus is a global thriller about those who dedicate their lives to saving people, and those who peddle death to the highest bidder..
Zoom Details for connecting together:
 
Topic: Second Thursday Fiction Book Group
Time: Jan 14, 2021 10:00 AM Central Time
 
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/92994802629?pwd=ZzhjYUZFSHFHZnJjaS8yS2FrOFJZQT09
 
Meeting ID: 929 9480 2629
Passcode: lotus
 
Preparing for our meeting:
 
Reading Group Guides gives us some great discussion questions for the book.
 
How Chris Bohjalian Released a Pandemic Novel in the Middle of a Pandemic
 
"IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM, DOCTORS NEED DETECTIVE SKILLS—AND EMPATHY: Why I went looking for inspiration in the ER"
 
Inside the Mind and Office of Bestselling Author Chris Bohjalian
 
Learn more about Chris Bohjalian
 
“The Red Lotus” Author Bohjalian on Pathogens, Process and Pending HBO Series
 
1 in 4 New York City mice carry drug-resistant bacteria, study finds
 
Now streaming: 'The Flight Attendant' by Vermont author gets star turn with Kaley Cuoco
 

Join me on Tuesday, January 19th to Celebrate the Chinese New Year!
Check out
Hooverlibrary.org/Chinese-New-Year
 
February 4, 2021
First Thursday Fiction Book Group Selection
 
2021 First Thursday Selections
Beneath a Scarlet Sky
by Mark Sullivan

February 11, 2021
Second Thursday Fiction Book Group Selection
 
2021 Second Thursday Selections
 
Mrs. Everything : a novel
by Jennifer Weiner

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