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What Book Clubs are reading in August! |
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by Jane Bertch Discussion November 18th The inspiring and delicious memoir of an American woman who had the gall to open a cooking school in Paris--a true story of triumphing over French naysayers and falling in love with a city along the way. |
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Have you ever wanted to read The Lord of the Rings? Maybe it's time for a re-read-or simply a love for epic fantasy adventure. Join us either in person or online this year as we travel through Tolkien's legendary world together! |
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The Wild Dark: Finding the Night Sky in the Age of Light
by Craig Childs
At a time when most people on Earth live in regions of acute light pollution, Craig Childs takes us on a journey to rediscover the awesome power of night itself. Enchanting. --BOOKLIST (starred review) Seeking not the absence of light, but the presence of the universe, master storyteller Craig Childs sets out to bike from the blinding lights of the Las Vegas Strip to one of the darkest spots in North America. A fearless explorer of both the natural world and the human imagination, Childs guides us on a quest to rediscover the heavens and to ask: What does it do to us to not see the night sky? The Wild Dark is at once an adventure story, a field guide, and a celebration of the awesome power of night itself, inviting us to look up and to look inward, eyes wide and sparkling with stars.
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The book woman of Troublesome Creek : a novel
by Kim Michele Richardson
A last-of-her-kind outcast and member of the Pack Horse Library Project braves the hardships of Kentucky's Great Depression and hostile community discrimination to bring the near-magical perspectives of books to her neighbors.
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The Correspondent
by Virginia Evans
Sybil is seventy-three years old, in the winter of her life. Sybil has always made sense of the world through writing letters and through this epistolary novel we see how she comes to terms with her past and present and learns forgiveness--
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Culpability
by Bruce W. Holsinger
Oprah's Book Club
OCREADS 2026 Pick
"When the Cassidy-Shaws' autonomous minivan collides with an oncoming car, seventeen-year-old Charlie is in the driver's seat, with his father, Noah, riding shotgun. In the back seat, tweens Alice and Izzy are on their phones, while their mother, Lorelei, a world leader in the field of artificial intelligence, is absorbed in her work. Yet each family member harbors a secret, implicating them all in the tragic accident. During a weeklong recuperation on the Chesapeake Bay, the family confronts the excruciating moral dilemmas triggered by the crash. Noah tries to hold the family together as a seemingly routine police investigation jeopardizes Charlie's future. Alice and Izzy turn strangely furtive. And Lorelei's odd behavior tugs at Noah's suspicions that there is a darker truth behind the incident"
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Every Fifteen Minutes
by Lisa Scottoline
New York Times best selling author Lisa Scottoline's visceral thriller, Every Fifteen Minutes, brings you into the grip of a true sociopath and shows you how, in the quest to survive such ruthlessness, every minute counts.
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The god of the woods
by Liz Moore
In 1975, when a camp counselor discovers the 13-year-old daughter of the summer camp's owners has disappeared just like her brother 14 years earlier, a panicked search begins as the secrets of the Van Laar family and the blue-collar community working in its shadow are revealed.
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How to Read a Book
by Monica Wood
Violet Powell, a twenty-two-year-old from rural Abbott Falls, Maine, is being released from prison after serving twenty-two months for a drunk-driving crash that killed a local kindergarten teacher. Harriet Larson, a retired English teacher who runs the prison book club, is facing the unsettling prospect of an empty nest. Frank Daigle, a retired machinist, hasn't yet come to grips with the complications of his marriage to the woman Violet killed. When the three encounter each other one morning in a bookstore in Portland--Violet to buy the novel she was reading in the prison book club before her release, Harriet to choose the next title for the women who remain, and Frank to dispatch his duties as the store handyman--their lives begin to intersect in transformative ways--
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The Keeper of Stars
by Buck Turner
For lovers of Nicholas Sparks, a heartwarming romance about a young woman whose dreams seem too big to let love into her life, until she receives an unexpected package from an old flame a decade after circumstances tore them apart. Who says you can't rewrite the stars? It's 1962 when Tennessee-native Jack Bennett meets out-of-towner Ellie Spencer. He quickly falls head-over-heels for the young woman whose greatest love has always been the stars...until Jack. As their summer romance blooms, so does their determination to be together despite the circumstances that threaten to keep them apart. But just when Jack thinks their future is certain, their romance is cut short by forces beyond their control. Twelve years later, Dr. Elizabeth Spencer, now a renowned professor of astronomy, receives a mysterious package. Inside is a novel about a young man and woman who meet at the water's edge and fall madly in love over one magical summer. As she immerses herself in the pages, Ellie realizes this is no ordinary story--it's their story. And hidden among the tales of star-gazing and stolen kisses is a detail that has her questioning everything. Seeking the truth, Ellie returns to the water's edge. But is it too late, or can the love story Jack penned bring them back together in time to rewrite the stars?
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The Lotus Shoes
by Jane Yang
An empowering, uplifting tale of two women from opposite sides of society, and their extraordinary journey of sisterhood, betrayal, love and triumph.1800s China. Tightly bound feet, or golden lilies, are the mark of an honorable woman, eclipsing beauty, a rich dowry and even bloodline in the marriage stakes. When Little Flower is sold as a maidservant--a muizai--to Linjing, a daughter of the prominent Fong family, she clings to the hope that one day her golden lilies will lead her out of slavery.Not only does Little Flower have bound feet, uncommon for a muizai, but she is extraordinarily gifted at embroidery, a skill associated with the highest class of a lady. Resentful of her talents, Linjing does everything in her power to thwart Little Flower's escape.But when scandal strikes the Fongs, both women are cast out to the Celibate Sisterhood, where Little Flower's artistic prowess catches the eye of a nobleman. His attention threatens not only her improved status, but her life--the Sisterhood punishes disobedience with death. And if Linjing finds out, will she sabotage Little Flower to reclaim her power, or will she protect her?
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An Ocean City Christmas
by Claudia Vance
Christmas in Ocean City comes with both festivity and adventure.When a fierce nor'easter uncovers an old shipwreck on the beach, Starfish Cove Inn quickly fills with treasure hunters, marine archaeologists, and a maritime historian over the holidays.As Lauren and Matt navigate the sudden chaos of running a bustling inn in December, they become unexpectedly involved in the drama and discoveries unfolding at the archaeological site.Meanwhile, across town, gallery owner Maddie clashes repeatedly with Dominic, the new pizza shop owner, as neighbor disputes escalate between the quiet gallery and the bustling restaurant.As Lauren's extended family gathers for the holidays, secrets surface that threaten to change everything.From Christmas Eve archaeological expeditions to family revelations that shake the foundation of the holidays, Lauren and Matt learn that the most valuable discoveries aren't always the ones buried in sand-sometimes they're the connections we make when storms bring unexpected people into our lives.This is Book 4 in the Ocean City Tides Series. It's recommended to start with Book 1, A Summer in Ocean City.
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The Perfumist of Paris
by Alka Joshi
After being tasked with her first major project for the master perfumer, Radha travels to India, enlisting the help of her sisters and the courtesans of Agra, but discovers that the son she gave up years earlier is heading to locate her in Paris--threatening her marriage and carefully managed world.
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The personal librarian
by Marie Benedict
Hired by J. P. Morgan to curate a collection of rare manuscripts, books and artwork for his newly built Pierpont Morgan Library, Belle de Costa Greene becomes one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she keeps.
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The Queen of Dirt Island
by Donal Ryan
From its opening pages, this book exerts a quiet, propulsive hold over its reader. The three generations of Aylward women will break your heart and then put it back together again. -Maggie O'Farrell This is a generous mosaic of a novel about the staying power of love and pride and history and family. -Colum McCann, author of Apeirogon and Let The Great World Spin From the multi-award-winning and internationally bestselling author Donal Ryan, a searing, jubilant story about four generations of women and fierce love The Aylward women of Nenagh, Tipperary, are mad about each other, but you wouldn't always think it. You'd have to know them to know that--in spite of what the neighbors might say about raised voices and dramatic scenes--their house is a place of peace, filled with love, a refuge from the sadness and cruelty of the world. Their story begins at an end and ends at a beginning. It involves wives and widows, gunrunners and gougers, sinners and saints. It's a story of terrible betrayals and fierce loyalties, of isolation and togetherness, of transgression, forgiveness, desire, and love. Of all the things family can be and all the things it sometimes isn't. The Queen of Dirt Island is an uplifting celebration of fierce, loyal love and the powerful stories that bind generations together.
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Theo of Golden
by Allen Levi
One spring morning, a stranger named Theo arrives in the small Southern city of Golden. He doesn't explain much about where he came from or why he's there--but when he visits the local coffeehouse, where pencil portraits of the people of Golden hang on the walls, he begins purchasing them, one at a time, and giving each portrait to the person depicted. In exchange, he asks only for the person's story. And so portrait by portrait, person by person, secrets are revealed, regrets are shared, and ordinary lives are profoundly altered. A story of giving and receiving, of seeing and being seen, Theo of Golden is an unforgettable novel about the power of generosity, the importance of connection, and the quiet miracles that happen when we choose kindness and wonder.
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The Women on Platform Two
by Laura Anthony
In 1970s Dublin, all forms of contraception are strictly forbidden, but an intrepid group of women will risk everything to change that in this heartbreaking, powerful, and ultimately uplifting (Amanda Geard, author of The Midnight House) novel inspired by a little-known true story. Dublin, 1969: Maura has just married Dr. Christy Davenport and they look forward to growing their family. But as her husband's vicious temper emerges, Maura worries that her home might never be safe for a child. Meanwhile, her close friend Bernie, a mother of three, learns the devastating news that another pregnancy could prove fatal. Dublin, 2023: A close call makes Saoirse realize that she may never want to be a mother. Little does she know that only a few decades ago, a group of women made this option possible for her. And she's about to meet one of them... The Women on Platform Two is an inspiring novel about the liberating paths blazed by Irish women (Kirkus Reviews) and how much farther we still have to go.
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The Great Wherever
by Shannon Sanders
Reese's Book Club
An impulsive and heartbroken woman inherits her father's share of a Tennessee farm that is rich in family secrets and occupied with busybody ghosts in this sweeping family portrait. The dead are relentless gossips, or at least these dead are. . . At thirty-two, Aubrey Lamb is stumbling through adulthood. Underpaid and working multiple jobs in Washington, DC, she's grieving the end of a serious relationship and the recent loss of her father. When Aubrey learns she has inherited his stake in a sizable Tennessee farm, she sees an opportunity to get out of the city--and to erase a mounting pile of debt. Watching her arrival with great interest are four ghosts--Aubrey's ancestors, who've staked their own claims to the farm and who never hesitate to pass judgment on the mistakes made by the living, be they romantic, financial, or sartorial. As Aubrey reconnects with her living family, another story unfolds in parallel: the history of the land, beginning with its purchase by Thomas, Aubrey's great-grandfather and one of the first Black landowners in his community. Though Thomas hopes to give his children a homestead on which they could flourish, the land proves to be a burdensome inheritance. Over the years, it turns the Lambs against one another, culminating in a catastrophic tragedy that splinters the family and echoes through the decades. Now, as the clock ticks on a potential sale of the farm, the ghosts fear expulsion from the home they've made, and Aubrey must weigh the hopes and burdens of her forebears with the very real needs of her future. An expansive family saga told with a wry and distinctly modern voice, The Great Wherever is at once grand and intimate; it explores the ways we learn to define ourselves through and against our families, how we carry on after loss, and how the past lives on in all of us.
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Mortal Things
by Marie Lu
GMA YA Book Club
Set in a world of insatiable immortals, their eternal rivalries, and the humans trapped between them, MORTAL THINGS is a cinematic and sweeping new fantasy from #1 New York Times-bestselling author Marie Lu, perfect for fans of Heartless Hunter and A Darker Shade of Magic.
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Sweet Pea
by Kit De Waal
Read with Jenna
A beautiful portrait of a seemingly ordinary woman's life, transformed by extraordinary love.When Paulette arrived in England as a young girl, she left behind a grandmother in St. Kitts who called her Sweet Pea, taught her to cook, and admonished her to avoid temptation and embrace love and forgiveness, in that order. Now, Paulette's twenty-nine and within reach of her dream: a wedding, a baby, and a little house. She's got the man, handsome Denton, and a good job as an assistant nurse. But when tragedy strikes, her baby comes from Denton's friend, a relationship that can't last. Soon it's just Paulette, grieving the life she almost had, and her son, Bird. It seems like enough, until another boy, the same age as Bird, appears. Now, there's someone new to take under wing and worry about, someone who calls her Sweet Pea and makes her laugh. Through friendships, motherhood, and connections that emerge in the most unexpected places, Paulette discovers strength in everyday acts of kindness. A luminous and lyrical novel of the trials of life and the compassion that can follow, Sweet Pea introduces readers to an indelible heroine who never turns away from her capacity to love.
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Whale Harbor: A Novel
by Mary Beth Keane
GMA Book Club
From the New York Times bestselling author of the magnificent (Fresh Air) Ask Again, Yes, a sweeping multigenerational saga inspired by the author's family history, following eleven brothers as they are set on different paths between Ireland, England, Montana, and New York. 1960s, Ireland. In the wake of tragedy, a father makes choices for his eleven grieving sons. The older brothers will emigrate to England for work, while the younger ones will stay behind. The second eldest, Macdara, is offered a job on a Montana cattle ranch and sets off. His spirited younger brother Rian begs to come along and Mac promises to bring Rian to America as soon as he's old enough. But then one day Mac gets a call that Rian has gone missing. His disappearance will haunt Mac and his family across decades. Spanning lifetimes and continents, Whale Harbor is tender, immersive, and exquisitely written (Florence Knapp, author of The Names) with award-winning author Mary Beth Keane's signature wit, eloquence, and attention to the emotional resonance of family, brotherhood, and the choices that echo across generations.
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Bad Words
by Rioghnach Robinson
GMA Book Club
A sharp and deeply felt debut about the connections that both inspire and undo us.Parker Navarro's debut novel was meant to define his career - until critic Selina Chan's blistering review made it the flop of the decade. Four years later, his new book is his shot at redemption; for Selina, reviewing him again is a professional risk she can't refuse. When her second takedown ignites a viral feud, both their fortunes shift overnight. But as the literary world feeds on their public sparring, a quieter dialogue begins - one that challenges everything they thought they knew about success, sincerity, and each other. Both incisive and tender, Bad Words lays bare the costs of creation - the pull between ambition and integrity, the vulnerability of being seen, and the unexpected closeness that can grow in the space between critique and care.
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Hungered
by Amanda Rizkalla
Oprah's Book Club
A riveting new novel from first-time author Amanda Rizkalla compassionately tackles the difficult subject of families who live outside the margins, living unhoused, and makes us see not only their struggles, but their hopes, dreams, and the perseverance it takes to face another day. --Oprah Sofia's mother promises that soon she'll have her own bedroom to decorate. Soon, too, she'll be able to see her friends, go back to school, and eat the colorful, tempting cakes in the grocery store's display case. For now, though, twelve-year-old Sofia lives with her mother and younger brother in their car. For now, Sofia's days are a blur of freeways and strip malls as her mother searches for a safe place to park for the night. For now, Sofia tries to carve out a space and an identity for herself while grappling with her family's disintegration. This haunting and lyrical novel captures the fault lines of an existence marked by economic insecurity, exploring what it means to come of age during a moment of displacement. Beautiful, evocative, and emotionally charged, Amanda Rizkalla's Hungered is an indelible ode to survival, memory, and the search for home in its many forms.
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It's Only Dancing
by Jasmine Guillory
GMA YA Book Club
A Good Morning America Book Club Pick New York Times bestselling author Jasmine Guillory makes her highly anticipated young adult debut with a Dirty Dancing-inspired contemporary romcom It's the summer before her senior year of high school and Kat (Kitty to her family) planned to spend it reading good books, working on her college applications, and enjoying her independence. Instead, she's stuck for an entire month with her family at a camp in the desert in Southern California.When she stumbles across a staff party on the first night, she's jealous of their joyful, uninhibited dancing. She hasn't danced like that since two years ago, when she was forced to quit ballet, which she once loved more than anything. She's determined to leave dance where it belongs -- the past.But Jordan, the handsome and magnetic hip-hop dance instructor, keeps dragging it into her present. As Kat begins sneaking around and lying to her parents to spend time with Jordan, she'll have to ask herself -- what is she willing to risk to finally feel free? And is it possible her feelings for Jordan could reignite her love for dance?
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Partita
by Barbara Kingsolver
Read with Jenna
From the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Demon Copperhead, a story of a brief, passionate, life-changing love affair, wrapped up in what might be the greatest romance of all: our eternal human longing for art and beauty.Livia Cable has made her peace with her marriage and modest livelihood in the farm country where she grew up, until a shocking phone call from an old lover shakes her to the core. Decades earlier, this man knew her as Livia Bohusz, a music conservatory student estranged from her home and family, uncertain of anything except her passion for music and promise as an extraordinary pianist. His request, now, to see her again stirs up ghosts she's kept at bay for a lifetime.Shifting between past and present, Livia's decision to meet or reject the reunion means confronting step by step, in memories framed as musical dances, the experiences of childhood loss, abandonment, self-immolating passion, and perilous attachment to a man who broke her belief in love and ruptured the course of her life.With razor-sharp acuity and deep affection, Kingsolver's unforgettable new novel reflects on class barriers, the risks of ambition, and the timeless, life-changing power of art.
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Sophie, Standing There
by Meg Mason
Reese's Book Club
Sophie Pattison loves books. And as well as a dream job at a local book festival, she has a husband she adores; a lifelong best friend, Emma; and a brother she's always been close to. Which makes you wonder why since Christmas Sophie has been living alone, estranged from Emma, avoiding her brother, and about to be fired.Now it feels like the only thing she has left is reading. When Sophie rediscovers an author she first read in her twenties, the words on the page reach her in a new way--becoming both solace and company. Sophie devours every one of the author's novels and begins to dream of meeting her, but knows they never will. But what if they did? What if, by then, the author feels like a friend? What if, for Sophie, it feels almost like love?In this much anticipated novel, Meg Mason captures the heartache and dark humor of our relationships in all their complexity, with a story about the power of connection and an ode to the inexplicable nature of the human heart.So smart, so funny, so moving. I absolutely loved it. --Bonnie Garmus, New York Times bestselling author of Lessons in Chemistry
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