Month: August 2014

September Book Discussions

August 22, 2014 Book Clubs, Book Lists

Stop by the Adult Services Desk at the Main Library (Harnish) to pick up your copies today!

* Book Clubbers
Meets the first Thursday of each month.
Thursday, September 4th @ 7pm (Harnish)

One Thousand White Women
by Jim Fergus

A secret government programs seeks white women to marry Cheyenne Indians to help assimilate them into white society.  Mary Dodd, condemned to a mental asylum by her family, volunteers for the program because she believes this is the only way she can achieve freedom.

 

* Spine-crackers
Meets the first Friday of each month
Friday, September 5th @ 10am (Harnish)

Keepsake
by Kristina Riggle

Two sisters raised by a hoarder, deal with old hurts and resentments and the very different paths their lives have taken.  Topics addressed included hoarding and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).  Feel the real emotional power and compassion about families and their baggage.

 

* Bookalicious – For adults who enjoy reading YA Literature.
Meets the second Monday of each month at the Village Vintner Winery & Brewery. 
Monday, September 8th @ 7pm (Village Vintner)

Shadow and Bone
by Leigh Bardugo

Orphaned by the Border Wars, Alina Starkov is taken from obscurity and her only friend, Mal, to become the protegé of the mysterious Darkling, who trains her to join the magical elite in the belief that she is the Sun Summoner, who can destroy the monsters of the Fold.

 

Classics Book Club
Meets the third Wednesday of each month.
Wednesday, September 17th @ 7pm (Harnish)

Sons and Lovers
by D. H. Lawrence

Selected by the Modern Library as one of the 100 best novels of all time, this semi-autobiographical novel by D.H. Lawrence shows the destructive power of love.

 

 

Nite Readers
Meets the third Thursday of the month.
Thursday, September 18th @ 7pm

The Humans: A Novel
by Matt Haig

Regarding humans unfavorably upon arriving on Earth, a reluctant extraterrestrial assumes the identity of a Cambridge mathematician before realizing that there is more to the human race than he suspected.

 

 

* Indicates book clubs that are lead by a librarian.

August 2014 Library Reads List

August 5, 2014 Book Lists, Book Reviews

Visit LibraryReads for more information about how this list was created, and to view favorites from previous months!

 

One Kick: A Novel
by Chelsea Cain

“Kick Lannigan survived being kidnapped as a child. Now, at twenty-one, determined never to be a victim again, she has reinvented herself. Martial arts and weapons handling are just a few of the skills she has learned over the years. Kick catches the attention of John Bishop, a mystery man with access to unlimited funds, and together they go after a cabal of child pornographers. A read-in-one-sitting, edge-of-your-seat thriller.”

- Elizabeth Kanouse, Denville Public Library, Denville, NJ

Lucky Us: A Novel
by Amy Bloom

“Is a family the people you are born to, or the people who you find along the way? That’s what Bloom explores in this novel set in pre- and post-WWII Ohio, Los Angeles, New York and Germany. The story follows resourceful Eva, who was abandoned by her mother at an early age, and her sister Iris, an aspiring actress who tries to find love at a time when her kind of love must be secretive. Every character is beautifully drawn, warm, and believable.”

- Kathryn Hassert, Henrietta Hankin Branch Library, Chester Springs, PA

Heroes Are My Weakness: A Novel
by Susan Elizabeth Phillips

“Any Susan Elizabeth Phillips novel is going to make it onto my must-read list, but this one is particularly wonderful, and here’s why: she creates, then cheerfully destroys, the romance cliche of the brooding hero with a dark secret who lives in a crumbling mansion and captivates a plucky heroine. The hero is a horror novelist, and the heroine a failed actress-turned-puppeteer. This warm, witty, comedy-drama is a perfect summer read.”

- Donna Matturri, Pickerington Public Library, Pickerington, OH

Lock In
by John Scalzi

“There’s been a good run of fantasy and science fiction books this year. Joining the list of great fantastical reads is John Scalzi’s Lock In. Scalzi is best known for his military SF (especially the Old Man’s War series), so his latest is a change of pace. A blending of SF and police procedural that hits every note just right.”

- Jane Jorgenson, Madison Public Library, Madison, WI

The Miniaturist
by Jessie Burton

“A dollhouse whose figures and furnishings foretell life events, mysterious notes, family secrets and the powerful guild and church of 1686 Amsterdam. All these elements combine for an engaging story of a young bride’s struggle to be the ‘architect of her own fortune.’”

- Elizabeth Angelastro, Manlius Library, Manlius, NY

Big Little Lies
by Liane Moriarty

“A horrible act of violence occurs at the Pirriwee Public School’s trivia night fundraiser for parents, but what happened and who was involved? The novel begins six months before that fateful evening and lets us in on the lives of single mother Jane, twice-married Madeline, and Celeste, who secretly suffers from domestic abuse. Big Little Lies is another page-turning read from Moriarty that had me gasping with surprise at the end.”

- Lora Bruggeman, Indian Prairie Public Library, Darien, IL

Truth About Leo
by Katie MacAlister

“I always adore Katie MacAlister! Her sense of humor is outstanding, and her heroines have real bodies. This is another installment in the delightful historical Noble series, and it doesn’t disappoint. Fans of humor with their romance are sure to enjoy this regency romp.”

- Jessica C. Williams, Westlake Porter Public Library, Westlake, OH

An Unwilling Accomplice
by Charles Todd

“Bess Crawford, a courageous World War I battlefield nurse, is faced with another complex mystery. A patient about to receive a high honor from the King manages to disappear on Bess’s watch, sending her life into a tailspin. In order to clear her name, she must find the missing patient and find out why he is now accused of murder. Intelligent and fantastic, just like the others in this series!”

- Monicah Fratena, La Porte County Public Library, La Porte, IN

The Magician's Land
by Lev Grossman

“Even if you haven’t read the first two books in the wonderful Magicians Trilogy, you will enjoy the escapades of Quentin Coldwater. Now 30 years old, Quentin finds himself back at Brakebills, experiencing school from the teacher’s side of the desk. But his adventures are far from over! Although I’m not generally a fantasy reader, I’ve been rooting for Quentin ever since I first picked up this series and am sad to see it end.”

- Kelly Currie, Delphi Public Library, Delphi, IN

The Story Hour
by Thrity Umrigar

“Another beautifully written novel by Thrity Umrigar. A relationship develops between Maggie, a psychologist, and Lakshmi, a troubled Indian woman. As their stories develop, it is hard to figure out which woman does more to impact the other’s life. Highly recommended.”

- Ellen Firer, Merrick Library, Merrick, NY