Our May 19th book club had low attendance, but we had a lot to discuss with The Art Thief by Michael Finkel. This true crime non-fiction work profiles Stéphane Breitwieser, who stole more than 300 art objects from museums, churches, and auction houses over nearly ten years. His narcissistic behavior and the lack of repercussions for his crimes stunned us. Finkel was very thorough and presented the details with startling clarity. 

Book Summary: When they are hired by veteran family court judge Hope Willis to find her missing daughter, Forensic Investigators--a team of renegade investigators comprised of a behaviorist, a techno-wizard, an intuitive, and a former Navy SEAL--must race against time to bring Krissy back alive.

At our book club meeting on April 28th, we discussed The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. The group liked that it was a quick, engaging read. Even though the timeline jumped around a bit, it was still easy to follow since there was only one point of view. All rated it highly.

 At our March 31st meeting, we discussed The Sisterhood: The Secret History of Women at the CIA by Liza Mundy. It was a well-researched book, but the topic was difficult to read. Some readers had trouble following due to the many individuals included, and others found it difficult due to how the women were treated by their superiors, co-workers, and the organization. However, all felt that this was an important part of history and should be read by all.

Our next meeting is Monday, April 28th at 3pm at LME Library. We will discuss The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave. Copies of the book are available at the front desk, and discussion sheets can be picked up or are available online. 

Summary of  The Last Thing He Told Me: "When her husband of a year disappears, Hannah quickly learns he is not who he said he was and is left to sort out the truth with just one ally- her husband's teenage daughter, who hates her."

At our February 24, 2025 meeting, we discussed The Maid by Nita Prose. Most of our readers did not have high expectations, but they all loved the book! It was a quick read, but we liked the mystery and the characters. Overall, our group gave it the highest rating.

Summary: "The New York Times bestselling author of Code Girls reveals the untold story of how women at the CIA ushered in the modern intelligence age, a sweeping story of a "sisterhood" of women spies spanning three generations who broke the glass ceiling, helped transform spycraft, and tracked down Osama Bin Laden. Upon its creation in 1947, the Central Intelligence Agency instantly became one of the most important spy services in the world. Like every male-dominated workplace in Eisenhower America, the growing intelligence agency needed women to type memos, send messages, manipulate expense accounts, and keep secrets. Despite discrimination-even because of it-these clerks and secretaries rose to become some of the shrewdest, toughest operatives the agency employed. Because women were seen as unimportant, they moved unnoticed on the streets of Bonn, Geneva, and Moscow, stealing secrets under the noses of the KGB. Back at headquarters, they built the CIA's critical archives-first by hand, then by computer. These women also battled institutional stereotyping and beat it. Men argued they alone could run spy rings. But the women proved they could be spymasters, too. During the Cold War, women made critical contributions to U.S. intelligence, sometimes as officers, sometimes as unpaid spouses, working together as their numbers grew. The women also made unique sacrifices, giving up marriage, children, even their own lives. They noticed things that the men at the top didn't see. In the final years of the twentieth century, it was a close-knit network of female CIA analysts who warned about the rising threat of Al Qaeda. After the 9/11 attacks, women rushed to join the fight as a new job, "targeter," came to prominence. They showed that painstaking data analysis would be crucial to the post-9/11 national security landscape-an effort that culminated spectacularly in the CIA's successful efforts to track down Osama Bin Laden and, later, Ayman al-Zawahiri. With the same meticulous reporting and storytelling verve that she brought to her New York Times bestseller Code Girls, Liza Mundy has written an indispensable and sweeping history that reveals how women at the CIA ushered in the modern intelligence age"

Last year, we introduced a Cookbook Club and featured 6 titles over the year. The 2024 titles included: