Next meeting December 9th

At our November 25th meeting, we discussed the Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. The group really enjoyed this book, and everyone rated it very highly! Beth brought some pictures and cookbooks from Alaska, and we had Nanaimo bars for dessert. At this point in time, the movie version is "in development" so maybe we'll see it in the theaters in the future!

Our next book club meeting will be on Monday, December 9th at 3pm for our coffee chat. We'll wrap up 2019 and discuss our favorite books we read outside of bookgroup. Please feel free to bring your favorite appetizers and desserts and join us!

Best of 2019 lists

Every year about this time, the "best of the year" lists start to come out. There are also some lists where you can contribute--on goodreads.com, the voting has begun! If you want to weigh in with your favorites, you can vote now through December 2nd at https://www.goodreads.com/choiceawards/best-books-2019

Otherwise, here are a few of the lists that have been posted:

Amazon's Best Books of the year so far (2019)
UPDATED 11/13/19--Amazon's best books of the year

Barnes & Noble best so far (this is only through June 2019 but had some of my favorites!)
UPDATED 11/13/19--Barnes & Nobles Book of the Year finalists

Kirkus Reviews best fiction 2019
Library Journal's 2019 Best Books lists (added 11/8/19)

Overdrive's Best Books of 2019 (this is the vendor we use for our ebooks in ADML)

Publisher's Weekly best books of 2019

In addition, libraries in our region are picking book group titles for 2020 (like us!) and you can view the current and previous lists here.

Titles for 2020

We've picked the titles for 2020, and as an added bonus this year, we will be able to talk with one of our authors! We are very fortunate to have Amy Stewart author of Girl Waits with Gun who will Skype into our meeting on January 27, 2020 at 3pm. This will allow us to talk with her and ask her questions about her book and series. Please join us for this unique book discussion!

“Talk About a Good Book” Book Club Discussion Group

Usually meets last Monday of the month at 3 pm in Turner Room

2020 (Our 17^th year!)

January 27	Girl Waits with Gun ›› Join us for a Skype visit with the author!	Stewart, Amy
February 24	To Kill a Mockingbird	Lee, Harper
March 30	Star of the North	John, D.B.
April 27	I feel Bad About My Neck	Ephron, Nora
May 18	Camino Island	Grisham, John
June 29	Island of Sea Women	See, Lisa
July 27	Last Lecture	Pausch, Randy
August 31	Farm	Ramos, Joanne
September 28	Spies of Shilling Lane	Ryan, Jennifer
October 26	Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting	Quindlen, Anna
November 30	Secrets We Kept	Prescott, Lara
December 14^th @ 3pm —Coffee Chat about your favorite books of 2020 & get our new list for 2021

November 2019 - Great Alone

At our October book group meeting, we discussed The last castle : the epic story of love, loss, and American royalty in the nation's largest home by Denise Kiernan. Several of the book group members have visited the Biltmore mansion and were able to give first hand impressions of the experience. Most members enjoyed learning more about the Vanderbilt family and the mansion but felt the book focused a bit too much on the family and not enough on the contributions and benefits due to the construction. We had Biltmore's Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce which was excellent! We also spent a few minutes choosing books for next year. Watch for the list to be posted soon!

Our next meeting will be November 25th at 3pm in the library's large meeting room. We will be discussing the book, The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah. Copies of the book are available for pickup at the LME Library desk. Discussion sheets can also be picked up or are available online. All are welcome to attend!

Book Summary:
"In 1974, a former Vietnam POW, suffering from flashbacks and nightmares, moves his family to Alaska to live off the grid in an attempt to find peace, restoration, and freedom. They will also face dangers, both internally and externally, as they face the ultimate test of the human spirit"-- Lenora Allbright is 13 when her father convinces her mother, Cora, to move from Seattle to Kaneq, AK. It's 1974, and the former Vietnam POW sees a better future away from the noise and nightmares that plague him. Having been left a homestead by a buddy who died in the war, Ernt is secure in his beliefs, but never was a family less prepared for the reality of Alaska, the long, cold winters and isolation. Locals want to help out, especially Lenora's classmate Matthew Walker. Yet the harsh conditions bring out the worst in Ernt, whose paranoia takes over their lives and exacerbates what Leni sees as the toxic relationship between her parents."

October 2019 - Last Castle

Our October book group will meet at 3pm on October 28th at the LME Library. We will be discussing Last Castle: the epic story of love, loss, and American royalty in the nation's largest home by Denise Kiernan. Copies of the book in regular print, large print and audio are available to the circulation desk for checkout. The discussion sheet is available for pickup at the library or can be accessed online. Denise is the author of a book we read and enjoyed in 2017, Girls of Atomic City. Book group is open to all so feel free to attend our discussion on October 28th!

Summary: Documents the story of the Gilded Age mansion Biltmore, tracing George Vanderbilt's construction of his European-style estate and the efforts of his bride, Edith Stuyvesant Dresser, to become its protector in the face of changing fortunes and times.