Talk About a Good Book

May 23 - Bookish Life of Nina Hill

At our April 25th meeting, we discussed The Library Book by Susan Orlean. Most enjoyed the book, but all agreed it would have been better if it had a more linear timeline. Overall though, everyone felt the book gave amazing details about libraries and librarians and all felt they learned something.

Our next book group meeting will be a week earlier due to the Memorial Day holiday. We will be meeting on Monday, May 23rd at 3pm in the large meeting room. Our book is the Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman. Copies of the books are available for pickup at the library in regular print, large print and audio. In addition, the book can be read in ebook format. The discussion sheet is also available for pickup or can be accessed online.

Summary of the Bookish Life of Nina Hill (provided by the publisher): "Nina Hill's life may not seem like much, but for a person battling anxiety, it's more than enough. She enjoys her job at a bookstore and her small circle of friends. Until a visit from a lawyer changes everything... The father that Nina never knew existed has died, leaving behind an enormous extended family. Nina now has innumerable sisters, brothers, nieces, nephews, and cousins all living within a twenty-mile radius--some welcoming and some not so welcoming, but all demanding her attention. If that's not enough, Nina's talent for worrying is taking the thrill out of falling in love. Tom, a fellow trivia nerd--who's totally into her--is obviously too good to be true. Everything is moving too fast for Nina. Caught in a whirlwind of new people, emotions and experiences, she feels the need to protect herself. But maybe opening her world--and her heart--is a risk worth taking."

April 25 - The Library Book

At our March 28th meeting, we discussed A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler. We had a lively discussion, but many members did not like the book because it was so sad. And Brad. We couldn't think of anything good about Brad. For me, it had a lot of the same vibe as the movie, Do the Right Thing.

Our next book group will be Monday April 25th at 3pm at the LME Library. You can pick up the book, The Library Book by Susan Orlean at the front desk. The discussion sheets are also available for pickup or can be viewed online.

Summary: "Orlean chronicles the LAPL fire and its aftermath to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives; delves into the evolution of libraries across the country and around the world, from their humble beginnings as a metropolitan charitable initiative to their current status as a cornerstone of national identity; brings each department of the library to vivid life through on-the-ground reporting; studies arson attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; reflects on her own experiences in libraries; and reexamines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the LAPL more than thirty years ago."

March 28 - Good Neighborhood

Oops--I forgot to post to the blog last month about Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett! There was a lot to talk about including generational differences, mother-daughter relationships, twins, choices/consequences, inherent trauma, racism and white privilege. It was a great discussion! Overall, the group felt it was very readable, and would recommend the book to others.

The book for March 28th was A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler. The discussion sheet is available here.

Summary:
"A gripping contemporary novel that examines the American dream through the lens of two families living side by side in an idyllic neighborhood, and the one summer that changes their lives irrevocably"

February 28 - Vanishing Half

At our January 31st meeting, we read Chilbury Ladies Choir by Jennifer Ryan. This is the same author as our September 2020 book, Spies on Shilling Lane. Our group was inspired by the Chilbury ladies who were dealing with the difficulties of living in England during World War II, but some found the epistolary format a bit confusing. Overall though, the book was hopeful and was well rated by our group.

Our next book club meeting is Monday, February 28th at 3pm in the LME Library's large meeting room. We are reading Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett. Books are available for pickup at the library desk and the discussion sheet can be found here.

Summary of the Vanishing Half (provided by the publisher):
"The Vignes twin sisters will always be identical. But after growing up together in a small, southern black community and running away at age sixteen, it's not just the shape of their daily lives that is different as adults, it's everything: their families, their communities, their racial identities. Ten years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. The other secretly passes for white, and her white husband knows nothing of her past. Still, even separated by so many miles and just as many lies, the fates of the twins remain intertwined. What will happen to the next generation, when their own daughters' storylines intersect? Weaving together multiple strands and generations of this family, from the Deep South to California, from the 1950s to the 1990s, Brit Bennett produces a story that is at once a riveting, emotional family story and a brilliant exploration of the American history of passing."

January 2022 - Chilbury Ladies' Choir

Our next Book Club meeting will be on Monday, January 31 at 3pm at the Lillie M. Evans Library. We will be reading Chilbury Ladies' Choir by Jennifer Ryan. Copies of the books are available for pickup at the library in regular print, large print and audio. In addition, the book can be read in both ebook and eaudio formats. The discussion sheet is also available for pickup or can be accessed online.