At our June 29th meeting, the group discussed Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See. Our group has read several of See's books during our group's 20+ years, and this book did not disappoint. (Other books by this author that we have read include: Island of Sea Women in 2021, Dreams of Joy  in 2012, and Snow Flower and the Secret Fan in 2008.) We had a lot to talk about with this book -- we discussed the practice of foot binding, the role of women in the time period, and female friendships. Overall, the group enjoyed the book and rated it the highest of the year so far.

Summary: "A personal and scientific work on trees, forests, and the author's profound discoveries of tree communication"-- Simard illuminates the fascinating and vital truths: that trees are not simply the source of timber or pulp, but are a complicated, interdependent circle of life; that forests are social, cooperative creatures connected through underground networks by which trees communicate their vitality and vulnerabilities with communal lives not that different from our own. At the center of it all, the Mother Trees: the mysterious, powerful forces that connect and sustain the others that surround them. Born and raised into a logging world in the rainforests of British Columbia, Simard writes of her own journey of understanding who we are and our place in the world, and how the Mother Tree nurtures the forest in the profound ways that families and human societies do. -- adapted from jacket

At our May 18th book club meeting, we discussed Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley. The group enjoyed this book and felt that it was "less preachy" than Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books (April 2026). Overall, even though some of the same issues were covered, the group liked Pooley's writing better and felt the characters were more relatable. Overall, the book rated very highly.

Summary: "Sent into an arranged marriage, Tan Yunxian, forbidden to continue her work as a midwife-in-training as well as see her forever friend Meiling, is ordered to act like proper wife and seeks a way to continue treating women and girls from every level of society in fifteenth-century China."

 I almost forgot to post the wrap-up for Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books by Kirsten Miller, so better late than never! We had seven members at our April 27th book group, and most of the group thought the book was funny and topical. The biggest issue for some was that it covered so many issues that it diminished the impact. Also, there were a lot of characters and members had a hard time keeping them straight! Overall though, the book received high ratings.

Our next book club meeting is a week early due to the Memorial Day holiday. The meeting is Monday, May 18th at 3pm at the LME Library. We will be discussing Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting by Clare Pooley. Books can be picked up at the library desk and the discussion is also available for pickup or here. 

At our March 30th meeting, we discussed The Small and the Mighty by Sharon McMahon. We chose this book as part of our America 250 celebration, and we had a couple of new club members--welcome! Most thought that this was an interesting book, but it could use a better table of contents and an index. The group liked the author's storytelling and commentary. Overall, it was inspiring to see how people have made a difference even through adversity. 

Summary of Lula Dean's Little Library of Banned Books: Beverly Underwood and her arch enemy, Lula Dean, live in the tiny town of Troy, Georgia, where they were born and raised. Now Beverly is on the school board, and Lula has become a local celebrity by embarking on mission to rid the public libraries of all inappropriate books-- none of which she's actually read. To replace the "pornographic" books she's challenged at the local public library, Lula starts her own lending library in front of her home: a cute wooden hutch with glass doors and neat rows of the worthy literature that she's sure the town's readers need. What Lula doesn't know is that a local troublemaker has stolen her wholesome books, removed their dust jackets, and restocked Lula's library with banned books: literary classics, gay romances, Black history, witchy spell books, Judy Blume novels, and more. One by one, neighbors who borrow books from Lula Dean's library find their lives changed in unexpected ways. Finally, one of Lula Dean's enemies discovers the library and decides to turn the tables on her, just as Lula and Beverly are running against each other to replace the town's disgraced mayor. That's when all the townspeople who've been borrowing from Lula's library begin to reveal themselves. That's when the showdown that's been brewing between Beverly and Lula will roil the whole town...and change it forever.