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've updated our Book Discussion list (this is our 18th year) and it can be found here.