September 2021 Host:  Sarah

The Midnight Library by Matt Haig

Summary

When the death of her cat proves the final straw, Nora decides to check out on life, and finds herself at the Midnight Library. "Even death was something Nora couldn't do properly, it seemed." But each book at this library tells the story of a life she could have had. Part It’s a Wonderful Life, part Oona Out of Order, this charming, funny, inventive novel is about regret, the choices we make, and taking the bitter with the sweet. —Vannessa Cronin, Amazon Book Review

 

August 2021 Host: Nancy

The Four Winds by Kristin Hanna

Reviews

"[A] riveting story of love, courage, and sacrifice...Hannah combines gritty realism with emotionally rich characters and lyrical prose that rings brightly and true...In Elsa, a woman who fiercely defends her principles and those she loves, Hannah brilliantly revives the ghost of Tom Joad." - Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"Outstanding...[A] rich, rewarding read about family ties, perseverance, and women's friendships and fortitude." - Booklist (starred review)

"The pedantic aims of the novel are hard to ignore as Hannah embodies her history lesson in what feels like a series of sepia-toned postcards depicting melodramatic scenes and clichéd emotions. For devoted Hannah fans in search of a good cry." - Kirkus Reviews

"Through one woman's survival during the harsh and haunting Dust Bowl, master storyteller, Kristin Hannah, reminds us that the human heart and our Earth are as tough, yet as fragile, as a change in the wind. This mother's soul, suffering the same drought as the land, attempts to cross deserts and beat starvation to save her children with a fierce inner strength called motherhood. A timely novel highlighting the worth and delicate nature of Nature itself." - Delia Owens, author of Where the Crawdads Sing

 

June 2021 Host:  Jennie

Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding

Summary

Bridget Jones's Diary is the devastatingly self-aware, laugh-out-loud account of a year in the life of a thirty-something Singleton on a permanent doomed quest for self-improvement. Caught between the joys of Singleton fun, and the fear of dying alone and being found three weeks later half eaten by an Alsatian; tortured by Smug Married friends asking, "How's your love life?" with lascivious, yet patronizing leers, Bridget resolves to: reduce the circumference of each thigh by 1.5 inches, visit the gym three times a week not just to buy a sandwich, form a functional relationship with a responsible adult and learn to program the VCR. With a blend of flighty charm, existential gloom, and endearing self-deprecation, Bridget Jones's Diary has touched a raw nerve with millions of readers the world round. Read it and laugh—before you cry, "Bridget Jones is me!" (review taken from amazon.com)

 

June 2021 Host:  Stephanie

The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett

Summary

Book Summary

A deliciously funny novella that celebrates the pleasure of reading. When the Queen in pursuit of her wandering corgis stumbles upon a mobile library she feels duty bound to borrow a book. Aided by Norman, a young man from the palace kitchen who frequents the library, the Queen is transformed as she discovers the liberating pleasures of the written word.

The author of the Tony Award winner The History Boys, Alan Bennett is one of Britain’s best-loved literary voices. With The Uncommon Reader, he brings us a playful homage to the written word, imagining a world in which literature becomes a subversive bridge between powerbrokers and commoners. By turns cheeky and charming, the novella features the Queen herself as its protagonist. When her yapping corgis lead her to a mobile library, Her Majesty develops a new obsession with reading. She finds herself devouring works by a tantalizing range of authors, from the Brontë sisters to Jean Genet. With a young member of the palace kitchen staff guiding her choices, it’s not long before the Queen begins to develop a new perspective on the world - one that alarms her closest advisers and tempts her to make bold new decisions. Brimming with the mischievous wit that has garnered acclaim for Bennett on both sides of the Atlantic, The Uncommon Reader is a delightful celebration of books and writers, and the readers who sustain them.

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May 2021 Host:  Colleen

Pick your own book! Too many to review.

 

April 2021 Host:  Jaci

Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng

Review

Everything I Never Told You is the 2014 debut novel by Celeste Ng. The novel topped Amazon's Best Books of the Year list for 2014. The novel is about a mixed-race Chinese-American family whose middle daughter Lydia is found drowned in a nearby lake. Wikipedia

 

February 2021 Host:  Stephanie

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

Summary

This is the story of nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. This book begins in 1933 in the middle of the Great Depression.  The story follows one boy in particular, Joe Rantz whose childhood deprivations led him to resort to things such as having to scour for mushrooms and fish for enough food to keep him alive. The nine boys along with their brilliant coach and a renowned boat builder overcome obstacle after obstacle in their quest to represent the U.S. and win gold in the 1936 Berlin Olympics.  The book includes the story of Hitler’s engineering of the 1936 Olympics as a showcase for Nazi Germany, removing all traces of anti-Semitism and presenting Berlin as wholesome and squeaky clean.  Although the lengthy descriptions of outings and techniques in the beginning were difficult to get through, I was glad I continued to the end.  Even if you skim those sections of the book, the ending is worth it as it is well written and is a very compelling story.  

 

January 2021 Host:  Megan

You by Caroline Kepnes

Summary

This story is told in the first person and is narrated by the villain; Joe.  When Beck walks into the bookstore that Joe works in, he sets out to become her perfect boyfriend, no matter what it takes.  He breaks into her apartment and steals her possessions and also steals her phone where he can stalk her online as well as in person.  He also manages to get rid of her boyfriend and best friend.   He is completely obsessed, deranged, and becomes even more unhinged with every chapter but Joe thinks he is acting completely normal.   Despite being a psychopath, Joe is strangely likeable and the reader may at times (accidentally) root for him.  Stephen King described this book as hypnotic and scary.  I found some hated this book and some loved it.  I personally liked it as I had never read anything quite like it and enjoyed the series on Netflix.