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A GREAT Lineup of Books for Discussion!
When we left off, I was headed to a book group event where Min Jin Lee was going to be talking about PACHINKO. I was not joining a book group for this discussion, but rather it was a Pop-Up event put on by Jean Hanff Korelitz, whose BOOKTHEWRITER program I have been telling you about. It was held at the home of Min’s agent, Suzanne Gluck. I knew none of the other guests, but it did not matter. We all had a common bond with the book. Jean started off the conversation talking about the story, and then we delved into Min’s research.
Until I read PACHINKO, I knew nothing about the way Koreans --- even those second and third generation --- are looked down upon by the Japanese. Min spoke about how she needed to gather the trust of those she was interviewing to get to key people who would help her tell her story. Without their blessings, she would not have gotten the nod to speak to the sources that she did. People were very territorial, and you needed to be accepted to get to the sources you needed. One of the attendees worked in a foreign service office, and was able to share details about Korea that gave me a richer view of the country, as well as PACHINKO. I did not know that there are North Korean schools in Japan where students are schooled in ways of the North.
The discussion went on for nearly two hours, and then we mingled afterwards, sharing bits and pieces of our lives. Two of the women were ardent theater buffs, and though Broadway is not my thing, I loved hearing their views on shows both on and off the Great White Way. The refreshments were barely touched; people were riveted to the discussion.
I left knowing I will attend another Pop-Up event in the future. Above you can see a fun photo from the night...and before you wonder what’s going on, yes, Min and Jean are holding each other’s books, and that is their agent on the left.
For those of you in a book group who want a bit more discussion beyond time with your regular group, think about pulling together some people who have an interest in an author to discuss their work even if you cannot schedule this with your group. The author can visit via Skype, if not in person. And it can be a “One-Time, One-Book Book Group." Make it worth the author’s while by having enough people gathered, and if possible, buy the book instead of taking it from the library. I read so fast and furiously that I often need to remember that the book I read in a day may have taken an author a year or more to write --- and we need to support them! Taking time to savor a discussion and get other points of view on the table will make the experience even more rewarding.
A few weeks ago, I spent a lovely evening at the Fairfield Public Library in Fairfield, Connecticut, where I spoke to a full house of readers about great books for book group discussions. I thoroughly enjoy evenings like this where I can speak with readers about what they are reading, as well as share my commentary on titles that I recommend. You can see a photo of me above with my hosts: Claudia Silk on the left, Mary Coe on the right, and Linda Quinn beside me. If you are interested in having me at an event in your area, let me know!
Yaa Gyasi’s award-winning debut novel, HOMEGOING, which is the Indies Choice Debut Book of the Year and is now available in paperback, is our latest “What’s Your Book Group Reading” contest book. It follows the parallel paths of two half sisters and their descendants through eight generations --- from the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi, from the American Civil War to Jazz Age Harlem. We’re giving three book groups the chance to win 12 copies. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Thursday, June 8th at noon ET. I love this book. It’s rich with history, and the language and writing are beautiful. Click here for the discussion guide and here for our review on Bookreporter.com.
In April's “What’s Your Book Group Reading” contest, here are the five books mentioned most frequently as titles that our book groups read: A MAN CALLED OVE by Fredrik Backman, HILLBILLY ELEGY: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis by J. D. Vance, SMALL GREAT THINGS by Jodi Picoult, ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE by Anthony Doerr, and A GENTLEMAN IN MOSCOW by Amor Towles. We now will be calling out these most popular selections as soon as each month’s contest ends, so be sure to check back next month to see what the top five picks are from this current contest period.
At the end of my opening note in the last newsletter, I teased a book that I said I could not stop talking about and that had over 1,000 five-star reviews on Amazon. The book: BENEATH A SCARLET SKY, Mark Sullivan’s first solo novel in almost three years. It’s historical fiction based on the life of Pino Lella, a real-life hero who, during World War II, risked his life guiding Jews across the Alps into neutral Switzerland, then became a spy inside the German High Command. Literally every person I have handed this book to has called me to talk about it with glowing praise, and I am looking forward to hearing what you all have to say about it. We have a discussion guide for it here, along with our review on Bookreporter.com, an interview with Mark, and my Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary. Oh, and I just checked: It now has more than 2,300 reviews on Amazon, and 85% are five-star!
Another book I am just crazy about is GINNY MOON by debut novelist Benjamin Ludwig. I mentioned in our late February newsletter that book clubs who loved THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME should have this one on their radar. It’s a Bookreporter.com Bets On title, and here’s a preview of what I say in my Bets On commentary: “This is a story that seared its way into my heart. Ginny Moon’s voice is just pitch perfect, drawing readers to move through the world as seen by her gifted autistic mind. The plotting is deft as she leads the adults around her to a brilliant climax and hastens their awakening of how strong --- actually fierce --- she is about those she loves.” Click here for the discussion guide and here for our review on Bookreporter.com.
Last October, I attended a Young Adult preview event and heard about BANG, a novel by Barry Lyga, which is now in stores. I came home from the event and devoured it; it's such a sharp book. The story line: Sebastian Cody at the age of four accidentally shot and killed his infant sister with his father’s gun. Ten years later, Sebastian has lived with the guilt and horror for his entire life. Now he is contemplating his own future as he reflects on what his action wrought. I always wonder what happens to the families after a tragic shooting like this (I thought that Sue Klebold's memoir, A MOTHER’S RECKONING, was brilliantly insightful into this). Barry's book is powerful. Nothing was glamorized. It was honest and raw and tough and wonderful. We have a discussion guide for it here and our review on Teenreads.com here. It's the kind of book that I wish I could read again --- for the first time.
In February, a selection of book groups won copies of the runaway bestseller BEING MORTAL: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande and were asked to answer some questions about the book. We are happy to be sharing their wonderful feedback with you here. Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession's ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Those who have read BEING MORTAL have called it a life-changer, and we are so glad that these groups were able to experience this book and discuss it. Take a look at their comments and then consider discussing the book with your group.
This is your last newsletter reminder about our 6th Annual Book Group Speed Dating Event, which will take place on Friday, June 2nd, from 2:00pm to 3:50pm at BookExpo in New York. Representatives from 24 publishers will be in attendance to share selections and book group news from their publishing houses in a speed-dating format designed to give booksellers, librarians and book group leaders an inside look at what book groups will want to know for fall and winter. Galley giveaways and ideas for enhancing book group discussions will be part of this event. Advance signup is required by Monday, May 22nd at noon ET. Please fill out this form to sign up.
Many thanks to Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Dinitia Smith, Lisa Ko and Wendy Walker for contributing lovely pieces for this year’s Mother’s Day Author Blogs on Bookreporter.com. Click here to read their heartfelt reflections on their mothers and (in the case of Wendy) their own experiences as mothers. One is more beautiful than the next.
Chitra’s and Dinitia’s novels, BEFORE WE VISIT THE GODDESS and THE HONEYMOON, respectively, are two of the books we’re giving away in Bookreporter.com’s Mother’s Day contest, where five readers each will be awarded all 13 of our featured titles and some mom-themed treats. You only have until this Monday, May 15th at noon ET to enter; to do so, please fill out this form. Oh, and we have discussion guides for both of these books.
As some of you may know, Margaret Atwood’s classic novel, THE HANDMAID’S TALE, is now a series on Hulu, with new episodes streaming every Wednesday. For those of you in a book group, why not read the novel, watch the first season and talk about both? The series has just been renewed for a second season that is set to premiere next year.
In this month's poll, we're asking about how you participate in your book group meetings. Do you tend to dominate the discussion, or sit back and listen to what others in your group have to say, or...? Well, you will have to look at our poll to see your other options. Click here to cast your vote!
Our previous poll asked if you are interested in having authors at your book group meetings. You can see the results here.
We’ve updated our New in Paperback and Reading Roundup features for May, where, as always, you will find countless reading suggestions.
Enjoy your early May discussions. We will be back to you in two weeks with our next update. And a very Happy Mother’s Day to those celebrating and being celebrated. To those who are far from their children, or whose moms are no longer with them, or who cannot get into the spirit of the holiday due to circumstances you cannot control, an extra hug to you from me.
Carol Fitzgerald ([email protected])
P.S. For those of you who are doing online shopping, if you use the store links below, ReadingGroupGuides.com gets a small affiliate fee on your purchases. We would appreciate your considering this!
"What's Your Book Group Reading This Month?" Contest:
Enter to Win 12 Copies of the Paperback Edition of
HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi for Your Group
Each month, we ask book groups to share the titles they are reading that month and rate them. From all entries, three winners will be selected, and each will win 12 copies of that month’s prize book for their group. Note: To be eligible to win, let us know the title of the book that YOUR book group is CURRENTLY reading, NOT the title we are giving away.
This month's prize book is HOMEGOING, Yaa Gyasi's award-winning debut novel that is now available in paperback. In 18th-century Ghana, two half-sisters are born. One will marry an Englishman and live in comfort. The other will be captured and sold into slavery. The book follows these sisters and their descendants through eight generations. To enter, please fill out the form on this page by Thursday, June 8th at noon ET.
HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi (Historical Fiction)
Ghana, 18th century: Two half sisters, Effia and Esi, are born into different villages, each unaware of the other. One will marry an Englishman and lead a life of comfort in the palatial rooms of the notorious Cape Coast Castle. The other will be captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned in the very same castle, and shipped off to America to be sold into slavery.
With breathtaking scope, HOMEGOING follows the parallel paths of these sisters and their descendants through eight generations: from the slave traders of the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi, from the Asantes’ struggle against British colonialism to the first stirrings of the American Civil War, from the jazz of 20th-century Harlem to the sparkling shores of modern Ghana. Yaa Gyasi’s extraordinary novel illuminates slavery’s troubled legacy both for those who were taken and those who stayed --- and shows how the memory of captivity has been inscribed on the soul of our nation.
- Click here for the reading group guide.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here to enter the contest.
Featured Guide: BENEATH A SCARLET SKY
by Mark Sullivan
BENEATH A SCARLET SKY by Mark Sullivan (Historical Fiction)
Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, BENEATH A SCARLET SKY is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience during one of history’s darkest hours.
Pino Lella wants nothing to do with the war or the Nazis. He’s a normal Italian teenager --- obsessed with music, food and girls --- but his days of innocence are numbered. When his family home in Milan is destroyed by Allied bombs, Pino joins an underground railroad helping Jews escape over the Alps, and falls for Anna, a beautiful widow six years his senior.
In an attempt to protect him, Pino’s parents force him to enlist as a German soldier --- a move they think will keep him out of combat. But after Pino is injured, he is recruited at the tender age of 18 to become the personal driver for Adolf Hitler’s left hand in Italy, General Hans Leyers, one of the Third Reich’s most mysterious and powerful commanders.
Now, with the opportunity to spy for the Allies inside the German High Command, Pino endures the horrors of the war and the Nazi occupation by fighting in secret, his courage bolstered by his love for Anna and for the life he dreams they will one day share.
Fans of ALL THE LIGHT WE CANNOT SEE, THE NIGHTINGALE and UNBROKEN will enjoy this riveting saga of history, suspense and love.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
- Click here to read an interview with Mark Sullivan.
- Click here to visit Mark Sullivan's website.
Click here for the featured guide.
Featured Guide: GINNY MOON by Benjamin Ludwig
GINNY MOON by Benjamin Ludwig (Fiction)
To Ginny, a child with autism, the word Forever means until the police come.
Five years ago the police forcibly removed her from the home of her abusive birth mother, Gloria. Now 14, and in her fourth Forever Home, Ginny remains hell-bent on finding her way back to Gloria’s apartment. She has no illusions about her mother’s addictions or lack of parenting skills. She knows that it might be dangerous --- that it might even kill her. Still she plots, obsessed with returning to Gloria’s to find something she insists she left behind, something she hid under her bed. Her teachers, therapist and new Forever Parents are in turn frustrated, infuriated and perplexed.
The novel opens with Ginny secretly contacting Gloria and revealing her new address. When mother and daughter try to reunite, the police and courts quickly become involved, monitoring Ginny constantly. After her Forever Mother gets pregnant, Ginny’s already-fragile relationship with her disintegrates, and her Forever Parents begin the process of placing Ginny at St. Genevieve’s Home for Girls, effectively un-adopting her.
But Ginny has other plans. She’ll steal and lie, and reach across her past to exploit the good intentions of her aunt and her birth father --- anything it takes to get back what’s missing in her life. She’ll even get herself kidnapped: all for the sake of reclaiming her smothered innocence, all for the sake of finding what she left behind the farthest edge of Forever.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
- Click here to read Carol's Bookreporter.com Bets On commentary.
Click here for the featured guide.
New Guide: BANG by Barry Lyga
BANG by Barry Lyga (Fiction)
THIS IS WHERE IT ENDS, HATE LIST and FORGIVE ME, LEONARD PEACOCK readers will appreciate this heartbreaking novel about living with your worst mistake from New York Times bestselling author Barry Lyga.
A chunk of old memory, adrift in a pool of blood.
Sebastian Cody did something horrible, something no one --- not even Sebastian himself --- can forgive. At the age of four, he accidentally shot and killed his infant sister with his father's gun.
Now, 10 years later, Sebastian has lived with the guilt and horror for his entire life. With his best friend away for the summer, Sebastian has only a new friend --- Aneesa --- to distract him from his darkest thoughts. But even this relationship cannot blunt the pain of his past. Because Sebastian knows exactly how to rectify his childhood crime and sanctify his past. It took a gun to get him into this.
Now he needs a gun to get out.
Unflinching and honest, BANG is the story of one boy and one moment in time that cannot be reclaimed, as true and as relevant as tomorrow's headlines.
- Click here to read a review on Teenreads.com.
Click here for the reading group guide.
Book Group Comments on
BEING MORTAL by Atul Gawande
In February, a selection of book groups won copies of the runaway bestseller BEING MORTAL: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande and were asked to answer some questions about the book. We are happy to be sharing their wonderful feedback with you here. Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession's ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Those who have read BEING MORTAL have called it a life-changer, and we are so glad that these groups were able to experience this book and discuss it.
BEING MORTAL: Medicine and What Matters in the End by Atul Gawande (Health/Medicine)
In BEING MORTAL, bestselling author Atul Gawande tackles the hardest challenge of his profession: how medicine can not only improve life but also the process of its ending.
Medicine has triumphed in modern times, transforming birth, injury and infectious disease from harrowing to manageable. But in the inevitable condition of aging and death, the goals of medicine seem too frequently to run counter to the interest of the human spirit. Nursing homes, preoccupied with safety, pin patients into railed beds and wheelchairs. Hospitals isolate the dying, checking for vital signs long after the goals of cure have become moot. Doctors, committed to extending life, continue to carry out devastating procedures that in the end extend suffering.
Gawande, a practicing surgeon, addresses his profession's ultimate limitation, arguing that quality of life is the desired goal for patients and families. Gawande offers examples of freer, more socially fulfilling models for assisting the infirm and dependent elderly, and he explores the varieties of hospice care to demonstrate that a person's last weeks or months may be rich and dignified.
Full of eye-opening research and riveting storytelling, BEING MORTAL asserts that medicine can comfort and enhance our experience even to the end, providing not only a good life but also a good end.
- Click here for the reading group guide.
Click here to read the comments.
ReadingGroupGuides.com's 6th Annual
BookExpo Speed Dating Event:
"Great Book Group Titles for Fall/Winter 2017"
On Friday, June 2nd, from 2:00pm to 3:50pm at BookExpo in New York, ReadingGroupGuides.com will host its 6th Annual Book Group Speed Dating Event.
Representatives from 24 publishers will be in attendance to share selections and book group news from their publishing houses in a speed-dating format designed to give booksellers, librarians and book group leaders an inside look at what book groups will want to know for fall and winter. Galley giveaways and ideas for enhancing book group discussions will be part of this event.
Advance signup is required by Monday, May 22nd at noon ET. Seating will be assigned. Fill out this form to sign up.
Please note: You must be registered to attend BookExpo in order to attend this session. If you are not, click here to register.
May's Reading Roundup: Top Picks from
Indie Next, LibraryReads, Target and Costco
Each month, we share top book picks from Indie Next and LibraryReads, as well as the Target Book Club title and Pennie's Pick for Costco.
This month's Indie Next titles include THE STARS ARE FIRE by Anita Shreve, in which an extraordinary young woman is tested by a catastrophic event and its devastating aftermath; SAINTS FOR ALL OCCASIONS, J. Courtney Sullivan’s novel about the hope, sacrifice and love between two sisters and the secret that drives them apart; and PRIESTDADDY, Patricia Lockwood’s heartbreakingly funny memoir about balancing identity with family and tradition.
Library Reads is spotlighting a number of debut novels, including ELEANOR OLIPHANT IS COMPLETELY FINE by Gail Honeyman, the story of an out-of-the-ordinary heroine who realizes that the only way to survive is to open your heart; Kathleen A. Flynn's THE JANE AUSTEN PROJECT, in which two researchers from the future are sent back in time to meet Jane Austen and recover a suspected unpublished novel; and SYCAMORE by Bryn Chancellor, a coming-of-age story, a mystery, and a moving exploration of the elemental forces that drive human nature.
Click here for the complete roundup.
May's New in Paperback Roundups on Bookreporter.com
May’s roundup of New in Paperback fiction titles includes Emma Cline's debut novel and instant bestseller, THE GIRLS, an indelible portrait of girls, the women they become, and that moment in life when everything can go horribly wrong; Anne Rice's PRINCE LESTAT AND THE REALMS OF ATLANTIS, which marks the return of the indomitable vampire hero Lestat de Lioncourt, who finds himself at war with a strange, ancient, otherworldly form that has somehow taken possession of his immortal body and spirit; and THE TWENTY-THREE, the jaw-dropping finale of Linwood Barclay's Promise Falls Trilogy.
Among this month’s nonfiction offerings are THE VIEW FROM THE CHEAP SEATS, an enthralling collection of nonfiction essays from Neil Gaiman on a myriad of topics --- from art and artists to dreams, myths and memories; VALIANT AMBITION by Nathaniel Philbrick, a surprising account of the middle years of the American Revolution, and the tragic relationship between George Washington and Benedict Arnold; and Lesley M. M. Blume's EVERYBODY BEHAVES BADLY, which tells the full story behind Ernest Hemingway’s legendary rise for the first time, revealing how he created his own image as the bull-fighting aficionado, hard-drinking literary genius and expatriate bon vivant.
Find out what's New in Paperback for the weeks of
May 1st, May 8th, May 15th, May 22nd and May 29th.
Bookreporter.com Bets On: THE RADIUM GIRLS
by Kate Moore and I FOUND YOU by Lisa Jewell
THE RADIUM GIRLS: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore (Biography/History)
There is a true pleasure that comes from reading narrative nonfiction when a writer brings her subject brilliantly to life. Kate Moore does this with THE RADIUM GIRLS: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women, and the subtitle’s pun is intended. Kate explores the lives of the women who worked in the radium-dial factories where they labored painting the dials of watches. These jobs were much-coveted as these ladies were seen as craftswomen, and their skill was highly paid, at a time when good-paying jobs for women were scarce.
- Click here to read more of Carol's Bets On commentary.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
I FOUND YOU by Lisa Jewell (Psychological Suspense)
There are times when I find a new author and wonder how I never read his or her books before. That is what happened when I picked up Lisa Jewell’s I FOUND YOU. I read a very early manuscript last summer, before we awarded it to a group of our early readers in the fall (I just reread their comments; they loved it). I still can remember exactly where I was when I read it --- floating in the pool, for hours --- completely immersed in the story.
- Click here to read more of Carol's Bets On commentary.
- Click here to read a review on Bookreporter.com.
Click here for more books we're betting you'll love.
Bookreporter.com's Mother's Day Contest
and Author Blogs
2017 Mother's Day Author Blogs
Our Mother's Day Author Blogs are back for an eighth year! We are excited to be sharing pieces from authors who discuss how their moms influenced them to become readers and writers, along with their own experiences as mothers and their views on motherhood. This year's contributors are Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni, Dinitia Smith, Lisa Ko and Wendy Walker.
Click here to read this year's Mother's Day Author Blogs.
Bookreporter.com's 12th Annual Mother's Day Contest
Mother’s Day is a time to recognize the woman who raised and nurtured us. To celebrate, we're giving you the opportunity to win books and goodies for you or the special lady in your life in our 12th annual "Books Mom Will Love" contest. From now through Monday, May 15th at noon ET, readers can enter to win one of our five prize packages, which includes the books listed here, along with some delightful mom-themed treats.
Click here to enter the contest.
Announcing Bookreporter.com's
Summer Reading Contests and Feature
Summer will be here before you know it! At Bookreporter.com, this means it's time for us to share some great summer book picks with our Summer Reading Contests and Feature. We will be hosting a series of 24-hour contests for these titles on select days through August 24th, so you will have to check the site each day to see the featured prize book and enter to win. We also will be sending a special newsletter to announce the day's title, which you can sign up for here.
Our first prize book will be announced on Tuesday, May 16th at noon ET.
Click here to read all the contest details
and see the prize books being awarded in May, June, July and August.
Enter Our Ongoing Bookreporter.com Contests:
"Word of Mouth" and "Sounding Off on Audio"
Word of Mouth Contest:
Tell Us What You're Reading --- and You Can Win Two Books!
Tell us about the books you’ve finished reading with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars. During the contest period from April 28th to May 12th at noon ET, three lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win a copy of GINNY MOON by Benjamin Ludwig and INTO THE WATER by Paula Hawkins.
To make sure other readers will be able to find the books you write about, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For rules and guidelines, click here.
Click here to enter the contest.
Please note: A new Word of Mouth contest will be up
on Friday, May 12th at noon ET.
Sounding Off on Audio Contest:
Tell Us What You're Listening to --- and You Can Win Two Audiobooks!
Tell us about the audiobooks you’ve finished listening to with your comments and a rating of 1 to 5 stars for both the performance and the content. During the contest period from May 1st to June 1st at noon ET, two lucky readers each will be randomly chosen to win the audio versions of Dorothea Benton Frank's SAME BEACH, NEXT YEAR, performed by Bernadette Dunne, and Dennis Lehane's SINCE WE FELL, performed by Julia Whelan.
To make sure other readers will be able to find the audiobook, please include the full title and correct author names (your entry must include these to be eligible to win). For complete rules and guidelines, click here.
Click here to enter the contest.
The following guides are now available on ReadingGroupGuides.com:
BANG by Barry Lyga (Fiction)
Unflinching and honest, BANG is the story of one boy and one moment in time that cannot be reclaimed, as true and as relevant as tomorrow's headlines.
BEFORE WE VISIT THE GODDESS by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (Fiction)
In her latest novel, Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni explores the relationships between mothers and daughters, and the different kinds of love that bind us across generations.
BENEATH A SCARLET SKY by Mark Sullivan (Historical Fiction)
Based on the true story of a forgotten hero, BENEATH A SCARLET SKY is the triumphant, epic tale of one young man’s incredible courage and resilience during one of history’s darkest hours.
THE COLOR OF OUR SKY by Amita Trasi (Fiction)
In the spirit of Khaled Hosseini, Nadia Hashimi and Shilpi Somaya Gowda comes this powerful debut from a talented new voice --- a sweeping, emotional journey of two childhood friends in Mumbai, India, whose lives converge only to change forever one fateful night.
THE DAY I DIED by Lori Rader-Day (Psychological Suspense)
From the award-winning author of LITTLE PRETTY THINGS comes this gripping, unforgettable tale of a mother's desperate search for a lost boy.
GINNY MOON by Benjamin Ludwig (Fiction)
Told in an extraordinary and wholly original voice, GINNY MOON is a story about being an outsider trying to find a place to belong and about making sense of a world that just doesn’t seem to add up.
HOMEGOING by Yaa Gyasi (Historical Fiction)
Ghana, 18th century: Two half-sisters are born. One will marry an Englishman and live in comfort. The other will be captured and sold into slavery. HOMEGOING follows these sisters and their descendants through eight generations.
Please note that this title, for which we already had the guide when it released in hardcover, is now available in paperback:
COMMONWEALTH by Ann Patchett (Fiction)
Acclaimed, bestselling author Ann Patchett --- winner of the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize --- tells the enthralling story of how an unexpected romantic encounter irrevocably changes two families’ lives.
This Month's Poll: How Much Do You Contribute to
Your Book Group Discussions?
For those of you in a book group, which of the following best describes your level of participation at your meetings? Please check all that apply.
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I am happy to start the conversation and then turn it over to my fellow book group members.
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I usually let my fellow members speak first and then wait for the right time to express my thoughts.
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I tend to dominate the discussion.
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I typically find myself just sitting back and listening to what my fellow members have to say.
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It depends on how much I liked or disliked the book that is being discussed.
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It depends on how I am feeling that particular day.
Click here to vote in the poll by Thursday, June 8th at noon ET.
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