Hello
Welcome to the September issue of Book Club News, BookBrowse's monthly newsletter for book clubs. Is there any greater fun for a bookaholic than to share in the many delights of books, while burying your nose in yet another enjoyable book? We don't think so! The ten titles in this issue will make worthy additions to your book club's lineup. In addition, please do join us to discuss (or find out more about) the two gorgeous books that are the focus of our current book club discussions Circling The Sun by Paula McLain and Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta. Lastly, meet the Me Time Book Club, a group of women from Tuscaloosa, AL. Their mission is to "relax minds and enhance souls through words in the form of books." Your Editor Davina
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 Books About Books For Book Clubs
 | The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry: A Novel by Gabrielle Zevin
Paperback Dec 2014. 288 pages. Published by Algonquin Books
The cantankerous owner of a small independent New England bookstore is widowed and sales are lagging, but he gets a new lease of life when an exciting package arrives at his doorstep. Voted a BookBrowse favorite, this memorable novel packs in a whole host of literary references and other nods to book lovers while wrapping its story around themes of redemption and second chances.
More info including excerpt, online discussion and reading guide |
 | The End of Your Life Book Club by Will Schwalbe
Paperback Jun 2013. 352 pages. Published by Vintage
If there was ever any doubt that books can speak to many of life's splendors, this moving memoir will erase them all. As Schwalbe's mother hovers close to death, mother and son decide to form a book club and share musings about their latest pick. Through the diverse selections touching on everything from fantasy to spirituality, they forge deeper connections and learn that books have the power to bring people together in unexpected and profound ways.
More info including excerpt, online discussion and reading guide |
 | The Bookman's Tale: A Novel of Obsession by Charlie Lovett
Paperback May 2014. 368 pages. Published by Penguin Books
Imagine your spouse is dead and you're still in mourning when you come across a stunning look-alike portrait of your dearly departed tucked into the pages of an old book. Such is the case for Peter Byerly who has moved to the English countryside when a discovery in a small bookshop in Hay-on-Wye leads him on an obsessive trail to discover the origins of the painting. The quaint Welsh village of Hay-on-Wye is a mecca for book lovers everywhere and its prominent place in the narrative, sprinkled with generous references to the Bard of Avon make this novel a delight.
More info including excerpt and reading guide |
 | The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer, Annie Barrows
Paperback May 2009. 304 pages. Published by Dial Press
An author finds an unexpected pen pal in Guernsey, a small island struggling to shake off the long shadow of World War II. As she learns more about her new friends, she finds there's much to know about the island's inhabitants, many of whom share one additional love in common: a passion for books. "I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers," the narrator asks. This wonder, written in epistolary form, deserves to direct its homing instinct to your book club.
More info including excerpt and reading guide |
 | People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Paperback Jan 2009. 672 pages. Published by Penguin Books
A rare manuscript is a found treasure. Indeed, when Hanna Heath chances upon a volume of the famed Sarajevo Haggadah, a Jewish bounty, she knows she has more than the marvel of the written word in her hands. Through artifacts tucked into the book and by tracing the provenance of the manuscript itself, Hanna is able to tease out the spooling of major historical events as they are mirrored within the pages of one very important work of art.
More info including excerpt & reading guide |
 | Soldier's Heart: Reading Literature Through Peace and War at West Point by Elizabeth D. Samet
Paperback Sep 2008. 272 pages. Published by Picador
How do students who are directed to unquestioningly follow orders critically debate literature? That's exactly what Samet's students at West Point do as they share the books, stories and poems that have shaped them in indelible ways. Particularly useful to book clubs will be the way in which the author chooses the books to share and discuss, always keeping her audience in mind.
More info including excerpt & reading guide |
 | The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Paperback Sep 2007. 576 pages. Published by Knopf Children's Books
Liesel Meminger loves books so much, she will do anything - including stealing - to get her hands on them. The Reich is in absolute power, the people yearn for inspiration from the written word, and the one bond Liesel shares with the Jew hiding in the basement is a love of books. A frequent addition to book club lists, this moving ode to literature was voted a BookBrowse favorite.
More info including excerpt & reading guide |
 | Muse by Jonathan Galassi
Paperback Jun 2016. 272 pages. Published by Vintage
Two literary giants have one common obsession: poet Ida Perkins, whose work mesmerizes them both. Paul Dukach and Homer Stern, navigating the trenches of the publishing industry, try to win Ida's good graces while discovering how art can intersect with life in many joyous ways. Book clubbers will appreciate the many peeks into the high jinks of the publishing world.
More info including excerpt & reading guide |
 | Gutenberg's Apprentice by Alix Christie
Paperback Sep 2015. 384 pages. Published by Harper Perennial
Imagine the excitement surrounding the discovery of the ultimate gift for readers: the printing press. One of the first uses for this world-changing device was the printing of the Bible, yet the Catholic Church opposed its spread. Why? This exciting debut touches on intrigue and betrayal in the race to one of mankind's most radical inventions all while keeping the power of literature front and center.
More info including excerpt & reading guide |
 | The Book That Matters Most: A Novel by Ann Hood
Hardcover Aug 2016. 288 pages. Published by W.W. Norton & Company
Books turn out to be an important lifeline to Ava as she joins a book club to offer her some soul sustenance through trying times. The book club chooses to ask each of its members which book matters the most to them - and why. What follows is a series of revelations about loss and love and life's trials and joys, all expressed through a collection of insightful books. This just published book has the potential to be a book club favorite.
More info including excerpt |
List curated by Davina Morgan-Witts. Written by Poornima Apte
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 The BookBrowse Book Club  Circling the Sun: A Novel by Paula McLain
Published May 2016, 384 pages
The extraordinary adventures of a woman before her time, the exhilaration of freedom and its cost, and the tenacity of the human spirit. More about this book | Join the discussion
 Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta
Published Sep 2016, 336 pages
Inspired by Nigeria's folktales and its war, Under the Udala Trees is a deeply searching, powerful debut about the dangers of living and loving openly.
More about this book | Join the discussion
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Me Time Book Club
Me Time Book Club is a group of women from Tuscaloosa, AL. Their mission is to "relax minds and enhance souls through words in the form of books." Kena Clark talks with Tamara Elllis Smith about this creative and charitable group.
Hi Kena! Please tell us a bit about your book group.
 The name of our book club is Me Time. We have 8 members, consisting of all women, our ages range from 30 to over 50 years old. The personality of the book club is free spirit.
Oh I love that! Free spirit...
We allow every member to express herself fully and without judgment.
That's an incredible tenet to express and follow! Is there anything else that makes your group special to you or that you think might be different than other book clubs?
What makes our group special is the fact that we give back to our community. We participate in charity events and community service.
That is special-
One of our members suffers from Lupus, and every year we participate in their walk and donate to the Lupus Foundation.
Continued.....
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