Our Souls at Night

Our Souls at Night, by Kent Haruf, 179 pages

Addie makes a proposal to Louis: they're both widowed and alone, so why don't they spend the loneliest hours together- and share a bed at night?  So begins this tender and innocent story of love, disappointment, second chances, and sacrifice.  It's a short read, but with alot to think about.  It also made for an excellent and thought-provoking book discussion. 

The Secret Place

The Secret Place, by Tana French, 464 pages

Stephen Moran is trying to get out of Cold Cases and into The Murder Squad- the group of detectives in Dublin who investigate murder cases.  It looks like he has his chance when a girl from an upscale boarding school approaches him with what may be a clue to a previously unsolved murder on the school grounds. This mystery had lots of restating of conversations and situations that had already been explained, and dialogue with teenage girls that featured so many "like"s and italicized emphases and upward inflections that it literally gave me a headache to read.  It felt very padded, and the ending was not much of a surprise.  However, if you really wanted to read a mystery that reminds you of how very mean and cruel teenage girls can be, then this may appeal. Other book club members spoke very highly of the other books by Tana French, so maybe this one was an outlier.  

Intuition

Intuition, by Allegra Goodman, 385 pages

Cancer research can be a cut-throat field, with everyone looking to make the next big breakthrough.  But what is a breakthrough if it can't be reproduced?  This was an interesting, if not totally enjoyable, work of fiction about characters working in a research laboratory.  Cliff's tests start showing amazing results, but Robin, his ex-girlfriend and fellow scientist, has a feeling that all is not what it seems.  This book has alot of great character studies, it raises many good discussion questions regarding intuition in the field of science and out, and was praised by many in the science field for its ability to make the not-so-glamorous process of science research so accessible to lay readers.  It would make for good book discussion if your group can get past the first 100 pages.
Sidenote: this is terrible cover art for this book- it does not reflect in any way the contents of the book.

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry

The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, by Gabrielle Zevin, 260 pages

This is one of those books that I recommend reading if you work in a library/around books/in a bookstore.  You'll like some of the references and inside jokes.  A.J. Fikry is recently widowed, probably an alcoholic, and having a hard time running his independent bookstore in New England.  He comes home one night to find a baby has been left in his store, his retirement plan has been stolen, and his life changes overnight.  It has all of the markers of a typical "Hallmark" story- there's a quirky shop owner, a blooming romance, and reading has the power to change lives.  Despite that, though, I thought it managed to steer clear of sappy territory, and provide bits and pieces of poignancy, humor, and literary discussion.  It would make a good book for discussion groups.

The Traitor's Wife

The Traitor's Wife, by Kathleen Kent, 352 pages

Martha Allen is a no-nonsense woman living in colonial Massachusetts.  She suffers no fools and has not been able to find a husband for it.  While assisting her cousin during the term of her pregnancy, she meets a man with a mysterious past, named Thomas, and feelings begin to blossom.  But Thomas' past is sailing across the ocean with murder in mind, and Martha and Thomas' future is uncertain.

...that is, unless you read the book to which this is a prequel, The Heretic's Daughter.  I had not, so I did not know how it would end.  The journey to the ending, though, is the interesting part.  This brought up a lot of interesting talk about Oliver Cromwell and Restoration England in our book discussion.

The Rosie Project

The Rosie Project, by Graeme Simsion, 295 pages


Don Tillman is a genetics professor living with Asperger's, who just doesn't realize it.  He has social difficulties, limited friends, lives an incredibly structured life, and decides to build a survey in order to find a wife who is perfect.  Rosie Jarman is a young woman looking for genetics advice in her search to find her real father.  Together they set out on a journey to find her father and find self-realization for Don.  It is actually a book with humor and a cozy ending.  The book club really enjoyed this book and it offered a great deal of discussion about the autism spectrum and what love is and isn't.

Silent Courage

 

Silent Courage, by Mary Byrne Eigel, 250 pages

Mary Byrne Eigel was born with a painful, congenital condition known as hip dysplasia.  Doctors of the time did not have any means to correct the condition, so Mary was raised without knowing that the pain she felt was not normal.  Discussing her pain was discouraged, and she was forced to soldier on through the pain in a misguided attempt by her parents to raise her like any other "normal" child.  Mary learned later in life about various corrective surgeries and forms of pain management, and is currently actively involved in education regarding diagnosis and treatment of hip dysplasia.  Mary is also a very gracious local author who visited the library's book discussion of this title.