Books we have read and discussed over the years since we started meeting.
Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff Fiction suggested by Barbara from Amazon: Fates and Furies is a literary masterpiece that defies expectation. A dazzling examination of a marriage, it is also a portrait of creative partnership written by one of the best writers of her generation. Every story has two sides. Every relationship has two […]
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith Fiction suggested by Janet Amsterdam, 1631: Sara de Vos becomes the first woman to be admitted as a master painter to the city’s Guild of St. Luke. Though women do not paint landscapes (they are generally restricted to indoor subjects), a wintry outdoor scene haunts […]
All the Single Ladies: Unmarried Women and the Rise of an Independent Nation by Rebecca Traister Non-Fiction suggested by Barbara from Amazon: In 2009, the award-winning journalist Rebecca Traister started All the Single Ladies—a book she thought would be a work of contemporary journalism—about the twenty-first century phenomenon of the American single woman. It was […]
Love & Treasure by Ayelet Waldman Fiction suggested by Lisa This is a wonderful story that goes back and forth between several time periods and places (Maine 2013; Salzburg 1945-46; Budapest and Israel 2013, and Budapest 1913). The characters are real and the plot is compelling. The story is woven around the true history of […]
The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad Non-Fiction suggested by Janice The author, a female Norwegian journalist, who was accepted into a Kabul family for three months, writes a first person narrative about Afghan gender roles, education, politics, religion, and culture. Within the context of his society, bookseller Khan is an enlightened and liberal man; […]
A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler Fiction suggested by Barbara From Goodreads: From the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning author–now in the fiftieth year of her remarkable career–a brilliantly observed, joyful and wrenching, funny and true new novel that reveals, as only she can, the very nature of a family’s life. “It was a beautiful, […]
A Bicycle Built for Two Billion by Jamie Bianchini Non-Fiction suggested by Toni After living too grandly and plunging to rock bottom, the author decided to ride a tandem bike solo around the world and invite people that he met along the way to ride part of the journey with him. Video clip mentions various […]
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel Fiction suggested by Sharon From Goodreads: An audacious, darkly glittering novel set in the eerie days of civilization’s collapse, Station Eleven tells the spellbinding story of a Hollywood star, his would-be savior, and a nomadic group of actors roaming the scattered outposts of the Great Lakes region, risking […]
Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively Fiction suggested by Janet Winner of the Man Booker Prize The elderly Claudia Hampton, a best-selling author of popular history, lies alone in a London hospital bed. Memories of her life still glow in her fading consciousness, but she imagines writing a history of the world. Instead, Moon Tiger is […]
Gutenberg’s Apprentice by Alix Christie Fiction suggested by Sharon A historical novel about the invention of the printing press. An interesting read for those of us who love the printed word.