Afternoon Book Discussions

Join us for our Afternoon Book Discussions, held on the second Wednesday of every month from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. We select books from a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction, encourage lively discussion, and enjoy delicious refreshments. The reading selections for the second half of 2018 are:

July 11^th – The Paris Architect: A Novel, written by Charles Belfoure. A Parisian architect is paid handsomely to devise secret hiding spaces for Jews in his Nazi-occupied country but struggles with risking his life for a cause he is ambivalent towards, until a personal failure brings home their suffering.

August 8^th – Goldberg Variations, written by Susan Isaacs. A septuagenarian business owner evaluates her grandchildren as possible successors to her multi-million-dollar beauty empire, including New York movie studio editor Daisy, womanizing sports PR representative Matt, and religious Legal Aid lawyer Raquel.

September 12^th -- Orphan Train, written by Christina Baker Kline. Close to aging out of the foster care system, Molly Ayer takes a position helping an elderly woman named Vivian and discovers that they are more alike than different as she helps Vivian solve a mystery from her past.

October 10th – Best Boy: A Novel, written by Eli Gottlieb. A middle-aged autistic resident of a therapeutic community where he was sent as a young child rebels against changes in his environment by attempting to return to a family home and younger sibling he only partially remembers.

November 14^th – Prague Winter: A Personal Story of Remembrance and War, 1937-1948, written by Madeleine Albright. The former Secretary of State witnessed the Nazi invasion of her native Prague, the Holocaust, and the defeat of fascism, the rise of communism, and the onset of the Cold War

December 12^th – Marriage of Opposites: A Novel, written by Alice Hoffman. Dreaming of an exotic life in Paris while coming of age in a St. Thomas refugee community, young Rachel is forced to marry a widower before falling scandalously in love and becoming the mother of Impressionist master Camille Pissarro.

New Non-Fiction from Bibliotheca E-Books

             Just in from our subscription to Bibliotheca e-books – some of the latest bestsellers and other new non-fiction.

            The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations, is written by John McCain and Mark Salter. Here, the former Republican presidential nominee chronicles his political career from the election of Barack Obama through the divisive 2016 election, offering his opinions of the current developments in Washington as well as his recommendations for ongoing international challenges.

            Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, is written by David Grann. The book presents a true account of the early twentieth-century murders of dozens of wealthy Osage and law-enforcement officials, citing the contributions and missteps of a fledgling FBI that eventually uncovered one of the most chilling conspiracies in American history.

            Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House is written by Michael Wolff. The columnist  and author presents his impressions of the chaos of Donald Trump's first nine months in office, detailing why Comey was really fired, how to communicate with the president, and who is directing the administration following Bannon's dismissal.

            Meditation for Fidgety Skeptics: A 10% Happier How-To Book is written by Dan Harris, the co-anchor of the weekend edition of Good Morning America, and two other authors. This is a a practical guide to meditation that debunks the myths, misconceptions, and self-deceptions that make many people reluctant to try it, and suggests a range of meditation practices.

            Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery is written by retired astronaut Scott Kelly, a veteran of four space flights. This is his illustrated memoir of his experiences, including a record-breaking year aboard the International Space Station. He shares candid reminiscences of his voyages, his colorful formative years and the off-planet journeys that shaped his early career.

            These and other e-books can be borrowed. Instructions are available on the library’s website at www.lmlonline.com