KPL Reads

2012-02-03T06:44:00.000-08:00

The Kilbourn Public Library Book Club is reading The Girls of Murder City by Douglas Perry for its February selection. The Girls of Murder City is the untold true story of the murders that inspired the iconic musical Chicago.

With a thrilling, fast-paced narrative, award-winning journalist Douglas Perry vividly captures the sensationalized circus atmosphere that gave rise to the concept of the celebrity criminal and gave Chicago its most famous story.

The Girls of Murder City recounts two scandalous, sex-fueled murder cases and how an intrepid "girl reporter" named Maureen Watkins turned the beautiful, media-savvy suspects "Stylish Belva' and "Beautiful Beulah" into the talk of the town. It is a crackling tale that presents the freewheeling spirit of the Jazz Age and its sober repercussions.

Howard Blum, author of the New York times bestseller American Lightning says "Crime doesn't pay for the girls of Murder City, but it sure pays off for Douglas Perry's readers. This is a consistently page-turning, highly entertaining, and very intriguing story."

Let us know what you think.

2012-01-04T14:25:00.000-08:00

The Kilbourn Public Library is starting out the year with The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski.

This stunning debut novel immerses readers in a living , breathing world that is both fantastic and utterly believable. David Wroblewski is a master storyteller, and his breathtaking scenes create a riveting family saga, a brilliant exploration of the limits of language, and a compulsively readable modern classic.

Copies of the book are available at the library. Pick up a copy and join the discussion.

Claude is a mysterious presence in this story. What does he want and when did he start wanting it?

How does Almondine's way of seeing the world differ from the human characters in this story?

Haunting is a prominent motif in The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. How many ghosts, both literal and figurative, are in this story? In what ways are the ghosts alike? Who is haunted, and by whom?

Do Edgar's own dog-training techniques and methods change over the course of the story? If so, how?

Let us know what you think of The Story of Edgar Sawtelle.

2011-12-05T17:30:00.000-08:00

This month the Kilbourn Public Library Book Club is doing something special. Each member will be choosing from a selection of holiday books that are available at the library. We will read the book that we choose and tell others about it at the December meeting.

You can join in the fun! Read any holiday book you would like and let us know what you think about it. You can come to the library and pick up a holiday book here or read one you already have.

Share your thoughts about the book you read!

Happy Holidays!

2011-11-21T12:21:00.000-08:00

The Kilbourn Public Library Book Club is reading The Double Bind by Chris Bohjalian for its November selection. The Double Bind is a story of a young woman working at a homeless shelter who becomes fascinated with photographs taken by one of her clients, photos that suggest he might be tied to her own past in mysterious ways.

Chris Bohjalian's novel is plotted like a mystery but written like the best literary fiction. The Double Bind is a page-turner that is sensitive and beautifully written.

Is it clear to you what parts of the story were Laurel's fabrications? Does it matter which parts were?

Had you ever read The Great Gatsby? Why do you think it figured so prominently in Laurel's mind? In Chris Bohjalian's mind?

Let us know what you think of The Double Bind.

2011-09-28T13:54:00.000-07:00

For October, the Library Book Club has chosen an American classic that fits perfectly into the season. The Haunting of Hill House is a 1959 novel by Shirley Jackson. Finalist for the National Book Award and considered one of the best literary ghost stories published during the twentieth century, it has been made into two feature films and a play.

Jackson's novel relies on terror rather than horror to elicit the reader's emotions, utilizing complex relationships between the mysterious events in the house and the characters' psyches.

Read The Haunting of Hill House and decide WHO was in control--Eleanor or Hill House? Long after you have finished the book, Eleanor and Hill House will haunt your mind and soul.

Let us know what you think!

2011-08-24T13:18:00.001-07:00

The Kilbourn Public Library Book Club is exploring the books of John Grisham for the August meeting. Since first publishing A Time to Kill in 1988, Grisham has written one novel a year (his other books are The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, The Chamber, The Rainmaker, The Runaway Jury, The Partner, The Street Lawyer, The Testament, The Brethren, A Painted House, Skipping Christmas, The Summons, The King of Torts, Bleachers, The Last Juror, The Broker, Playing for Pizza, The Appeal, The Associate, and The Confession) and all of them have become international bestsellers.

Nine of his novels have been turned into films (The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Client, A Time to Kill, The Rainmaker, The Chamber, A Painted House, The Runaway Jury, and Skipping Christmas).

The Innocent Man (October 2006) marked his first foray into non-fiction , and Ford County (November 2009) was his first short story collection.

Choose a John Grisham book and let us know what you think!

2011-08-02T15:26:00.000-07:00

The Kilbourn Public Library Book Club is reading Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler for its August selection. Noah's Compass is Anne Tyler's 18th novel. Set as usual in her native Baltimore, the novel concerns a fifth-grade, private-school teacher named Liam Pennywell.

Liam has been "downsized" from his employment at the age of 60 and subsequently suffers a traumatic injury that causes him to lose a bit of his memory. His life had seemed pretty empty before he left the job he disliked and now it seems even emptier.

Through some combinaion of initiative, fate and chance, Liam discovers in his search for his missing memory just how much he has repressed, and he finds himself open---to love and to hurt---at an age when he thought he'd left such emotions behind. "It's as if I've never been entirely present in my own life," he says.

When Anne Tyler was just starting to write Noah's Compass, a journalist asked her what it was about. She replied, "I'd like to write about a man who feels he has nothing more to expect from his life; but it's anybody's guess what the real subject will turn out to be in the end." Did that turn out to be the real subject of the book?

What does religion represent in the novel?

Do you think Liam is happy at the end of the book?

Let us know what you think!

2011-07-21T12:17:00.000-07:00

The book club selection for July is Lying Awake by Mark Salzman. Sister John of the Cross is a middle-aged nun cloistered in a Carmelite monastery in contemporary Los Angeles. She has languished for years in a spiritual drought until she suddenly received God's grace in the form of intense mystical visions. The only downside is they are accompanied by excruciating headaches that cause her to black out.

The nuns follow a way of life established for centuries. In what ways, if any, are they allowed to express their individuality?

What specific roles do these women play in creating the reality of the religious life: the novice Sister Miriam, Mother Mary Joseph, the former prioress, and Sister Teresa, Sister John's novice mistress? What qualities does Sister John share with each of them?

How does the language and style of Lying Awake differ from most contemporary writing? In what ways do the words of nuns' prayers and Sister John's own poetry enhance the narrative? What details of daily life in the monasterey help to establish the themes Salzman is exploring?

Let us know what you think!

2011-07-21T10:40:00.000-07:00

The Kilbourn Public Library Book Club chose The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot for June. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is a fascinating and moving story of medicine and family. Henrietta Lacks was a mother of five in Baltimore, a poor African American migrant from the tobacco farms of Virginia, who died from a cruelly aggressive cancer at the age of 30 in 1951. A sample of her cancerous tissue turns out to provide human cells that could survive--even thrive--in the lab. Known as HeLa cells, their stunning potency gave scientists a building block for countless breakthroughs, beginning with the cure for polio.

Rebecca Skloot's book also gives us the rest of the story, the part that could have easily remained hidden had she not spent ten years unearthing it: Who was Henrietta Lacks? How did she die? Did her family know that she'd become, in some sense, immortal, and how did that affect them?

Due to her patience with the Lacks family, Skloot was able to write this book. What do you think about her ability to persist in this project?

When HeLa cells started to be sold, do you think Dr. Gey should have stepped in to assure that Henrietta Lacks' family was compensated in some way? Do you think they should be compensated at all?

2011-07-21T10:18:00.000-07:00

The library book club read The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield in May. The Thirteenth Tale is a rich story about secrets, ghosts, winter, books and family.
This book is reminiscent of classic British novels, like Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre.

Margaret Lea works in her father's book store and is haunted by a loss in her past. One night Margaret is summoned to the home of the most famous author in England's house to record her autobiography. Vida Winter, the author, tells a layered tale, with stories within stories, keeping Margaret (and readers) curious.

Books play an important role in The Thirteenth Tale. What is your relationship to books? Do you agree with Miss Winter that stories can reveal truth better than simply stating it?

Miss Winter asks Margaret if she would like to hear a ghost story. Who are the ghosts in the story? In what ways are different characters haunted?

Let us know what you think of The Thirteenth Tale.

2011-04-14T13:11:00.000-07:00

The Kilbourn Public Library Book Club is reading When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead for its April selection. When You Reach Me is a young adult novel that will delight adults and youth alike.

This remarkable novel holds a fantastic puzzle at its heart. By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it's safe to go, and they know who to avoid. Like the crazy guy on the corner.

But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a kid on the street for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda's mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then a mysterious note arrives, scrawled on a tiny slip of paper. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows things no one should know. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she's too late.

Were you confused by the way the book skips back and forth between past tense and present tense? Do the different time frames ultimately make sense?

How are the chapter titles related to the $20,000 Pyramid game show...and how do those titles fit into the plot?

Were you satisfied with the way all the mysteries came together in the end?

Let us know if you liked When You Reach Me.

2011-02-24T13:36:00.000-08:00

The Kilbourn Public Library Book Club selection for March is The Girls From Ames by Jeffrey Zaslow. The Girls From Ames is the story of a group of ordinary women who built an extraordinary friendship.

Meet the Ames Girls: eleven childhood friends who formed a special bond growing up in Ames, Iowa. As young women, they moved to eight different states, yet managed to maintain an enduring friendship that would carry them through college and careers, marriage and motherhood, dating and divorce, a child's illness and the mysterious death of one member of their group.

Capturing their remarkable story, The Girls From Ames is a testament to the deep bonds of women as they experience life's joys and challenges--and the power of friendship to triumph over heartbreak and unexpected tragedy.

Did the story of a particular Ames girl resonate more with you than the others? If so, which one and why?

"Bottom line: Women talk. Men do things together" (p. 102). How does this statement bear out in your own experience? Do you have any close friends of the opposite sex? In what ways, if any, are those friendships different than those with people of the same sex?

If you are a woman, is The Girls From Ames a book you would recomment to a man? If you are a man, what drew you to read this book? In what ways is this book a story that transcends gender?

Let us know what you think!

2011-02-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

The Kilbourn Public Library Book Club has picked Flowers in the Attic by V.C. Andrews for their February book. This was Andrews' first dark suspense novel in a bestselling series about a family haunted by a remorseless, demonic history. From the first sunny images of the family to the final curse, this tale of passion and peril is sure to hold you spellbound.

Why do you suppose the author chose to begin her story with the birth of the twins? What does this exciting time in the Dollanganger family say about them?

Let us know what you think of Flowers in the Attic: the compelling story of a family's betrayal and heartbreak, love and revenge.

2010-12-20T14:24:00.000-08:00

The library book club selection for January is the classic tale To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee. Set in the small Southern town of Maycomb, Alabama, during the Depression, To Kill a Mockingbird follows three years in the life of 8-year-old Scout Finch, her brother Jem, and their father, Atticus--three years punctuated by the arrest and eventual trial of a young black man accused of raping a white woman. Though her story explores big themes, Harper Lee chooses to tell it through the eyes of a child. The result is a tough and tender novel of race, class, justice, and the pain of growing up.

Atticus tells the children several times that they need to walk in someone else's shoes before judging the person. Describe times when Atticus, Scout or Jem walk in someone else's shoes. How does this change how they view the situations? What role does this advice play in sympathy and compassion?

How does the trial and everything surrounding it change the town? Change Jem and Scout? Did it change you?

Who is your favorite character and why?

Let us know what you think!

2010-11-17T13:43:00.000-08:00

During December the members of the Kilbourn Public Library book club are reading a selection of holiday stories. Each member chose a different book and will tell other members about it at the December meeting. Do you have a favorite holiday book? Let us know what it is and why you like it. Happy Holidays!

2010-11-17T13:11:00.000-08:00

The November book club selection is Plainsong by Kent Haruf. In the small town of Holt, Tom Guthrie, a high school teacher, fights to keep his life together and to raise his two boys after their depressed mother first retreats to her bedroom, and then moves away to her sister's house. The boys, not yet adolescents, struggle to make sense of adult behavior and their mother's apparent abandonment. A pregnant teenage girl, kicked out by her mother and rejected by the father of her child, searches for a secure place in the world. And far out in the country, two elderly bachelor brothers work the family farm as they have their entire lives, all but isolated from life beyond their own community.

From these separate strands emerges a vision of life--and of the community and landscape that bind them together--that is both luminous and enduring. Plainsong is a story of abandonment, grief, and stoicism that bring these people together, and it is a story of the kindness, hope, and dignity that redeem their lives.

Why might Kent Haruf have chosen Plainsong as the title for this novel?

How does Haruf characterize the landscape of Holt and its surroundings, and how does he use landscape to set the emotional scene? In what ways are his characters shaped and formed by the land around them?

How would you decribe Holt, Colorado? What are its limitations, its disadvantages, and what are its strengths? In what ways is it typical of any American small town, and in what ways is it different? What help does it provide for people who need healing, like the characters in this book?

Let us know what you think!

2010-10-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

The book club selection for October is The Unlikely Disciple by Kevin Roose. The Unlikely Disciple is the story of the semester that Roose spent at Liberty University, the Reverend Jerry Falwell's "Bible Boot Camp" for young evangelicals.

Coming from progressive Brown University, the author admits that the transition to Liberty, with its iron-clad attempts at controlling student behavior, came with much anxiety. The Unlikely Disciple chronicles the fascinating, entertaining, thought-provoking experiences Roose had during his semester at Liberty.

What did you admire about the Liberty students with whom Roose comes into contact? What surprised you about them?

What preconceived notions of evangelicals did Roose carry into his time at Liberty? How did his time there affirm or rebut these ideas?

Do you have preconceived notions of evangelicals? Did The Unlikely Disciple confirm or refute your preconceptions?

Let us know what you think!

2010-09-08T14:41:00.000-07:00

The book club selection for September is Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith. Child 44 is a gripping novel about one man's dogged pursuit of a serial killer against the opposition of Stalinist state security forces. Child 44 is at once suspenseful and provocative. Tom Rob Smith's remarkable debut thriller powerfully dramatizes the human cost of loyalty, integrity, and love in the face of totalitarian terror.

A decorated war hero driven by dedication to his country and faith in the superiority of Communist ideals, Leo Demidov has built a successful career in the Soviet security network, suppressing ideological crimes and threats against the state with unquestioning efficiency. When a fellow officer's son is killed, Leo is ordered to stop the family from spreading the notion that their child was murdered. For in the official version of Stalin's worker's paradise, such a senseless crime is impossible--an affront to the Revolution. But Leo knows better: a murderer is at large, cruelly targeting children, and the collective power of the Soviet government is denying his existence.

The narrative unfolds at a breathless pace, exposing the culture of fear that turns friends into foes and forces families to hide devastating secrets.

What propels Leo to go forward in his quest for the murderer: fear, compassion, or a sense of justice?

Does the book's portrayal of life in a totalitarian state remind you of any other books?

In 1953, the year of Stalin's death, there were 2,468,524 prisoners in the Gulag system. Do you think that legacy affects Russian culture today?

Which character's duplicity or innocence did you find the most surprising and why?

Let us know what you think about this riveting thriller.

2010-08-02T17:19:00.000-07:00

This month's library book club selection is Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver. This novel weaves together three stories of love within a larger tapestry of lives in the forested mountains and struggling small farms of southern Appalachia.

Deanna Wolfe, a reclusive wildlife biologist, watches a den of coyotes that have recently migrated into the region until she is caught off-guard by a young hunter who invades her most private spaces and confounds her self-assured, solitary life. On a nearby farm, bookish city girl turned farmer's wife finds herself unexpectedly marooned in a strange place where she must declare or lose her attachment to the land that has become her own. And a few miles down the road, a pair of feuding, elderly neighbors tend their respective farms and wrangle about God, pesticides and a future neither of them expected.

Over the course of one humid summer, these characters find their connections to one another and to the flora and fauna with whom they share a space.

Why do you think this book is entitled Prodigal Summer? In what ways do all of the characters display "prodigal" characteristics? Who, or what, welcomes them home from their journeys?

Deanna is the self-appointed protector of coyotes and all predators. Is she disturbing nature's own ways of dealing with upsets? What about Garnett and his quest for a blight-free chestnut tree--is this "good" for nature?

Let us know what you think!

2010-07-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

The book club selection for July is Canadian author Margaret Atwood's prize-winning novel Alias Grace. Alias Grace is based on real-life character, Grace Marks, who at age fifteen was sentenced to death for her part in the murder of her employer and his mistress. Although her sentence was changed to life imprisonment, many thought that she should have died on the gallows along with her co-conspirator.

Thus, Grace Marks became a "celebrated murderess" and an infamous enigma of the nineteenth century. Offering no simple solutions to this ongoing mystery, Atwood's prose will have readers laughing one minute and weeping the next.

Atwood employs two main points of view and voices in the novel. Do you trust one more than the other? As the story progresses, does Grace's voice (in dialogue) in Simon's part of the story change? If yes, how and why?

Were you of the same mind regarding Grace's innocence or guilt throughout the novel? At what points did you waver one way or the other?

Did any character in the novel freely choose his or her course of action?

Why do you suppose the book is titled Alias Grace?

Let us know what you think!

2010-06-03T14:49:00.001-07:00

The book club selection for June is Skylight Confessions by Alice Hoffman. Hoffman is known for her lyrical writing and stories laced with magic. Skylight Confessions is an epic novel that's steeped in the imagery and magic of fairy tales. The story starts with Arlyn Singer, a young woman who decides to love the next man she sees, and pursues him straight to a marriage. The rest of her life, and the lives of those around her, seems predetermined and magical but also deeply sad and bound up in loss. Skylight Confessions is filled with people falling in love quickly and deeply, children longing to fly, and otherworldly signs and beings.

Did your family have any favorite myths or fairy tales you heard as a child?

Do you think there was something that could have been done to save Sam?

What was it that John Moody learned about Arlyn as he was dying?

Why do you suppose the author chose to end the book before the door opened?

Let us know what you think!

2010-05-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

The book club selection for May is Still Alice by Lisa Genova. According to Barnes & Noble Editors this may be one of the most frightening novels you'll ever read. It's certainly one of the most unforgettable. Genova's debut revolves around Alice Howland--Harvard professor, gifted researcher and lecturer, wife, and mother of three grown children. One day, Alice sets out for a run and soon realizes she has no idea how to find her way home. It's a route she has taken for years, but nothing looks familiar. She is utterly lost. Is her forgetfulness the result of menopausal symptoms? A ministroke? A neurological cancer? After a few doctors' appointments and medical tests, Alice has her diagnosis, and it's a shocker--she has early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

What follows is the story of Alice's slow but inevitable loss of memory and connection with reality, told from her perspective. She gradually loses the ability to follow a conversational thread, the story line of a book, or to recall information she heard just moments before. To Genova's credit, readers learn of the progression of Alice's disease through the reactions of others, as Alice does, so they feel what she feels--a slowly building terror.

In Still Alice, Genova, who has a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Harvard, uniquely reveals the experience of living with Alzheimer's. Hers is an unusual book--both a moving novel and an important read.

When Alice becomes disoriented in Harvard Square, a place she's visited for twenty-five years, why doesn't she tell John? Is she too afraid to face a possible illness, worried about his reaction, or some other reason?

When Alice's three children, Anna, Tom and Lydia, find out they can be tested for the genetic mutation that causes Alzheimer's, only Lydia decides she doesn't want to know. Why does she decline? Would you want to know if you had the gene?

Alice's doctor rells her, "You may not be the most reliable source of what's been going on" (pg 54). Yet, Lisa Genova chose to tell the story from Alice's point of view. As Alice's disease worsens, her perceptions indeed get less reliable. Why would the author choose to stay in Alice's perspective? What do we gain, and what do we lose?

2010-03-29T11:24:00.000-07:00

The book club selection for April is The Bonesetter's Daughter by Amy Tan. This is Amy Tan's fourth novel and like much of her work it deals with the relationship between an American-born Chinese woman and her immigrant mother.

The Bonesetter's Daughter is divided into two major stories. The first is about Ruth, a Chinese-American woman living in San Francisco. She worries that her elderly mother, LuLing, is gradually becoming more and more demented. LuLing seems increasingly forgetful, and makes bizarre comments about her family and her own past.

The second major story is that of LuLing herself, as written for Ruth. Several years earlier, LuLing had written out her life story in Chinese. Ruth arranges to have the document translated, and learns the truth about her mother's life in China.

Memory plays an important role in The Bonesetter's Daughter. How is Ruth's life affected by her childhood memories? How do LuLing's memories affect her behavior around Ruth?

To frame the novel, Tan uses the device of a story within a story. How is this effective in bringing past and present together?

What is the significance of Ruth's learning the family name at the end of the book? What does Ruth learn about her name that helps change her opinion of her mother?

Let us know what you think of The Bonesetter's Daughter.

2010-03-01T11:15:00.000-08:00

During March the Kilbourn Library book club will be exploring the world of Jane Austen. Jane Austen was an English novelist whose realism, biting social commentary and masterful use of irony have earned her a place as one of the most widely read and most beloved writers in English literature. Her fans today number in the millions and since the advent of motion pictures, her novels have been turned into film at an almost regular pace. Although Jane Austen published a mere six novels, those few works have become the basis for the true romance story since their appearance on the literary scene in the early 1800's.

We invite you to read one or more of Jane Austen's books. We have several books available at the library desk for you to choose from including her novels as well as books written about her. Stop by and pick one up today.

Let us know which book you read and what you think of it.

Why do you think that Austen's novels are still so widely read and appreciated today?

2010-02-01T14:15:00.000-08:00

The book club selection for February is The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment That Transformed Their Lives by the Women of Jewelia and Cheryl Jarvis.

A few years ago, thirteen California women agreed to pay $15,000 for a diamond necklace and take turns keeping it and wearing it for a month at a time. They explain why they did it-- and what they got out of it--in their collective memoir, The Necklace, a New York Times bestseller.

The necklace has the subtitle Thirteen Women and the Experiment That Transformed Their Lives. Did the authors of this book convince you that their lives really had been "transformed"? Why or why not?

Some of the women in The Necklace make pointed comments on how Americans see middle-aged women. Roz McGrath ("the feminist") says, "I hate it when people call me young lady." (Page 190) Do you think The Necklace makes a statement about women "of a certain age"? What is it?

At one point, a group of men see the diamonds and debate what they could share: "a boat, an RV, a Porsche?" (page 128) Would a similar experiment have worked with men? Why or why not?

Let us know what you think of The Necklace: Thirteen Women and the Experiment That Transformed Their Lives.

2009-12-18T10:44:00.000-08:00

The book club selection for January is The Once and Future King by T.H. White. According to one review, The Once and Future King is children's fantasy as it should be, a delightful read for both kids and adults. T.H. White manages to mingle the humorous and the sad portions of the King Arthur story successfully, and he never talks down to his audience or tries to oversimplify the events. The result is a wonderfully entertaining book that never slows down, one that's both amusing and serious.

White covers the entire story of King Arthur's life. He captures the spirit of the times, making you feel like you're actually in England during the Middle Ages, watching the tournaments and quests and battles yourself. His descriptions are beautiful, his characters come alive and his handling of some of the classic scenes is unforgettable.

Arthur's first important realization is that people in his time think that "might is right." Is this belief confined to the Dark Ages, or do many people still think this way? Can you give any examples?

At one point, Arthur believes that might can be used in the cause of justice. Sir Kay objects that this is no different from "might is right." Do you agree with Sir Kay? Or are there times when people are justified in using might to enforce their ideas?

Merlyn says it is wrong to start a war, but it is all right to fight if the other side starts. He also says it is almost always possible to tell which side is starting a war. Do you agree it is only legitimate to fight if the other side starts the war? And is it always possible to tell which side is starting a war?

The Once and Future King has been called the world's greatest fantasy classic.
Let us know what you think!

2009-11-29T20:10:00.000-08:00

2009-11-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

The book club selection for November is The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien. Since it was first published, The Things They Carried has become an unparalleled Vietnam testament, a classic work of American literature and a profound study of men at war that illuminates the capacity, and the limits, of the human heart and soul.

The Things They Carried is Tim O'Brien's beautiful, anguished collection of linked stories about Vietman. Mingling fact with fiction, telling and retelling events from different points of view, the book is as much about war as it is about the difference between truth and reality.

On the copyright page of the novel appears the following: "This is a work of fiction. Except for a few details regarding the author's own life, all the incidents, names, and characters are imaginary. " How does this statement affect your reading of the novel?

In the list of all the things the soldiers carried, what item was most surprising? Which item did you find most evocative of the war? Which items stay with you?

Does your opinion of O'Brien change throughout the course of the novel? How so? Let us know what you think.

2009-10-02T08:31:00.000-07:00

This month the library book club is reading The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon, a book Wikipedia calls "a psychological horror novel". It is October after all! This novel is written by Stephen King, the man known internationally for his contemporary horror fiction books and screenplays.

King has crafted a story about a young girl who gets lost in the woods where her only link to the outside world is her radio and her love of the Boston Red Sox. This book will hold you captivated until the end.

Was there a particulary striking scene in the book? Were the characters believable? If you have read other Stephen King books how do you think this one compares to some of his other books? Let us know what you think!

2009-08-31T09:06:00.000-07:00

The Kilbourn Public Library book club selection for September is the non-fiction book The Woman Who Can't Forget by Jill Price. Jill has the first diagnosed case of a memory condition called "hyperthymestic syndrome"--the continuous, automatic, autobiographical recall of every day of her life since she was fourteen. Her memories are like scenes from home movies, constantly playing in her head, backward and forward, through the years; not only does she make no effort to call memories to mind, she cannot stop them.

The Woman Who Can't Forget is the beautifully written and moving story of Jill's quest to come to terms with her extraordinary memory, living with a condition that no one understood, including her, until the scientific team who studied her finally charted the extraordinary terrain of her abilities. Her fascinating journey speaks volumes about the delicate dance of remembering and forgetting in all of our lives and the many mysteries about how memories shape us.

Would we want to remember so much more of our lives if we could? Which memories do our minds privilege over others? Do we truly relive the times we remember most vividly, feeling emotions that coursed through us then? Why do we forget so much, and in what ways do the workings of memory tailor the reality of what's actually happened to us in our lives? Let us know what you think.

2009-08-03T15:59:00.000-07:00

The Kilbourn Public Library book club has chosen the perfect end of summer read for it's August selection. We will be reading Judy Blume's Summer Sisters. Blume, who is best known for her young adult novels, has written a story of two girls from very different backgrounds and the coming of age summer they share. Their story will play with your emotions and leave you wanting more. This book will take you back to your own childhood summers and will remind you of how strong the bond of friendship can be.

Summer Sisters unfolds over almost twenty summers in the lives of Vixen and Caitlin--from 1977 when they're twelve to 1995 when they celebrate their thirtieth birthdays. There's a love story at the center, and the story of a frienship more intense and longer lasting than many love affairs.

What is it about Vix that leads Caitlin to befriend her in the first place? What does Vix get from her friendship with Caitlin? What does Caitlin get from Vix? And what do each of them give? What do you see as the source of the lasting bond between Vix and Caitlin?

What drew you to each character? With which characters did you most sympathize? Why? Was the ending inevitable or tragic? How do you feel about the ambiguity of the ending? Let us know what you think!

2009-07-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

The Kilbourn Public Library book club selection for July is Anna Quindlen's Blessings. This novel begins late one evening when a baby is left at the estate of Lydia Blessing. The caretaker of the estate decides he wants to keep the child and Lydia agrees to help him. This is a powerful novel of love, redemption and personal change. In Blessings, readers are drawn into the world of Lydia Blessing as she deals with family demons and the skeletons in her own closet. Anna Quindlen has masterfully woven an unpredictable plot and created characters with amazing depth.

The Washington Post has said of Anna Quindlen's work, "Quindlen knows that all the things we ever will be can be found in some forgotten fragment of family." Family seems to be connected to many of the fundamental and important themes of the novel. How might this tribute be applied to Blessings? In a society and a world that is constantly changing, is there such a thing as a "normal" family? What makes the "family" of Blessings--Skip, Lydia, and Faith--either normal or unusual and what allows them to function as a family unit? Post a comment and let us know what you think.

2009-05-28T12:55:00.000-07:00

We are not keeping it a secret! Our book club selection for June is Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella. With the same wicked humor, bouyant charm and optimism that have made her Shopaholic novels beloved international bestsellers, Sophie Kinsella delivers a hilarious novel and an unforgettable character. Meet Emma Corrigan, a young woman with a huge heart, an irrepressible spirit, and a few little secrets!

After a run-of-the-mill business presentation runs amok, account executive Emma Corrigan finds herself on an unusually turbulent plane ride next to a handsome stranger. As she contemplates the business meeting she fears will end her career and the plane ride she fears will end her life, she aimlessly spews her deepest and darkest secrets to the man by her side. When the plane lands safely and Emma is adoringly welcomed by her long-time boyfriend Connor, she revels in the possibility that her bad luck has come to an end, but, unfortunately, her sense of relief is short-lived.

This is just a good old entertaining read! Did you laugh out loud? What did you like or dislike about the book? Let us know what you think.

2009-05-08T09:24:00.000-07:00

I swear it's a good book! This month the library book club will be reading Testimony by Anita Shreve. According to the publisher this novel is a gripping emotional drama with the impact of a thriller. This novel takes place at a New England boarding school where a sex scandal is about to break. Even more shocking than the acts themselves is the fact that they were caught on videotape. Through the scandal we see the ways in which lives can be destroyed in one foolish moment and how our best intentions can lead to our worst transgressions.

The story of Testimony is told from many different perspectives. Why do think Anita Shreve chose this narrative style for the novel? Can you see any connection between this style and some of the novel's themes? Several characters comment that if the sexual incident at Avery had occurred at a local public school, it would have drawn little or no attention. Do you agree with this assessment? Is it fair that this elite institution be held to a different standard? What do you think will happen to the students in the future? How will they be affected by the incident and its aftermath? Let us know what you think!

2009-04-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

Truck along with the book club! The book we have chosen for April is Truck, A Love Story by New Auburn, Wisconsin author Michael Perry. On the surface, Perry's tale of restoring his 1951 pickup truck is both hilarious and heartfelt as we encounter the quirky yet endearing folks of New Auburn, Wisconsin. This book delivers a truckload of humor, heart and ...gardening tips? Perry lovingly portrays the people and places of his daily life, paying homage to small town America and to love found unexpectedly and all it brings.

This memoir is filled with eccentric characters, keen observations, and humorous storytelling. What aspect of Perry's book appealed to you: the truck repair, the romance, the gardening? Did you like the structure of the three story threads? Perry likes to showcase the ways that small town people are not all cut from the same cloth. Who are some of the locals in this book that are most memorable to you? Some readers think a dictionary beside them is a must while reading Perry. Does his expansive vocabulary impress or infuriate? Or did you even notice it? Let us know what you think!

2009-03-04T20:25:00.000-08:00

The Library Book Club selection for March is Sail: a Novel by James Patterson. This book will captivate the reader from beginning to end. Since her husband died, Anne Dunne has struggled to bring her three children together for a family vacation, so she plans a summer sailing trip on her late husband’s sailboat. The Dunne family soon find themselves trapped in paradise and fighting for their lives. Lost at sea, injured and dysfunctional, the Dunne family’s struggles will pull most thriller readers through to the end in a single sitting or two.
This novel seeks to explore family dynamics in a thriller setting. Is the author able to create a family drama within the setting of the thriller genre? Did the book indeed keep you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end?
James Patterson is one America's bestselling authors and also one of the most prolific. If you have read other books by James Patterson do you feel he is able to keep his writing fresh?
Post a comment and let us know what you think.

2009-01-30T12:37:00.000-08:00

You will LOVE the book club selection for February! In the Land of No Right Angles introduces the fiction of Daphne Beal. Beal is originally from Wisconsin.

Alex, a twenty-year-old American student, is spending the year in Nepal, backpacking and photographing. As a favor to Will--her American friend--she uses one of her Himalayan treks to seek out Maya, a young Nepali woman desperate to flee her traditional family to find work in Kathmandu. But helping Maya has unforeseen implications. Alex is soon embroiled in a strange triangle with Maya and Will, where the lines between friendship, love, and lust grow more tangled every day.

Over the course of the next eight years, Alex returns to Nepal: first to visit and to photograph, then in an attempt to help the troubled Maya. Moving between Kathmandu, New York, and the grim houses of prostitution along Falkland Road in Bombay, Alex begins to understand the pitfalls of trying to be both adventurer and savior in an unfamiliar world.

What specific themes did the author emphasize thoughout the novel? Do the characters seem real and believable? Did you like the book? Why or why not? Let us know what you think.

2009-01-01T00:16:00.000-08:00

The Kilbourn Public Library Book Club is starting out 2009 with a book that focuses on the Midwest. This book is author Wendy Bilen’s search into her family history. In Finding Josie, Bilen gives us an illuminating history of her Grandmother, first growing up in North Dakota and later as a farm wife on a dairy farm outside of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. According to the Wisconsin Historical Press this book is more than a memoir or family history but instead a dual story that “illuminates the surprising ways our lives intersect with our ancestors”.
In Chapter 1 the author tells us "I am not looking for my grandmother because she is lost, but because I am." What is the author really after in her search through her grandmother's past? In what ways do the author's life and our lives intersect with our ancestors?

2008-12-05T08:42:00.001-08:00

2008-12-05T08:34:00.000-08:00

In November the Library Book Club read A Widow For One Year by John Irving. A Widow for One Year offers a view of the life of Ruth Cole during three different periods of her life. Beginning at age 4, the author gives us insight into Ruth's bittersweet life and the life choices she makes. This multi-generational tale is a must read.

2008-10-09T13:35:00.000-07:00

For October the library book club is reading a book from an author Publisher's Weekly calls a "master story teller and a daring writer" who gives his readers bright hope in a dark world. Life Expectancy by Dean Koontz is a suspense filled, humorous story that follows the life of Jimmy Tock. Jimmy's grandfather died the day Jimmy was born and in his grandfather's last lucid minutes he predicted five future dates that would be difficult for Jimmy. The novel pits good against evil and exemplifies the power of love and family.

Tell us what you thought of the book. Did you enjoy the book? Why? Why not? How about the plot--did it pull you in or did you feel you had to force yourself to read the book? Did the actions of the characters seem plausible? Did the book end the way you expected?

2008-09-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

The Library Book Club selection for September is So Brave, Young, and Handsome by Leif Enger. This is the story of outlaw Glendon Hale's quest to right his past, as seen through the eyes of his unlikely companion Monte Becket. In 1915 Minnesota, novelist Monte Becket has lost his sense of purpose. His only success long behind him, Monte lives simply with his wife and son. But when he befriends outlaw Glendon Hale, a new world of opportunity and experience presents itself. Glendon has spent years in obscurity, but the guilt he harbors for abandoning his wife, Blue, over two decades ago, has lured him from hiding.

As the modern age marches swiftly forward, Glendon aims to travel back to his past to seek Blue's forgiveness. Beguiled and inspired, Monte soon finds himself leaving behind his own family to embark for the unruly West with his fugitive guide. As they desperately flee from the relentless Charles Siringo, an ex-Pinkerton who's been hunting Glendon for years, Monte falls ever furthur from his family and the law, to be tempered by a fiery adventure from which he may never get home.

What did you think about Monte's decision to leave his family to go with Glendon? Why do you think he felt the need to do this? Who was your favorite character in this story and why? Let us know what you think!

2008-07-03T14:04:00.000-07:00

The Kilbourn Public Library Book Club has chosen Keeping the House by Ellen Baker as the selection for July. Keeping the House is the story of a frustrated young housewife in 1950, Dolly Magnuson, who thinks there must be more to life than ironing her husband's shirts and planning his next meal. She ends up getting tangled up in mystery, romance, and scandal of an abandoned, and reputedly cursed, Victorian house when she breaks into it intending to fix it up--thinking that living in such a place couldn't help but make her life more spectacular.

In Dolly's life and the lives of the characters in this novel, the Mickelson house is personified as a character in the book. Why do you think Dolly was initially drawn to the house and intrigued by its history?

Throughout the novel, several quotes from past magazines appear (particularly from Ladies' Home Journal in the 1950s), giving advice to housewives. Find a few of these quotes and let us know how you think these tips illustrate the change or evolution of the 20th Century housewife. Do you think any of the tips are valid or helpful today?

2008-05-29T14:56:00.000-07:00

The book club selection for June is Loving Frank by Nancy Horan. Loving Frank tells the story of Mamah Borthwick Cheney's affair with Frank Lloyd Wright and her struggles to mesh her own independence and intelligence with traditional roles of wife and mother. In this ambitious debut novel, fact and fiction blend together brilliantly as Horan draws on years of research to weave little-known facts into a compelling narrative. Horan's Mamah is a woman seeking to find her own place, her creative calling in the world.

Do you think that Mamah is right to leave her husband and children in order to pursue her personal growth and the relationship with Frank Lloyd Wright? Is she being selfish to put her own happiness and fulfillment first? Is Mamah's story relevant to the women of today? Is Frank Lloyd Wright an admirable figure in this novel? Would it change your opinion of him to know that he married twice more in his life? Let us know what you think!

2008-05-02T14:04:00.000-07:00

Our Book Club selection for May is Lottery by Patricia Wood. Lottery is an incredible novel about characters that come to life and live forever in your heart. This book offers a glimpse of the world as seen through the eyes of Perry L. Crandall, a man with limited cognitive abilities but boundless generosity of spirit. The Washington Post says this is "A wonderful first novel..vivid and funny and poignant and joyful."

At several points in the novel, various characters use the word "retarded." How do you feel about this word and other words we use to describe the mentally and physically challenged? Keith and Cherry, Perry's closest friends, have both lived traumatic lives. Why do these characters form such a close bond with Perry? Which character are you most drawn to and why? Read Lottery this month and let us know your thoughts on this book.

2008-04-03T13:49:00.000-07:00

April's Book Club selection is Passing For Thin: Losing Half My Weight and Finding Myself by Frances Kuffel.

This month the book club is entering into the real world of nonfiction with this intimate and darkly comic memoir of a woman who does a 180 with her body. This book chronicles how and why the author began the successful process of losing 188 pounds. Publisher's Weekly describes the book as far more than inspirational reading, and credits Kuffel with "an eye for detail, a knack for dialogue and a remarkable sense of humor in the face of adversity."

Which do you think is the "real" Frances Kuffel, the fat or the thin one? Do you think there are aspects of obesity she was grateful for after she lost the weight? Frances writes that "finishing is not success." Does she find success in the course of the book? Beyond finishing a project, how do you define success? Let us know what you think!

2008-02-28T15:20:00.000-08:00

We are March-ing into a new month with a new book for the book club. This month's read is Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult.

For those of you who have read other books by Jodi Picoult you know her novels highlight topics that are hard to read about but her writing style makes the books hard to put down. She explores current issues in a straight forward manner that makes us think about and look at an issue from different angles. Nineteen Minutes is a novel about a school shooting and the forces that surround it. It is also an exploration into family dynamics and relationships, friendship and young love, peer pressures and alliances, suspicion and judgement. Read it this month and let us know what you think.

2008-02-21T09:10:00.000-08:00

February's book club selection is Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See.

This is an unforgettable novel of two Chinese women whose friendship and love sustains them through their lives. Here is your chance to "discuss" the book with other readers. Tell us what you think of Lily, the narrator. Is she the heroine or the villian? What did you think about the detailed and emotionally wrenching writing about foot binding? Were Lily and Snow Flower the weak and worthless women that their culture tells them they are? Would you recommend the book to others? Share your thoughts about this book by posting a message here.