Author Archives: Laura H

Our discussion of 11/22/63 by Stephen King proved that books we love don’t always make for great book club selections. Although the overwhelming consensus was that this novel was enjoyable and even fascinating at times, the discussion didn’t flow as … Continue reading →

Arcadia by Lauren Groff is an intensely character-driven story about a boy named Bit Stone. It is told in four sections, during four different periods of his life. During the first two sections, Bit is growing up in an idealistic … Continue reading →

We began this year’s discussion group with a novel set in late 1930s Manhattan, The Rules of Civility by Amor Towles. Most participants gave it a favorable review, but critics felt that the main character—smart, beautiful, martini-loving Katey Kontent—was not authentically feminine … Continue reading →

In December, we discussed A Grown-up Kind of Pretty by Joshilyn Jackson, which was a genre shift from our usual literary fiction to women’s fiction. We agreed that though variety is the spice of life and it’s important to read … Continue reading →

Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks inspired “so-so” reactions from our book group, but because we learned so much from reading it, there was much to discuss. We determined that the novel’s key themes are intolerance, the role of women, race … Continue reading →