Avid Readers
Every Third Tuesday at 6 pm
Avid Readers
Tuesday, September 21 - 6 pm - Chapel of St. Luke the Physician
Avid Readers will meet to discuss The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. Susan Mitchler will lead the discussion.
This will be the group’s second “hybrid” meeting – both in-person and via Zoom for those who are at a distance or prefer to join remotely. If you plan to join the discussion, either in person or on Zoom, please submit the form below.
Tuesday, September 21 - 6 pm - Chapel of St. Luke the Physician
Avid Readers will meet to discuss The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. Susan Mitchler will lead the discussion.
This will be the group’s second “hybrid” meeting – both in-person and via Zoom for those who are at a distance or prefer to join remotely. If you plan to join the discussion, either in person or on Zoom, please submit the form below.
2021-22 Book Selections
September 21, 2021: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah. Historical Fiction. 464 pages. Elsa Wolcott and her two young children, abandoned by her husband during the Dust Bowl, flee Texas in hopes of jobs and a better life in California. Instead, they encounter unbearable living conditions and severe discrimination against “Okies.” This well-researched novel tells of the horrors of living through the dust bowl, an unimaginable journey west and unbearable living conditions, but is, at the same time, a story of the courage, love and resilience of our forbearers. Led by Susan Mitchler.
October 19, 2021: Tightrope – Americans Reaching for Hope by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Non-fiction. 262 pages. This book is an urgent call to address the current crisis in rural and urban working-class America and offers solutions to mend a half-century of maligned neglect. It describes the crisis occurring all across the country of communities struggling to stay afloat as blue-collar jobs disappear and an American dies of a drug overdose every seven minutes. While our present state may seem (and actually is) grim, Kristof and WuDunn issue a challenge to strengthen America a by strengthening each American. To do so, we must demand better of our political leaders, our business executives and ourselves.They offer a multitude of policy suggestions providing a path forward. Led by Allen Henry.
November 16, 2021: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. Fiction. 288 pages.This book is about transcendence on so many different levels that it is hard to summarize. Book critic Ron Charles calls it “a novel of profound scientific and spiritual reflection that recalls the works of Richard Powers and Marilyn Robinson.” It is a story about an immigrant family from Ghana trying to adjust to life in Alabama, and a neuroscientist dealing with the religious evangelism of her youth as well as the scientific evangelism of her colleagues. Led by Susan Gilfeather.
December 21, 2021: Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris. Fiction. 352 pages. “2 CHILDREN FOR SALE” The sign is a last resort, sitting on a farmhouse porch in 1931. Inspired by an actual newspaper photograph that stunned the nation, this is a powerful novel of love, redemption, and the unexpected paths that bring us home. (from Barnesandnoble.com). Led by Eloise Crosman.
January 18, 2022: Wildwood by Elinor Florence. 328 pages. Fiction. Molly, a young woman, broke and desperate, inherits her great-aunt’s abandoned, off-the-grid farmhouse in northern Alberta. In order to claim her inheritance, she must live in it for one year. Her four-year-old daughter is seriously in need of medical treatment which could be paid for with the sale of the homestead. With encourage-ment from her great-aunt’s journal, Molly teaches herself homesteading skills as they struggle to survive the savage winter. An inspiring novel based on a true story. Led by Nancy Goddard.
Tuesday, February 15, 2022: These Truths, a History of the United States by Jill Lepore. Non-Fiction. Parts 3 and 4. 482 pages. In January of 2021, Avid Readers read and discussed the first half of this book. The second half covers from 1866-2016. Lepore states that the American experiment rests on three ideas - “these truths,” as Jefferson called them – political equality, natural rights and the sovereignty of the people.” Lepore examines whether the past 500 years has proven or eluded these truths. Led by Grant Gilfeather.
March 15, 2022: The Book of Longings, Sue Monk Kidd. Fiction. 448 pages. Ana is a young woman raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee. Rebellious and ambitious with a brilliant mind, the thought of marrying an older widower horrifies her. She meets an 18-yer-old Jesus and that changes everything. Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus’ life that focuses on his humanity, it is an unforgettable account of her bold struggle to realize her potential Led by Mary Lofgren.
April 19, 2022: The Book of Joy, by Bishop Desmond Tutu & The Dali Lama. Non-fiction. 384 pages. In 2015, Archbishop Tutu travelled to India to celebrate The Dali Lama’s 80th birthday. They hoped to create a gift for others by answering the question, “How do we find joy in the face of life’s inevitable suffering? “ “We get to listen as they explore the Nature of True Joy and confront the Obstacles of Joy – from fear, stress, and anger to grief, illness and death… finally they share their daily Joy Practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives.” (from barnesandnoble.com) Led by Margot Richardson-Corlett.
May 3, 2022: BOOK CHOOSING. Please come with recommendations for our next year of book discussions.
May 17, 2022: Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism by Anne Case and Angus Deaton. Non-fiction. 336 pages. A provocative and well-written book that is also shocking because it addresses many of the issues our country faces with the various populist political philosophy movements. Led by Allen Henry.
Tuesday, June 21, 2022: We Must Be Brave by Frances Liardet. Historical Fiction. 452 pages. Set in England in 1940, the book is about a woman, a war and a child who changed everything. Ellen believed she didn’t want children until she met Pamela and took her into her home. She and her husband both fall in love with Pamela. But as the war wages, Pamela’s family finds her and takes her away. The story explores the fierce love we feel for our children and the power of that love to endure. Led by Susan Mitchler.
July 19, 2022: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. Science Fiction. 320 pages. Just how far will parents go to give their children a significant advantage in life even at the risk of their children’s lives? The story takes place in a future where technology has rendered many “postemployed” and is narrated by a very observant android named Klara. Klara is designed and programmed to be a companion (Artificial Friend) for adolescent children. It addresses the structure of human society and what it means to be human. Led by Susan Gilfeather.
Tuesday, August 16, 2022: The Girl from Berlin by Ronald Balson. Historical Fiction. 410 pages. A New York attorney and her husband are enlisted to help a friend’s aunt in Tuscany who is being evicted from her home. The hidden story of Ada’s past during WWII unfolds as the scheme to evict her is revealed. Led by Eloise Crosman.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Also Recommended:
Benedict, Marie, The Other Einstein, The Only Woman in the Room
Camus, Albert, The Plague
The Constitution of the United States
Didion, Joan, Where I Was From
Doiron, Paul, The Poacher’s Son and others in the Mike Bowditch series
Gilman, David, The Englishman
Goldring, Suzanne, My Name is Eva
Haig, Matt, Midnight Library
Hunter, Georgia, We Were the Lucky Ones
Kleinman, Arthur, The Soul of Care, The Moral Education of a Husband and Doctor
Kline, Christina Baker, The Exiles
Skloot, Rebecca, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Tierney, P.J., Theocracy: Can American Democracy Survive Fundamentalism?
Whitehead, Colson, The Nickel Boys
Wingate, Lisa, Good Hope Road
October 19, 2021: Tightrope – Americans Reaching for Hope by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn. Non-fiction. 262 pages. This book is an urgent call to address the current crisis in rural and urban working-class America and offers solutions to mend a half-century of maligned neglect. It describes the crisis occurring all across the country of communities struggling to stay afloat as blue-collar jobs disappear and an American dies of a drug overdose every seven minutes. While our present state may seem (and actually is) grim, Kristof and WuDunn issue a challenge to strengthen America a by strengthening each American. To do so, we must demand better of our political leaders, our business executives and ourselves.They offer a multitude of policy suggestions providing a path forward. Led by Allen Henry.
November 16, 2021: Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. Fiction. 288 pages.This book is about transcendence on so many different levels that it is hard to summarize. Book critic Ron Charles calls it “a novel of profound scientific and spiritual reflection that recalls the works of Richard Powers and Marilyn Robinson.” It is a story about an immigrant family from Ghana trying to adjust to life in Alabama, and a neuroscientist dealing with the religious evangelism of her youth as well as the scientific evangelism of her colleagues. Led by Susan Gilfeather.
December 21, 2021: Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris. Fiction. 352 pages. “2 CHILDREN FOR SALE” The sign is a last resort, sitting on a farmhouse porch in 1931. Inspired by an actual newspaper photograph that stunned the nation, this is a powerful novel of love, redemption, and the unexpected paths that bring us home. (from Barnesandnoble.com). Led by Eloise Crosman.
January 18, 2022: Wildwood by Elinor Florence. 328 pages. Fiction. Molly, a young woman, broke and desperate, inherits her great-aunt’s abandoned, off-the-grid farmhouse in northern Alberta. In order to claim her inheritance, she must live in it for one year. Her four-year-old daughter is seriously in need of medical treatment which could be paid for with the sale of the homestead. With encourage-ment from her great-aunt’s journal, Molly teaches herself homesteading skills as they struggle to survive the savage winter. An inspiring novel based on a true story. Led by Nancy Goddard.
Tuesday, February 15, 2022: These Truths, a History of the United States by Jill Lepore. Non-Fiction. Parts 3 and 4. 482 pages. In January of 2021, Avid Readers read and discussed the first half of this book. The second half covers from 1866-2016. Lepore states that the American experiment rests on three ideas - “these truths,” as Jefferson called them – political equality, natural rights and the sovereignty of the people.” Lepore examines whether the past 500 years has proven or eluded these truths. Led by Grant Gilfeather.
March 15, 2022: The Book of Longings, Sue Monk Kidd. Fiction. 448 pages. Ana is a young woman raised in a wealthy family with ties to the ruler of Galilee. Rebellious and ambitious with a brilliant mind, the thought of marrying an older widower horrifies her. She meets an 18-yer-old Jesus and that changes everything. Grounded in meticulous research and written with a reverential approach to Jesus’ life that focuses on his humanity, it is an unforgettable account of her bold struggle to realize her potential Led by Mary Lofgren.
April 19, 2022: The Book of Joy, by Bishop Desmond Tutu & The Dali Lama. Non-fiction. 384 pages. In 2015, Archbishop Tutu travelled to India to celebrate The Dali Lama’s 80th birthday. They hoped to create a gift for others by answering the question, “How do we find joy in the face of life’s inevitable suffering? “ “We get to listen as they explore the Nature of True Joy and confront the Obstacles of Joy – from fear, stress, and anger to grief, illness and death… finally they share their daily Joy Practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives.” (from barnesandnoble.com) Led by Margot Richardson-Corlett.
May 3, 2022: BOOK CHOOSING. Please come with recommendations for our next year of book discussions.
May 17, 2022: Deaths of Despair and the Future of Capitalism by Anne Case and Angus Deaton. Non-fiction. 336 pages. A provocative and well-written book that is also shocking because it addresses many of the issues our country faces with the various populist political philosophy movements. Led by Allen Henry.
Tuesday, June 21, 2022: We Must Be Brave by Frances Liardet. Historical Fiction. 452 pages. Set in England in 1940, the book is about a woman, a war and a child who changed everything. Ellen believed she didn’t want children until she met Pamela and took her into her home. She and her husband both fall in love with Pamela. But as the war wages, Pamela’s family finds her and takes her away. The story explores the fierce love we feel for our children and the power of that love to endure. Led by Susan Mitchler.
July 19, 2022: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. Science Fiction. 320 pages. Just how far will parents go to give their children a significant advantage in life even at the risk of their children’s lives? The story takes place in a future where technology has rendered many “postemployed” and is narrated by a very observant android named Klara. Klara is designed and programmed to be a companion (Artificial Friend) for adolescent children. It addresses the structure of human society and what it means to be human. Led by Susan Gilfeather.
Tuesday, August 16, 2022: The Girl from Berlin by Ronald Balson. Historical Fiction. 410 pages. A New York attorney and her husband are enlisted to help a friend’s aunt in Tuscany who is being evicted from her home. The hidden story of Ada’s past during WWII unfolds as the scheme to evict her is revealed. Led by Eloise Crosman.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Also Recommended:
Benedict, Marie, The Other Einstein, The Only Woman in the Room
Camus, Albert, The Plague
The Constitution of the United States
Didion, Joan, Where I Was From
Doiron, Paul, The Poacher’s Son and others in the Mike Bowditch series
Gilman, David, The Englishman
Goldring, Suzanne, My Name is Eva
Haig, Matt, Midnight Library
Hunter, Georgia, We Were the Lucky Ones
Kleinman, Arthur, The Soul of Care, The Moral Education of a Husband and Doctor
Kline, Christina Baker, The Exiles
Skloot, Rebecca, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
Tierney, P.J., Theocracy: Can American Democracy Survive Fundamentalism?
Whitehead, Colson, The Nickel Boys
Wingate, Lisa, Good Hope Road