Indie Reading Groups

Selections for Reading Groups

Outstanding Debuts
Visiting Other Worlds
Memorable Women
A Backdrop of War  Contemporary Masters  Intriguing Tales
 Friendship and Family  The American Scene  A-List Non-Fiction
  Love, Loss, and the Whole Damn Thing  Younger Readers

 

$15.00
ISBN-13: 9780345505347
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Ballantine Books, 10/2009
"In 1986, Henry Lee happens upon the Panama Hotel in Seattle, where discoveries in the basement bring back haunting memories of the 1940s. Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet tells of family pride, innocence, young love, jazz clubs, and internment. This novel will delight all ages -- it's good for reading aloud and great for discussions." --Barbara Theroux, Fact & Fiction, Missoula, MT

Mudbound (Paperback)

$14.95
ISBN-13: 9781565126770
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill, 3/2009
"Set in 1940s Mississippi, Mudbound tells the story of how World War II becomes a catalyst for change for those living on a Delta farm. Racism weighs heavily in the story, but Jordan's respect for the complexities of the character's lives, and her pragmatic honesty, build empathy and hope in the reader. This winner of the Bellwether Prize will become a book group favorite." --Dianne Patrick, Snowbound Books, Marquette, MI

$14.00
ISBN-13: 9780812971835
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Random House Trade Paperbacks, 10/2008
"The book discussion we had about Elizabeth Strout's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel about Olive Kitteridge, a retired schoolteacher in a little town in Maine, was one of the best we ever had. The reading group members were incredibly passionate about their love of the book and their love (and hatred) of Olive. We laughed and cried, and one member called us afterward and asked what we were going to read to get us that riled up again!" --Deb McDonald, Garden District Book Shop, New Orleans, LA

Still Alice (Paperback)

$16.00
ISBN-13: 9781439102817
Availability: On Our Shelves Now
Published: Gallery Books, 1/2009
"Still Alice tells the story of a 50-year-old Harvard psychology and linguistics professor in the year following diagnosis of early onset Alzheimer's disease. Her struggles with the effect on her work life, and her family's attempts to cope, are compelling and entirely believable. Genova's doctorate in neuroscience lets information flow naturally as part of a tender story, perfect for book groups." --Carla Jimenez, Inkwood Books, Tampa, FL

The Gift of Rain (Paperback)

$16.99
ISBN-13: 9781602860742
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Weinstein Books, 5/2009
"This is a coming-of-age book set in one of the worst times and places to come of age -- Panang, an island off the Malay Peninsula, just before the start of WWII. Sixteen-year-old Philip Hutton is torn between destiny and duty, but how do you choose when duty to country, family, friends, and mentor conflict? This is a lyrical, thought-provoking novel filled with many layers of loss and love." --Ann Carlson, Harborwalk Books, Georgetown, SC

The Help (Hardcover)

$24.95
ISBN-13: 9780399155345
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam, 2/2009
"We've been telling our customers who are members of book groups to read this story of race-ridden, 1960s Jackson, Mississippi. Unforgettable characters live out a story that makes you rage against intolerance as you step into the lives of three Southern women who are committed to creating change." --Gail Wetta, Anderson's Bookshop, Naperville, IL

$15.00
ISBN-13: 9781594484490
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Riverhead Trade, 4/2009
"Young Tess Moore watches as someone throws a baby into a well. This starts a remarkable adventure through 1930s Alabama, in which two girls try to find out whose baby died and the Moore family just tries to survive. This has been our favorite this year and elicited a great discussion on class, race, and family." --Mary McHale, Fox Tale Books, New Durham, NH

The Lace Reader (Paperback)

$14.99
ISBN-13: 9780061624773
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks, 9/2009
"The Lace Reader is a suspenseful intense read that thoughtfully mixes New England history and lore with the present. This is a one-sitting, must-discuss-afterward type of book!" --Angela Rodman, Third Street Books, McMinnville, OR

The Outlander (Paperback)

$14.99
ISBN-13: 9780061491344
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Harper Perennial, 7/2009
"The Canadian Rockies, described with intensity, are the stage for an outlaw heroine's improbable ride from vengeance, both her own and that of her victim's kin. Thrilling in the way an imaginative page-turner should be, the story is nonetheless hooked upon the barbs of real events and real personalities." --Neil Strandberg, Tattered Cover Bookstore, Denver, CO

$15.00
ISBN-13: 9780312427801
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 days
Published: Picador, 2/2009
"A young, single mother is dispatched by her agency as the tenth housekeeper to try to meet the unusual demands of tending house for a mathematics professor who's suffered a serious brain injury. She not only manages to meet the challenge, but she discovers a beautiful new world for herself and her son through their unique relationship with this extraordinary man. A very tender and absolutely delightful story!" --Linda Findlay, University Book Store, Seattle, WA