The Marshall Library's Book Club meets on the third Tuesday of every other month, from 6:30-8pm. (We are meeting virtually during the pandemic.)
Teens and adults are welcome to join us for great discussions and snacks! There is no charge to join.
Please RSVP to staff@marlib.org or call 608-655-3123.
Please have each book read by the meeting date.
2020 meetings are:
Tues. Jan. 21st, 6:30pm
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer
“I wonder how the book got to Guernsey? Perhaps there is some sort of secret homing instinct in books that brings them to their perfect readers.” January 1946: London is emerging from the shadow of the Second World War, and writer Juliet Ashton is looking for her next book subject. Who could imagine that she would find it in a letter from a man she’s never met, a native of the island of Guernsey, who has come across her name written inside a book by Charles Lamb. . . .
As Juliet and her new correspondent exchange letters, Juliet is drawn into the world of this man and his friends—and what a wonderfully eccentric world it is. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society—born as a spur-of-the-moment alibi when its members were discovered breaking curfew by the Germans occupying their island—boasts a charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters, from pig farmers to phrenologists, literature lovers all.
Juliet begins a remarkable correspondence with the society’s members, learning about their island, their taste in books, and the impact the recent German occupation has had on their lives. Captivated by their stories, she sets sail for Guernsey, and what she finds will change her forever.
Tues. March 17th, 6:30pm CANCELLED
Tues. May 19th, 6:30pm
Code Talkers by Joseph Bruchac
Throughout World War II, in the conflict fought against Japan, Navajo code talkers were a crucial part of the U.S. effort, sending messages back and forth in an unbreakable code that used their native language. They braved some of the heaviest fighting of the war, and with their code, they saved countless American lives. Yet their story remained classified for more than twenty years.
But now Joseph Bruchac brings their stories to life for young adults through the riveting fictional tale of Ned Begay, a sixteen-year-old Navajo boy who becomes a code talker. His grueling journey is eye-opening and inspiring. This deeply affecting novel honors all of those young men, like Ned, who dared to serve, and it honors the culture and language of the Navajo Indians.
Tues. July 21st, 6:30pm
The Pearl That Broke It's Shell by Nadia Hashimi
This book tells the parallel stories of two Afghan women: Rahima, who lives in Kabul in 2007, and her great aunt Shekiba who lived a century earlier. Both women suffer abuse at the hands of the men who control their lives, as they desperately long for freedom in a culture that prohibits it at every turn. This is an eye-opening story that illustrates the dangers many women encounter in Afghanistan, and the resilience and courage needed in the face of such oppression.
Tues. September 15th, 6:30pm
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
On a dark midwinter’s night in an ancient inn on the river Thames, an extraordinary event takes place. The regulars are telling stories to while away the dark hours, when the door bursts open on a grievously wounded stranger. In his arms is the lifeless body of a small child. Hours later, the girl stirs, takes a breath and returns to life. Is it a miracle? Is it magic? Or can science provide an explanation? These questions have many answers, some of them quite dark indeed.
Those who dwell on the river bank apply all their ingenuity to solving the puzzle of the girl who died and lived again, yet as the days pass the mystery only deepens. The child herself is mute and unable to answer the essential questions: Who is she? Where did she come from? And to whom does she belong? But answers proliferate nonetheless.
Three families are keen to claim her. A wealthy young mother knows the girl is her kidnapped daughter, missing for two years. A farming family reeling from the discovery of their son’s secret liaison, stand ready to welcome their granddaughter. The parson’s housekeeper, humble and isolated, sees in the child the image of her younger sister. But the return of a lost child is not without complications and no matter how heartbreaking the past losses, no matter how precious the child herself, this girl cannot be everyone’s. Each family has mysteries of its own, and many secrets must be revealed before the girl’s identity can be known.
Tues. November 17th, 6:30pm
Parkland by Dave Cullen
Parkland is the 2020 Go Big Read selection.
Taking on the different voices and perspectives of the March for Our Lives Movement’s key participants, Parkland is an in-depth examination of a pivotal moment in American culture. Cullen guides us into the hearts of the Douglas students as they cope with the common concerns of students everywhere. As a celebration of the passion exhibited by these astonishing students, who channeled their anger into a movement, this book explores hope after tragedy and is an inspiring call to action.
2021 Meetings are:
Tues. January 19th, 6:30pm
Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson
"Kevin Wilson's best book yet--a moving and uproarious novel about a woman who finds meaning in her life when she begins caring for two children with remarkable and disturbing abilities... Lillian and Madison were the unlikeliest of roommates at their elite boarding school: Madison, the daughter of a prominent Atlanta family, being groomed for greatness; Lillian, a scholarship student, plucked out of nowhere based solely on her intellect and athletic prowess. The two were as tight as could be, reveling in their unique weirdnesses, until Lillian had to leave the school unexpectedly. Years later, the two have lost touch, but Madison writes and begs Lillian for help. Her husband's twin stepkids are moving in with them and she wants Lillian to be their caretaker. However, there's a catch: the twins can spontaneously combust when they get agitated, flames igniting from their skin in a disturbing but beautiful way. Disbelieving at first but ultimately too intrigued by these strange children, Lillian agrees. And as they hunker down in the pool house, Lillian and the twins learn to trust each other--and stay cool--just as Madison's family is bracing for a major announcement. It all seems impossible to manage, but Lillian soon accepts that she and the children need each other, urgently and fiercely. With a white-hot wit and a big, tender heart, Kevin Wilson has written a most unusual story of deep parental love that proves to be his best book yet"
Tues. March 16th, 6:30pm
The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
"Cussy Mary Carter is the last of her kind, her skin the color of a blue damselfly in these dusty hills. But that doesn't mean she's got nothing to offer. As a member of the Pack Horse Library Project, Cussy delivers books to the hill folk of Troublesome, hoping to spread learning in these desperate times. But not everyone is so keen on Cussy's family or the Library Project, and the hardscrabble Kentuckians are quick to blame a Blue for any trouble in their small town. The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek is a story of raw courage, fierce strength, and one woman's determination to bring a little bit of hope to the darkly hollers"
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Books we have previously read:
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Boy at the Keyhole by Stephen Giles
The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Saenz
Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline
The Dry by Jane Harper