The December 15 issue of Booklist magazine is now live. Visit Booklist Online, where you’ll find 251 new reviews and 9 new feature articles and lists. The articles will be free to all for the next two weeks—to have unrestricted access, you’ll need to log in. If you aren’t yet a subscriber, or do subscribe but […]
Last week, the LIT book group discussed Maybe In Another Life, a beach read that just about fits into the chick lit genre—even if it is quite a bit fluffier than most women’s fiction. This fits nicely with our summer tradition: Each year, we choose lighter books written in a genre we wouldn’t normally read. […]
Last week, the LIT book club discussed the novel Whiskey & Charlie, an Australian book published here in the United States last year. Originally titled Whiskey Charlie Foxtrot, this is the story of twin brothers who grow apart as they grow up. Whiskey and Charlie are nearly inseparable as kids. They use walkie talkies to […]
Last month, the LIT book group read The Martian by Andy Weir. We’d had it on the shortlist for quite a while but decided that February offered perfect timing, with the Barrington Area Library celebrating Barrington Creates, a community-wide initiative that encourages everyone channel their inner maker. Things don’t get much more creative than they do in The Martian. A sandstorm on […]
The December 15, 2015 issue of Booklist was our Spotlight on Book Discussions issue, and we were fortunate to have Becky Spratford contribute her thoughts in “Support Groups for Book Discussion Leaders.” She candidly expresses the need to address burnout and book group fatigue, while offering solid tips on how to get your book-club-leader mojo […]
I love this time of the year. While teachers and kids everywhere are getting ready for school, I am starting the selection process for next year’s book group. It may seem strange, but I love reading the endless catalogs, emails, and publisher advertisements in order to find that one book that will give my group the […]
Our Book Group Buzz bloggers discussed over 100 books in 2014—not bad! From older books to newer books, from fiction to nonfiction, with even a few books for younger readers thrown in, they talked about (and shared their tricks for getting other people to talk about) a truly diverse array of titles. If you can’t find something here […]
Nigerian born author Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie has written a powerful, politically-charged novel in Americanah, and book groups should take note. Americanah is the story of a Nigerian woman, Ifemelu, who moves to the United States to further her education and spends her years abroad analyzing and processing what it means to be a “Non-American Black.” […]
Rebecca Vnuk of Booklist, Lucy Lockley of Missouri’s St. Charles City-County Library District and I led a discussion at the recent PLA in Indianapolis called “Let’s Discuss Book Discussions.” Over 100 librarians attended on a Friday afternoon late in the conference and seemed to be bursting with ideas and questions. It was a good discussion, […]
If you’re headed to Indianapolis for PLA, please join myself, Rebecca Vnuk of Booklist, and Lucy Lockley of St. Charles City-County Library District in Missouri for “Let’s Discuss Book Discussions.” The session will be held at 4:15 on Friday, March 14th in Rooms 244-245 of the Indiana Convention Center. I find few things more professionally […]