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Graduation Day: Gifts For The Grads In Your Life

May 07, 2017 Themed Book Lists

Literary Wisdom on Graduation Day

Graduation day is the perfect day to share an inspiring and thought-provoking book. And we have a wide variety of recommendations just for you!

Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes

She’s the creator and producer of some of the most groundbreaking and audacious shows on television today. With three children at home and three hit television shows, it was easy for Shonda to say she was simply too busy. But in truth, she was also afraid. And then, over Thanksgiving dinner, her sister muttered something that was both a wake up and a call to arms: You never say yes to anything.

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Women’s History Month Recommendations

March 15, 2017 Themed Book Lists

Celebrating Women Throughout History

To celebrate Women’s History Month, check out our recommendations below for fiction, nonfiction, and young adult books that showcase writing by and about women. Adventure, acts of daring-do, triumph in the face of great odds, bravery, ingenuity, ferocity of spirit—you’ll find it all in these pages that aren’t just for Women’s History Month but are great stories to read and discuss year round.

Nonfiction Recommendations

Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History
by Sam Maggs

Smart women have always been able to achieve amazing things,

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Black History Month Recommendations

February 28, 2017 Themed Book Lists

Honoring the Achievements of African Americans

In honor of Black History Month, check out these books of poetry, fiction, and nonfiction that celebrate African-American stories, artistry, and history.

Citizen: An American Lyric

by Claudia Rankine

National Book Award Finalist

Rankine’s bold new book recounts mounting racial aggressions in ongoing encounters in 21st-century daily life and in the media. Some encounters are slights, seeming slips of the tongue, and some are intentional offensives in the classroom, at the supermarket,

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Introducing Poetry To Your Reading Group!

February 22, 2017 Bookmark

Poetry?

We hear from many groups that would like to explore reading poetry but aren’t quite sure how to pick a book, where to start discussion, or how to have fun with it. Not to fear! Read below for tips on how to make poetry fun and how to start your discussion. And don’t forget to check out our post that features some of our favorite poetry books for discussion.

Ideas From Other Reading Groups

1. Read a book by a local poet, and have them come and speak with your group.

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Poetry Books For Great Conversation

February 22, 2017 Bookmark

If your group is interested in introducing poetry to your reading list, but isn’t sure how, take a look at the books below for a variety of approaches. Beyond just reading collections of poems, you can also explore essays about poetry, novels written in verse, and memoirs that feature lyric, poetic language. Here are our recommendations for where to start!

If you’d also like some suggestions for fun ways to integrate poems into your group or for approaches to discussing poetry, check out our post that addresses these very questions.

Upstream

by Mary Oliver

In Upstream,

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Little Free Library’s New Community-Service Book Club

February 06, 2017 Bookmark, News, Spotlight Book Groups

Little Free Library, a wonderful organization that RGC has partnered with in the past, has just launched a new initiative. Action Book Club (ABC) pairs a love of reading with community service in an effort to strengthen both minds and communities. Any pre-existing book club (or new club!) can sign-up to get involved. Many of the books we recommend here at RGC are also recommendations of ABC so it’s easy to integrate your own group’s reading with an ABC service project. Margret Aldrich of Little Free Library took a few minutes to answer some of our questions about this exciting initiative and provide details about how to sign up.

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