Bookmark the Blog

The April Spotlight Group Is…

April 06, 2021 Bookmark, Spotlight Book Groups

Our April 2021 Spotlight Group is the AAUW

April 2021 Spotlight: American Association of University Women (AAUW)

Our April 2021 Spotlight advances gender equality for women and girls!

I belong to the book group that is part of the Oakdale-Riverbank-Escalon branch of American Association of University Women (AAUW) in California. I first joined this group in 1993, but it had been in existence for years before that. AAUW is a group dedicated to advancing gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy. Our local branch has been very involved in programs involving junior high and high school girls.

Our book group reads and discusses a variety of genre,

read more

Book Group City Tour: Detroit

March 31, 2021 Book Group City Tour, Bookmark

We roll into Detroit for our next Book Group City Tour in search of book clubs and readerly events!

This historic city has profited in recent years from a vibrant and growing artistic community. Readers will find a variety of literary offerings in Detroit, from classic book clubs to iconic bookstores to bibliophiles who celebrate their love of all things bookish. We’ve compiled a list of options to keep you connected, in person or virtually. Even if some groups are less active now, get in touch to be notified when events begin again. Ready to read? Detroit awaits!

read more

Irish Authors Reading List

March 01, 2021 Bookmark, Themed Book Lists

Trinity College, Dublin. Photo by j zamora on Unsplash

Spend your St. Patrick’s Day with one of the books on our contemporary Irish authors reading list!

March brings readers the opportunity to celebrate Irish culture, especially its literature! Independent publishers like Tramp Press bring Irish and international voices to the page, and the Ennis Book Club Festival gathers readers together every year. Indie bookstores like The Gutter Bookshop and No Alibis serve their local communities (and ship). And you don’t have to look far to find the acclaimed novels, memoir, and YA titles from Irish authors that have been making news and gaining awards.

read more

Learning to Live Together: A Good Neighborhood

February 24, 2021 Bookmark, Featured Books

Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler

Meet the neighbors and bear witness to a tragedy in A Good Neighborhood, the provocative new novel from Therese Anne Fowler.

Welcome to Oak Knoll. Old brick homes, stately trees, residents who know one another. Like Valerie Alston-Holt and her son Xavier, a talented classical guitar player. Life hasn’t always been easy since the loss of her husband. But Valerie has persisted, guided by the presence of the historic oak in her backyard. And Xavier will be heading to San Francisco in the fall to study music.

But the arrival of Brad Whitman,

read more

The February Spotlight Group Is…

February 01, 2021 Bookmark, Spotlight Book Groups

Reading Group Choices Spotlight Book Group February 2021

February 2021 Spotlight: Virtual Beach Book Club

Our February 2021 Spotlight is a “wine group with a book problem” from Florida!

We formed a book club in Pensacola Beach, Florida, that moved to virtual meetings during the time of confinement. We had canceled our meeting last March due to the virus, but since then we meet each month, because my group of lovely ladies was missing each other. I suggested a virtual book club meeting to discuss our book (Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty) as well as share a glass (or two or three) of wine.

read more

Past Meets Present: The Witch of Eye

January 29, 2021 Bookmark, Featured Books

One of our recommended books is The Witch of Eye by Kathryn Nuernberger

Tales of witches give insight into modern-day struggles, empowerment, and how to navigate our lives in Kathryn Nuernberger’s collection of essays The Witch of Eye.

Denounced and interrogated, tortured and burned. Kathyrn Nuernberger recounts and investigates the stories of witches, women persecuted for being something other than what their world demanded. The essays accomplish what essays do best. They dive into these lives to see what the past can reveal about us and our world today. Or as the author says: “I wonder about … what in each of us is a little bit witch.”

Crones and Cunning Women

Known by many names,

read more