Up for adventurous reading? Veer away from novels, stories, and biographies into the uncharted territory of these unexpected book group picks that include science writing, illustrations, and atlases of other worlds.
Pocket Atlas of Remote Islands: Fifty Islands I Have Not Visited and Never Will
by Judith Schalansky; Christine Lo (Translator)
Winner of the prize for the most beautiful German book of the year
The Atlas of Remote Islands,
Do you devour stories about books, book thieves, book stores, and book sellers? Are you always wondering what happens after a story ends or before a book begins? Then this is the list for you, a treasure trove of bookish books for the extreme reader.
The Book That Made Me: A Collection of 32 Personal Stories
edited by Judith Ridge
What if you could look inside your favorite authors’ heads and see the book that led them to become who they are today?
Pairing a classic title with a more contemporary read can expand and enhance the reading experience. Check out these books that belong together for twice-as-nice reading—and discussing.
To The Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
A Secret Sisterhood by Emily Midorikawa, Emma Sweeney, and Margaret Atwood
Male literary friendships are the stuff of legend; think Byron and Shelley, Fitzgerald and Hemingway. But the world’s best-loved female authors are usually mythologized as solitary eccentrics or isolated geniuses.
The September Spotlight Group is The Summer Reading Group!
The Summer Reading Group meets the third Thursday of each month at the Elsie Quirk Public Library in Englewood, Florida.
The Summer Reading Group has met for four summers. They read one novel a month (June-September) for the discussion. The Sarasota Library System encourages adults to participate in Summer Reading by asking participants to fill out an activity log and submit book reviews for a chance to win various prizes throughout the summer.
It’s a time-honored tradition among readers to watch in shame, delight, or horror as the books they love arrive on the big screen. For book groups, film adaptations can add another dimension to the discussion: one meeting about the book, and then a field trip to the theater for another chat. Seeing where a movie went right, better, or wrong might deepen—or change—your impressions about a book. And the outing can add a social element to the group, helping members connect outside of your usual meeting space.
Thankfully,
Being in a book group can mean more than a monthly discussion around a living room or coffee shop table. Some groups have found ways to reach beyond the reading circle to share their love of books and literacy in the community. Curious about how? Here are some creative ideas suggested by our reading groups:
Donate Books
Weeding is hard for any book lover. Fortunately there are great organizations out there looking for donations. Your group can have a “donation” day to pool together your used books and deliver them to a good cause.
