What is Books Plus?
It's a once-a-month discussion group which meets at the library to talk about a wide range of books and issues. Books and other media, both fiction and non-fiction, are the springboards for discussing new trends, social issues, genres, best sellers, foreign authors, etc. Each month, the group focuses on one or more books (chosen in advance). A volunteer leads the discussion.
When? Where?
The group usually meets on the first Sunday of each month at 2 p.m. in program room 2B at the downtown public library. Registration is not required.
Who can be a leader?
Anyone who is interested in books and wants to share that interest with others. Arrangements will be made a few months in advance with the discussion leader and the title(s) selected for the meeting.
Refreshments
Refreshments provided by the Friends of the Library [1].
Don't forget that we are always looking for volunteer Discussion Leaders.
Next at Books Plus
Sundays at 2 p.m. in Program Room 2B
July 7
The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
Discussion Leader: Dory Lynch
"A novel of deep beauty and wisdom about the human condition; Harold, a deeply sympathetic protagonist, has much to teach us. A great novel; essential reading for fans of literary fiction." - Library Journal
August 4
These is my Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901 by Nancy Turner
Discussion Leader: Luann Dillon
Using her ancestress' memoirs, Turner paints a vivid picture of homesteading in the Arizona Territories and how Sarah had to learn to cope with hardship.
September 8 (later date due to Labor Day!)
Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan
Discussion Leader: Dory Lynch
"Serena Frome is a smart, attractive, Cambridge-educated young woman who is recruited by her older lover for the MI5 intelligence agency. Spydom is, of course, fraught with betrayal, and Serena is not immune to that common pitfall. McEwan readers can rest assured that, in common with its predecessors, this novel has a greatly compelling story line braced by the author’s formidable wisdom about—well, the world.." - BookList
October 6
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Discussion Leader: Luann Dillon
"Riggs's atmospheric first novel concerns 16-year-old Jacob, a tightly wound but otherwise ordinary teenager who is 'unusually susceptible to nightmares, night terrors, the Creeps, the Willies, and Seeing Things That Aren't Really There.' When Jacob's grandfather, Abe, a WWII veteran, is savagely murdered, Jacob has a nervous breakdown, in part because he believes that his grandfather was killed by a monster that only they could see. Nearly 50 unsettling vintage photographs appear throughout, forming the framework of this dark but empowering tale. It's an enjoyable, eccentric read, distinguished by well-developed characters, a believable Welsh setting, and some very creepy monsters." - Publisher's Weekly
November 3
The Last Chinese Chef by Nicole Mones
Discussion Leader: Sarah Bowman
Join us to discuss Nicole Mones' most recent book, The Last Chinese Chef, before she comes to Bloomington to speak at the Buskirk Chumley theater as part of the Friends of the Library's free author event - Culture and the Power of Words on Saturday, November 16 at 7:00 p.m.
December 1
Holiday Tea and Open House
We invite all readers and discussion members to enjoy holiday refreshments and exchange book talk and suggestions of favorites for book clubs. We'll provide lists of recommended books and share some resources for helping to choose your next read.
Previous Books Plus selections:
June 2
Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed
Discussion Leader: Sarah Bowman
"Smart, funny, and often sublime, Wild has something for everyone - a fight for survival in the wilderness, a bad girl's quest for redemption - all in the hands of a brilliant and evocative writer." - Chelsea Cain
May 5
Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Discussion Leader: Luann Dillon
From 1913 to today, from England to Australia and back again, generations of a family keep their secrets guarded and their gardens locked.
April 7
National Poetry Month: Little Songs: Exploring the Sonnet
Discussion Leader: Dory Lynch
For over five hundred years, poets have written enduring sonnets about love, friendship, death, and nature. In only fourteen lines, authors have shared their views of the world. From Shakespeare and Petrarch to modern poets such as Billy Collins, Rita Dove, and Carol Ann Duffy, the sonnet has continued to amaze and inspire. In honor of National Poetry Month please come explore the kind of poem that Dante Gabriel Rossetti called the "moment's monument." If you don't like the tight rhyming structure of the old sonnets, we will include some contemporary ones in modern language. Please bring a poem to share—a favorite of yours—either a sonnet or one in another format that you love.
March 3
The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
Discussion Leader: Wendy Rubin
Join us for a discussion of the 2013 One Book One Bloomington! In this dark vision of a future United States, the handmaid Offred is defined solely by her biological function as a child-bearer. Forbidden even to read, she tries to survive in oppressive and dangerous circumstances. The novel explores themes of power, gender conflict, the individual in society, language and storytelling.
February 3
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
Discussion Leader: Sarah Bowman
"In her third novel set in Atlanta, Jones writes about two African-American half-sisters, only one of whom knows that the other exists until their father's double life starts to unravel. Jones beautifully evokes Atlanta in the 1980s while creating gritty, imperfect characters whose pain lingers in the reader's heart." --Kirkus Review
