Book Discussion Ideas in Franklin County, PA

Fascinating Bestseller

2011-12-22T07:46:00.001-08:00

If you have not read it, I recommend Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. It was on the New York Times Bestseller List earlier this year, and I finally got a chance to read it myself. It was worth the effort, and would provide interesting discussion material. Imagine a young man who can see monsters, that only his grandfather knows about. Are they real? Are they a delusion? Just where was the "home" his grandfather has talked about all these years? With his grandfather gone, will Jacob ever find the answers to free him from his relentless nightmares? Were there really children as peculiar as his grandfather talked about?

You will not easily put this down or forget it. It is a great first novel!

New Ideas

2011-10-15T17:02:00.000-07:00

If you have not read Soul Surfer, do it now! What a great book for discussion, especially a "Read the Book, See the Movie" discussion. This young woman wrote her own story from a different perspective than the feature film. Comparing the two makes for great discussion!

Book of Miracles

2011-06-12T15:31:00.000-07:00

Trevor's Song is the perfect book for Christian book dicussion groups. You might remember an 8-year-old boy named Trevor from Cumberland County who almost died in a farm accident a few years ago. This is his story chock full of miracles. When the specialists at Hershey were sure he would never walk, and might lose his leg, his family members raised their voices in prayer. Doubters, beware. Discussion of this book may make you a believer.

New Novel About Autism

2011-01-21T08:49:00.000-08:00

If you are interested in autism or other developmental disorders and like Karen Kingsbury, try out Unlocked. It is interesting fuel for discussion and has a guide at the back.

Great Author for Discussion

2011-01-07T06:43:00.000-08:00

I had to draw your attention to a new book that would provide great discussion material: Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. It is set in the present and during the 18th century, taking a detailed look at the French Revolution from several perspectives. It also covers themes of grief and depression, and hope.

Jennifer Donnelly first came to my attention several years ago, when she released an award-winning book, A Northern Light, set in 1906 New York, focusing on women's rights. It is available in a book discussion tote from Franklin County Library System AA Kit 21.

Both these titles are excellent for group discussion. Jennifer also wrote The Tea Rose and The Winter Rose.

Chambersburg Reads Discussion Totes

2010-11-22T06:12:00.000-08:00

Hi, Everyone!

I wanted to let you know that there are 3 new book club discussion totes available at Franklin County Library System on the theme of community and world service -- the young readers' edition of Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson, Pay It Forward by Catherine Ryan Hyde, and Beaded Hope by Cathy Liggett. Each tote contains 10 copies of the book and a discussion guide. They were created for use with the 2010 Chambersburg Reads to Inspire Service program, and available to anyone with a library card.

We are currently working on 3 additional totes. Stay tuned for more information on them.

Dinner and a Book May 21, 2010

2010-05-22T03:54:00.000-07:00

Summer Reading Suggestions From Selected Members of the Franklin County Reading Council:
(Great Friday evening discussion at the Orchards Restaurant, too!)

The Help
Kathryn Stockett
Great book!

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrow
Slow start. WWII setting. Series of letters. Need a cheat sheet while reading.

Pillars of the Earth
Ken Follett
Need a lot of time to read. 12th century England building a cathedral.

Three Cups of Tea
Greg Mortenson
Also available in youth version

Listen to the Wind
Greg Mortenson
Beautiful picture version of Three Cups of Tea

Stones into Schools
Greg Mortenson

Still Alice
Lisa Genova
Early onset of Alzheimer

Look Again
Lisa Scottoline
A reporter sees the picture of her adopted son on a missing person poster. She needs to know if it is her son.

My People
Charles Smith Jr.
Langston Hughes poem illustrated by fabulous photos -- Coretta Scott King Award --children's

The Lion & the Mouse
Jerry Pinkney
Caldecott winner. Wordless picture book of the well-known fable.

Camel Club
Baldacci

Sarah's Key
Tatiana DeRosnay
Historical fiction in France WWII

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet
Jamid Ford
WWII in Seattle. Chinese Boy and Japanese Girl in all white school.

South of Broad
Pat Conroy
Setting: Charleston. Story of friendship over the decades

While My Sister Sleeps
Barbara Delinsky
Athlete has an accident and family dealing with the issues.

Saving CeeCee Hunicutt
Bethh Hoffman

People of the Book
Geraldine Books

Firefly Lane
Kristin Hannah
Friendship between 2 women

End the Struggle and Dance with Life
Susan Jeffers, PhD
Self-help

The Power of Now
Eckert Tolle

The Elegance of the Hedgehog
Muriel Barbery
Slow start. Stay with it. Narrative that tells philosophy. Well-developed characters

"Quartet" Series
Nora Roberts

Mistaken Identity
Van Ryan & Cerak
True story

Half the Sky
Kristof & WuDunn
Nonfiction: women and children in bondage across the world

Beaded Hope
Cathy Liggett
4 women who go to Africa as a mission trip to help in HIV camp. They bring their own issues to this story of helping others.

Love, Work, Children
Mendelson
Behind the scenes of the “perfect” family. The real story.

Little Earthquakes
Jennifer Weiner
Novel about 3 women and their babies

"Stephanie Plum Mystery" series
Janet Evanovich
Flawed bounty hunter. Funny and a fast read.

The Glass Castle
Jeanette Walls
Dysfunctional family

Half-Broke Horses
Jeanette Walls

Booklists Available in Hard Copy

2009-08-31T10:22:00.000-07:00

The list of recommended titles from the workshops will be available at Coyle and Grove beginning Wednesday, September 2.

Books Recommended by Workshop Attendees

2009-08-28T11:26:00.000-07:00

The Help by Kathryn Stockett
Still Life: A Novel by Joy Fielding
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
Loving Frank: A Novel by Nancy Horan
Water for Elephants: A Novel by Sara Gruen
The Tea Rose: A Novel by Jennifer Donnelly
The World Without Us by Alan Weisman
The Shack by William P. Young
Still Alice by Lisa Genova
The Widow's War: A Novel by Sally Gunning
The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Memory of Running by Ron McLarty
Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (American Album Kit 9 from Fulton County Library)
Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation by Cokie Roberts
The Necklace by Cheryl Jarvis
The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel (P.S.) by Barbara Kingsolver
Expecting Adam: A True Story of Birth, Rebirth, and Everyday Magic by Martha Beck
People of the Book: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society (Random House Reader's Circle) by Mary
Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time by Greg
Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
Edith Wharton's Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee (American Album Kit 3 from Grove Family Library)
A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah
Black, White & Jewish: Autobiography of a Shifting Self by Rebecca Walker
The Kite Runner Illustrated Edition by Khaled Hosseini
The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
A Fine Balance (Oprah's Book Club) by Rohinton Mistry
Women of the Silk: A Novel by Gail Tsukiyama
City of Light by Lauren Belfer
Triangle: The Fire That Changed America by David von Drehle
Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks
The Piano Tuner: A Novel by Daniel Mason
The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom
The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay
Girl with a Pearl Earring, Deluxe Edition by Tracy Chevalier
Luncheon of the Boating Party by Susan Vreeland
Running With Champions: A Midlife Journey on the Iditarod Trail by Lisa Frederic
Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod by Gary Paulsen

The books above are all currently available for purchase new. Most have individual copies available at local libraries. The American Album kits contain 10 copies of the book, a discussion guide, and sometimes an audiobook. The following book was highly recommended, but is currently out of print: Atonement by Ian McEwan. Local libraries have limited numbers of copies and used copies may be available online. We have created a link to the pertinent Amazon.com webpage to make it easy to read descriptions and reviews. That may or may not be the cheapest or easiest way to get the copies that you need. It is not meant as an endorsement of Amazon.com.

A New Beginning for Book Discussion Groups in Franklin County, PA

2009-08-26T13:47:00.000-07:00

Today 40 people attended 2 workshops in Chambersburg on leading book discussions. The turnout at Grove Family Library and Coyle Free Library for my "Read It! Think About It! Talk About It!" mini-workshops were amazing! Those presented requested a spot on the web where they could recommend books for discussion, share great questions and answers, and compare notes about the interaction of their groups. It is wonderful to see so many readers eager to share information and feelings about what they are reading. Stay tuned to this page for many great book suggestions that came from the people attending the workshops.