September 17
THE SHACK by William P. Young
One day, a mysterious card appears in Mack’s mailbox. It is an invitation from God to meet Him at the shack - a place where a terrible tragedy occurred to Mack and his family. In an
imaginative and intriguing setting, Mack discovers a unique understanding of the Trinity -
and the distinctive personifications of the Three. This is a book that seems to have no middle
ground... you like it or you don’t - either way, it’s a book you will want to discuss!
October 22
PEOPLE OF THE BOOK by Geraldine Brooks
“A sprawling historical work - based on an ancient Hebrew text - that is richly imagined
and at times almost unbearably exciting... An ambitious book, a pleasure to read, and wholly
successful in its attempt to give a sense of how miraculous, unlikely and ultimately binding the
history of objects can be.” Star Tribune (Minneapolis) Sweeps you away with historical
grandeur and intimate emotional intensity.
November 19
WATER FOR ELEPHANTS by Sara Gruen
“In this thrilling, romantic story set in a traveling circus in the 1930s, Sara Gruen has a big top’s worth of vivid characters and an exhilarating narrative that kept me up all night. From the perseverance of a terrier named Queenie to the charm of Rosie the elephant, this masterpiece of storytelling is a book about what animals can teach people about love.” Susan Cheever, author of My Name is Bill Original and captivating, the journey of this cast of characters is an unforgettable story.
January 21
THE LEMON TREE... AN ARAB.. A JEW.... by Sandy Tolan
As narrative non-fiction, the Lemon Tree tells the personal stories of people affected by the occupation of Palestine. Told in the context of the history of this unresolved conflict, the book focuses on two families with ties to a single house in Ramie- midway between Jerusalem
and the coast. First occupied by Arabs, the house later shelters a family of Jewish refugees. Alternating between their individual stories and the historical backdrop, Tolan masterfully uses her journalism background to show us a microcosm of inter-ethnic hostilities and courageous understanding.
February 18
THE GIFT OF PEACE - Personal Reflections by Joseph Cardinal Bernardin
“... if we let him, God can write straight with crooked lines. To put it another way, this reflection is intended to help others understand how the good and the bad are always present in our human condition and, that if we “let go”, if we place ourselves totally in the hands of the Lord, the good will prevail.” This book covers that last 3 years of Cardinal Bernardin’s life. It begins with the allegation of sexual misconduct brought against him in 1993, his diagnosis of an aggressive form of cancer in 1995. The Cardinal completed THE GIFT OF PEACE on November 1, 1996, just 13 days before he died of pancreatic cancer. His personally handwritten letter at the beginning of the book will inspire everyone who reads it.
March 18
MOTHER TERESA COME BE MY LIGHT by Mother Teresa
“If I ever become a Saint- I will surely be one of ‘darkness”. I will continually be absent from Heaven - to light the light of those in darkness on earth.” A collection of Mother Teresa’s writings - revealing and insightful.
April 15
DEATH COMES FOR THE ARCHBISHOP by Willa Cather
First published in 1927, Willa Cather had been working on, reading about and visiting the deserts and Indian villages of the Southwest for 15 years. She came to the conclusion that “the story of the Catholic Church in that country was the most interesting of all its stories.” This
is a story of religion and the friendship of two priests set against the landscape of the Southwest.
May 20
THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY by Mary Ann Shaffer
A joyful book that celebrates how reading brings people together and even sustains them thru life’s trials and tribulations. A remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation. A charming and timeless book.
June 17
WHITE TIGER by Aravind Adiga
“Balram Halwai is a complicated man. Servant. Philosopher. Entrepreneur. Murderer. Over the course of seven nights, Balram tells us the terrible and transfixing story of how he came to be a success in life - having nothing but his own wits to help him along. ...Balram teaches us that religions doesn’t create virtue and money doesn’t solve every problem.” exerpted from
book jacket... An international sensation.