The Art of Racing in the Rain

Title: The Art of Racing in the Rain
Author: Garth Stein
Genre: Fiction, Animals

A heart-wrenching but deeply funny and ultimately uplifting story of family, love, loyalty and hope, The Art of Racing in the Rain is a beautifully crafted and captivating look at the wonders and absurdities of human life… as only a dog could tell it.

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and he sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals.

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through: the sacrifices Denny has made to succeed professionally; the unexpected loss of Eve, Denny's wife; the three-year battle over their daughter, Zoë, whose maternal grandparents pulled every string to gain custody. In the end, despite what he sees as his own limitations, Enzo comes through heroically to preserve the Swift family, holding in his heart the dream that Denny will become a racing champion with Zoë at his side.

Book Club Discussion Night: 18 May 2011

Discussion Leader: Courtney Bennion

Host: Lynette Carter

Reading Guide: http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_A/art_of_racing_the_rain1.asp

 

Mrs. Mike

Title: Mrs. Mike
Author: Benedict and Nancy Freedman
Genre: Classics

Summary: A moving love story set in the Canadian wilderness, Mrs. Mike is a classic tale that has enchanted millions of readers worldwide. It brings the fierce, stunning landscape of the Great North to life-and tenderly evokes the love that blossoms between Sergeant Mike Flannigan and beautiful young Katherine Mary O'Fallon.


"It is the personality of Sgt. Mike blowing through this account like a clear breeze that gives it a refreshing quality. Everyone's dream of a cop, he was also a romantic and understanding husband, the fondest of fathers; a man of honor and humor." (New York Times)


"Mrs. Mike...is the story of the start of young love, its growth to maturity, and its acceptance of a dangerous, hard, but enthralling life." (Los Angeles Herald-Express)

Book Club Discussion Night: 20 April 2011

Discussion Leader: Nancy Farrar

Host: Lisa Packer

Reading Guide: http://jaimelirejaimelire.blogspot.com/2009/11/mrs-mike-discussion-questions.html

Crow Lake

 

Title: Crow Lake
Author: Mary Lawson
Genre: Modern Fiction

 

Summary: Set against the wild terrain of northern Ontario, where heartbreak and hardship are mirrored in the landscape, this universal drama of love and misunderstanding recounts a family' tragic and moving past. Poignant, funny, and utterly unforgettable, Crow Lake is a deceptively simple masterpiece of literary fiction.

Orphaned young, Kate Morrison and her siblings were bound together by loss. None of them could have expected the tumultuous times ahead—least of all Kate' older brothers, Matt and Luke. Twenty years later, the sacrifices they made and the promises they broke would continue to reverberate through their lives and the quiet rural community of Crow Lake.

In a gorgeous, slow-burning story, Mary Lawson combines well-drawn characters, beautiful writing, and a powerful description of the land to tell the emotionally pitch-perfect story of personal struggles, familial bonds, and the power of forgiveness.

Book Club Discussion Night: 17 March 2011

Discussion Leader: Lynette Carter

Host: Marci Hansen 
Reading Guide: http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_C/crow_lake1.asp


 

Publish Post

Sarah's Key

Title: Sarah's Key
Author: Tatiana De Rosnay
Genre: Modern Fiction

Summary: Paris, July 1942: Sarah, a ten year-old girl, is brutally arrested with her family by the French police in the Vel’ d’Hiv’ roundup, but not before she locks her younger brother in a cupboard in the family's apartment, thinking that she will be back within a few hours.

Paris, May 2002: On Vel’ d’Hiv’s 60th anniversary, journalist Julia Jarmond is asked to write an article about this black day in France's past. Through her contemporary investigation, she stumbles onto a trail of long-hidden family secrets that connect her to Sarah. Julia finds herself compelled to retrace the girl's ordeal, from that terrible term in the Vel d'Hiv', to the camps, and beyond. As she probes into Sarah's past, she begins to question her own place in France, and to reevaluate her marriage and her life.
Tatiana de Rosnay offers us a brilliantly subtle, compelling portrait of France under occupation and reveals the taboos and silence that surround this painful episode.

Book Club Discussion Night: 17 February 2011

Discussion Leader: Robin Staker

Host: Trina Whitbeck

Reading Guide: http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides_s/sarahs_key1.asp

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

Title: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency
Author: Alexander McCall Smith
Genre: Mystery Fiction

Summary: When Precious Ramotswe decides to use the money her beloved father left her to open the first ever Ladies' Detective Agency in Botswana, everyone is skeptical. "Can women be detectives?" asks the bank's lawyer. Mama Ramotswe herself feels unsure of her success. After all, her only assets are a tiny white van, two desks, two chairs, a telephone, an old typewriter, a teapot, and three teacups. But she does possess the intangible assets of intuition and intelligence. These she has in great supply, along with perseverance, a keen knowledge of the human mind and heart, a steadfast sense of right and wrong, and a personality that inspires trust and loquaciousness in nearly all who meet her. What she also has is a deep love for Africa generally and for Botswana and its people especially. "They are my people, my brothers and sisters. It is my duty to help them to solve the mysteries of their lives. That is what I am called to do".

Book Club Discussion Night: 19 January 2011

Discussion Leader: Sheri Woodbury

Host: Lee Urling

Reading Guide: http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides3/1_ladies%27_detective_agency1.asp