Book Club
Any and everyone is invited to our book club. You can invite neighbors, families, friends, and of course our members are always invited. Our readings for the Circle Book Club is as follows: Be aware that all selections below have at least 6 copies in the Brevard Library system so you need not purchase a book.
February 20:
The Mermaid Chair
by Sue Monk Kidd
Host- Karen Atlas
Book Overview:
The New York Times -bestselling second novel by the author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings Inside the church of a Benedictine monastery on Egret Island, just off the coast of South Carolina, resides a beautiful and mysterious chair ornately carved with mermaids and dedicated to a saint who, legend claims, was a mermaid before her conversion. When Jessie Sullivan is summoned home to the island to cope with her eccentric mother's seemingly inexplicable behavior, she is living a conventional life with her husband, Hugh, a life "molded to the smallest space possible." Jessie loves Hugh, but once on the island, she finds herself drawn to Brother Thomas, a monk about to take his final vows. Amid a rich community of unforgettable island women and the exotic beauty of marshlands, tidal creeks, and majestic egrets, Jessie grapples with the tension of desire and the struggle to deny it, with a freedom that feels overwhelmingly right and the immutable force of home and marriage. Is the power of the mermaid chair only a myth? Or will it alter the course of Jessie's life? What happens will unlock the roots of her mother's tormented past, but most of all, it will allow Jessie to comes discover selfhood and a place of belonging as she explores the thin line between the spiritual and the erotic.
The Mermaid Chair
by Sue Monk Kidd
Host- Karen Atlas
Book Overview:
The New York Times -bestselling second novel by the author of The Secret Life of Bees and The Invention of Wings Inside the church of a Benedictine monastery on Egret Island, just off the coast of South Carolina, resides a beautiful and mysterious chair ornately carved with mermaids and dedicated to a saint who, legend claims, was a mermaid before her conversion. When Jessie Sullivan is summoned home to the island to cope with her eccentric mother's seemingly inexplicable behavior, she is living a conventional life with her husband, Hugh, a life "molded to the smallest space possible." Jessie loves Hugh, but once on the island, she finds herself drawn to Brother Thomas, a monk about to take his final vows. Amid a rich community of unforgettable island women and the exotic beauty of marshlands, tidal creeks, and majestic egrets, Jessie grapples with the tension of desire and the struggle to deny it, with a freedom that feels overwhelmingly right and the immutable force of home and marriage. Is the power of the mermaid chair only a myth? Or will it alter the course of Jessie's life? What happens will unlock the roots of her mother's tormented past, but most of all, it will allow Jessie to comes discover selfhood and a place of belonging as she explores the thin line between the spiritual and the erotic.
March 19:
In the Heart of the Sea
by Nathaniel Philbrick
Host – Sarah Hart
According to Wikipedia:
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex is a book by American writer Nathaniel Philbrick about the loss of the whaler Essex in the Pacific Ocean in 1820. The book was published by Viking Press on May 8, 2000, and won the 2000 National Book Award for Nonfiction. It was adapted into a film of the same name, which came out in late 2015.
In the Heart of the Sea
by Nathaniel Philbrick
Host – Sarah Hart
According to Wikipedia:
In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex is a book by American writer Nathaniel Philbrick about the loss of the whaler Essex in the Pacific Ocean in 1820. The book was published by Viking Press on May 8, 2000, and won the 2000 National Book Award for Nonfiction. It was adapted into a film of the same name, which came out in late 2015.
- The Essex, an American whaleship from Nantucket, Massachusetts, sank after a sperm whale attacked it in the Pacific Ocean in November 1820. Having lost their ship, the crew of the Essex attempted to sail to South America in whaleboats. After suffering from starvation and dehydration, most of the crew died before the survivors were rescued in February 1821.
Apr 16 – The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
Host – Steven Atlas
May 21 – The Matriarch by Susan Page
Host – Karen Atlas
No meeting in the summer
Sep 17 – East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Host –Karen Atlas
Oct 22 – Fly Girls by Keith O’Brian
Host-Laura Petruska
Nov 19 – South Pole Station – by Ashley Shelby
Host – Ruth Rodgers
Hope to see you all at the Book Club.
Host – Steven Atlas
May 21 – The Matriarch by Susan Page
Host – Karen Atlas
No meeting in the summer
Sep 17 – East of Eden by John Steinbeck
Host –Karen Atlas
Oct 22 – Fly Girls by Keith O’Brian
Host-Laura Petruska
Nov 19 – South Pole Station – by Ashley Shelby
Host – Ruth Rodgers
Hope to see you all at the Book Club.
Books Previously discussed:
February 21, 2019:
"The Art of Racing in the Rain"
The Book Club meets Feb 21, in the main hall at 10:00 am. "The Art of Racing in the Ran" by Garth Stein weaves a philosophical story between Enzo, auto racing and life's events. As told by Enzo, the dog, it is anything but trite - it is a love story, a story from which we can all learn. Join us for a lively discussion - there is no "membership" if you show up you are a member! Contact Laura P for more information.
"The Art of Racing in the Rain"
The Book Club meets Feb 21, in the main hall at 10:00 am. "The Art of Racing in the Ran" by Garth Stein weaves a philosophical story between Enzo, auto racing and life's events. As told by Enzo, the dog, it is anything but trite - it is a love story, a story from which we can all learn. Join us for a lively discussion - there is no "membership" if you show up you are a member! Contact Laura P for more information.