keyword results for book club sets

The Maid (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Prose, Nita — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

"A charmingly eccentric hotel maid discovers a guest murdered in his bed, turning her once orderly world upside down--and inspiring a motley crew of unexpected allies to band together to solve the mystery--in this utterly original debut. Molly Dunn is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and interprets people literally. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by. Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has had to navigate life's complexities all by herself. No matter--she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection. But Molly's orderly life is turned on its head the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself very dead in his bed. Before she knows what's happening, Molly's odd demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect and she finds herself in a web of subtext and nuance she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, a medley of friends she didn't realize she had refuses to let her be charged with murder--but will they be able to discover the real killer before it's too late? A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different--and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart"-- Provided by publisher.

Looking for Jane (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Marshall, Heather — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

2017: When Angela Creighton discovers a mysterious letter containing a life-shattering confession in a stack of forgotten mail, she is determined to find the intended recipient. Her search takes her back to the 1970s when a group of daring women operated an illegal underground abortion network in Toronto known only by its whispered code name: Jane ... 1971: As a teenager, Dr. Evelyn Taylor was sent to a home for "fallen" women where she was forced to give up her baby for adoption--a trauma she has never recovered from. Despite harrowing police raids and the constant threat of arrest, she joins the Jane Network as an abortion provider, determined to give other women the choice she never had ... 1980: After discovering a shocking secret about her family history, twenty-year-old Nancy Mitchell begins to question everything she has ever known. When she unexpectedly becomes pregnant, she feels like she has no one to turn to for help. Grappling with her decision, she locates "Jane" and finds a place of her own alongside Dr. Taylor within the network's ranks, but she can never escape the lies that haunt her. Weaving together the lives of three women, Looking for Jane is an unforgettable debut about the devastating consequences that come from a lack of choice--and the enduring power of a mother's love.

Remarkably Bright Creatures (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Van Pelt, Shelby — Mon, 31 Jan 2022 00:00:00 GMT

"For fans of A Man Called Ove, a luminous debut novel about a widow's unlikely friendship with a giant Pacific octopus reluctantly residing at the local aquarium-and the truths she finally uncovers about her son's disappearance 30 years ago"--Provided by publisher.

Klara and the Sun (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Ishiguro, Kazuo — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

"From her place in the store that sells artificial friends, Klara--an artificial friend with outstanding observational qualities--watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass in the street outside. She remains hopeful a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change forever, Klara she is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans. In this luminous tale, Klara and the Sun, Nobel Prize winner Kazuo Ishiguro looks at our rapidly changing modern world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator to explore a fundamental question: what does it mean to love?"-- Provided by publisher.

Beautiful World, Where Are You (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Rooney, Sally — Sun, 31 Jan 2021 00:00:00 GMT

"A new novel by Sally Rooney, the bestselling author of Normal People and Conversations with Friends"-- Provided by publisher.

The Queen's Secret (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Harper, Karen — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

In this novel of royal secrets and intrigue set during World War II, Karen Harper lifts the veil on one of the worlds most fascinating families, and how its secret weapon of a matriarch maneuvered her way through one of the most dangerous chapters of the century.

Field Notes From An Unintentional Birder (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Zarankin, Julia — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

"When Julia Zarankin saw her first red-winged blackbird at the age of thirty-five, she didn't expect that it would change her life. Recently divorced and auditioning hobbies during a stressful career transition, she stumbled on birdwatching, initially out of curiosity for the strange breed of humans who wear multi-pocketed vests, carry spotting scopes and discuss the finer points of optics with disturbing fervour. What she never could have predicted was that she would become one of them. Not only would she come to identify proudly as a birder, but birding would ultimately lead her to find love, uncover a new language and lay down her roots. Field Notes from an Unintentional Birder tells the story of finding meaning in midlife through birds. The book follows the peregrinations of a narrator who learns more from birds than she ever anticipated, as she begins to realize that she herself is a migratory species: born in the former Soviet Union, growing up in Vancouver and Toronto, studying and working in the United States and living in Paris. Coming from a Russian immigrant family of concert pianists who believed that the outdoors were for "other people," Julia Zarankin recounts the challenges and joys of unexpectedly discovering one's wild side and finding one's tribe in the unlikeliest of places. Zarankin's thoughtful and witty anecdotes illuminate the joyful experience of a new discovery and the surprising pleasure to be found while standing still on the edge of a lake at six a.m. In addition to confirmed nature enthusiasts, this book will appeal to readers of literary memoir, offering keen insight on what it takes to find one's place in the world."-- Provided by publisher.

Threads of Life (BOOK CLUB SET OF 5)

Hunter, Clare — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

A history of sewing and embroidery, told through the stories of the men and women, over centuries and across continents, who have used the language of sewing to make their voices heard, even in the most desperate of circumstances. From the political storytelling of the Bayeux tapestry's anonymous embroiderers and Mary, Queen of Scots' treasonous stitching, to the sewing of First World War soldiers suffering from PTSD and the banner-makers at Greenham Common, Threads of life stretches from medieval France to 1980s America, from a Second World War POW camp in Singapore to a family attic in Scotland. It is as much about identity, protest, memory and politics as craft and artistry.

Seven (BOOK CLUB SET of 8)

Doctor, Farzana — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

"A rich, soulfully written novel about inheritance and resistance that tests the balance between modern and traditional customs. When Sharifa accompanies her husband on a marriage-saving trip to India, she thinks that she's going to research her great-great-grandfather, a wealthy business leader and philanthropist. What captures her imagination is not his rags-to-riches story, but the mystery of his four wives, missing from the family lore. She ends up excavating much more than she had imagined. Sharifa's trip coincides with a time of unrest within her insular and conservative religious community, and there is no escaping its politics. A group of feminists is speaking out against khatna, an age-old ritual they insist is female genital cutting. Sharifa's two favourite cousins are on opposite sides of the debate, and she seeks a middle ground. As the issue heats up, Sharifa discovers an unexpected truth and is forced to take a position."-- Provided by publisher.

Extraordinary Canadians (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Mansbridge, Peter — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

"From Peter Mansbridge, the beloved former anchor of CBC's The National, comes a collection of first-person stories about remarkable Canadians who embody the values of our great nation--kindness, compassion, courage, and freedom--and inspire us to do the same."-- Provided by publisher.

The Midnight Library (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Haig, Matt — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Nora Seed finds herself faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, or realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist, she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

Brighten the Corner Where You Are (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Bruneau, Carol — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Reimagines the life of Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis.

Why Fish Don't Exist (BOOK CLUB SET of 10)

Miller, Lulu — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

Nineteenth-century scientist David Starr Jordan built one of the most important fish specimen collections ever seen, until the 1906 San Francisco earthquake shattered his life's work.

American Dirt (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Cummins, Jeanine — Fri, 31 Jan 2020 00:00:00 GMT

"Lydia Quixano Perez lives in the Mexican city of Acapulco. She runs a bookstore. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while there are cracks beginning to show in Acapulco because of the drug cartels, her life is, by and large, fairly comfortable. Even though she knows they'll never sell, Lydia stocks some of her all-time favorite books in her store. And then one day a man enters the shop to browse and comes up to the register with four books he would like to buy-two of them her favorites. Javier is erudite. He is charming. And, unbeknownst to Lydia, he is the jefe of the newest drug cartel that has gruesomely taken over the city. When Lydia's husband's tell-all profile of Javier is published, none of their lives will ever be the same. Forced to flee, Lydia and eight-year-old Luca soon find themselves miles and worlds away from their comfortable middle-class existence. Instantly transformed into migrants, Lydia and Luca ride la bestia-trains that make their way north toward the United States, which is the only place Javier's reach doesn't extend. As they join the countless people trying to reach el norte, Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to? American Dirt will leave readers utterly changed when they finish reading it. A page-turner filled with poignancy, drama, and humanity on every page, it is a literary achievement"-- Provided by publisher.

Inheritance (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Shapiro, Dani — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

"The ... author of Hourglass now gives us a new memoir about identity, paternity, and family secrets--a real-time exploration of the ... discovery she made last year about her father, and her struggle to piece together the hidden the story of her own life"--

When All Is Said (BOOK CLUB SET OF 8)

Griffin, Anne — Thu, 31 Jan 2019 00:00:00 GMT

All Things Consoled (BOOK CLUB SET OF 6)

Hay, Elizabeth — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT

"Elizabeth Hay, one of Canada's most beloved novelists has written a poignant, complex, and hugely resonant memoir about the shift she experienced between being her parents' daughter to their guardian and caregiver. As the daughter takes charge, and the writer takes notes, her mother and father are like two legendary icebergs floating south. They melt into the ocean of partial, painful, inconsistent, and funny stories that a family makes over time. Hay's eloquent memoir distills these stories into basic truths about parents and children and their efforts of understanding. With her uncommon sharpness and wit, Elizabeth Hay offers her insights into the peculiarities of her family's dynamics--her parents' marriage, sibling rivalries, miscommunications that spur decades of resentment all matched by true and genuine love and devotion. Her parents are each startling characters in their own right--her mother is a true skinflint who would rather serve up wormy soup (twice) than throw away an ancient packet of "perfectly good" mix; her father is a proud and well-mannered man with a temper that can be explosive. When Icebergs Melt is a startlingly beautiful memoir that addresses the exquisite agony of family, the unstoppable force of dementia, and the inevitability of aging."--

Where the Crawdads Sing (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Owens, Delia — Wed, 31 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMT

"Fans of Barbara Kingsolver will love this stunning debut novel from a New York Times bestselling nature writer, about an unforgettable young woman determined to make her way in the wilds of North Carolina, and the two men that will break her isolation open. For years, rumors of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. She's barefoot and wild; unfit for polite society. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark. But Kya is not what they say. Abandoned at age ten, she has survived on her own in the marsh that she calls home. A born naturalist with just one day of school, she takes life lessons from the land, learning from the false signals of fireflies the real way of this world. But while she could have lived in solitude forever, the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. Drawn to two young men from town, who are each intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new and startling world -- until the unthinkable happens. In Where the crawdads Sing, Owens juxtaposes an exquisite ode to the natural world against a heartbreaking coming of age story and a surprising murder investigation. Thought-provoking, wise, and deeply moving, Owens's debut novel reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps"-- Provided by publisher.

We Were the Lucky Ones (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Hunter, Georgia — Tue, 31 Jan 2017 00:00:00 GMT

""Reading Georgia Hunter's We Were the Lucky Ones is like being swung heart first into history. A brave and mesmerizing debut, and a truly tremendous accomplishment."--Paula McLain, New York Timesbestselling author of The Paris Wife. An extraordinary, propulsive novel based on the true story of a family of Polish Jews who scatter at the start of the Second World War, determined to survive, and to reunite. It is the spring of 1939, and three generations of the Kurc family are doing their best to live normal lives, even as the shadow of war grows ever closer. The talk around the family Seder table is of new babies and budding romance, not of the increasing hardships facing Jews in their hometown of Radom, Poland. But soon the horrors overtaking Europe will become inescapable and the Kurc family will be flung to the far corners of the earth, each desperately trying to chart his or her own path toward safety. As one sibling is forced into exile, another attempts to flee the continent, while others struggle to escape certain death by working endless hours on empty stomachs in the factories of the ghetto or by hiding as gentiles in plain sight. Driven by an extraordinary will to survive and by the fear that they may never see each other again, the Kurcs must rely on hope, ingenuity, and inner strength to persevere. In a novel of breathtaking sweep and scope that spans five continents and six years and transports readers from the jazz clubs of Paris to the beaches of Rio de Janeiro to Krakow's most brutal prison and the farthest reaches of the Siberian gulag, We Were the Lucky Ones is a tribute to the capacity of the human spirit to endure in the face of the twentieth century's darkest moment"--

The Book Of Joy (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Bstan¿ơdzin-rgya-mtsho// Dalai Lama XIV. — Sun, 31 Jan 2016 00:00:00 GMT

℗¿℗¿℗¿℗¿ Most of all, during that landmark week in Dharamsala, they demonstrated by their own exuberance, compassion, and even wise-cracking humour, how joy can be transformed from a fleeting emotion into an enduring way of being.

Days Of Toil And Tears (BOOK CLUB SET OF 10)

Ellis, Sarah — Thu, 31 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Flora works hard as a child mill labourer.

The Tale Of Despereaux (BOOK CLUB SET Of 5)

DiCamillo, Kate — Fri, 31 Jan 2003 00:00:00 GMT

This is the story of Desperaux Tilling, a mouse in love with music, and a princessnamed Pea. It is also the story of a cat called Roscuro, who live in darkness but covers a world filled with light. And it is the story of Miggery Sow a slow-witted serving girl with a simple impossible wish.

The Case of the Christie Curse

Oliver, Kelly — Sat, 31 Jan 2026 00:00:00 GMT

The BRAND NEW page-turning, historical cozy mystery series from Kelly Oliver 🔎 If you love Golden-Age detective stories like Agatha Christie, you'll love this! 📚

Mesopotamia, 1930: When Agatha Christie invites fellow members of the Detection Club to witness the famous excavations at the ruins of Ur, Dorothy L. Sayers, her quick-witted assistant Eliza Baker, and Theo Sharp expect ancient wonders – not fresh corpses.

But when an archaeologist is found dead in the sand, whispers of a deadly curse sweep through the camp. Eliza suspects something far more dangerous than superstition. Amid glittering artifacts and fragile alliances, every guest harbors secrets: the Woolleys, whose marriage is shadowed by tragedy; a journalist hungry for scandal; even academic Max Mallowan, whose loyalties are not what they seem.

As theft, forgery, and coded messages surface, the line between archaeology and espionage blurs. And when Eliza and Theo find themselves in danger, they must face not only the truth about the murder – but also the truths they've long denied about each other. Can they uncover the killer before the desert claims another victim? Or will this dig unearth secrets too dangerous to survive?

Praise for Kelly Oliver:

'Sharp, witty and full of surprises!' Clara McKenna

'A fast and fun-filled mystery that checks every box. If you're new to the series, it stands on its own as an action-packed novel that's leavened with the dry wit of its indomitable heroine. A 2024 must-read.' Lori Robbins

'A fun, mix of whodunnit and thriller!' T. A. Williams

'Fast-paced, tongue-in-cheek spy romp. Enjoy the ride!' Frances Evesham

'Will keep you turning the pages and laughing all the way!' Dianne Freeman

'Perfect for fans of Downton Abbey and Maisie Dobbs.' BookTrib

'A pure delight! A bold, original sleuth, a devilishly charming adversary and a plucky Pekingese.' Mariah Fredericks

'Tantalizing and riveting with a good dose of humor.' The Los Angeles Post

'Fiona reminds me so much of Miss Fisher. Humor, action, and intrigue.. thoroughly entertaining.' Urban Book Reviews

'A perfect blend of wit, fun, and intrigue.' Debra Goldstein 'Smart, sneaky, and full of surprises... A fun whodunit that will keep you turning the pages!' Cathi Stoler

'Rich with historical details, and perfectly laced with humor and high jinks. Brilliant!' Margaret Mizushima

'Lushly layered in period detail, this mystery delivers twists in a lighthearted tale of suspense and derring-do.' Muddy Rose Reviews

'A delightful English countryside mystery with two handsome suitors and twists and turns worthy of Agatha Christie herself!' Amanda Flower

Heart Of A Samurai

Preus, Margi — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 00:00:00 GMT

In 1841 a Japanese fishing vessel sinks. Its crew is forced to swim to a small, unknown island, where they are rescued by a passing American ship. Japan¿́¿s borders remain closed to all Western nations, so the crew sets off to America, learning English on the way.