The Storied LIfe of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

The Locale: Cassie's and Susan's

The Book: On the faded Island Books sign hanging over the porch of the Victorian cottage is the motto “No Man Is an Island; Every Book Is a World.” A. J. Fikry, the irascible owner, is about to discover just what that truly means.

A. J. Fikry’s life is not at all what he expected it to be. His wife has died, his bookstore is experiencing the worst sales in its history, and now his prized possession, a rare collection of Poe poems, has been stolen. Slowly but surely, he is isolating himself from all the people of Alice Island—from Lambiase, the well-intentioned police officer who’s always felt kindly toward Fikry; from Ismay, his sister-in-law who is hell-bent on saving him from his dreary self; from Amelia, the lovely and idealistic (if eccentric) Knightley Press sales rep who keeps on taking the ferry over to Alice Island, refusing to be deterred by A.J.’s bad attitude. Even the books in his store have stopped holding pleasure for him. These days, A.J. can only see them as a sign of a world that is changing too rapidly.

And then a mysterious package appears at the bookstore. It’s a small package, but large in weight. It’s that unexpected arrival that gives A. J. Fikry the opportunity to make his life over, the ability to see everything anew. It doesn’t take long for the locals to notice the change overcoming A.J.; or for that determined sales rep, Amelia, to see her curmudgeonly client in a new light; or for the wisdom of all those books to become again the lifeblood of A.J.’s world; or for everything to twist again into a version of his life that he didn’t see coming. As surprising as it is moving, The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry is an unforgettable tale of transformation and second chances, an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.
(https://gabriellezevin.com/adults/a-j-fikry/)

The Author: Gabrielle Zevin

The Meeting: Cassie, Perri, & Olivia attended. And the two Susans. Everyone really loved the book. A sweet funny story.

The Vote: Kate presented...

• Murder on the Orient Express By Agatha Cristie WINS!!
• The Da Vinci Code By Dan Brown
• The Firm By John Grisham 

Meeting date @ Kate's and Brenda's TBD.

Next to present: Emily

Then:

• Olivia
• Perri
• Cassie

Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol

The Locale: Perri's & TJ's

The Book: Anya could really use a friend. But her new BFF isn't kidding about the "Forever" part.
Of all the things Anya expected to find at the bottom of an old well, a new friend was not one of them. Especially not a new friend who’s been dead for a century.
Falling down a well is bad enough, but Anya's normal life might actually be worse. She's embarrassed by her family, self-conscious about her body, and she's pretty much given up on fitting in at school. A new friend—even a ghost—is just what she needs.
Or so she thinks. Spooky, sardonic, and secretly sincere, Anya's Ghost is a wonderfully entertaining debut from author/artist Vera Brosgol. 

(https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9615347-anya-s-ghost#)

The Meeting: Just a few girls and moms. All gathered around the kitchen table. Catching up and talking about summer plans. The graphic novel was a quick easy read. Entertaining. Great graphics. Not too deep.

The Vote: Cassie presented...

• The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry By Gabrielle Zevin     WINS!!
• My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry By Fredrik Backman
• I Capture the Castle By Dodie Smith

Meeting date @ Cassie's and Susan's TBD. 

Next to present: Kate

Then:
Emily
Hana
Olivia
Perri

Cassie

Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

The Locale: Olivia's & Susan's

The Book: We can sum this book up for you in three little sentences: Kathy is a carer. Then she becomes a donor. Then she "completes." The end.

Okay, there's a bit more to Kathy's life than that. Well, a lot more. And fair warning: this book jumps back and forth and back again in time, so it can be tough to keep it all straight. Hold on to your hats.

The book starts out in England in the 1990s. Kathy H., our narrator, is a thirty-one year old woman who spends her days as a "carer." Her job involves traveling between recovery centers and helping "donors" to recuperate after giving a "donation." She doesn't tell us what these mysterious donations are, but they don't sound like much fun.

Working as a carer gives Kathy a ton of time to reminisce about Hailsham, the place where she grew up. This job also gives her opportunities to reconnect with Ruth and Tommy, her old pals from Hailsham.

(http://www.shmoop.com/never-let-me-go/summary.html)

Kazuo Ishiguro


The Meeting: A small group. Perri & TJ. Cassie & Susan. Emily & Kristine. And Hannah, Olivia's friend who wants to join club. We served a Taco Ring. Avocado tomato salad. And sopapilla cheesecake. We eschewed the whole British theme and went with Mexican. With all the school work, the girls continue to struggle with fitting in pleasure reads. Moms are stressing and nagging. We discussed and reassured all that there are no pressures. We will continue to vote and try to read books, but all are welcome regardless. It's the connection we want to keep. There will be no judging. This should be an event of pleasure. Not stress. We did agree to stretch meetings to every other month, allowing more time in between and a more relaxed approach. Girls are welcome to invite other friends to join, those that would be a good fit and love reading, with or without mothers. 

The Vote: Perri presented...

• Welcome to Night Vale: A Novel by Joseph Fink and Jeffrey Cranor
• The Martian by Andy Weir
• Anya’s Ghost by Vera Brosgol WINS!!

Meeting date @ Perri's and TJ's TBD.

Next to present: Cassie

Then:
Kate
Emily
Hannah
Olivia
Perri

Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver

The Locale: Emily's & Kristine's

The Book: Dara and Nick used to be inseparable, but that was before – before Dara kissed Parker, before Nick lost him as her best friend, before the accident that left Dara’s beautiful face scarred.

Now the two sisters, who used to be so close, aren’t speaking. In an instant, Nick lost everything and is determined to use the summer to get it all back.

But Dara has other plans. When she vanishes on her birthday, Nick thinks Dara is just playing around. But another girl has vanished, too—nine-year-old Elizabeth Snow—and as Nick pursues her sister, she becomes increasingly convinced that the two disappearances may be linked.

In this edgy and compelling novel, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver creates a world of intrigue, loss, and suspicion as two sisters search to find themselves, and each other.
(http://www.laurenoliverbooks.com/vanishing_girls.php)

Lauren Oliver

The Vote: Olivia presented...

• The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
• 1984 by George Orwell
• Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro  WINS!!

Meeting date @ Olivia's and Susan's scheduled for March 26th.

Next to present: Perri

Then:

• Cassie
• Kate
• Emily
• Perri 

Ten Little Indians by Agatha Christie

The Locale: Kate's & Brenda's

The Book: Ten strangers, apparently with little in common, are lured to an island mansion off the coast of Devon by the mysterious U.N.Owen. Over dinner, a record begins to play, and the voice of an unseen host accuses each person of hiding a guilty secret. That evening, former reckless driver Tony Marston is found murdered by a deadly dose of cyanide.

The tension escalates as the survivors realise the killer is not only among them but is preparing to strike again… and again...

(http://www.agathachristie.com/stories/and-then-there-were-none)

Agatha Christie

Interesting--a BBC has created a new production, which aired in December.

The Vote: Emily presented...

• Mosquito Land by David Arnold
• Carry On by Rainbow Rowl
• Vanishing Girls by Lauren Oliver      WINS!!

Meeting date @ Emily's & Kristine's scheduled for January 24th.

Next to present: Olivia

Then:

• Perri 
• Cassie
• Kate
• Emily