The Reader's Shelf from Library Journal

Celebrate National Reading Group Month

Miss Dreamsville and the Collier County Women's Literary Society By Hearth, Amy Hill 2012-10 - Atria Books 9781451675238 Check Our Catalog A brilliant debut novel from a "New York Times"-bestselling author about a transplanted wife from Boston who arrives in Florida in the 1960s, starts a literary salon, and shakes up the status quo. …More

Summer Reading By Wolitzer, Hilma 2008-05 - Ballantine Books 9780345485878 Check Our Catalog Following her acclaimed novel "The Doctor's Daughter," award-winning author Wolitzer crafts a stirring tale--set in the Hamptons--about leading an authentic life and, especially, the love of good books. …More

The Sweetgum Knit Lit Society By Pattillo, Beth 2008-05 - Waterbrook Press 9781400073948 Check Our Catalog BookPage Notable Title Two things unite the ladies at Sweetgum Christian Church: their love of knitting and their passion for books. Librarian Eugenie invites Hannah--an angry teenager--to join their circle. Will Hannah's unique perspective bring fresh energy to their meetings or unravel the group? …More

All Roads Lead to Austen: A Year-Long Journey with Jane By Smith, Amy Elizabeth Illustrator Prieto, Lucia Mancilla 2012-06 - Sourcebooks 9781402265853 Check Our Catalog …More

The Jane Austen Book Club By Fowler, Karen Joy 2005-04 - Plume Books 9780452286535 Check Our Catalog Nothing ever moves in a straight line in Fowler's fiction, and in her latest, the complex dance of modern love has never been so devious or so much fun. In this newest work, six Californians join to discuss Jane Austen's novels. Over the six months they meet, marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and love happens. …More

The End of Your Life Book Club By Schwalbe, Will 2013-06 - Vintage Books 9780307739780 Check Our Catalog This is the inspiring true story of a son and his mother, who start a "book club" that brings them together as the mother faces an advanced form of pancreatic cancer. The result is a profoundly moving tale of loss that is also a joyful, and often humorous, celebration of life. …More

The Book Lover's Cookbook: Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature, and the Passages That Feature Them By Wenger, Shaunda Kennedy Author Jensen, Janet 2005-03 - Ballantine Books 9780345465467 Check Our Catalog THE BOOK LOVER'S COOKBOOK Recipes Inspired by Celebrated Works of Literature and the Passages that Feature Them Shaunda Kennedy Wenger and Janet Kay Jensen Wake up to a perfect breakfast with Mrs. Dalby's Buttermilk Scones, courtesy of James Herriot's "All Things Bright and Beautiful and Ichabod's Slapjacks, as featured in Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. There's homey comfort food like Connie May's Tomato Pie, created with and inspired by Connie May Fowler" (Remembering Blue); Thanksgiving Spinach Casserole (Elizabeth Berg's "Open House); and Amish Chicken and Dumplings (Jodi Picoult'"s "Plain Truth) . . . Sample salads, breads, and such soul-warming soups as Nearly-a-Meal Potato Soup (Terry Kay's "Shadow Song); Mr. Casaubon's Chicken Noodle Soup (George Eliot's "Middlemarch); and Mrs. Leibowitz's Lentil-Vegetable Soup (Frank McCourt's "Angela's Ashes) . . . After relishing appetizers and entrees, there's a dazzling array of desserts, including Carrot Pudding (Charles Dickens's "A Christmas Carol); Effie Belle's Coconut Cake (Olive Ann Burns's "Cold Sassy Tree); and the kids will love C.S. Lewis's Turkish Delight from "The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe. Sprinkled throughout with marvelous anecdotes about writers and writing, "The Book Lover's Cookbook is a culinary and literary delight, a browser's cornucopia of reading pleasure, and a true inspiration in the kitchen. Shaunda Kennedy Wenger enjoys creative cooking and writing children's stories and articles. She is currently working on a novel. Her work has been published in "Babybug, "Ladybug, "Wonder Years, "American Careers, "South Valley Living, and "Short-Short Stories for Reading Aloud(The Education Center, 2000). She is an active member of the League of Utah Writers and the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators. She regards her monthly book club meeting as one life's essential ingredients. Janet Kay Jensen is published in "Healing Ministry journal" and "The Magic of Stories. She has received numerous awards for essays, poetry, and short stories, including three "ByLine Magazine honorable mentions. A speech-language pathologist, she holds degrees from Utah State University and Northwestern University. She is writing a novel, teaches poetry classes to jail inmates, and is a literacy tutor. Married and the mother of three sons, she is a consultant at Utah State University. TASTY RECIPES AND THE BOOKS THAT INSPIRED THEM Jo's Best Omelette . . . "Little Women by Louisa May Alcott No Dieter's Delight Chicken Neapolitan . . . "Thinner by Stephen King Extra-Special Rhubarb Pie . . . "The Persian Pickle Club by Sandra Dallas Grand Feast Crab Meat Casserole . . . "At Home in Mitford by Jan Karon Persian Cucumber and Yogurt . . . "House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III Tamales . . . "Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel Bev's No-Fuss Crab Cakes . . . "Unnatural Exposure by Patricia Cornwell Macaroni and Cheese . . . "The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler Veteran Split Pea Soup . . . "The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane Alternative Carrot-Raisin-Pineapple Salad . . . "Midwives by Chris Bohjalian Summer's Day Cucumber-Tomato Sandwiches . . . "Women in Love by D. H. Lawrence Refreshing Black Cows . . . "The Book of Ruth by Jane Hamilton Dump Punch . . . "Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen NotViolet, But Blueberry Pie . . . "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Innocent Sweet Bread . . . "The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Daddy's Rich Chocolate Cake . . . "Fatherhood by Bill Cosby . . . and many other delectable dishes for the literary palate! "From the Hardcover edition. …More