(alphabetically by author)

This deeply affecting novel, written by an Iraq war veteran (and recent M.F.A. graduate in poetry), is the distressing story of two young soldiers trying to stay alive, and one of the soldiers returning home only to find that the war continues in his head.

The Yellow Birds is an insightful, personal, and moving novel.  It helped me understand, on an emotional level, the traumatic experiences that face the young men and women who have gone to war. 

The wait is almost over! Popular book discussion leader Judy Levin will be returning to the Highland Park Public Library this spring for a three book discussion series.  Multiple copies of each title will be available for check-out prior to the discussion, so come prepared to talk!

March 13, 1 PM: "Await Your Reply" by Dan Chaon

April 10, 1PM: "The Weird Sisters" by Eleanor Brown

Our ever-popular Book Club Collection has gotten a makeover! A few less relevant titles have been cycled back out into our general fiction and non-fiction collections, and we have added four new titles for your consideration.  These books, as always, are challenging, literary, and fascinating, chosen with an eye toward "discussability" as well as leisure reading pleasure. We hope you'll check them out! (Pun intended, by the way.)

Brown, Eleanor.     The Weird Sisters

Sally considers herself fortunate.  As a lady’s maid to Lady Duff Gordon, she has come up the ranks from being an orphan without skills to having a secure job of some prestige. When Lady Duff Gordon becomes ill with a lung disease, her doctor suggests she relocate to the warm, dry climate of Egypt.  Sally can scarcely believe her luck in being asked to go along to care for her lady.  Sally craves adventure and having spent her precious free time at the British Museum studying the Egyptian culture, she knows what a wonderful opportunity is ahead.

Conor Grennan didn’t set out to be a hero.  In fact, the only reasons he volunteered to spend three months helping out in a Nepalese orphanage was that 1) it would be a great way to pick up women (Who could resist that resume item?) and 2) it made him sound less selfish to his family and friends as he outlined his plan to blow through his entire savings accumulated over 8 years in the working world since college graduation.