Salem Public Library Book Club – Salem, MA

“My Sister’s Keeper” by Jodi Picoult

Posted in meeting by BookClubAdmin on the April 24th, 2013

Come to our next meeting!

Wednesday, May 22nd, 2013 at 7:00pm

In the Salem Public Library’s Children’s Program Room

This month’s selection:

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

By age thirteen, Anna has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate — a life and a role that she has never challenged … until now. When their parents ask her to donate a kidney, Anna has had enough. She enlist the aid of a lawyer and announces her intention to sue for control of her own body. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister — and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.

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“Mountains Beyond Mountains” by Tracy Kidder

Posted in meeting by BookClubAdmin on the February 27th, 2013

Come to our next meeting!

Wednesday, March 27th, 2013 at 7:00pm

In the Salem Public Library’s Children’s Program Room

This month’s selection:

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Mountains Beyond Mountains by Tracy Kidder

In Mountains Beyond Mountains, Kidder tells the true story of Paul Farmer, a gifted man who is in love with the world and has set out to do all he can to cure it.  Doctor, Harvard professor, renowned infectious-disease specialist, anthropologist, the recipient of a MacArthur “genius” grant, world-class Robin Hood, Farmer was brought up in a bus and on a boat, and in medical school found his life’s calling: to diagnose and cure infectious diseases and to bring the lifesaving tools of modern medicine to those who need them most.  Mountains Beyond Mountains takes us from Harvard to Haiti, Peru, Cuba, and Russia as Farmer changes minds and practices through his dedication to the philosophy that “the only real nation is humanity.”

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“Caleb’s Crossing” by Geraldine Brooks

Posted in meeting by BookClubAdmin on the December 26th, 2012

The Salem Public Library Book Club

Come to our next meeting!

Wednesday, January 23rd, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.

In The Salem Public Library Children’s Program Room

 

This Month’s Selection: Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

“Bethia Mayfield is a restless and curious young woman growing up in Martha’s vineyard in the 1660s amid a small band of pioneering English Puritans. At age twelve, she meets Caleb, the young son of a chieftain, and the two forge a secret bond that draws each into the alien world of the other. Bethia’s father is a Calvinist minister who seeks to convert the native Wampanoag, and Caleb becomes a prize in the contest between old ways and new, eventually becoming the first Native American graduate of Harvard College. Inspired by a true story and narrated by the irresistible Bethia, “Caleb’s Crossing” brilliantly captures the triumphs and turmoil of two brave, openhearted spirits who risk everything in a search for knowledge at a time of superstition and ignorance.”

Join us for a discussion of this bestselling novel!

Discussion Questions

Warning: discussion questions contain plot spoilers

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“Life of Pi” by Yann Martel

Posted in meeting by BookClubAdmin on the October 31st, 2012

Come to our next meeting!

Wednesday, November 28th, 2012 at 7:00 p.m,

in The Salem Public Library Children’s Program Room


This Month’s Selection:

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

“A masterful and utterly original novel that is at once the story of a young castaway who faces immeasurable hardships on the high seas, and a meditation on religion, faith, art and life that is as witty as it is profound. Using the threads of all of our best stories, Yann Martel has woven a glorious spiritual adventure that makes us question what it means to be alive, and to believe.”

Join us for a discussion of this bestselling novel!

Discussion Questions

Warning: discussion questions contain plot spoilers

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“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini

Posted in meeting by BookClubAdmin on the August 22nd, 2012

Come to our next meeting!

Wednesday, September 26th, 2012 at 7:00 p.m,

in The Salem Public Library Children’s Program Room


This Month’s Selection:

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

 

“An epic tale of fathers and sons, of friendship and betrayal, that takes us from Afghanistan in the final days of the monarchy to the atrocities of the present. The unforgettable, heartbreaking story of the unlikely friendship between a wealthy boy and the son of his father’s servant, The Kite Runner is a beautifully crafted novel set in a country that is in the process of being destroyed.”

Join us for a discussion of this bestselling novel!

Discussion Questions

Warning: discussion questions contain plot spoilers

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Introducing…the Broad St. Readers!

Posted in Uncategorized by BookClubAdmin on the August 22nd, 2012

Starting this fall, the Salem Public Library is excited to announce we will be partnering with Salem’s Council on Aging to offer a new 55+ book group, the Broad St. Readers.  The club will meet every second Thursday of the month from 10-11 am at the Senior Center on Broad St. to discuss a wide range of books, including fiction and non-fiction, contemporary and historical.

Join us for a meet-and-greet on Thursday, October 11th at 10 am at the Salem Senior Center to learn about our exciting new club and receive a copy of the first book!

All are welcome, but please register in advance with the Council on Aging at 978-744-0924 x22.

 

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See You In September!

Posted in Book Suggestions by BookClubAdmin on the May 30th, 2012


 
The book club is on hiatus for the summer. Check back in August when we will announce our first book for fall!

Looking for a good book in the meantime? Check out our club’s past selections, or use one of our free library services to find new suggestions:

NextReads sends e-mail newsletters directly to your inbox with new releases and recommendations in your favorite genres. You’ll be able to check immediately whether the items are available at your local library or whether they’ve been checked out. You can also view back issues of the newsletters here.

NoveList is a great site that allows you to type in an author or book that you enjoy and then recommends similar authors and titles. You can also find books by similar genre, subject, location, and more!

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“Her Fearful Symmetry” by Audrey Niffenegger

Posted in meeting by BookClubAdmin on the April 25th, 2012

The Salem Public Library Book Club

Come to our next meeting!

Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.

In The Salem Public Library Children’s Program Room

This Month’s Selection: Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

“When Elspeth Noblin dies, she leaves everything to the 20-year-old American twin daughters of her own long-estranged twin, Edie. Valentina and Julia, as enmeshed as Elspeth and Edie once were, move into Elspeth’s flat, which borders London’s Highgate Cemetery. As the girls become embroiled in their new neighbors’ fraying lives, they also discover that much is still alive in Highgate, including, perhaps, their deceased aunt, who can’t seem to leave life behind.”

Join us for a discussion of this bestselling novel by the author of The Time Traveler’s Wife!

Discussion Questions

Warning: discussion questions contain plot spoilers

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“The Art of Racing in the Rain” by Garth Stein

Posted in meeting by BookClubAdmin on the February 17th, 2012

The Salem Public Library Book Club

Come to our next meeting!

Wednesday, March 21st, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.

In The Salem Public Library Children’s Program Room

This Month’s Selection: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

“Nearing the end of his life, Enzo, a dog with a philosopher’s soul, tries to bring together the family, pulled apart by a three year custody battle between daughter Zoe’s maternal grandparents and her father Denny, a race car driver.”

Join us for a discussion of this bestselling novel!

Discussion Questions

Warning: discussion questions contain plot spoilers

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“Snow Flower and the Secret Fan” by Lisa See

Posted in meeting by BookClubAdmin on the December 21st, 2011

The Salem Public Library Book Club

Come to our next meeting!

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 at 7:00 p.m.

In The Salem Public Library Children’s Program Room

This Month’s Selection: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See

“A language kept a secret for a thousand years forms the backdrop for an unforgettable novel of two Chinese women whose friendship and love sustains them through their lives. With the detail and emotional resonance of Memoirs of a Geisha , Snow Flower and the Secret Fan delves into one of the most mysterious and treasured relationships of all time—female friendship.” -via LisaSee.com

Join us for a discussion of this bestselling novel!

Discussion Questions

Warning: discussion questions contain plot spoilers

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