DISCUSSION GUIDES

Summary: From award-winning Spanish poet Elena Medel comes a mesmerizing new novel of class, sex, and desire

Summary: An instant New York Times, Washington Post, and USA TODAY bestseller—based on the true story of the heroic librarians at the American Library in Paris during World War II—The Paris Library is a moving and unforgettable “ode to the importance of libraries, books, and the human connections we find within both” (Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author).

Summary: Acclaimed storyteller Lan Samantha Chang returns with “a gorgeous and gripping literary mystery” that explores “family, betrayal, passion, race, culture and the American Dream” (Jean Kwok). Brimming with heartbreak, comedy, and suspense, The Family Chao offers a kaleidoscopic, highly entertaining portrait of a Chinese American family grappling with the dark undercurrents of a seemingly pleasant small town.

Summary: A transfixing and beautifully rendered novel about a refugee’s escape from civil war—and the healing power of community.

Summary: At twelve years old, Frankie Spril is driving his family nuts with his many fears. After Frankie is blamed for a tragic accident at Schuster’s Lake because he's too terrified to swim, The Caretaker of the Universe, Miss Eileen, orders her overworked administrative assistant, Karl, to send a pair of guardian angels trainees to help Frankie learn how to swim. Unfortunately, the only two angels available are not particularly good students.

Summary: A futuristic, environmentally destroyed, and terrorist infested Earth forces the human population to be moved to planets across the universe. This imaginative, humorous story follows the McHubbard family as they navigate through space and time in this interstellar adventure.

Summary: This imaginative tale tracks the continuing contest of two Celestial brothers, God and Satan, who, by ancient decree, can only unleash their sibling rivalry when human beings engage in combat.

Summary: NoViolet Bulawayo’s bold new novel follows the fall of the Old Horse, the long-serving leader of a fictional country, and the drama that follows for a rumbustious nation of animals on the path to true liberation.

Summary: March is Women’s History Month and women today are speaking up, stepping out, and breaking through like never before. The bestselling book Rethink: Smashing the Myths of Women in Business from Fast Company tells the inspiring stories of incredible women who redefined norms by pushing past the obstacles others placed before them.

Summary: When a sniper killed his partner, Sean McPherson was injured in the ambush. Now an ex-cop, he takes a job at a writing retreat in the Pacific Northwest. At Pines & Quill, he hopes to heal and put his life back together in the Zen-like capacity of groundskeeper and all-around handyman.