Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in BookClub.
"Pint of No Return" by Dana Mentink - Book Club Discussion
After her divorce from her thrice-married embezzler husband, Trinidad Jones is finally ready for a fresh start. So when she's left one of ex's businesses in Upper Sprocket, Oregon, she decides to pack up her dog, cash in her settlement, and open her dream business: the Shimmy and Shake Shop, introducing the world to her monster milkshakes. And even with a couple sticky situations underway, namely that the other two ex-wives also call Sprocket home, Trinidad's life seems to be churning along smoothly. That is, until she discovers her neighbor, the Popcorn King, head down in his giant popcorn kettle. When one of Trinidad's fellow ex-wives is accused of the murder and Upper Sprocket descends into mayhem, it's going to take a supersized scoop of courage to flush out the killer.
By Kristen Barenthaler2 years ago in BookClub
"Transcription" by Kate Atkinson - Book Club Discussion
A dramatic story of WWII espionage, betrayal, and loyalty, by the #1 bestselling author of Life After Life In 1940, eighteen-year old Juliet Armstrong is reluctantly recruited into the world of espionage. Sent to an obscure department of MI5 tasked with monitoring the comings and goings of British Fascist sympathizers, she discovers the work to be by turns both tedious and terrifying. But after the war has ended, she presumes the events of those years have been relegated to the past forever. Ten years later, now a radio producer at the BBC, Juliet is unexpectedly confronted by figures from her past. A different war is being fought now, on a different battleground, but Juliet finds herself once more under threat. A bill of reckoning is due, and she finally begins to realize that there is no action without consequence. Transcription is a work of rare depth and texture, a bravura modern novel of extraordinary power, wit, and empathy. It is a triumphant work of fiction from one of the best writers of our time.
By Kristen Barenthaler2 years ago in BookClub
"The Paradox Hotel" by Rob Hart - Book Club Discussion
January Cole's job just got a whole lot harder. Not that running security at the Paradox was ever really easy. Nothing's simple at a hotel where the ultra-wealthy tourists arrive costumed for a dozen different time periods, all eagerly waiting to catch their "flights" to the past. Or where proximity to the timeport makes the clocks run backward on occasion--and, rumor has it, allows ghosts to stroll the halls. None of that compares to the corpse in room 526. The one that seems to be both there and not there. The one that somehow only January can see. On top of that, some very important new guests have just checked in. Because the U.S. government is about to privatize time-travel technology--and the world's most powerful people are on hand to stake their claims. January is sure the timing isn't a coincidence. Neither are those "accidents" that start stalking their bidders. There's a reason January can glimpse what others can't. A reason why she's the only one who can catch a killer who's operating invisibly and in plain sight, all at once. But her ability is also destroying her grip on reality--and as her past, present, and future collide, she finds herself confronting not just the hotel's dark secrets but her own. At once a dazzlingly time-twisting murder mystery and a story about grief, memory, and what it means to--literally--come face-to-face with our ghosts, The Paradox Hotel is another unforgettable speculative thrill ride from acclaimed author Rob Hart.
By Kristen Barenthaler2 years ago in BookClub
"A Botanist's Guide to Parties & Poisons" by Kate Khavari - Book Club Discussion
Saffron Everleigh is in a race against time to free her wrongly accused professor before he goes behind bars forever. Perfect for fans of Deanna Raybourn and Anna Lee Huber, Kate Khavari's debut historical mystery is a fast paced, fearless adventure. London, 1923. Newly minted research assistant Saffron Everleigh attends a dinner party for the University College of London. While she expects to engage in conversations about the university's large expedition to the Amazon, she doesn't expect Mrs. Henry, one of the professors' wives to drop to the floor, poisoned by an unknown toxin. Dr. Maxwell, Saffron's mentor, is the main suspect, having had an explosive argument with Dr. Henry a few days prior. As evidence mounts against Dr. Maxwell and the expedition's departure draws nearer, Saffron realizes if she wants her mentor's name cleared, she'll have to do it herself. Joined by enigmatic Alexander Ashton, a fellow researcher, Saffron uses her knowledge of botany as she explores steamy greenhouses, dark gardens, and deadly poisons. Will she be able to uncover the truth or will her investigation land her on the murderer's list?
By Kristen Barenthaler2 years ago in BookClub
"The Maltese Falcon" by Dashiell Hammett - Book Club Discussion
From "a master of the detective novel [and] one hell of a writer" ( The Boston Globe) comes a coolly glittering gem of detective fiction that has haunted three generations of readers. A treasure worth killing for. Sam Spade, a slightly shopworn private eye with his own solitary code of ethics. A perfumed grafter named Joel Cairo, a fat man name Gutman, and Brigid O'Shaughnessy, a beautiful and treacherous woman whose loyalties shift at the drop of a dime. These are the ingredients of Dashiell Hammett's iconic, influential, and beloved The Maltese Falcon.
By Kristen Barenthaler2 years ago in BookClub
"The Snowman" by Jo Nesbø - Book Club Discussion
Oslo in November. The first snow of the season has fallen. A boy named Jonas wakes in the night to find his mother gone. Out his window, in the cold moonlight, he sees the snowman that inexplicably appeared in the yard earlier in the day. Around its neck is his mother's pink scarf. Hole suspects a link between a menacing letter he's received and the disappearance of Jonas's mother - and of perhaps a dozen other women, all of whom went missing on the day of a first snowfall. As his investigation deepens, something else emerges: he is becoming a pawn in an increasingly terrifying game whose rules are devised - and constantly revised - by the killer. (GoodReads)
By Kristen Barenthaler2 years ago in BookClub
"And Then There Were None" by Agatha Christie - Book Club Discussion
First, there were ten—a curious assortment of strangers summoned as weekend guests to a little private island off the coast of Devon. Their host, an eccentric millionaire unknown to all of them, is nowhere to be found. All that the guests have in common is a wicked past they're unwilling to reveal—and a secret that will seal their fate. For each has been marked for murder. A famous nursery rhyme is framed and hung in every room of the mansion: "Ten little boys went out to dine; One choked his little self and then there were nine. Nine little boys sat up very late; One overslept himself and then there were eight. Eight little boys traveling in Devon; One said he'd stay there then there were seven. Seven little boys chopping up sticks; One chopped himself in half and then there were six. Six little boys playing with a hive; A bumblebee stung one, and then there were five. Five little boys going in for law; One got in Chancery, and then there were four. Four little boys going out to sea; A red herring swallowed one, and then there were three. Three little boys walking in the zoo; A big bear hugged one, and then there were two. Two little boys sitting in the sun; One got frizzled up, and then there was one. One little boy left all alone; He went out and hanged himself and then there were none." When they realize that murders are occurring as described in the rhyme, terror mounts. One by one they fall prey. Before the weekend is out, there will be none. Who has choreographed this dastardly scheme? And who will be left to tell the tale? Only the dead are above suspicion. (GoodReads)
By Kristen Barenthaler2 years ago in BookClub
"Wish You Were Here" by Rita Mae Brown - Book Club Review
Curiosity just might be the death of Mrs. Murphy - and her human companion, Mary Minor "Harry" Haristeen. Small towns are like families: Everyone lives very close together, and everyone keeps secrets. Crozet, Virginia, is a typical small town until its secrets explode into murder. Crozet's thirty-something postmistress, Harry, has a tiger cat (Mrs. Murphy) and a Welsh Corgi (Tucker), a pending divorce, and a bad habit of reading postcards not addressed to her. When Crozet's citizens start turning up murdered, Harry remembers that each received a card with a tombstone on the front and the message "Wish you were here" on the back. Intent on protecting their human friend, Mrs. Murphy and Tucker begin to scent out clues. Meanwhile, Harry is conducting her own investigation, unaware her pets are one step ahead of her. If only Mrs. Murphy could alert her somehow, Harry could uncover the culprit before the murder occurs and before Harry finds herself on the killer's mailing list. (GoodReads)
By Kristen Barenthaler2 years ago in BookClub
Scrooge: The Story Behind A Christmas Carol
Before the Grinch hated Christmas and stole all the gifts, there was Ebenezer Scrooge except he didn't steal any Christmas gifts like the Grinch but took away all the Christmas joy. Scrooge is a grumpy elderly who hates Christmas until he receives a surprise visit from ghosts to show him his past, present, and future. The story has made films, plays, musicals, and several adaptations. Here's the story behind Scrooge.
By Gladys W. Muturi2 years ago in BookClub
"The Power of Mindfulness: Cultivating Awareness and Appreciation in Daily Life" . Content Warning.
The world is full of amazing and awe-inspiring things, but sometimes we can become so accustomed to our surroundings that we forget to appreciate them. This is where the art of mindfulness comes in. By being present in the moment and fully engaged in our surroundings, we can learn to appreciate the beauty and wonder of the world around us.
By ethics with AI2 years ago in BookClub
