Congratulations to the Wednesday Night Book Group on their 2023 reading selections! The group has found a meaningful connection, particularly through these pandemic years. The next meeting will be held on January 11 at 7 pm on Zoom. The group will continue to meet on the second Wednesday of every month to discuss a new book and catch up on each other’s lives a bit. For more information or to receive the Zoom link, contact Joanne Kopischke.
January 11 – “A Fall of Marigolds” by Susan Meissner
Pub. 2014 – 370 pages
The story of two women connected by loss and a beautiful scarf passed down over generations through a century in time. One from the Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911 and one from the attack on the World Trade Center in 2001.
Upcoming Reading Selections:
February 8 – “The Paris Apartments” by Lucey Foley
Fiction-Mystery – 360 pages
Jess goes to live with her brother in Paris for a fresh start only on arrival to discover that her brother has disappeared. A quirky, intriguing set of characters live in her brothers apartment complex who at the onset seem harmless & helpful but soon become evasive & secretive.
March 8 – “Enslaved, Indentured, Free” by Mary Elise Antoine
Wisconsin Historical Society Press, non-fiction – 240 pages
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 made slavery illegal in the territory that would later become Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, and part of Minnesota. However, many Black individuals’ rights were denied by white enslavers who continued to hold them captive in the territory well into the nineteenth century. The story of 5 Black women whose paths intersected in Prairie du Chien. The author is the president of the Prairie du Chien Historical Society.
April 12 – “These Precious Days” by Ann Patchett
Published 2021 – 320 pages
Deeply personal collection of essays reflecting on home, family, friendships & writing. Main essay called “These Precious Days” is a moving meditation on an unexpected friendship – explores what it means to be seen, to find someone with whom you can be your best and most complete self.
May 10 – “Lessons in Chemistry” by Bonnie Garmus
Fiction – 400 pages
Early 1960s feminism, love story, chemistry and cooking. This Barnes & Noble Book of the Year, is at times a laugh out loud funny, shrewdly observant fictional novel that follows the story of a single mother, Elizabeth Zott, a brilliant chemist in a man’s world—1960s America—as she becomes an unlikely cooking-show host and the role model her daughter deserves.
June 14 – “The Storied Life of AJ Fikry” by Gabrielle Zevin
2014 – 260 pages
Island Books owner who is isolated after his wife’s death where he is the outsider in a small island enclave finds acceptance and community after receiving a mysterious package. Great discussions of books, book groups and the value of bookstores as well.
July 12 – The Dalai Lama’s Cat and the Power of Purring” by David Michie
2013 – 209 pages
Second in the series. It is by the same author and is a short book but interesting and meaningful to discuss.
August 9 – “The Book of Hope” by Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams
Nonfiction – 234 pages
It’s a dialogue of how we can find Hope even to the trying times we face.
September 13 – “The Anthropocene Reviewed” by John Greene
Goodreads Best Nonfiction, 2021 – 293 pages
A collection of essays adapted & expanded from his critically acclaimed podcast; combines history, science & memoir; main focus is how human activity has profoundly shaped the planet & its biodiversity. “Anthropocene” is a geological term that refers to the period of the past 12,000 years or so, during which human activity “has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity.”
October 11 – “The Light We Carry” by Michelle Obama
Non-fiction – 336 pages
The former first lady’s new book is a manifesto for thriving in a world that too often says you aren’t good enough. There may be no tidy solutions or pithy answers to life’s big challenges, but Michelle Obama believes that we can all locate and lean on a set of tools to help us better navigate change and remain steady within flux.
November 8 – “When the Emperor was Divine” by Julie Otsuka
Historical fiction, 2002 – 144 pages
In 1942, like thousands of Japanese Americans, a family is uprooted from their home and sent to an internment camp in Utah. The story is told through the perspective of four family members.