The Wednesday Night Book Group meets on the second Wednesday of each month at 7:00 – 8:30 pm via Zoom. A simultaneous in-person option at the church is generally offered from March through November. Conversations center around literary perspectives, personal connections, and application to UU principles. Members vote on the selections for the upcoming year from a wide range of genres. See the attached 2026 reading list below.
Discuss books chosen by the group, including fiction, non-fiction, contemporary, or old. All are welcome to join the meeting – in person and sometimes online. Contact Patti Ulwelling for Book Group meeting details.
July 8 – When Elephants Weep: The Emotional Lives of (Other) Animals, by Jeffrey Masson, 291 pages, 1994.
Examines and challenges the perspective that emotions are exclusive to our species & offers diverse examples and extraordinary stories of animal love, joy, anger, empathy, loneliness, etc. This national bestseller exploring the complex emotional lives of animals was hailed as “a masterpiece” by Elizabeth Marshall Thomas and as “marvelous” by Jane Goodall. -Deanna Forsythe
Upcoming Reads:
August 12 – How to Read a Book by Monica Wood, fiction, 280 pages, 2024.
It is a novel about second chances, unlikely friendships, and the life changing experience of sharing stories. -Mollie Conrad
September 9 – The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon, historical fiction, 448 pages, 2024.
The story draws on the real-life diary entries of Martha Ballard, a brilliant post-civil war midwife and healer, who finds herself investigating a murder after a body is discovered frozen in the Kennebec River and navigating the legal system to bring about justice following a brutal rape that shakes her small community. The page-turner award-winning novel brings to life themes of power, gender, secrets, and strength of determination. – Patti Ulwelling
October 14 – The Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali, historical fiction, 327 pages, 2024.
Coming of age story for 2 Iranian girls from different socioeconomic backgrounds growing up in the years leading up to the Iranian Revolution. An evocative read and a powerful portrait of friendship, feminism and political activism. -Jennifer Vallier
November 11 – The Peculiar Garden of Harriet Hunt by Chelsea Hunt, fiction, 309 pages, 2024.
An enchanting story of a woman who must use the magic of the fantastical plants that adorn her home to thwart the dark plots of the men around her. It’s the perfect modern day fairytale about women taking control of their lives with a little help from the magic within. -Lisa Larson
December 9 – Reading List Scheduling Meeting and Celebration