Book Discussions: January 2024

A book cover titled

Decorah Public Library staff are hosting five book discussions in January. The groups are open to the public and newcomers are encouraged to attend. Anyone interested should call the library at 382-3717 to learn more or to reserve a book. Zoom links are available on the Library’s website or you can email ktorresdal@decorahlibrary.org to be added to any of the five groups’ email distribution lists. Funds for multiple copy sets were generously provided by Friends of Decorah Public Library.

For more information, contact Tricia Crary (Friday Book Group) or Kristin Torresdal (Happy Hour, History, and Speculative Fiction Book Groups) at 563-382-3717.

 

A book cover titled "The Measure" by Nikki Erlick. The background is yellow, featuring a bouquet of black and blue flowers tied with a white string. A circular sticker on the lower left corner reads "Read with Jenna #ReadWithJenna." A quote at the top praises the novel.

The Measure

The Happy Hour Book Group will meet at Pulpit Rock Brewing Co. Wed. Jan. 17 at 5:15 p.m. to discuss Nikki Erlick’s “The Measure.” It seems like any other day. You wake up, pour a cup of coffee, and head out. But today, when you open your front door, waiting for you is a small wooden box. This box holds your fate inside: the answer to the exact number of years you will live. From suburban doorsteps to desert tents, every person on every continent receives the same box. As society comes together and pulls apart, everyone faces the same shocking choice: Do they wish to know how long they’ll live? And, if so, what will they do with that knowledge?

 

 

 

The cover of the book "Tom Lake: A Novel" by Ann Patchett, featuring a floral design with white daisies on a green background. It includes a Reese's Book Club seal and the text "#1 New York Times Bestseller" at the top.

Tom Lake

The Friday Book Group will meet on the 2nd floor of the library Fri. Jan. 19 at 2:00 p.m. to discuss Ann Patchett’s “Tom Lake.” It’s spring and Lara’s three grown daughters have returned to the family orchard. While picking cherries, they beg their mother to tell them the one story they’ve always longed to hear””of the film star with whom she shared a stage, and a romance, years before.

 

 

 

 

 

Book cover of 'North Woods' by Daniel Mason, showing a large cat reclining on a grassy meadow, with an old-style illustration of a forest and blue sky in the background. Text highlights it as a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, along with a praise quote at the bottom.

North Woods

The Speculative Fiction Book Group will meet via Zoom Wed. Jan. 24 at 5:15 p.m. to discuss Daniel Mason’s “North Woods.” When a pair of young lovers abscond from a Puritan colony, little do they know that their humble cabin in the woods will become home to an extraordinary succession of inhabitants. An English soldier, destined for glory, abandons the battlefields of the New World to devote himself to apples. A pair of spinster twins survive war and famine, only to succumb to envy and desire. A crime reporter unearths a mass grave, but finds the ancient trees refuse to give up their secrets. A lovelorn painter, a conman, a stalking panther, a lusty beetle; as each one confronts the mysteries of the north woods, they come to realize that the dark, raucous, beautiful past is very much alive. Zoom link available on the library website.

 

 

Book cover of "All Systems Red" by Martha Wells. The cover features a robotic figure in a desolate, misty landscape. Above the title, a quote from Ann Leckie reads, “I love Murderbot!” The cover also notes that the book is a Hugo and Nebula Award winner.

All Systems Red

Following the Speculative Fiction Book Group, the Speculative Fiction Novella Group will meet at 6:15 p.m. via the same Zoom link to discuss Martha Wells’ “All Systems Red.” On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied “˜droid””a self-aware that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth. Zoom link available on the library website.

 

 

 

 

Cover of the book "Decisions for War, 1914-1917" by Richard F. Hamilton and Holger H. Herwig. The cover features a greenish-tinted image of soldiers in combat gear with a circular inset of a historical photograph above them. The publisher's logo, Cambridge, is at the bottom.

Decisions for War, 1914-1917

The History Book Group will meet on the 2nd floor of the library Thurs. Jan. 18 at 3:00 p.m. to discuss Richard F. Hamilton’s “Decisions for War, 1914-1917.” Focusing on the choices made by coteries, this study examines the perplexing question of why World War I happened. In each case, the decision to enter the war was made by a handful of individuals””monarchs, ministers, military people, party leaders, ambassadors, and a few others. In each case also, separate and distinct agendas are seen, with considerations differing from one nation to the next.


Posted: December 26, 2023