BOOK GROUP TO GO

BOOK GROUP KITS

Titles in our Book Group Kit Collection

Return to Book Group Kits main page

Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt
"Worse than the ordinary miserable childhood is the miserable Irish childhood," writes Frank McCourt in this memoir of his own childhood. Colorfully and painfully told, often with great humor. Non-fiction.

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
A ragtag group takes over an embassy in an unnamed South American country just as a soprano is about to launch into song and entertain the embassy's guest of honor, a Japanese industrialist. Based loosely on a real event, this magical novel has hostages and terrorists bonding in the most civilized ways. Fiction.

The Birth of Venus by Sarah Dunant
Blending fiction and fact and set in tumultuous 15th century Florence, this is the story of a young upper-class woman constrained by the society of the day. A historical romance lush with storylines about art and conspiracy, this is a seductive and imaginative novel. Fiction.

Botany of Desire: A Plant's Eye View of the World by Michael Pollan
A journalist focuses on the relationship between humans and four everyday plants--the apple, the tulip, the potato and marijuana. Plant and human history commingle in this surprising and engaging book. Non-Fiction.

Cold Mountain by Charles Frazier
Inman, a wounded Confederate soldier, deserts his Civil War hospital bed to make a treacherous 300 mile journey home to see his fiancé Ada. Lavish with period detail, this elegantly told story is a very satisfying read. Fiction.

The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
This sprawling novel about the Lamberts, a modern American family, contrasts the lives of the Midwestern parents, with their simple values, with their hip and troubled adult children. A tragic-comic tour-de-force. Fiction.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon
An autistic teenager, who does not liked to be touched and is unable to decipher the emotions of others, tries to solve a mystery. Unusual and understated, this is an insightful story of a boy trying to navigate his own world and the world around him. Fiction.

Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
In this hardboiled story set in post-World War II Los Angeles, African American Easy Rawlins takes on the task of finding a missing woman and, in the process, finds his calling as a private detective. This powerful mystery is also a compelling look at race and gender. First title in the Easy Rawlins series. Fiction.

Distant Land of My Father by Bo Caldwell
Her world is turned upside down when World War II intrudes on the life of a young girl growing up in Shanghai with her beautiful mother and wheeler-dealer father. Moving to South Pasadena, the girl forgives her father's personal demons. Vivid descriptions of life in China and a local setting make this epic very readable. Fiction.

Dogs of Babel by Carolyn Parkhurst
When Lexy mysteriously falls out of a tree, the only witness to her death is a dog named Lorelei. Lexy's husband, a linguistics professor, is convinced that if he can teach Lorelei to talk, he will learn the truth about Lexy's death. With its quirky premise and some odd twists and turns, this debut novel offers much to think about. Fiction.

Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton
A lonely New Englander, his wife and the cousin whom he loves share the tragic consequences of romance gone awry. The cold and barren setting echoes the deeply affecting story, which will keep the reader thinking long after the book is finished. Fiction.

The Giver by Lois Lowry
A twelve-year-old boy who lives in a "Utopia," where the lack of painful emotions, disease, hunger and war have been traded for rigid rules and control over everyone, discovers the terrible truth about his community. Compelling and thought-provoking. Good choice for teens, but great discussion for adults. Fiction.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
The daughter of eccentric and tempestuous parents tells a heart-breaking story of growing up in a wildly dysfunctional family. Original and darkly humorous, this is a triumphant autobiography with an author who never claims herself to be "poor pitiful me". Non-fiction.

The House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus
This tragic story about who really owns a house is told from the points of view of its two adversaries‹Behrani, an immigrant who left his high position in Iran to become a laborer in America, and Kathy, a self-destructive alcoholic who remembers her better days. Rich, complex and full of emotion. Fiction.

Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer
Mountain climbers ascending Mt. Everest confront the worst forces of nature and the selfish inclinations of their fellow climbers. Palpable with the physical effects of climbing to the top of the world, this page-turner is a tragedy waiting to happen. Non-fiction.

In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
Based on historical events, this story is about the three Mirabal sisters who try to help overthrow a dictatorship in the Dominican Republic and in the process become martyrs for a cause. Known as las mariposas (the butterflies), each sister is different and the characterizations are strong. The story starts slowly and builds to gripping intensity. Fiction.

The Known World by Edward P. Jones
With its large cast of characters and shifting storylines, this complex book will reward the patient reader. Set twenty years before the Civil War, the novel tells the story of a little known part of the history of slavery‹African American people who owned slaves. Fiction.

Little Women by Louisa Mae Alcott
The four March sisters‹Amy, Beth, Jo and Meg‹live in genteel poverty with their mother Marmee while their father is away during the Civil War. This American classic, a lively portrait of how one family lived in the nineteenth century, could be paired with a contemporary novel, March by Geraldine Brooks, which chronicles the life of Mr. March while he is absent from the family. Good choice for teens. Fiction.

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
After being raped and killed, 14-year-old Susie Salmon keeps watch, from heaven, on her grieving family, her brazen murderer and the police who are trying to solve the crime. This heartbreaking debut novel is a moving exploration of loss. Sweet, touching and an incredible read. Fiction.

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
An impoverished young Japanese girl becomes a geisha during the 1930's. This seductive and unique story describes the elaborate and mysterious life of a geisha and is rich with detail. Fiction.

My Antonia by Willa Cather
This classic story of Antonia, a spirited immigrant in 19th century Nebraska, is as memorable for its main character as it is for its portrait of pioneer life. Romantic and beautifully written. Fiction.

102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers by Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn.
Why and how did some people escape from the World Trade Towers and why did some die? This heart-pounding, meticulous account written by two newspaper reporters is a different approach to a painfully familiar subject. Focuses on the human experience and allows readers to put themselves in the place of the men and women who lived and died. Non-fiction.

Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
Doomed by his own self-righteousness, a Baptist minister's move to the Congo with his family becomes a foolhardy and dangerous venture. With its great background detail, excellent characterizations and biting humor, this is both a compelling family saga and a tragic look at Africa. Fiction.

Red Tent by Anita Diamant
Dinah, daughter of Jacob and sister of Joseph, and a tribal midwife in Biblical times assists the women who enter the red tent, the place where they are sequestered during menses and childbirth. Sharing gossip and encouragement, they bring to life the women of the Bible. Fiction.

Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand
Mentioned more often than President Franklin Roosevelt in newspapers of the 1930's, the race horse Seabiscuit was a national hero who gave hope to people during the Great Depression. Expertly researched, this page-turning book tells the story of how the horse, with knobby legs and a down-on-his-luck jockey, became such a triumphant winner. Non-ficition.

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Two 19th century Chinese girls, meant to be friends for life, are imprisoned by rigid rules of conduct, which require that their feet be bound. This engrossing and poignant novel, which takes the girls into womanhood, is based on the author's meticulous research. Fiction.

The Soloist by Mark Salzman
An emotionally distant one-time cello prodigy is transformed by two events--his involvement as a jury member in a murder trial and the music lessons he gives to a new student. This spiritual journey by a local author is beautifully written. Fiction.

The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
Two cultures clash in this extraordinary story of a Hmong (Laotian) immigrant family with a very ill child and the California doctors who try to care for her. The author of this thought-provoking, beautifully woven story, never takes sides. Non-fiction.

Stones for Ibarra by Harriet Doerr
Thinking that it will be an idyllic adventure, a San Francisco couple moves to Mexico to re-start a family business. Living without electricity, water or a familiar culture, Sara and Richard experience life in a subtle and surprising way. Great depth of character and setting add to the quiet quality of the book. Fiction.

Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson
In return for being sheltered by a small Pakistani village after a failed mountain climbing attempt, an American promises to build the village its first school. By the seat of his pants, little funding and an openness to cultures different from his own, author Mortenson constructs schools throughout Pakistan and Afghanistan. Llvely and inspiring. Non-fiction.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
Moving from the present to the past, a ninety-year-old man remembers his days as a veterinarian with a Depression era circus. This original and wonderful story has romance, a very memorable cast of characters and a gritty description of circus life that makes readers feel as if they are there. Fiction.

The Water Is Wide by Pat Conroy
The well-known author's second book is an autobiographical account of his experiences as a teacher on a small impoverished island off the coast of South Carolina. Teaching students who have never even heard of George Washington, Conroy optimistically reaches out to give them a glimpse into a wider world. This is a funny and touching book. Non-fiction.

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
A Japanese American family is forced to leave its Berkeley home during World War II and is incarcerated in a Utah internment camp. Sparely told and modest in length, the story is related by each of the four family members. The One Book/One Glendale 2007 title. Fiction.

White Oleander by Janet Fitch
Twelve-year-old Astrid, whose free-spirited mother is convicted of murder, is forced to become a foster child in three very different Los Angeles homes. With sensitive characterizations and spot-on locale descriptions, this is also a very provocative portrait of people in need. Fiction.