April 1, 2016, Book: 'Boys in the Trees: A Memoir'

"We have no secrets. We tell each other everything," sang Carly Simon in the 1970s.

For those of you who were awed by the feminine mystique of Carly back in the 70s, and perhaps sang along to "Anticipation" or "You're So Vain" playing on the turntable in your bedroom (or was that just me), then you'll be extra excited about this selection.

Juli is hosting on April 1, 2016, and she has chosen Carly's confessional new book, "Boys in the Trees: A Memoir" for our first spring selection.

Millennials may not know who Carly is, and they may not know she was married to the then very handsome (and troubled) James Taylor. But when I think about the demographics of our humble club, I'm pretty sure we ALL remember all of this. Like it was yesterday.

So whether you love Carly or you never thought much about her, you're going to learn all about her now.

And in case you'd like to flash back to the jaw-droppingly good music of the 70s (or just the bralessness of it), here's a great video for you to check out: https://youtu.be/Ux7HgO9QhAc

Feb. 19, 2016, Book: 'The Girl on the Train' by Paula Hawkins

Stacey will be hosting in February, and we will be going back to Europe with the "The Girl on the Train." Here is an overview from Amazon.com:

Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She’s even started to feel like she knows them. “Jess and Jason,” she calls them. Their life—as she sees it—is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.

And then she sees something shocking. It’s only a minute until the train moves on, but it’s enough. Now everything’s changed. Unable to keep it to herself, Rachel offers what she knows to the police, and becomes inextricably entwined in what happens next, as well as in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?

Compulsively readable, "The Girl on the Train" is an emotionally immersive, Hitchcockian thriller and an electrifying debut.

A few reviews:

“'The Girl on the Train' marries movie noir with novelistic trickery ... hang on tight. You'll be surprised by what horrors lurk around the bend.”—USA Today

“Like its train, the story blasts through the stagnation of these lives in suburban London and the reader cannot help but turn pages. . . . The welcome echoes of Rear Window throughout the story and its propulsive narrative make 'The Girl on the Train' an absorbing read.”—The Boston Globe

Jan. 8, 2016, Book: 'The Light Between Oceans' by M.L. Stedman

Tifiny will be kicking off our first meeting in 2016, which is also our sixth year as a book club! Wow the time goes by, does it not?

The book will be "The Light Between Oceans" by M.L. Stedman. Here is an excerpt of the description from Amazon.com:

After four harrowing years on the Western Front, Tom Sherbourne returns to Australia and takes a job as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, nearly half a day’s journey from the coast. To this isolated island, where the supply boat comes once a season, Tom brings a young, bold, and loving wife, Isabel. Years later, after two miscarriages and one stillbirth, the grieving Isabel hears a baby’s cries on the wind. A boat has washed up onshore carrying a dead man and a living baby.

What? This sounds intriguing.

A few reviews:

"Irresistible...seductive...a high concept plot that keeps you riveted from the first page."—Sara Nelson, O, the Oprah magazine

“An extraordinary and heart-rending book about good people, tragic decisions and the beauty found in each of them.”—Markus Zusak, author of The Book Thief

For those of you ahead of the game in the reading department, you now have something to read!