Introducing January’s Book Club Selection: The Gifts of Imperfection

The Gifts of Imperfection by Brene Brown cover

The Gifts of Imperfection

Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are: Your Guide to a Wholehearted Life by Brené Brown

What’s It About?

(Description from Goodreads)

New York Times best-selling author and professor Brené Brown offers a powerful and inspiring book that explores how to cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection to embrace your imperfections and to recognize that you are enough.

Each day we face a barrage of images and messages from society and the media telling us who, what, and how we should be. We are led to believe that if we could only look perfect and lead perfect lives, we’d no longer feel inadequate. So most of us perform, please, and perfect, all the while thinking, What if I can’t keep all of these balls in the air? Why isn’t everyone else working harder and living up to my expectations? What will people think if I fail or give up? When can I stop proving myself?

In The Gifts of Imperfection, Brené Brown, PhD, a leading expert on shame, authenticity and belonging, shares what she’s learned from a decade of research on the power of Wholehearted Living–a way of engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.

In her ten guideposts, Brown engages our minds, hearts, and spirits as she explores how we can cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough, and to go to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am sometimes afraid, but I am also brave. And, yes, I am imperfect and vulnerable, but that doesn’t change the truth that I am worthy of love and belonging.

Why Was This Title Selected

I was looking for a discussable nonfiction title, Brown has been on my “To Read” list for ages, and I thought this would be a nice one to begin the new year.

Anything Else to Know About It?

The discussion will begin soon in the Facebook group, and you’re welcome to come and join us.

It’s available in Print, for Kindle or Nook, or on Audible.

What’s Coming Up Next?

The Death of Ivan Ilyich coverThe Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy

What’s it about? “A middle-aged high-court judge who had never thought about his own mortality, Ivan Ilyich must readjust his thinking when he learns he has a terminal illness.”

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads

See all the books we’ll be reading in 2018 here.


Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting The Deliberate Reader!

Introducing December’s Book Club Selection: Swear on This Life

Swear on This Life

Swear on This Life by Renee Carlino

What’s It About?

(Description from Goodreads)

When a bestselling debut novel from mysterious author J.Colby becomes the literary event of the year, Emiline reads it reluctantly. As an adjunct writing instructor at UC San Diego with her own stalled literary career and a bumpy long-term relationship, Emiline isn’t thrilled to celebrate the accomplishments of a young and gifted writer.

Yet from the very first page, Emiline is entranced by the story of Emerson and Jackson, two childhood best friends who fall in love and dream of a better life beyond the long dirt road that winds through their impoverished town in rural Ohio.

That’s because the novel is patterned on Emiline’s own dark and desperate childhood, which means that “J. Colby” must be Jase: the best friend and first love she hasn’t seen in over a decade. Far from being flattered that he wrote the novel from her perspective, Emiline is furious that he co-opted her painful past and took some dramatic creative liberties with the ending.

The only way she can put her mind at ease is to find and confront “J. Colby,” but is she prepared to learn the truth behind the fiction?

Why Was This Title Selected

Why did I select it? This was the hardest category for me to select – light(ish) fiction. I didn’t want complete fluff, but did want an easy to read pick (filling the role Big Little Lies did in 2016). I’m hoping this is a fun choice to wrap up the year.

Anything Else to Know About It?

The discussion will begin soon in the Facebook group, and you’re welcome to come and join us.

It’s available in Print, for Kindle or Nook. It’s not currently available via Audible.

What’s Coming Up Next?

Gifts of Imperfection coverGifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown

What’s it about? “An expert of the psychology of shame presents advice on how to overcome paralyzing fears and self-consciousness, and at the same time increase feelings of self-worth, gratitude, and acceptance.”

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads

See all the books we’ll be reading in 2018 here.


Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting The Deliberate Reader!

2018 Book Club Selections


It’s only November, but it’s time to look ahead to next year’s book club! Like this year, we’ll be discussing each month’s book in our closed Facebook group. You’re welcome to join us for one month or all twelve.

{Book descriptions taken from my library website or Goodreads. Some are lightly edited.}


January

Gifts of Imperfection coverGifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené Brown

Why did I select it? I wanted a discussable nonfiction title, and Brown has been on my to be read stack for ages. Her books are supposed to be inspiring and engaging, and that sounded like a great way to kick off 2018!

What’s it about? “An expert of the psychology of shame presents advice on how to overcome paralyzing fears and self-consciousness, and at the same time increase feelings of self-worth, gratitude, and acceptance.”

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads

February

The Death of Ivan Ilyich coverThe Death of Ivan Ilyich and Other Stories by Leo Tolstoy

Why did I select it? I’m shamefully unread in Russian literature and would like to at least read something by one of the big names. Why this title in particular? The assumption that a novella is a more accessible (or at least manageable) selection than one of Tolstoy’s lengthier options. If any of us get inspired, the linked version includes additional short stories, but all I’m promising to read is Ivan Ilyich.

What’s it about? “A middle-aged high-court judge who had never thought about his own mortality, Ivan Ilyich must readjust his thinking when he learns he has a terminal illness.”

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads

March

A Vision of Light coverA Vision of Light by Judith Merkle Riley

Why did I select it? Historical fiction makes for such great discussions. Riley’s book isn’t as well-known as some titles, but it’s well-reviewed, and the start of a series.

What’s it about? “Margaret of Ashbury wants to write her life story. However, like most women in fourteenth-century England, she is illiterate. Three clerics contemptuously decline to be Margaret’s scribe, and only the threat of starvation persuades Brother Gregory, a Carthusian friar with a mysterious past, to take on the task. As she narrates her life, we discover a woman of startling resourcefulness.”

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads

April

Watership Down coverWatership Down by Richard Adams

Why did I select it? I’ve never read this modern classic, and I’ve always been curious about how Adams handles the world-building to make the lives of rabbits that compelling.

What’s it about? “Chronicles the adventures of a group of rabbits searching for a safe place to establish a new warren where they can live in peace.”

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads
And a heads-up: you can get the Audible version for a reduced price if you buy the Kindle version first.

May

Wuthering Heights coverWuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

Why did I select it? I still have never read it, and after reading the biography on the Brontë sisters last year I’m even more eager to do so.

What’s it about? “The tale of the all-encompassing and passionate, yet thwarted, love between Heathcliff and Catherine Earnshaw, and how this unresolved passion eventually destroys them and many around them.”

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads

And a heads-up: you can get the Audible version for a reduced price if you buy the Kindle version first.


June

The Sparrow coverThe Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

Why did I select it? I wanted to have a discussable science fiction title for the year, and found Russell’s book on multiple lists of recommended science fiction titles, particularly for those new to the genre.

What’s it about? “The sole survivor of a crew sent to explore a new planet, Jesuit priest Emilio Sandoz discovers an alien civilization that raises questions about the very essence of humanity, an encounter that leads Sandoz to a public inquisition and the destruction of his faith.”

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads

July

1776 cover1776 by David McCullough

Why did I select it? Our year’s history selection. McCullough typically writes such accessible nonfiction, I’m hoping it’s appealing even for those who don’t typically enjoy that genre.

What’s it about? “Draws on personal correspondence and period diaries to present a history of the American Revolution that ranges from the siege of Boston, to the American defeat at Brooklyn and retreat across New Jersey, to the American victory at Trenton.”

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads
And a heads-up: you can get the Audible version for a reduced price if you buy the Kindle version first.

August

Angle of Repose coverAngle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

Why did I select it? I loved Stegner’s novel Crossing to Safety, and was looking for a character-driven, slower paced contemporary novel for the year.

What’s it about? “Wallace Stegner’s Pultizer Prize-winning novel is a story of discovery—personal, historical, and geographical. Confined to a wheelchair, retired historian Lyman Ward sets out to write his grandparents’ remarkable story, chronicling their days spent carving civilization into the surface of America’s western frontier. But his research reveals even more about his own life than he’s willing to admit. What emerges is an enthralling portrait of four generations in the life of an American family.”

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads
And a heads-up: you can get the Audible version for a reduced price if you buy the Kindle version first.

September

Sky Burial coverSky Burial: An Epic Love Story of Tibet by Xinran

Why did I select it? Originally this spot in the year’s selections was to be filled by a memoir, but I kept coming back to this title. It’s incorrectly listed as nonfiction some places, but it is a novelization of someone’s life story. While we won’t have a true memoir this year, I hope that this is close enough to that to satisfy all my fellow memoir-lovers.

What’s it about? “In 1958, notified that her husband, a doctor in the Chinese army has been killed in action in Tibet, Shu Wen joins the army, determined to uncover the truth, only to find herself alone, embarking on a thirty-year nomadic odyssey. Xinran has recreated Shu Wen’s journey, writing beautifully and simply of the silence and the emptiness in which Shu Wen was enveloped. The book is an extraordinary portrait of a woman and a land, each at the mercy of fate and politics. It is an unforgettable, ultimately uplifting tale of love, loss, loyalty, and survival.”

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Goodreads

October

The Hound of the Baskervilles coverThe Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

Why did I select it? My nod to Halloween, with as seasonal a read as I can manage. It’s filling in the role of mystery for the year, while also giving me another classic that I’ve somehow not read.

What’s it about? “Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson travel to the bleak wastes of Dartmoor to solve the mystery surrounding the late Sir Charles Baskerville and a ghostly hound.”

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads
And a heads-up: you can get the Audible version for a reduced price if you buy the Kindle version first.

November

The Chilbury Ladies ChoirThe Chilbury Ladies Choir by Jennifer Ryan

Why did I select it? I couldn’t limit myself to only one historical fiction title for the year – there are just so many wonderful ones! I tried for a completely different time period, to provide for a varied reading experience. Terrific reviews and an intriguing setting have me very excited to try this newer title. Plus, it’s an epistolary novel, and we haven’t read one of those for this book club before (and I adore that format).

What’s it about? “Letters and journals reveal the struggles, affairs, deceptions, and triumphs of five members of a village choir during World War II as they band together to survive the upheavals of war and village intrigue on the English home front.”

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads

December

Blue Castle coverBlue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery

Why did I select it? I wanted an easy-to-read title for December, as it’s such a busy time of year. I also wanted something lighter so the discussion could wrap up quicker, as last year I found it really hard to manage a discussion amidst all of the seasonal activity. While I’ve read all of Montgomery’s Anne Shirley series, I haven’t read any of her other titles.

What’s it about? “In early 1920s Canada, drastic circumstances give Valancy, a twenty-nine-year-old unmarried woman resigned to being an “old maid,” the courage to defy her controlling family and escape to a life of her own choosing.”

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads
And a heads-up: you can get the Audible version for a reduced price if you buy the Kindle version first.

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting The Deliberate Reader!

Annual Book Club Retreat


Earlier this month my in-person book club had our annual retreat.

I almost skipped out on it. I was a week out from surgery, and it just seemed like a lot of hassle. But I did figure that I could rest there as well as at home, plus my husband insisted that as long as I felt well enough, I should go.

Note to self: don’t ever talk yourself out of things last-minute, because you ALWAYS think staying home sounds better when it comes time to actually pack and leave. And you are always glad when you don’t skip out on plans.

Fortunately, I did not skip out, and I went. As always, I had a lovely time. The food was terrific, and the time spent hanging out with friends was great. Totally worth leaving home and driving out of town for it all!

The house was beautiful, and I read and read. The only thing I really wish was different was the lack of wifi or a good cell signal. We wanted to plan books for next year and not having access to my Goodreads account or other booklists that I have online made that much more difficult!

Pictures #2, 3, and 6 are mine. The other are by Sarah Ronk. Thanks for the images Sarah!

Quarterly Update on Book Club Books

3rd quarter 2017 book club book selections

A look back at the books my two book clubs read for the third quarter of the year, focusing especially on how they worked as discussion titles.

July

The Deliberate Reader book club (TDR) read True Grit and my in-person book club, Broadened Horizons (BH) read A Midsummer Night’s Dream.

True Grit was surprisingly enjoyable (to me) and lent itself well to a discussion. I never did manage to watch either of the movie adaptations, but that would be another way to extend a discussion on it: comparing the book to the movie(s). As Westerns aren’t the stereotypical book club choice, I especially liked branching out a bit in our reading genres by including it.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream is, of course, a classic choice – Shakespeare always is. I missed the performance of it my book club attended, but I heard it was well done.

August

TDR read The Diamond Age, and BH read Lost in Shangri-La

The Diamond Club does provide a lot to talk about, but I can’t recommend it to a general-interest book club. the book is too long wasn’t worth the hefty reading investment it required. However, if you have a book club that emphasizes science fiction, you almost certainly want to read something by Stephenson, and this one is quite discussable. That’s probably the only time I might suggest this one, as it was not at all what I wanted it to be.

Lost in Shangri-La worked fairly well as a discussion title if your group is looking for discussable nonfiction. It’s also easier to read than many history books, and it covers a less-familiar setting. While the time-period (World War II) is covered in many books, this one doesn’t really “feel” much like other ones set in that era, because of the different geographical location and events. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this one even if your group has recently read other World War II books.

September

TDR discussed Plainsong, and BH read Garden Spells

Plainsongis very discussable literary fiction, but I’d be sure not to read it soon after Hannah Coulter The feel was a little too similar to fully appreciate Haruf’s book, after finishing Hannah Coulter so recently earlier in the year.

Garden Spells is also discussable, but in the light-and-fluffy fiction realm. That’s not meant as a criticism, just wanting to help your book club know if it’s the right sort of read for you.


Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting The Deliberate Reader!

The Best Book Club Item EVER

No exaggeration, I have been wanting this item for FIVE YEARS, ever since seeing a friend with it at book club. But sadly for all book fans, it was no longer manufactured.

TableTopics Book Club edition

So I was THRILLED to discover that it is now back. And after pausing for all of 30 seconds, I ordered my own set, then wrote this post. In that order, because I wasn’t taking any chances that it would go out of stock.

What is this magical item? Why did I immediately hit the “buy now” button on Amazon?

TableTopics Book Club Edition

TableTopics Book Club editionIt’s only the best set of questions for book discussion ever. One nice box (so the cards inside don’t get bent or scuffed), stuffed full with questions.

Run out of time to track down book-specific questions before your meeting? No worries – you’ll find some applicable questions in here.

I know, I’m gushing, but I am seriously that excited to find that this is being made again, and I have my own copy now, and I can recommend it to all book club fans.

Sure, they have lots of other versions. I’m even thinking about getting the family version. But it’s the book club one that I adore and now I have one of my very own. It’s the best.

TableTopics Book Club questions


Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting The Deliberate Reader!

Quarterly Update on Book Club Books

A look back at the books my two book clubs read for the second quarter of the year, focusing especially on how they worked as discussion titles.

April

The Deliberate Reader book club (TDR) read Dark Matter and my in-person book club, Broadened Horizons (BH) read A Gentleman in Moscow.

While completely different in style and genre, both are amazing for discussion, and I’d highly recommend both. I’m still disappointed that I had to miss the A Gentleman in Moscow discussion, as the novel had so much depth to explore. Dark Matter is almost a perfect book club title: quick and easy to read, and lots to discuss. The only caution I really have with it is the potential for spoilers, as it’s really one you want to read first without knowing what happens in it.

May

TDR read Hannah Coulter, and BH read My Antonia, an inadvertant book pairing that provided me with an interesting comparison between the two. While I enjoyed My Antonia, and it is a recommended title for book clubs by way of being a classic, it actually suffered quite a bit in comparison to Hannah Coulter, which is the one I’d really recommend for book clubs looking for that sort of novel.

June

TDR discussed Uprooted, and BH read Into Thin Air, which provided plenty of contrast between the two clubs for me, after the similarities from April.

Fantasy can be a challenging genre to recommend to those who are new to it, and I find it frequently is somewhat difficult to pick out one title for a book group to read and discuss. In part that’s because the genre seems to include so many series (usually a good thing as far as I’m concerned). However, when I’m looking for a stand-alone title it means I’m excluding many otherwise strong options. Uprooted worked as a discussion title, and if your book group is looking for a fantasy novel I’d say you should definitely consider it, but it’s not one that I’m so enthusiastic about for discussion that I insist you have to use for your group.

Into Thin Air also brings forth similar feelings from me: it has good potential as a discussion title, but it’s not so amazing as one that I’m going overboard pushing for it (as I am with April’s titles).


Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting The Deliberate Reader!

Three on a Theme: Jane Eyre

My in-person book club reads an annual “book flight,” inspired by a post at Modern Mrs. Darcy.

This year the theme voted on by our members was Jane Eyre. (I’m excited about this, as I didn’t think it would be the winner, but it was my pick).

The first book in our trio is, not surprisingly, Jane Eyre.

For a reimagining of the Jane Eyre story, we’ll also read Jane Steele by Lyndsay Faye. What sort of reimagining? Well, Jane is a serial killer, so I’m guessing a pretty creative one.

The final book in our flight is the 2016 biography Charlotte Brontë: A Fiery Heart, by Claire Harman. I’m hoping we gain a new appreciation for Brontë’s work through looking at her life and times.

I can’t wait to dive into these three, which is good because, at over 1500 pages between the three, I need to get moving on reading them before our October meeting where we’ll be discussing them. 🙂

Find Jane Eyre: Print | Kindle | Audible | Nook | Goodreads

Find Jane Steele: Print | Kindle | Audible | Nook | Goodreads

Find Charlotte Brontë: A Fiery Heart: Print | Kindle | Audible | Nook | Goodreads

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting The Deliberate Reader!

Introducing April’s Book Club Selection: Dark Matter

dark-matter

Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

What’s It About?

(Description from Goodreads)

“Are you happy with your life?”

Those are the last words Jason Dessen hears before the masked abductor knocks him unconscious.

Before he awakens to find himself strapped to a gurney, surrounded by strangers in hazmat suits.

Before a man Jason’s never met smiles down at him and says, “Welcome back, my friend.”

In this world he’s woken up to, Jason’s life is not the one he knows. His wife is not his wife. His son was never born. And Jason is not an ordinary college physics professor, but a celebrated genius who has achieved something remarkable. Something impossible.

Is it this world or the other that’s the dream? And even if the home he remembers is real, how can Jason possibly make it back to the family he loves? The answers lie in a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could’ve imagined—one that will force him to confront the darkest parts of himself even as he battles a terrifying, seemingly unbeatable foe.

From the author of the bestselling Wayward Pines trilogy, Dark Matter is a brilliantly plotted tale that is at once sweeping and intimate, mind-bendingly strange and profoundly human—a relentlessly surprising science-fiction thriller about choices, paths not taken, and how far we’ll go to claim the lives we dream of.

Why Was This Title Selected

I wanted a thriller for the year, and one that would be super readable and accessable for those who don’t typically read that genre. Buzz I was hearing about the book led me to think this would be a compelling, thought-provoking read that would promote a great discussion!

Anything Else to Know About It?

The discussion will begin soon in the Facebook group, and you’re welcome to come and join us.

If you haven’t read it yet, there’s still time for you to join us – it’s a very quick read, so you should be able to get it read and then join in on the discussion. Heads-up though that I’d stay away from the chat about it until you’ve finished the book; it’d be an easy one to spoil and you’ll miss out on a lot of the fun if you know too much about it before reading it.

It’s available in Print, for Kindle or Nook, or via Audible.

What’s Coming Up in May?

hannah-coulterHannah Coulter by Wendell Berry

What’s it about? An elderly farmwife looks back on her life and world.

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads
(Note that you can get the Audible version for a reduced price if you buy the Kindle version first.)

See all the books we’ll be reading in 2017 here.


Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting The Deliberate Reader!

Introducing March’s Book Club Selection: Emma

emmaEmma by Jane Austen

What’s It About?

(Description from Goodreads)

Beautiful, clever, rich – and single – Emma Woodhouse is perfectly content with her life and sees no need for either love or marriage. Nothing, however, delights her more than interfering in the romantic lives of others. But when she ignores the warnings of her good friend Mr. Knightley and attempts to arrange a suitable match for her protegee Harriet Smith, her carefully laid plans soon unravel and have consequences that she never expected.

With its imperfect but charming heroine and its witty and subtle exploration of relationships, Emma is often seen as Jane Austen’s most flawless work.

Why Was This Title Selected

I wanted one classic for the year, and I’m curious to see how this one compares with Pride and Prejudice.

Anything Else to Know About It?

The discussion will begin soon in the Facebook group, and you’re welcome to come and join us.

It’s available in Print, for Kindle or Nook, or via Audible. And you can get the Audible version for a reduced price if you buy the Kindle version first. You can also listen for free from Librivox.

What’s Coming Up in April?

dark-matterDark Matter by Blake Crouch

Find the book: Print | Kindle | Nook | Audible | Goodreads

See all the books we’ll be reading in 2017 here.


Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting The Deliberate Reader!
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