The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
Brooks cleverly uses clues found in the pages of the Sarajevo haggadah to unravel a fictional history of the treasured book. In modern times, conservationist Hannah Heath is given the task of restoring the haggadah before it is put on display for the world to see. Hannah's personal journey is juxtaposed with the book's journey as Brooks explores Jewish history, tradition and personal happiness in this enriching and lively tale.
PDF and printed discussion guides available.

His Illegal Self by Peter Carey
What would happen if a woman came into your life and, literally, turned your world upside down? That's exactly what happens with seven-year-old Che, who lives in New York with his grandmother. He hasn't seen his parents in years and when Dial, a mysterious woman he believes is his mother, shows up, the two are whisked to the Australian Outback where they must do their best to survive primitive living conditions and a commune community. A wily, wild tale about motherhood and community that's sure to liven any book club discussion.

The Yiddish Policemen's Union by Michael Chabon
Michael Chabon's unusual novel is set in Sitka, Alaska, a place where the Jews have lived since the imagined demise of the State of Israel in 1948. In 2008, the lease on sixty years of safe-haven in the north is due to expire and the Jews must find a new home. At the same time, one of Sitka’s citizens has physically expired. Meyer Landsman, a down-on-his-luck Sitka policeman is suddenly faced with the murder of Mendel Shpilman, a case that the powers in charge want closed and filed away. But for Meyer, there are too many loose connections and unanswered questions, and for the reader, it's a fast-paced and fun journey trying to answer them all.
PDF and printed discussion guides available.
 

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz
Junot Wao draws readers in Oscar Wao's world, where sci-fi and fantasy reign supreme, girls are non-existent and the culture gap between him, a first-generation Dominican American, and his parents, recent immigrants, aggresively widens as Oscar grows older. A rampant, reference-filled ride, readers will love being transported to this rich and wonderful world, where the themes of growing up and fitting in should resonate no matter who you are or where you're from.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
The Memory Keeper’s Daughter is a thoughtful and provocative novel that explores the idea of secrecy as a moral backdrop for people’s motives, choices, behavior, and interactions. David and Norah Henry are expecting their first child, but they do not know that Norah is actually expecting twins. One baby is born healthy and normal; the other has Down syndrome. The doctor makes a rash decision to hide the baby’s condition from his wife and he tells her the baby has died. This devastating secret haunts not only the doctor, but each member of his family for years to come.
PDF and printed discussion guides available.

What is the What by Dave Eggers
Dave Eggers imagines a vivid and haunting history for Valentino Achak Deng, a Sudanese "Lost Boy" torn from his parents and country during the Sudan civil war. A passionate but inspiring tale, Valentino and Eggers give readers hope and open their eyes to the horrors of war and events happening on the other side of the world.

The Ministry of Special Cases by Nathan Englander
Englander's first novel explores 1976 Buenos Aires during a time of conflict. A Jewish family struggles with their relationships and identity as they descend into the circles of hell. Rich in symbolism, this taut exploration of Jewish idenity, history and culture sheds new light on such universal subjects as death, evil-doers, generational gaps, cultural assimilation and much more.

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
After a devastating personal tragedy, the young Jacob Jankowski runs away to the circus, where he encounters a menagerie of characters, both human and animal, who captivate and trouble him at the same time. There, he falls in love with a beautiful performer, Marlena, who happens to be married to the charming, but cruel, ringmaster, August. This love triangle, which also includes an elephant, sets the plot in motion like a runaway train. Disaster will and does happen. Gruen places each of her characters into their own personal performance rings, and has multiple story lines going on at the same time. One track chronicles Jacob as he lives out his last lonely years in a nursing home, remembering the glorious days of his former circus life.
PDF and printed discussion guides available.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid
The Reluctant Fundamentalist is more than the usual immigrant book of adaptation, struggle, and identity. Mohsin Hamid has written a gripping tale of a young man who comes to America from Pakistan just prior to 9/11. The protagonist, Changez, is a Harvard-educated businessman who works for a high-profile company that assesses the economic value of other companies. Changez is very successful in his chosen career, but then September 11 happens and everything changes. The setting is Lahore, Pakistan and the story is told through Changez's single voice as he speaks to a nameless and faceless American tourist. Although the narration takes place in the span of a single evening, in fact, during a single meal, Hamid manages to swing the reader on a pendulum of conflicting emotions and thoughts.
PDF and printed discussion guides available.

Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay
An intriguing cast of characters and a remote location set the tone for Elizabeth Hay's Giller-winning novel. When journalist Harry Boyd returns home to Yellowknife, he and his radio station crew get a few lessons in life, love and northern culture in this stunning and sharply written tale of modernism, change and tradition.

A Thousand Spendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
This spectacular second novel by Khaled Hosseini follows on the heels of The Kite Runner, Hosseini's best-selling first novel. This book tells the dramatic story of an unlikely friendship between two women, Mariam and Laila, who are married to the same man. The story takes us through each of their lives before the Russians enter Afghanistan, into the horrible years of Taliban rule, and beyond. Watching these women grow in their relationship, we are given a picture of what it has meant to be a woman in Afghanistan during the last four decades. The novel lifts the veil of these women and shows the reader the female face of Afghanistan's population.
PDF and printed discussion guides available.

Washington Square by Henry James
In this stellar Henry James classic, the plain Catherine is only courted because of her potential inheritance from her father, a prominent physician. Set in the historic Washington Square area of New York City, James brings the city and his characters to life with his well-crafted prose. This is a classic that is sure to dleight and provoke.

The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence
Hagar Shipley is 90 years old, a bitter and sharp woman. In this haunting and humorous exploration of aging, Hagar spends her life seeking respect and independence and reflects on her battles won and lost as she waits for death and comes to terms with the life she's lived, the decisions she's made and the faults that formed her and her family.

Divisadero by Michael Ondaatje
A emotionally packed tale of family and the ties that bind. Ondaatje delivers yet again with this seductive, haunting book. We start in 1970s California where we meet Anna, her adopted sister, Claire, and the farmhand Coop. A life-changing turn of events breaks this threesome apart and they come together in unexpected ways as the book unfolds. A challenging, elegant book that is a must read for book clubs.