Welcome to our Book Club Corner, where each month we highlight books new to paperback we think would make perfect picks for your next book club discussion.
If you’re looking to join a book club, we host a wide variety of free, bookseller-run book clubs right here at BookPeople. Join us! We love to talk books.
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Featured Books of the Month:
A Well-Tempered Heart by Jan-Philipp Sendker
If your group loved The Art of Hearing Heartbeats, you’ll definitely want to pick up this follow-up novel. In a letter to readers, Sendker writes, “This book is about Julia. It is about her journey into a very different culture and her search for herself. It asks questions about what matters most to us in life: can a troubled spirit transform into a serene one? A sorrowful spirit into a joyful one? Or must we always remain who we are? At its heart, it is about the difficult art of forgiveness.” Plenty to discuss!
All That Is by James Salter
James Salter fans rejoiced when this novel, his first in thirty years, first released in hardcover. The PEN/Faulkner Award-winner takes us across a man’s entire life, from the end of World War II to his life of a book editor in New York City, covering his romantic relationships, his friendships and his state of mind as he confronts his own mortality. You’ll discuss quite a bit here: publishing, the role of novels in our lives, love, the ebb and flow of friendships, and the small and large details that come together to create a life. Sarah, one of our booksellers with a literary heart, says: ”One of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read. Read it for the sentences.”
Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi
This debut novel met with rave reviews when first published. One of our fellow indie booksellers, Nicole Magistro of The Bookworm in Edwards, Colorado, sums up the book beautifully: “Selasi delivers a powerful debut about family, race. and the nature of story in this contemporary novel, set in neighborhoods from Brookline, Massachusetts, to Lagos, Nigeria. A literary descendant of Zadie Smith and Arundhati Roy, Selasi is a new force in the global community of readers.” This is a wonderful opportunity for your group to get to know an author at the bright beginning of her career.
The Free by Willy Vlautin
Willy Vlautin is a bookseller favorite. His novels Lean on Pete and Motel Life have garnered comparisons to Raymond Carver and John Steinbeck. He’s a writer with a big heart that’s once again on display in his latest, The Free. Carolyn is Vlautin’s biggest fan on staff here: “The Free is a story about a handful of characters whose lives intersect in sometimes brief moments, but always in meaningful, life affirming ways. You can always trust Willy to take you to the brink of humanity and reel you back in just in time.” You’ll discuss a wide variety of issues regarding modern American life: the effects of war, the struggle for economic opportunity, caring for an elderly parent, and how to find hope in distressing times.
The Searchers: The Making of an American Legend by Glenn Frankel
Nonfiction pick! Glenn Frankel (a local Austinite and a heck of a guy) takes a look at the true story behind the classic Hollywood movie directed by John Ford and starring John Wayne, The Searchers. Frankel delves into Texas history to consider how the real story of nine year old Cynthia Ann Parker, kidnapped by Comanches in east Texas in 1896, compares to the movie. You’ll discuss Texas history, the evolution of Cynthia Anne’s story not only as it moved from fact to Hollywood fiction, but also through other retellings, and the nature of myth.
Featured Wine of the Month:
Mandy, our Marketing Director, picked up this wine on sale at Central Market. “I picked this up on a whim because I liked the label. It has a very full flavor. Pairs well with Italian food, pretzels, chocolate, or really anything. It’s a perfect companion wine.”
We’re getting our reds in now while it’s still (sort of) chilly. Soon enough, we’re going to be on to all of the lovely Chardonnays and Sauvignon Blancs of summer….
Featured BookPeople Book Club:
Happy Hour Book Club at Opa!
Thursday, February 27 at 5:30pm
We have many, many book clubs that meet here at the store. They’re run by our booksellers, are totally free and are totally unpretentious. These discussions are a labor of love on our part. We love books, we love talking about books, and we’d love to have you join us. Book club selections are 10% off for those who attend the discussion!
Mandy and Joel run our Happy Hour Book Club at Opa. This group meets the last Thursday of every month at 5:30pm to discuss a wide variety of books over cocktails at Opa (2050 S. Lamar Blvd.)
What’s better than talking about a book with a group of friends? Talk about a book with a group of friends during Happy Hour at Opa (2050 S. Lamar Blvd)! Come hang out with Mandy and Joel the last Thursday of every month at 5:30pm when they discuss books over cocktails. This month’s book is River of Doubt by Candice Millard, about Teddy Roosevelt’s incredibe life-threatening journey through the Amazon.
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