Hamburg Middle School~ StaffBook Club Selections
October 2005- Angels and Demons by Dan Brown
Great book, full of suspense, church vs. science theme
November 2005- The Dive from Clausen’s Pier by Ann Packer
Relationship struggle, much debate among book club, either loved it or hated it
December 2005- Postmortem by Patricia Cornwall
Murder Mystery, start of the Kay Scarpetta series, lots of blood and suspense
January 2006- My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
Need a box of tissues for this one, Everyone cried, great book, family struggles, parent vs. child, surprise ending, we all agreed that she is an excellent author, other books by her are very good!
February 2006- Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
Based on the life of Geisha dancers/entertainers living in pre-WWII Japan, glimpse into a totally different way of life
March 2006- The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd
Coming of age story set in the 1960’s South, Young girl tries to survive losing her mother and starts over with the help of her nanny
April 2006- Spring Came on Forever by Bess Streeter Aldrich
Based in late 1800’s, love story that shows the parallel lives of two immigrants, struggles of early pioneer life, Most really enjoyed reading it, hard to find the book
May 2006- League of Night and Fog by David Morrell
Suspenseful, theme of international terrorism, very James Bond like with multiple characters, sometimes hard to follow, twist at the end, most enjoyed the read
Summer2006-City of Light by Lauren Belfer
Historical Fiction novel set in the Pan-American Expedition Buffalo, GREAT READ, lots of local history and facts, love story at the center of the story
October 2006- Wicked by Gregory Maguire
Love it or Hate it kind of book, Highly debated among the book club, Fairy Tale twist on the story of Wizard of Oz and the Wicked Witch of the West, NOTHING like the musical
November 2006- The Devil in the WhiteCity by Erik Larson
True story of the Chicago Worlds Fair, You won’t believe it as you read it, story of good vs. evil, Full of historical facts but reads like a story, lots to talk about, group enjoyed it and wanted to know more
December 2006- The Autobiography of Santa Claus by Jeff Guinn
Very cute holiday read, good for all ages, Tells us the “real” story behind Santa’s history, enjoyed by most members of the group
January 2007- Marley and Me by John Grogan
Great for anyone who has ever had a dog, Makes you relieve the fun puppy years, great story, make sure to have a box of tissues at the end
February 2007- The Kite Runner by KhaledHosseini
Struggle of parent vs. child, friend vs. friend, surprise twists, shows the struggles of 1970’s Afghanistan and of immigrants and assimilation
March 2007- The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
True story, Children survive their parent’s problems, Debate among the readers of whether is was uplifting or saddening overall, Well liked, should be required reading for anyone who deals with kids
April 2007- Many Lives, Many Masters by Brian Weiss MD
May 2007- 19 Minutes by Jodi Picoult
Summer 2007- Snow flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Summer 2007- Follow the River by James Alexander Thom
September 2007- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
October 2007- Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
November 2007- The Road by Cormac McCarthy
December 2007 – How Mrs. Santa Claus Saved Christmas by Jeff Guinn
January 2008 – The Sanctuary by Raymond Khoury
February 2008 – The Tender Bar by J. R. Moehringer
March 2008 – Spilling Clarence by Anne Ursu
May 2008 – Naked by David Sedaris
July 2008 – Good in Bed by Jennifer Weiner
August 2008 – The Breakdown Lane by Jacqueline Mitchard
September 2008 – shared favorite summer titles
October 2008 - The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
November 2008 – A Map of the World by Jane Hamilton
December 2008 – The Great Santa Search by Jeff Guinn
January 2009 – Twilight by Stephenie Meyer
February/March 2009 – Claddagh by Patrick Daley
April 2009 – The Shack by William Young
May 2009 – Sick Puppy by Carl Hiaasen
July 2009 – Standing in the Rainbow by Fannie Flagg
August 2009 – City of Thieves by David Benioff
October 2009 – Blink by Malcolm Gladwell
November 2009 – The Horse Boy by Rupert Isaacson
December 2009 – Skipping Christmas by John Grisham
March 2010 – The Female Brain by LouannBrizendine
July 2010 – The Help by Kathryn Stockett
November 2010 – A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff
December 2010 – You Better Not Cry by Augusten Burroughs
February 2011 -Model Home by Eric Puchner
March Book 2011 - The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
April 2010 - This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and WomenEdited by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman
May 2010 - Sarah’s Keyby Tatiana de Rosnay
Various Field Trips:
Memoirs of a Geisha Movie + Shoguns for dinner
Da Vinci Code movie + Olive Garden for dinner
Secret Life of Bees movie + dinner
Wicked the musical at Sheas + dinner at Cabaret
Christmas exchanges + dinner
Possible field trips:
Marley and Me movie
GlassCastle movie
The Road movie
Trip to Chicago to tour the Columbian Exposition sites