Book Club Kits | Great River Regional Library

Ordinary grace [Book Club Kit] : a novel

Author(s):

Krueger, William Kent

Description:

Looking back at a tragic event that occurred during his thirteenth year, Frank Drum explores how a complicated web of secrets, adultery, and betrayal shattered his Methodist family and their small 1961 Minnesota community. (10/14)

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Kru

Listen for the lie [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Tintera, Amy

Description:

After Lucy is found wandering the streets, covered in her best friend Savvy’s blood, everyone thinks she is a murderer. Lucy and Savvy were the golden girls of their small Texas town: pretty, smart, and enviable. Lucy married a dream guy with a big ring and an even bigger new home. Savvy was the social butterfly loved by all, and if you believe the rumors, especially popular with the men in town. It’s been years since that horrible night, a night Lucy can’t remember anything about, and she has since moved to LA and started a new life. But now the phenomenally huge hit true crime podcast "Listen for the Lie," and its too-good looking host Ben Owens, have decided to investigate Savvy’s murder for the show’s second season. Lucy is forced to return to the place she vowed never to set foot in again to solve her friend’s murder, even if she is the one that did it. (11/19)

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Tin

We rip the world apart [Book Club Kit] Charlene Carr.

Author(s):

Carr, Charlene

Description:

When 24-year-old Kareela discovers she's pregnant with a child she isn't sure she wants, her struggle to understand her place in the world as a person who is half-Black, half-white--yet feels neither--is amplified. Her mother, Evelyn, fled to Canada with her husband and their first-born child during the politically charged Jamaican exodus in the 1980s, only to realize they'd come to a place where Black men are viewed with suspicion--a constant and pernicious reality Evelyn watches her husband and son navigate daily. Years later, in the aftermath of her son's murder by the police, Evelyn's mother-in-law, Violet, moves in, offering young Kareela a link to the Jamaican heritage she had never fully known. Despite Violet's efforts to help them through their grief, the traumas they carry grow into a web of secrets that threatens the very family they all hold so dear. In the present day, Kareela, prompted by fear and uncertainty about the new life she carries, must come to terms with the mysteries surrounding her family's past and the need to make sense of both her identity and her future.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Car

Stripped bare [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Baker, Shannon, 1960-

Description:

A cattle rancher investigates the murder of another, copes with her husband's infidelity, and searches for her missing niece--heiress to a ranch that is a source of friction among locals. (12/2025)

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Bak

Murder at the Mena House [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Neubauer, Erica Ruth, 1979-

Description:

Egypt, 1926. American Jane Wunderly's Aunt Millie is meddling in the young widow's love life, but Jane is here to tour and see the Great Pyramids of Giza. At the Mena House other guests include Mr. Redvers, a roguish banker, and Anna Stainton, a socialite who won't share the spotlight with anyone. When Jane is found standing over her unintentional rival's dead body, who can be trusted, and who had motive to commit a brutal murder? She needs to excavate the truth before her future falls to ruin in Cairo. -- adapted from jacket

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Neu

Queen of spades [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Belcamino, Kristi

Description:

From the dark underbelly of Sicily's Mafia to the heart-pounding streets of America, Eva Santella's tale is one of betrayal, vengeance, and an unquenchable thirst for justice. Once a fearless Mafia boss, Eva's world shattered when rival Sicilian families betrayed her. With a bounty on her head, she fled to America, seeking refuge in shadows and anonymity. But even there, they found her. They destroyed her life, her family, everything she cherished. But they made one mistake: they didn't finish the job. Rising as the indomitable Queen of Spades, Eva is fueled by a singular obsession--making them pay. Her journey takes her through the intricate maze of the criminal underworld, where every turn holds danger, secrets, and a relentless pursuit of retribution. It's a path she walks with a fierce determination, for she knows there is no turning back.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Bel

The quarry girls [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Lourey, Jess, 1970-

Description:

Minnesota, 1977. For the teens of one close-knit community, summer means late-night swimming parties at the quarry, the county fair, and venturing into the tunnels beneath the city. But for two best friends, it's not all fun and games. Heather and Brenda have a secret. Something they saw in the dark. Something they can't forget. They've decided to never tell a soul. But their vow is tested when their friend disappears--the second girl to vanish in a week. And yet the authorities are reluctant to investigate. Heather is terrified that the missing girls are connected to what she and Brenda stumbled upon that night. Desperately searching for answers on her own, she learns that no one in her community is who they seem to be. Not the police, not the boys she met at the quarry, not even her parents. But she can't stop digging because she knows those girls are in danger. She also knows she's next.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Lou

Spirit crossing [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Krueger, William Kent

Description:

The disappearance of a local politician's teenaged daughter is major news in Minnesota. As a huge manhunt is launched to find her, Cork O'Connor's grandson stumbles across the shallow grave of a young Ojibwe woman--but nobody seems that interested. Nobody, that is, except Cork and the newly formed Iron Lake Ojibwe Tribal Police. As Cork and the tribal officers dig into the circumstances of this mysterious and grim discovery, they uncover a connection to the missing teenager. And soon, it's clear that Cork's grandson is in danger of being the killer's next victim. (1/30)

Format:

Kit

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Kru

Greenlights [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

McConaughey, Matthew, 1969-

Description:

Drawing on his journals and diaries from the last 40 years, this book presents a uniquely McConaughey approach to achieving success and satisfaction.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit McC

Theo of golden [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Levi, Allen, 1956-

Description:

Questions linger about Theo, a pleasant but mysterious stranger, after his arrival in the southern city of Golden. Who is he, and why is he here? He arrives early one spring and by chance -- or is it? -- he visits a coffee shop where 92 framed pencil portraits are on display. Inspired, Theo sets out on a mission of purchasing all the portraits one at a time and quietly bestowing them on their 'rightful owners.' Stories are told; friendships are born; and lives are changed. Theo of Golden is a story about the power of creative generosity, the importance of wonder to a purposeful life, and the far-reaching possibilities of anonymous kindness.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Lev

The god of the woods [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Moore, Liz, 1983-

Description:

When Barbara Van Laar is discovered missing from her summer camp bunk one morning in August 1975, it triggers a panicked, terrified search. Losing a camper is a horrific tragedy under any circumstances, but Barbara isn't just any camper, she's the daughter of the wealthy family who owns the camp--as well as the opulent nearby estate, and most of the land in sight. And this isn't the first time a Van Laar child has disappeared in this region: Barbara's older brother also went missing 16 years earlier, never to be found. How could this have happened yet again? Chasing down the layered secrets of the Van Laar family and the community working in its shadow, Moore's multi-threaded drama brings readers into the hearts of characters whose lives are forever changed by this eventful summer: Barbara's wounded, grieving mother; the "townie" whose family makes a living off this land; the 13-year-old camper struggling to find her way; and the outsider tasked with seeing the bigger picture, and uncovering the truth.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Moo

The river we remember [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Krueger, William Kent

Description:

On Memorial Day, as the people of Jewel, Minnesota gather to remember and honor the sacrifice of so many sons in the wars of the past, the half-clothed body of wealthy landowner Jimmy Quinn is found floating in the Alabaster River, dead from a shotgun blast. Investigation of the murder falls to Sheriff Brody Dern, a highly decorated war hero who still carries the physical and emotional scars from his military service. Even before Dern has the results of the autopsy, vicious rumors begin to circulate that the killer must be Noah Bluestone, a Native American WWII veteran who has recently returned to Jewel with a Japanese wife. As suspicions and accusations mount and the town teeters on the edge of more violence, Dern struggles not only to find the truth of Quinn's murder but also put to rest the demons from his own past. Caught up in the torrent of anger that sweeps through Jewel are a war widow and her adolescent son, the intrepid publisher of the local newspaper, an aging deputy, and a crusading female lawyer, all of whom struggle with their own tragic histories and harbor secrets that Quinn's death threatens to expose.

Format:

Kit

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Kru

True colors [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Hannah, Kristin

Description:

"The Grey sisters have always been close. After their mother's death, the girls banded together, becoming best friends. Their stern, disapproving father cares less about his children than about his reputation. To Henry Grey, appearances are everything, and years later, he still demands that his daughters reflect his standing in the community. Winona, the oldest, needs her father's approval most of all. An overweight bookworm who never felt at home on the sprawling horse ranch that has been in her family for three generations, she knows that she doesn't have the qualities her father values. But as the best lawyer in town, she's determined to someday find a way to prove her worth to him. Aurora, the middle sister, is the family peacemaker. She brokers every dispute and tries to keep them all happy, even as she hides her own secret pain. Vivi Ann is the undisputed star of the family. A stunningly beautiful dreamer with a heart as big as the ocean in front of her house, she is adored by all who know her. Everything comes easily for Vivi Ann, until a stranger comes to town... In a matter of moments, everything will change. The Grey sisters will be pitted against one another in ways that none could have imagined. Loyalties will be tested and secrets revealed, and a terrible, shocking crime will shatter both their family and their beloved town" --Amazon.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Han

The walk [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Evans, Richard Paul

Description:

What would you do if you lost everything--your job, your home, and the love of your life--all at the same time? When it happens to Seattle ad executive Alan Christoffersen, he's tempted by his darkest thoughts but then decides to take a walk, heading for the farthest point on his map: Key West, Florida. The people he encounters along the way, and the lessons they share with him, will save his life.

Format:

Kit

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Eva

The book club for troublesome women [Book Club Kit] Marie Bostwick.

Author(s):

Bostwick, Marie

Description:

By early 1960s standards, Margaret Ryan, Viv Buschetti, and Bitsy Cobb, suburban housewives in a brand-new "planned community" in Northern Virginia, appear to have it all. The fact that "all" doesn't feel like enough leaves them feeling confused and guilty, certain the fault must lie with them. Things begin to change when they form a book club with Charlotte Gustafson--the eccentric and artsy "new neighbor" from Manhattan--and read Betty Friedan's just-released book, The Feminine Mystique. Controversial and groundbreaking, the book struck a chord with an entire generation of women, helping them realize that they weren't alone in their dissatisfactions, or their longings, lifting their eyes to new horizons of possibility and achievement. Margaret, Charlotte, Bitsy, and Viv are among them. But is it really the book that alters the lives of these four very different women? Or is it the bond of sisterhood that helps them find courage to confront the past, navigate turmoil in a rapidly changing world, and see themselves in a new and limitless light?

Format:

Kit

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Bos

Not quite dead yet [Book Club Kit] Holly Jackson.

Author(s):

Jackson, Holly, 1992-

Description:

Jet is the daughter of one of the wealthiest families in Woodstock, Vermont. Twenty-seven years old, she's still waiting for her life to begin. I'll do it later, she always says. She has time. Until Halloween night, when Jet is violently attacked by an unseen intruder. She suffers a catastrophic head injury. The doctor is certain that within a week, the injury will trigger a deadly aneurysm. Jet has never thought of herself as having enemies. But now she looks at everyone in a new light: her family, her former best friend turned sister-in-law, her ex-boyfriend. She has at most seven days, and as her condition deteriorates she has only her childhood friend Billy for help. But nevertheless, she's absolutely determined to finally finish something: Jet is going to solve her own murder. (5/20)

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Jac

Kindred [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Butler, Octavia E.

Description:

Dana, a modern black woman, is celebrating her twenty-sixth birthday with her new husband when she is snatched abruptly from her home in California and transported to the antebellum South. Rufus, the white son of a plantation owner, is drowning, and Dana has been summoned across the years to save him. After this first summons, Dana is drawn back, again and again, to the plantation to protect Rufus and ensure that he will grow to manhood and father the daughter who will become Dana's ancestor. Yet each time Dana's sojourns become longer and more dangerous, until it is uncertain whether or not her life will end, long before it has even begun.

Format:

Kit

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC But

The correspondent [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Evans, Virginia, 1986-

Description:

Throughout her life Sybil Van Antwerp has used letters to make sense of the world and her place in it. Most mornings around half past ten Sybil sits down to write letters--to her brother, to her best friend, to the president of the university who will not allow her to audit a class she desperately wants to take, to Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry to tell them what she thinks of their latest books, and to one person to whom she writes often yet never sends the letter. Sybil expects her world to go on as it always has. A mother, grandmother, wife, divorcée, distinguished lawyer, she has lived a full life. But when letters from someone in her past force her to examine one of the most painful periods of her life, she realizes the letter she has been writing over the years needs to be read and that she cannot move forward until she finds it in her heart to offer forgiveness.

Format:

Kit

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Eva

The wedding people [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Espach, Alison, 1984-

Description:

It's a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island, when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, not a bag in sight, alone. She's immediately mistaken by everyone in the lobby for one of the wedding people, but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn't here for the big event. Phoebe is here because she's dreamed of coming for years--she hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she's here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan--which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can't stop confiding in each other.

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Esp

The mad wife [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

Church, Meagan

Description:

In the 1950s, nothing is valued more than conformity, and Lulu Mayfield has spent the last five years molding herself into the ideal housewife. But after the birth of her daughter, Lulu's carefully constructed life begins to teeter. Exhausted by expectations and haunted by tragic memories, Lulu looks to her new neighbor, Bitsy. Bitsy, always the model of a perfect housewife, is not quite what she seems and Lulu knows something dark lurks beneath Bitsy's constant smile. Increasingly fixated on Bitsy and her perfectly crafted life, Lulu's mental state begins to fracture, and memories she had suppressed long ago begin to rise to the surface. Soon, Lulu is forced to confront the possibility that she might be headed down a path much darker than she could ever foresee. Set against the backdrop of a post-war era defined by tradition and constrained femininity, The Mad Wife weaves together a coming-of-age search for identity with a psychological drama so poignant, you won't be able to put it down. (8/14)

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Chu

Run, Rose, run [Book club kit]

Author(s):

Parton, Dolly

Patterson, James,

Description:

Every song tells a story. She's a star on the rise, singing about the hard life behind her. She's also on the run. Nashville is where she's come to claim her destiny. It's also where the darkness she's fled might find her. (9/11)

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC Par

Wild dark shore [Book Club Kit]

Author(s):

McConaghy, Charlotte

Description:

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world's largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers, but with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants. Until, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman mysteriously washes ashore. Isolation has taken its toll on the Salts, but as they nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, it begins to feel like she might just be what they need. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting herself, starts imagining a future where she could belong to someone again. But Rowan isn't telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, they all must decide if they can trust one another enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it's too late--and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together. (9/11)

Format:

Book

Call Number:

Book Club Kit FIC McC