Brown Bag Book Discussion - October 2003

A dark theme with a light delivery, this book examines genetic engineering, evil scientists, and happy babies all with a touch of magic realism.

Four strangers stay in a creepy old mansion with a labyrinth of halls, doors that close by themselves and a lot of dark and dreadful secrets. From the master storyteller Shirley Jackson this book will give a good old fashioned scare.

Another scary mansion from Jackson, this story follows a dysfunctional family and an eccentric band of characters to the end of the world.

In this heart wrenching memoir, Julie Gregory tells the story of her childhood filled with illness, doctors, surgeries, and pain. But all of this was faked, induced by her own mother to elicit attention because of a terrible syndrome known as Munchausen by Proxy.

Using humorous poetry stanzas, Rylant examines what would happen if God lived on earth. What God would do for work, to relax, to have fun, and create.

Who is this new kid who throws the best parties, winds up on the football team and gets the girl all in his first week of school? This book examines what it means to be popular and the risk of losing yourself.

When two boys are left of the doorstep of their less than kind uncle they cherish the only thing their parents left them, a dulcimer. The search for parents, home and the magic of music intertwine in this fable. Perfect for Harry Potter fans and for children who like fairy tales with gorgeous illustrations.

Why did teen aged Melinda Sordino bust up the end of the summer party with a call to the police? Why do all her friends and even students she doesn’t know hate her? What happened at the party to keep her from speaking? Read this haunting book to find out. Speak was a 1999 National Book Award finalist and 2000 Printz honor book.

Set on a remote winter ski trip around Lake Tahoe, two sisters must confront their past and the history of their brother who went missing when he was five. Another winner in the psychological mystery/thriller genre.

A good read especially is you liked Friendship Cake by Lynne Hinton. These women “come for all the wrong reasons to Julian Pines Abbey and if they stay, stumble on good ones, while they struggle with love, sex, community, snakes, neighbors, outhouses, poverty, sobriety, sisterhood, compost, and the life of the spirit”.

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