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Book Club Kits
Experience Collection
Mill Valley Public Library Book Club Kits contain all of the materials needed for a stellar book club experience: 9 paperback copies, 1 large type copy (when available) and 1 audiobook on CD version (when available) of a selected book. The kit also contains discussion questions, author interviews, read-alike suggestions, background info, and food and wine pairings.
Current titles:
- A Hologram for the King by Dave Eggers (fiction)—Set in Saudi Arabia, Egger’s keenly observant novel documents the trials of Alan Clay, a middle-aged consultant for a technology firm who has been hired to sell the company’s hologram product to King Abdullah. With a mix of pathos and humor, Eggers allows us a glimpse of a country on the brink of expansion and a man trying to find his place in a world that’s all too quickly passing him by.
- Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail by Cheryl Strayed (non-fiction)—Strayed’s compulsively readable and poetic memoir chronicles her 1,100 mile journey from California to Oregon along the Pacific Crest Trail. Reeling from the death of her mother, Strayed sets off on a solo trek that will simultaneously break her down—emotionally, physically, and mentally—and also remake her. An Oprah’s book club pick.
- Lost City Radio by Daniel Alarcon (fiction)—Set in a fictional South American country beset by war, Alarcon’s poignant novel tells the story of Norma, a radio DJ who reads the names of lost or missing loved ones on her program. Alarcon deftly intertwines Norma’s story with those of her lover and a young boy from the jungle as he examines identity, love, and loss in a world where violence is the only constant.
- The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon (historical fiction)—Lyon’s quietly profound novel focuses on a wizened, introverted Aristotle and his relationship as tutor to passionate, troubled Alexander the Great. Well-researched and eloquent, Lyon’s thoughtful and philosophical novel asks what it means to live a good life, to love, to find balance, and make sense of the world.
- In the Woods by Tana French (mystery)—Set in Dublin’s quiet countryside, French’s gorgeous and haunting novel examines the nature of evil, memory, identity and truth through the eyes of two police detectives: Cassie Maddox and Rob Ryan. Much more than a mystery, French’s novel begs to be read carefully, for only by peeling back layer after layer does the whole picture unfold.
- Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik (non-fiction)—Paris to the Moon is Gopnik’s funny and compassionate account of his time spent in France with his wife and young son. In this collection of essays, he elegantly illuminates grand themes of Parisian culture through events as quotidian as getting a broken dryer fixed and trying to teach his toddling son the game of baseball. Gopnik takes his readers on a journey of discovery de la vie parisienne: its exasperating bureaucracy, seemingly effortless fashion, artful cuisine, and intoxicating beauty.
Click here to see book kit availability.
Book kits can be reserved up to 6 months ahead of time. To reserve a kit, contact the reference desk in person or by calling (415) 389-4292 x4740, or submit a request online. |