Morning Book Group

The Morning Book Discussion Group meets at 10 am on the third Wednesday of every month. The group meets in the fireplace room in the historic Adams part of the main library. The group is led by Jessica Fitzhanso, Head Readers Services. She can be reached for questions or suggestions at 978-256-5521 x1115, or e-mail: jfitzhanso@chelmsfordlibrary.org.

Please note: during COVID-19, all of our book groups are meeting online. Contact the group leader for access details.

Selected titles for this group

2022-23:

July 20, 2022 – Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe, by Fannie Flagg
August 17, 2022 – The Other Black Girl, by Zakiya Delila Harris
September 21, 2022 – The Lincoln Highway, by Amor Towles
October 19, 2022 – Braiding Sweetgrass, by Robin Wall Kimmerer
November 16, 2022 – The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave
December 21, 2022 – Finding Freedom, by Erin French
January 18, 2023 – The Radium Girls, by Kate Moore
February 15, 2023 – The Vanishing Half, by Britt Bennett
March 15, 2023 – The Music of Bees, by Eileen Garvin
April 19, 2023 – One Book Chelmsford selection
May 17, 2023 – The Lost Apothecary, by Sarah Penner
June 21, 2023 – Selection meeting

2021-22:

July 21, 2021 – Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
August 18, 2021 – American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins
September 15, 2021 – Blankets by Craig Thompson
October 20, 2021 – A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
November 17, 2021 – Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker
December 15, 2021 – The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi
January 19, 2022 – There There by Tommy Orange
February 16, 2022 – Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead
March 16, 2022 – This is How it Always Is by Laurie Frankel
April 20, 2022 – 2022 One Book Chelmsford selection!
May 18, 2022 – The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
June 15, 2022 – Selection meeting

Alternates:

How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior
The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey

2020-21:

July 15, 2020 – Alice Network by Kate Quinn
August 19, 2020 – Lost Book of Adana Moreau by Michael Zapata
September 16, 2020 – Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
October 21, 2020 – Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
November 18, 2020 – Britt Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
December 16, 2020 – Less by Andrew Sean Greer
January 20, 2021 – The Library Book by Susan Orlean
February 17, 2021 – Life We Bury by Allen Eskens
March 17, 2021 – 2021 One Book Chelmsford selection!
April 21, 2021 – Lady in the Lake by Laura Lippman
May 19, 2021 – Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
June 16, 2021 – Selection meeting

Alternates:

Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

2019-20:

August 21, 2019 – The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang
September 18, 2019 – A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
October 16, 2019 – The Stars are Fire by Anita Shreve
November 20, 2019 – A Separate Peace by John Knowles
December 18, 2019 – Hot Milk by Deborah Levy
January 15, 2020 – My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
February 19, 2020 – 2020 One Book Chelmsford selection!
March 18, 2020 – I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
April 15, 2020 – The Library Book by Susan Orlean
May 20, 2020 – Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng
June 17, 2020 – Selection meeting
July 15, 2020 – The Life We Bury by Allen Eskens

Alternates:

Sold on a Monday by Kristina McMorris
The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick

2018-19:

August 15, 2018 – Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
September 19, 2018 – Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
October 17, 2018 – Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See
November 21, 2018 – The Women in the Castle by Jessica Shattuck
December 19, 2018 – The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion
January 16, 2019 – 2019 One Book Chelmsford selection!
February 20, 2019 – Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
March 20, 2019 – LaRose by Louise Erdrich
April 17, 2019 – The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict
May 15, 2019 – Everything You Want Me To Be by Mindy Mejia
June 19, 2019 – Selection meeting
July 17, 2019 – The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah

Alternates:

Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

2017-18:

August 16, 2017 – Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George
September 20, 2017 – Unseen World by Liz Moore
October 18, 2017 – Walden by Henry David Thoreau
November 15, 2017 – All-Girl Filling Station’s Last Reunion by Fannie Flagg
December 20, 2017 – Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle
January 17, 2018 – The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah – 2018 One Book Chelmsford selection!
February 21, 2018 – Book that Matters Most by Ann Hood
March 21, 2018 – Singles Game by Lauren Weisberger
April 18, 2018 – 11/22/1963 by Stephen King
May 16, 2018 – Mischling by Affinity Konar
June 20, 2018 – Fortune’s Rocks by Anita Shreve
July 18, 2018 – Selection meeting

2016-17:

August 17, 2016 – Accused by Lisa Scottoline
September 21, 2016 – Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
October 19, 2016 – Out by Natsuo Kirino
November 16, 2016 – Swans of Fifth Avenue by Melanie Benjamin
December 21, 2016 – East of Eden by John Steinbeck
January 18, 2017 – Bishop’s Wife by Mette Ivie Harrison
February 15, 2017 – Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
March 15, 2017 – 2017 One Book Chelmsford selection!
April 19, 2017 – Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman
May 17, 2017 – Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
June 21, 2017 – Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
July 19, 2017 – Selection meeting

2015-16:

The August discussion will take place on Aug 26th (not the 19th) because the library will be closed that morning for staff training.

August 26, 2015 – Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
September 16, 2015 – The Round House by Louise Erdrich
October 21, 2015 – Netherland by Joseph O’Neill
November 18, 2015 – Fever by Mary Beth Keane
December 16, 2015 – Spare Parts by Joshua Davis
January 20, 2016 – Shucked: Life on a New England Oyster Farm by Erin Byers Murray
February 17, 2016 – Before I go to Sleep by S.J. Watson
March 16, 2016 – 2016 One Book Chelmsford selection!
April 20, 2016 – The Supremes at Earl’s all-you-can-eat by Edward Kelsey Moore
May 18, 2016 – The Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana Trigiani
June 15, 2016 – The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows
July 20, 2016 – Selection meeting

2014-15:

August 20, 2014 – And then there were none by Agatha Christie
September 17, 2014 – The elegance of the hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
October 15, 2014 – The last runaway by Tracy Chevalier
November 19, 2014 – Life after life by Kate Atkinson
December 17, 2014 – Where’d you go, Bernadette by Maria Semple
January 21, 2015- The art of hearing heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker
February 18, 2015 –Chelmsford One Book selection, The Sandcastle Girls” by Chris Bohjalian
March 18, 2015 –The Flamethrowers by Rachel Kushner
April 15, 2015 – Mrs. Lincoln’s dressmaker by Jennifer Chiaverini
May 20, 2015 – Burial rites by Hannah Kent
June 17, 2015 – The boys in the boat : nine Americans and their epic quest for gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown

2013-14:

August 21, 2013 – Lost in Shangri La by Mitchell Zuckoff
September 18, 2013 – Cutting for Stone by A. Verghese
October 16, 2013 –Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamidr
November 20, 2013 – Clara and Mr. Tiffany by Susan Vreeland
December 18, 2013 – My Antonia by Willa Cather
January 15, 2014 – Mr. Penumbra’s 24 Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
February 26, 2014 – Quiet:the Power of Introverts by Susan Cain (NOTE: this is on the 4th Wednesday)
March 19, 2014 – The Art Forger by B.A. Shapiro
April 16, 2014 – Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walte
May 21, 2014 – Killer Angels by Michael Shaara
June 18, 2014 – The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
July 16, 2014 – selection meeting

2012-13:

August 15, 2012 – Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
September 19, 2012 – Silver Lotus by Thomas Steinbeck
October 17, 2012 – Flight of Gemma Hardy by Margot Livesey
November 14, 2012 – Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
December 19, 2012 – Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh
January 16, 2013 – Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother by Amy Chua
February 27, 2013 – Way the Crow Flies by Ann Marie MacDonald
March 20, 2013 – Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
April 10, 2013 – Between the Bridge & the River by Craig Ferguson
May 15, 2013 – State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
June 19, 2013 – Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver
July 17, 2013 – Selection meeting

2011-12:

August 17, 2011 – Ape House by Sara Gruen
September 21, 2011 – The Emperor’s Children by Claire Messud
October 19, 2011 – Home Safe by Elizabeth Berg
November 16, 2011 – Russian Winter by Daphne Kalotay
December 21, 2011 – The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
January 18, 2012 – A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick
February 15, 2012 – Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte
March 21, 2012 – Without a Map: A Memoir by Meredith Hall
April 18, 2012 – The Plot Against America by Philip Roth
May 16, 2012 – The Help by Kathryn Stockett
June 20,2012 – Sarah’s Key by Tatiana de Rosnay

2010-11:

8/18/2010 – Peace like a River by Lief Enger
9/15/2010 – Leisure Seekers by Michael Zadoorian
10/20/2010 – Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
11/17/2010 – Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
12/15/2010 – Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
1/19/2011 – Run by Ann Patchett
2/16/2011 – Testimony by Anita Shreve
3/16/2011 – Lace Reader by Brunonia Barry
4/20/2011 – Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides
5/18/2011 – Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay
6/15/2011 – Little Bee by Chris Cleave
Alternates:
- Without a map Meredith Hall
- Alchemist Paulo Coelho Alternate

2009-10:

August 19, 2009 – Senator’s Wife, by Sue Miller
September 16, 2009 – Beneath a Marble Sky, by John Shors
October 21, 2009 – Eat Pray Love, by Elizabeth Gilbert
November 18, 2009 – Secret Between Us, by Barbara Delinsky
December 16, 2009 – Skeletons at the feast, by Chris Bohjalian
January 20, 2010 – Women of the Silk, by Gail Tsukiyama
February 24, 2010 – Stealing Athena, by Karen Essex
March 17, 2010 – Of Mice and Men, by John Steinbeck
April 21, 2010 – Little Giant of Aberdeen County, by Tiffany Baker
May 19, 2010 – The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
June 16, 2010 – Heretic’s Daughter, by Kathleen Kent
July 21, 2010 rescheduled to July 28, 2010 – Title selection meeting for the next year, beginning with August, 2010.

2008-09:

August 20, 2008: Blindness by José Saramago
September 17, 2008: When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka
October 15, 2008: Dreamers of the Day by Mary Doria Russell
November 19, 2008: The Moviegoer by Walker Percy
December 17, 2008: The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon
January 21, 2009: A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
February 18, 2009: Beloved by Toni Morrison
March 18, 2009: Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
April 15, 2009: Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
May 20, 2009: Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
June 17, 2009: Miscarriage of Justice by Kip Gayden