May Book Clubs
You may have noticed that the May calendar is now up on the website, but let’s talk about the books we chose for book clubs this month since clubs kick off next week.
Classics Book Club
Thursday, May 7, 6 PM
The Awakening by Kate Chopin - First published in 1899, this beautiful, brief novel so disturbed critics and the public that it was banished for decades afterward. Now widely read and admired, The Awakening has been hailed as an early vision of women’s emancipation. This sensuous book tells of a woman’s abandonment of her family, her seduction, and her awakening to desires and passions that threatened to consume her. Originally entitled A Solitary Soul, this portrait of twenty-eight-year-old Edna Pontellier is a landmark in American fiction, rooted firmly in the romantic tradition of Herman Melville and Emily Dickinson.
Dark Romance Book Club
Friday, May 8, 6 PM
Haunting Adeline by H.D Carlton - “I’ve chased you across time and space, and you’ve never been able to get away.”
For Adeline Reilly, moving back to Seattle was supposed to be the perfect fresh start. With her flourishing career as an author and the inheritance of her late grandmother’s gothic mansion, there is nothing to stand in her way.
But Adeline isn’t alone in Parson’s Manor.
It isn’t the angry souls haunting the hallways of her childhood home that Adeline fears–it’s the mysterious break-ins, roses appearing, and threatening messages that somehow sound more like eerie promises.
Adeline has a stalker.
Yet, she quickly discovers she’s not the first person in her family to fall victim to a shadow in pursuit.
Left behind are her great-grandmother’s haunting journals detailing the story of her own phantom, and subsequently, her brutal murder.
Parson’s Manor now holds more than just Adeline’s memories—it houses a grim future that could lead to history repeating itself.
If she doesn’t fall in love with her stalker first.
Thriller Book Club
Monday, May 11, 6 PM
No Good Deed by Katherine Kovacic - Rena and Tom have been planning this trip for years: just the two of them, retired, setting out into remote bush country to enjoy nature's dramatic beauty—and each other's company. When Tom dies unexpectedly just before they are to depart, Rena almost cancels, but there's nothing left at home but painful memories. She hits the road in her kitted-out truck, vowing to follow the itinerary she and Tom had mapped, hoping the trip will at least distract her from her devastating loss.
Not far from her first planned stop, Rena notices a fire burning some distance off the highway. Being a good citizen, she ventures off road and is horrified to find a vehicle consumed by flames, with what's left of the driver still inside. When she learns that the victim is a fellow geologist—a less-than-reputable character whom she hadn't seen in 20 years—Rena begins an unofficial and unwelcome investigation fraught with deceit, diamond theft, and murder. Had her old colleague found a new pipeline for the rare and valuable pink diamond, and been killed for it? And if Rena doesn't mind her own business, will she be next?
Sarah J. Maas Book Club
Tuesday, May 12, 6 PM
2nd Half Court of Mist and Fury - Feyre has undergone more trials than one human woman can carry in her heart. Though she's now been granted the powers and lifespan of the High Fae, she is haunted by her time Under the Mountain and the terrible deeds she performed to save the lives of Tamlin and his people.
As her marriage to Tamlin approaches, Feyre's hollowness and nightmares consume her. She finds herself split into two different people: one who upholds her bargain with Rhysand, High Lord of the feared Night Court, and one who lives out her life in the Spring Court with Tamlin. While Feyre navigates a dark web of politics, passion, and dazzling power, a greater evil looms. She might just be the key to stopping it, but only if she can harness her harrowing gifts, heal her fractured soul, and decide how she wishes to shape her future-and the future of a world in turmoil.
Contemporary Romance Book Club
Wednesday, May 13, 6 PM
Burning Daylight by Emily McIntire - Their families have been at war for generations. They were supposed to be enemies. Instead, they fell in love.
Juliette Calloway lives in a world of luxury, legacies, and lies. The daughter of Rosebrook Falls’ most powerful family, her life is a carefully crafted performance, and she’s tired of being polished to perfection.
Roman Montgomery doesn’t exist. Not officially, anyway. He’s a shadow, a hidden weapon, the secret heir to an empire soaked in danger and a generations-old feud.
When their paths cross, sparks fly.
No names.
No pasts.
Just reckless smiles and a chemistry neither of them can shake.
Roman is charming. Mysterious. Infuriatingly flirty.
And Juliette? She’s simply…his.
When Roman is called back to claim his place as heir to the Montgomery empire, the truth crashes down: Their families are sworn enemies, and Roman’s very existence is a threat.
Their love isn’t just forbidden, it’s impossible.
Now every kiss feels like a betrayal. Every stolen moment, a risk. And in a town built on secrets and blood, their passion might just be the most dangerous thing of all.
Horror Book Club
Tuesday, May 19, 6 PM
Strange Pictures by Uketsu - An exploration of the macabre, where the seemingly mundane takes on a terrifying significance. . . .
A pregnant woman's sketches on a seemingly innocuous blog conceal a chilling warning.
A child's picture of his home contains a dark secret message.
A sketch made by a murder victim in his final moments leads an amateur sleuth down a rabbit hole that will reveal a horrifying reality.
Structured around these nine childlike drawings, each holding a disturbing clue, Uketsu invites readers to piece together the mystery behind each and the overarching backstory that connects them all. Strange Pictures is the internationally bestselling debut from mystery horror YouTube sensation Uketsu—an enigmatic masked figure who has become one of Japan's most talked about contemporary authors.
A great read for spooky-season nights
A perfect addition to any Halloween reading list
Translated from the Japanese by Jim Rion.
Cozy Mystery Book Club
Thursday, May 21, 6 PM
Agnes Sharp and the Wedding to Die For by Leonie Swann - Spring is in the air, and Sunset Hall is abuzz with anticipation of Bernadette’s upcoming wedding. But not everyone is feeling celebratory. Namely, her best friend, Agnes Sharp, who isn’t a fan of Bernadette’s plan to leave the house share and its residents behind. Nevertheless, Agnes and the not-so-sprightly gang of pensioners launch into wedding-planning mode after a spot opens at the high-class Foxglove Manor—in just two weeks.
The minimum number of guests to even get the champagne fountain bubbling is twenty—a tall order for a reclusive couple in their eighties. Not to mention the high likelihood that their friend groups might not be compatible: Bernadette was once a police informant, while Jack, the groom, used to make a living in organized crime.
Just when they think they have the guest list squared away, a threatening note appears at the house. Agnes and the others decide to handle it themselves, not wanting to cause the betrothed stress. With some assistance from a private investigator (another person to add to the guest list!), Agnes digs into the case of the poison-pen letter, determined to ensure the wedding goes off without a hitch . . . aside from the bodies they’ve already had to hide from the bride. Will Bernadette and Jack happily ride off into the sunset together, or will this be sundown for Sunset Hall for good?
Historical Mystery Book Club
Monday, May 25, 6 PM
Death Times Seven by Anne Perry - 1913: Junior attorney Daniel Pitt must step in for his friend, fellow attorney Toby Kitteridge, whose parents have been brutally attacked. Toby's mother is dead, and his father, a village vicar, is barely alive. With Toby returning to the family home in rural Ipswich, struggling with grief and disbelief, Daniel remains in London to substitute for Toby and defend Peter Ward, on trial for the sexual assault and murder of a young woman.
Daniel is convinced that Ward is innocent, yet the evidence seems to prove otherwise. Eager to assist, his pathologist wife, Miriam Fford Croft, offers her forensics expertise and exposes a community of fellow pathologists who may have purposefully omitted information from their autopsy reports. Despite Miriam’s involvement in the case, Daniel finds himself distracted by his desire to help Toby, who is too distraught to investigate the attack on his parents. And when the evidence points to Toby’s father as the killer of Toby’s mother, Daniel faces two of the greatest challenges of his young career: proving the innocence of both Peter Ward and Reverend Kitteridge. One mistake in London and a blameless man will hang. One mistake in Ipswich, and Toby’s father will go to prison for life.
Death Times Seven, the seventh and final novel in Anne Perry’s Daniel Pitt series, was completed by Victoria Zackheim, an author and editor as well as Perry’s close friend. Rich in intrigue and courtroom drama, this engrossing novel marks a fitting finale to the career of an author widely praised as the queen of historical crime fiction.
Sarah J. Maas Book Club
Tuesday, May 26, 6 PM
1st half Court of Wings and Ruin - Feyre has returned to the Spring Court, determined to gather information on Tamlin's actions and learn what she can about the invading king threatening to bring her land to its knees. But to do so, she must play a deadly game of deceit. One slip could bring doom not only for Feyre, but for everything-and everyone-she holds dear.
As war bears down upon them all, Feyre endeavors to take her place amongst the High Fae of the land, balancing her struggle to master her powers-both magical and political-and her love for her court and family. Amidst these struggles, Feyre and Rhysand must decide whom to trust amongst the cunning and lethal High Lords, and hunt for allies in unexpected places.
British Mystery Book Club
Wednesday, May 27, 6 PM
The Ending Writes Itself by Evelyn Clarke - Six authors.
One private island.
Seventy-two hours to write the ending that will change their lives.
Named one of the Most Anticipated Mysteries of 2026 by GoodReads, Marie Claire, and Page Six.
“In the running for the best mystery of 2026. With a trove of tropes that mystery lovers will love, it will remind you, in the best way, of Agatha Christie.”—Stephen King
Arthur Fletch, one of the world’s bestselling novelists, is a reclusive genius known for his iconic protagonists and fiendish twists. When six struggling authors are invited to spend a weekend on his private Scottish island, they arrive to discover a shocking secret: Arthur Fletch is dead . . . and his last book is unfinished.
Desperate to publish the novel, Fletch’s agent and editor have summoned these writers in the hope that one of them will imagine a worthy ending for this final book. To sweeten the deal, they are offering an irresistible prize: in addition to ghost-writing the last chapter––for a mind-boggling sum––they will also help the lucky writer successfully re-launch their own career, guaranteeing future bestsellers. The catch: the writers have just seventy-two hours to finish Fletch’s magnum opus.
It’s the perfect plot. All it needs is a killer ending.