French River Readers

Due to the social-distancing required by health concerns surrounding the COVID-19 situation, the French River Readers will not be meeting in person. Please continue reading. Some pandemic-inspired reading may include The Stand by Stephen King, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez and The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton.

We have another Book Club in a Bag offering for May, The Secret Keepers by Kate Morton, and there are copies of the book available at church. Our next meeting is at 7:30 on Thursday, May 20th via Zoom. If you cannot get to the church during office hours, call Carol Surine at 525-4426 to arrange to pick up a copy.


You are welcome to come whether or not you have read the book, but be aware that there may be spoilers!
The French River Readers have been meeting continuously since 2004. Our reading choices are varied and always chosen by consensus.We meet on the third Thursday of each month, year round. Although now we usually meet in the Fireside Room of French River Lutheran Church, we used to meet in each other's houses. We often have a snack and dessert, though our main focus is on the book at hand.

Once a year, for our November meeting, and in thanksgiving for our fellowship and our love of reading, we collect children's board books for distribution to a children's outreach. We want to start a reading habit early in life.

Once a year, for our December meeting, we all bring appetizers - sweet or savory - and play a game.  Our December book is usually a light-hearted Christmas-themed story. In 2020 we could not do this, but we hope to reinstate this fun evening in 2021!

We have a good time, and we would love for you to join us!

If you have questions, call or email Carol Surine at 218-525-4426 or carolsurine@gmail.com.
 
Archives of Books Read
2021 Month Book Author
December    
November    
October    
September    
August    
July    
June Nomadland Jessica Bruder
May The Secret Keeper Kate Morton
April  Still Llfe  Louise Penny
March  This Tender Land Wm Kent Krueger
February Just Mercy  Bryan Stephenson
January  I am Malala  Malala Yousafzai
 
2020 Month Book Author
December  the Best Christmas Pageant Ever Barbara Robinson
November  Hillbilly Elegy J.D. Vance
October  A Long Walk to Water  Linda Sue Park
September  Iron Lake Wm Kent Krueger
August  The Girl in the Spider's Web  David Lagercrantz
July The Elegance of the Hedghog Muriel Barbery
June  The Little Paris Bookshop  Nina George
May  Wild Cheryl Strayed
April  Penance  David Housewright
March  No Meeting Due to Pandemic  
February  The Gentleman from Moscow  Amor Towles
January  The Woman in the Window A.J. Finn
 
2019 Month Book Author
December Hercule Poirot's Christmas Agatha Christie
November The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek Kim MIchele Richardson
October Killers of the Flower Moon David Grann
September Doc Mary Doria Russell
August Educated Tara Westover
July Ahab's Wife Sena Jeter Naslund
June The Long Haul Finn Murphy
May Memory Man David Baldacci
April Angle of Repose Wallace Stegner
March The Good Lord Bird James McBride
February Grandma Gatewood's Walk Ben Montgomery
January After the Floods Ben Henricksen
 
2018 Month Book Author
December A Christmas Memory Truman Capote
November The Soul of an Octopus Sy Montgomery
October  The Last Voyageurs Lorraine Boissoneault 
September   Before We Were Yours Lisa Wingate
August  The Rent Collector Camron Wright
July  The Wind and the Drum Katherine Johnson
June  50 Children Stephen Pressman
May  The Brightest Sun Adrienne Benson
April  The Women in the Castle Jessica Shattuck
March  The Woman in Cabin 10 Ruth Ware
February  Sea Runners Ivan Doig
January  Out of the Easy Ruta Sepetys
 
2017 Month Book Author
December  A Season of Angels Debbie Macomber
November  The Postmistress Sarah Blake
October  The Underground Railroad Colson Whitehead
September  The Boys in the Boat Daniel James Brown
August  The Alchemist Paul Coelho
July  Locally Laid Lucie Amundsen
June  Wonder R.J. Palacio
May  The Pearl That Broke Its Shell Nadia Hashimi
April  The Legacy Mark Munger
March  Yes, Chef Marcus Samuelsson
February  The Paris Architect Charles Belfoure
January  The Secret Chord Geraldine Brooks
 
2015 Month Book Author
December Comfort and Joy Kristin Hannah
November A Complicated Kindness Miriam Toews
October The Master Butcher’s Singing Club Louise Erdrich
September The Dance Boots Linda LeGarde Grover
August She’s Not There Jennifer F. Boylan
July The Necklace Cheryl Jarvis
June Modoc Ralph Helfer
May Heaven is for Real Todd Burpo
April Me Before You JoJo Moyes
March Still Life Louise Penny
February All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr
January The Afterlife of Billy Fingers Annie Kagan
 
2014 Month Book Author
December The Christmas Box Richard Paul Evans
November Ordinary Grace Wm Kent Kruger
October Farewell to Manzanar Jeanne W. Houston
September The Buddha in the Attic Julie Otsuka
August Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children Ransom Riggs
July The Light Between Oceans M.L. Stedman
June Tempting Fate Jane Green
May Maisie Dobbs Jacqueline Winspear
April The Cellist of Sarajevo Steven Galloway
March Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand Helen Simonson
February The Orphan Train Christina Baker Klein
January The Long-Shining Waters Danielle Sosin
 
2013 Month Book Author
December The Christmas Blessing Donna VanLiere
November The Zookeeper’s Wife Diane Ackerman
October Convergence at Two Harbors Dennis Herschbach
September Before I Go to Sleep S.J. Watson
August Immoral Brian Freeman
July The People of the Book Geraldine Brooks
June Odd Thomas Dean Koontz
May Clara and Mr. Tiffany Susan Vreeland
April Distant Fires Scott Anderson
March The Language of Flowers Vanessa Diffenbaugh
February The Tale of Halcyon Crane Wendy Webb
January Home Front Kristin Hannah
 
2012 Month Book Author
December Visions of Sugar Plums Janet Evanovich
November The Scent of God Beryl S Bissell
October City of Thieves David Benioff
September Unbroken Laura Hillenbrand
August The Jester Patterson/Gross
July Dive from Clausen’s Pier Ann Packer
June Whistling in the Dark Lesley Kagan
May The Art of Racing in the Rain Garth Stein
April The House at Riverton Kate Morton
March Yellow Crocus Laila Ibraham
February Henry’s Sisters Cathy Lamb
January Cutting for Stone Abraham Verghese
 
2011 Month Book Author
December Shirley, Goodness and Mercy Debbie Macomber
November Moloka’I Alan Brennert
October Little Bee Chris Cleave
September The School of Essential Ingredients Erica Buermeister
August Room Emma Donoghue
July The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie Alan Bradley
June Winter Garden Kristin Hannah
May The Guernsey Literary & Potato Peel Pie Society Mary Ann Shaffer
April The Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet Jamie Ford
March They Did It with Love Kate Morgenroth
February The Forgotten Garden Kate Morton
January The Ascent Ronald Malfi
 
2010 Month Book Author
December Kringle Tom Abbott
November Leaving the World Douglas Kennedy
October The Cookbook Collector Allegra Goodwin
September The Invention of Hugo Cabret Brian Selznick
August The Help Kathryn Stockett
July The Book Thief Markus Zusak
June Push Sapphire
May The Yellow House Patricia Falvey
April The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo Stieg Larson
March The Blind Side Michael Lewis
February Cold Sassy Tree Olive Ann Burns
January Sarah’s Key Tatiana de Rosnay
 
2009 Month Book Author
December ‘Tis the Season Lorna Landvik
November Good Grief Lolly Winston
October Water for Elephants Sara Gruen
September The Time Traveler’s Wife Audrey Niffeneger
August Fearless Fourteen Janet Evanovich
July The 13th Tale Diane Setterfield
June Shadow of the Wind Carlos Ruiz Zafron
May Still Alice Lisa Genova
April The Screwtape Letters C.S. Lewis
March The Shack Wm Paul Young
February The Eight Katherine Neville
January Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert
 
2008 Month Book Author
December A Redbird Christmas Fannie Flagg
November Red Knife Wm Kent Kruger
October The Divide Nicholas Evans
September Women of the Silk Gail Tsukiyama
August Keeping the House Ellen Baker
July The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde
June Book of choice Nevada Barr
May The Whistling Season Ivan Doig
April Three Cups of Tea Greg Mortenson
March Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister Gregory Maguire
February My Sister’s Keeper Jodi Picoult
January Nickeled and Dimed Barbara Ehrenreich
 
2007 Month Book Author
December A Christmas Carol Charles Dickens
November A Tree Grows in Brooklyn Betty Smith
October Animal, Vegetable, Miracle Barbara Kingsolver
September The Elegant Gathering of White Snows Kris Radish
August The Box Children Sharon Wyse
July Inside the Kingdom Carmen bin Laden
June The Joy Luck Club Amy Tan
May The Life of Pi Yann Martel
April Memory Keeper’s Daughter Kim Edwards
March Bread Alone Judith R Hendricks
February The Glass Castle Jeannette Walls
January Eat Cake Jeanne Ray
 
2006 Month Book Author
December The Giver Lois Lowry
November Will to Murder John DeSanto
October Camel Club David Baldacci
September Five Quarters of the Orange Joanne Harris
August The Great Gatsby F Scott Fitzgerald
July Widow for One Year John Irving
June Pope Joan Donna W Cross
May The Mermaid Chair Sue Monk Kidd
April Purgatory Ridge Wm Kent Kruger
March Amateur Marriage Anne Tyler
February The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe C.S. Lewis
January In the Lake of the Woods Tim O’Brien
 
2005 Month Book Author
December The Christmas Train David Baldacci
November The Quilter’s Apprentice Jennifer Chiaverini
October The Sparrow Mary Doria Russell
September Plainsong Kent Haruf
August The Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingsolver
July The Lady and the Unicorn Tracy Chevalier
June Wonder When You’ll Miss Me Amanda Davis
May Tulip Fever Deborah Moggach
April Secret Life of Bees Sue Monk Kidd
March Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini
February Peace Like a River Leif Enger
January Reading Lolita in Tehran Azar Nafisi
 
2004 Month Book Author
December Skipping Christmas John Grisham
November The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse Louise Erdrich
October The Red Tent Anita Diamant
September No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency Alexander M Smith
August The Devil in the White City Erik Larson
July The Heart is a Lonely Hunter Carson McCullers
June Living History Hillary R Clinton
May Angry Housewives Eating Bonbons Lorna Landvik
April Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen
March The Five People You Meet in Heaven Mitch Albom
February Superior Death Nevada Barr
January None ~ Planning