Book Discussions

A "brilliant and strikingly original re-imagining of the classic whodunit (a la Agatha Christie) with a contemporary mystery wrapped around it"-- Provided by publisher. When she realizes that the final chapter of mystery writer Alan Conway's latest manuscript is missing and Alan later turns up dead, editor Susan Ryeland follows clues buried in the text to investigate the author's suspicious death. Join us on the first Thursday of the month for a lively discussion of this month’s title and other of life’s mysteries. Copies of the book are usually available at the circulation desk or can be reserved online or by asking at the desk. This discussion also featuresfree pizza while it lasts. Free and open to all.

A memoir by an award-winning paleobiologist traces her childhood in her father's laboratory, her longtime relationship with a brilliant but wounded colleague and the remarkable discoveries they have made both in the lab and during extensive field research assignments. Third Thursday is an informal group, open to all, no sign up necessary. Reserve your book at the adult circulation desk or online. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Deerfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council, a state agency. www.massculturalcouncil.org

Spill, Simmer, Falter, Wither by Sara Baume is the first of six debut novels we will be discussing. "A debut novel already praised as "unbearably poignant and beautifully told" (Eimear McBride) this captivating story follows -- over the course of four seasons -- a misfit man who adopts a misfit dog. It is springtime, and two outcasts -- a man ignored, even shunned by his village, and the one-eyed dog he takes into his quiet, tightly shuttered life -- find each other, by accident or fate, and forge an unlikely connection. As their friendship grows, their small, seaside town suddenly takes note of them, falsely perceiving menace where there is only mishap; the unlikely duo must take to the road. Gorgeously written in poetic and mesmerizing prose, Spill Simmer Falter Wither has already garnered wild support in its native Ireland, where the Irish Times pointed to Baume's "astonishing power with language" and praised it as "a novel bursting with brio, braggadocio and bite." It is also a moving depiction of how -- over the four seasons echoed in the title -- a relationship between fellow damaged creatures can bring them both comfort. One of those rare stories that utterly, completely imagines its way into a life most of us would never see, it transforms us not only in our understanding of the world, but also of ourselves. "-- Provided by publisher Discussion led by Tiffany Ehle. Third Thursday is open to all, no sign up necessary. Reserve your book at the adult circulation desk or online. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Deerfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council a state agency.

If you read this book for the January discussion which was cancelled due to the weather and you want to review it before the discussion please let us know and we will order a book for you to arrive about a week before the discussion. When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules–a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger, knows all too well. Deeply ambivalent about growing up black in the lone star state, he was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could. Until duty called him home. When his allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels up Highway 59 to the small town of Lark, where two murders–a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman–have stirred up a hornet’s nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes–and save himself in the process–before Lark’s long-simmering racial fault lines erupt. A rural noir suffused with the unique music, color, and nuance of East Texas, Bluebird Bluebird is an exhilarating, timely novel about the collision of race and justice in America. Join us on the first Thursday of the month for a lively discussion of this month’s title and other of life’s mysteries. This discussion also features pizza while it lasts. Free and open to all.

After finishing the book, consider this question: Would you have stuck by the group after learning their dark secret? Please share your answer with the group on Thursday, February 15, 2018 at 6:30 p.m. See you then! This program is supported in part by a grant from the Deerfield Cultural Council Third Thursday is an informal group, open to all, no sign up necessary. Reserve your book at the adult circulation desk or online.

When she discovers the body of a fellow nurse deep in the woods near her cabin, Amelia Winn, who lost her hearing in an accident two years earlier, is plunged into a mystery that could shatter her carefully reconstructed life. Join us on the first Thursday of the month for a lively discussion of this month’s title and other of life’s mysteries. Copies of the book are usually available at the circulation desk or can be reserved online or by asking at the desk. This discussion also features cheese pizza while it lasts. Free and open to all.

"A lush, thrilling debut--a publishing event already the subject of an article in The New York Times--about a year in the life of a uniquely beguiling young woman, set in the wild, alluring world of a famous downtown New York restaurant. "Let's say I was born when I came over the George Washington Bridge ..." This is how we meet unforgettable Tess, the 22-year-old at the heart of this stunning debut. Shot like a bullet from a mundane past, she's come to New York to escape the provincial, to take on her destiny. After she stumbles into a coveted job at a renowned Union Square restaurant, we spend the year with her as she learns the chaotic, punishing, privileged life of a "backwaiter," on and off duty. Her appetites are awakened, for food, wine, knowledge and experience; and she's pulled into the thrall of two other servers--a handsome bartender she falls hard for, and an older woman whose connection to both young lovers is murky, sensual, and overpowering. These two will prove to be Tess's hardest lesson of all. Sweetbitter is a story about discovery, enchantment, and the power of what remains after disillusionment"-- Provided by publisher. Discussion led by Tiffany Ehle. Third Thursday is open to all, no sign up necessary. Reserve your book at the adult circulation desk or online. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Deerfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council a state agency.

Here's how it works: 1. sign up at the adult circulation desk 2. borrow the book or find your recipe from the copy that is at the desk 3. bring your creation to share and a serving utensil for your creation 4. bring a plate, fork, knife and spoon for yourself Event will be held in the kitchen at Deerfield Town Hall, 8 Conway Street, South Deerfield Village. Free and open to all. If you would like to participate but do not or cannot cook please see project director.

Kate Burkholder, a former Amish resident of Painters Mill, is returning as police chief sixteen years after a series of brutal murders took place there, but when a new victim is found under her watch, she struggles with a secret that could hurt both her and her family. Join us on the first Thursday of the month for a lively discussion of this month’s title and other of life’s mysteries. Copies of the book are usually available at the circulation desk or can be reserved online or by asking at the desk. This discussion also features cheese pizza while it lasts. Free and open to all.

"The long-awaited first novel from the acclaimed author of Sam the Cat is a provocative and hilarious satire of love, sex, money, and politics in our new gilded age--for readers of The Nix and This Is Where I Leave You"-- Provided by publisher. "Two people, who are married to other people, meet at a conference for artists and writers in a charming seaside village much like Provincetown. Rich, a formerly sort-of-famous cartoonist, and Amy, a student of narrative painting, shared a moment of passion the summer before, and have returned to see what happens next. In the wicked events that follow, both of their lives completely unravel"-- Provided by publisher Discussion led by Tiffany Ehle. Third Thursday is open to all, no sign up necessary. Reserve your book at the adult circulation desk or online. This program is supported in part by a grant from the Deerfield Cultural Council, a local agency which is supported by the Massachusetts Cultural Council a state agency.