Month: November 2024

November’s Celebrity Book Club Picks

- Stephanie Leave a comment

It’s a new month which means that Jenna Bush Hager and Reese Witherspoon have picked new books for their book clubs! Reminder that if you join Simply Held, you can choose to have their selections automatically put on hold for you.

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Jenna Bush Hager has selected This Motherless Land by Nikki May for her November pick.

Curious what This Motherless Land is about? Check out the following description provided by the publisher.

Quiet Funke is happy in Nigeria. She loves her art teacher mother, her professor father, and even her annoying little brother (most of the time). But when tragedy strikes, she’s sent to England, a place she knows only from her mother’s stories. To her dismay, she finds the much-lauded estate dilapidated, the food tasteless, the weather grey. Worse still, her mother’s family are cold and distant. With one exception: her cousin Liv.

Free-spirited Liv has always wanted to break free of her joyless family. She becomes fiercely protective of her little cousin, and her warmth and kindness give Funke a place to heal. The two girls grow into adulthood the closest of friends.

But the choices their mothers made haunt Funke and Liv and when a second tragedy occurs their friendship is torn apart. Against the long shadow of their shared family history, each woman will struggle to chart a path forward, separated by country, misunderstanding, and ambition.

Moving between Somerset and Lagos over the course of two decades, This Motherless Land is a sweeping examination of identity, culture, race, and love that asks how we find belonging and whether a family’s generational wrongs can be righted. – Mariner Books

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Reese Witherspoon has selected We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anerson for her November pick.

Curious what We Will Be Jaguars is about? Check out the following description provided by the publisher.

Born into the Waorani tribe of Ecuador’s Amazon rainforest—one of the last to be contacted by missionaries in the 1950s—Nemonte Nenquimo had a singular upbringing.

She was taught about plant medicines, foraging, oral storytelling, and shamanism by her elders. At age fourteen, she left the forest for the first time to study with an evangelical missionary group in the city. Eventually, her ancestors began appearing in her dreams, pleading with her to return and embrace her own culture. She listened.

Two decades later, Nemonte has emerged as one of the most forceful voices in climate change activism. She has spearheaded the alliance of indigenous nations across the Upper Amazon and led her people to a landmark victory against Big Oil, protecting over a half million acres of primary rainforest. Her message is as sharp as a spear—honed by her experiences battling loggers, miners, oil companies and missionaries.

In We Will Be Jaguars, she partners with her husband, Mitch Anderson, founder of Amazon Frontlines, digging into generations of oral history, uprooting centuries of conquest, hacking away at racist notions of indigenous peoples, and ultimately revealing a life story as rich, harsh, and vital as the Amazon rainforest herself. – Abrams Press

Join Simply Held to have Oprah, Jenna, and Reese’s adult selections automatically put on hold for you!

New Documentary DVDs

- Elena Leave a comment

It’s time for Nonfiction November! Did you know that Davenport Public Library has a robust nonfiction DVD selection? Here are a few critically acclaimed documentaries that are new to the Davenport Public Library shelves. (Descriptions below provided by the publisher.)

Four Daughters
The riveting exploration of rebellion, memory, and sisterhood reconstructs the story of Olfa Hamrouni and her four daughters, unpacking a complex family history through intimate interviews and artful reenactments to examine how the Tunisian woman’s two eldest were radicalized by Islamic extremists. Casting professional actresses as the missing daughters, along with acclaimed Egyptian-Tunisian actress Hend Sabri as Olfa, award-winning director Kaouther Ben Hania (The Man Who Sold His Skin) restages pivotal moments in the family’s life. These scenes are interwoven with confessions and reflections from Olfa and her younger daughters, offering the women agency to tell their own stories and capturing moments of joy, loss, violence, and heartache. Winner of four prizes including L’Oeil d’Or (Best Documentary) when it screened in competition at the Cannes Film Festival, Four Daughters is a compelling portrait of five women and a unique and ambitious work of nonfiction cinema that explores the nature of memory, the weight of inherited trauma, and the ties that bind mothers and daughters.

Mambar Pierrette
Over the past decade, Cameroonian filmmaker Rosine Mbakam has distinguished herself for her quietly observational documentary portraits of African women. With Mambar Pierrette, her feature narrative debut, Mbakam turns her documentarian’s eye to the eponymous Pierrette, a gifted & beloved neighborhood seamstress who works to support her young children and mother. As a rainstorm threatens to flood her workshop, one of many misfortunes, Pierrette will have to stay afloat.

 

In San Pedro Amuzgos, Mexico, ‘the town of the spinners’ where the director grew up, children are raised beneath the loom. While Zoila weaves, she listens to her son’s first existential questions. Through the warp of their conversation, we weave three threads: that of Zoila herself, that of Donato, the most famous violinist in the town, and that of Lorenzo, his heir. These are stories of songs and dances, of children and parents, and of the threads that might snap–or bind an indigenous community closer together.

 

Shortlisted for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and winner of the Sundance Grand Jury Prize, Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project is a beguiling documentary portrait that follows poet and activist Nikki Giovanni as she approaches 80. The film explores Giovanni’s Afrofuturist-feminist philosophical outlook as well as her poignant relationship with her family, her political audacity, and her poetic eloquence, all knit together with a constant eye and ear for its subject’s own aesthetic verve. Looking back at a personal life and history cast in the long shadow of American racism, and forward to hopeful, possible futures, Giovanni acts as our guide and narrator, with refreshingly unorthodox filmmakers Joe Brewster and Michl̈e Stephenson refraining from traditional chronologies or talking-head conventions. Going to Mars is fueled by constant intellectual engagement and radical imagination in the search for emotional and political fulfillment in a world of disenfranchisement.

Adrian Russell Wills, a Wonnarua man, and Gillian Moody, a Wodi Wodi woman, share an undeniable bond. Both were Aboriginal children adopted by white families and, later in life, they each shared similar desires to reconnect with their bloodlines. In this moving documentary, Wills and Moody recount their emotional searches for belonging, providing an intimate journey into isolation and identity.

Kindred explores the importance of discovering your place in the world and realizing that home and love truly can be found in the people and places your heart connects to. This intimate film is a continuation of the ongoing conversations between Wills and Moody, documenting their emotional searches for belonging and how their abiding friendship has offered solace in turbulent times.

During the month of November, look for the “Nonfiction November” display at the Fairmount and Eastern branches for more nonfiction DVD recommendations.

Good Bad Girl by Alice Feeney

- Stephanie Leave a comment

“There is always a reason why people behave the way that they do. Sometimes bad people are just sad people in disguise.”
― Alice Feeney, Good Bad Girl

Good Bad Girl follows the lives of three women working through traumas from their past that haunt their lives today. One woman’s baby was stolen from a stroller in a grocery store twenty years ago. In a care home in present day, a woman is found murdered. Are the two crimes connected?

Edith has been tricked into living in a nursing home by her daughter, but she has a plan to escape with the help of one of the staff. Patience spends her days cleaning up at the nursing home and keeping Edith company. Patience’s intentions aren’t 100% pure though.

Edith’s daughter Clio is exhausted. She won’t talk to Edith no matter how hard she tries. It’s hard to spend time with someone who constantly berates her. Clio’s life is about to change when a new person shows up on her doorstep. Whether that change is positive or negative, time will tell.

This thriller is full of drama and twisting surprises. Each character has reasons to distrust, hiding parts of themselves from others. They question intentions, challenge histories, and push for the truth. This is a mystery with three suspects, two murders, and one victim. Figuring out who is who could prove deadly for all.

This title is also available as large print and CD audiobook.

October QCL Wrap-Up

- Brittany Leave a comment
Puritan woman facing away with a white cap and red dress.

In October, Morgan and I read Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian in honor of Halloween and all things spooky. Below is a short synopsis of the book and what I thought of it! 

Mary a young Puritan woman, is married to a violent man. After a particularly cruel event, Mary with the help and blessing of her parents, files for divorce. In 1600’s Boston, filing for a divorce is not easy. Getting out of a horrific marriage soon becomes the least of her worries when she is placed on trial believed to be a witch.

This is my second Bohjalian of the year and loved it just as much as I loved the first! This story was clearly well-researched and Grace Experience did an awesome job bringing the characters alive and navigating me through this winding story with just the right ending!

Morgan and I have a very exciting lineup of book options for November, below are our 4 options including our winning title! Feel free to check them out from Davenport Public Library! 

Counting Lost Stars by Kim van Alkemade (In Honor of Adoption Awareness Month)  

1960, New York City: College student Rita Klein is a pioneering woman in the new field of computer programming–until she unexpectedly becomes pregnant. At the Hudson Home for Unwed Mothers, social workers pressure her into surrendering her baby for adoption. Rita is struggling to get on with her life when she meets Jacob Nassy, a charming yet troubled man from the Netherlands who is traumatized by his childhood experience of being separated from his mother during the Holocaust. When Rita learns that Hitler’s Final Solution was organized using Hollerith punch-card computers, she sets out to find the answers that will help Jacob heal.

1941, The Hague: Cornelia Vogel is working as a punch-card operator at the Ministry of Information when a census of Holland’s population is ordered by the Germans. After the Ministry acquires a Hollerith computer made in America, Cornelia is tasked with translating its instructions from English into Dutch. She seeks help from her fascinating Jewish neighbor, Leah Blom, an unconventional young woman whose mother was born in New York. When Cornelia learns the census is being used to persecute Holland’s Jews, she risks everything to help Leah escape.

After Rita uncovers a connection between Cornelia Vogel and Jacob’s mother, long-buried secrets come to light. Will shocking revelations tear them apart, or will learning the truth about the past enable Rita and Jacob to face the future together? – provided by Goodreads

The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros (In Honor of Novel Writing Month)

Twenty-eight-year-old Georgia Stanton has to start over after she gave up almost everything in a brutal divorce—the New York house, the friends, and her pride. Now back home at her late great-grandmother’s estate in Colorado, she finds herself face-to-face with Noah Harrison, the bestselling author of a million books where the cover is always people nearly kissing. He’s just as arrogant in person as in interviews, and she’ll be damned if the good-looking writer of love stories thinks he’s the one to finish her grandmother’s final novel… even if the publisher swears he’s the perfect fit.

Noah is at the pinnacle of his career. With book and movie deals galore, there isn’t much the “golden boy” of modern fiction hasn’t accomplished. But he can’t walk away from what might be the best book of the century—the one his idol, Scarlett Stanton, left unfinished. Coming up with a fitting ending for the legendary author is one thing, but dealing with her beautiful, stubborn, cynical great-granddaughter, Georgia, is quite another.

But as they read Scarlett’s words in both the manuscript and her box of letters, they start to realize why Scarlett never finished the book—it’s based on her real-life romance with a World War II pilot, and the ending isn’t a happy one. Georgia knows all too well that love never works out, and while the chemistry and connection between her and Noah is undeniable, she’s as determined as ever to learn from her great-grandmother’s mistakes—even if it means destroying Noah’s career. – provided by Goodreads

*November Pick* The Girls in Navy Blue by Alix Rickloff (In Honor of Veteran’s Day on November 11th) 

A gripping and compelling dual timeline novel about three women who joined the Navy during WWI to become yeomanettes and the impact their choices have on one of their descendants in 1968. 1918 – America is at war with Germany, and, for the first time in history, the US Navy has allowed women to join up alongside the men. Ten thousand of them rush to do their part. German-American Marjory Kunwald enlists in the Navy to prove her patriotism. Suffragette Blanche Lawrence to prove that women are the equal of men. And shy preacher’s daughter Viv Weston in a desperate attempt to hide from the police.  Even as the US military pours into France and the war heats up, the three yeomanettes find friendship and sisterhood within the Navy. But all their plans for the future are thrown into chaos when Viv’s dark past finally catches up with her. 1968 – Newly divorced and reeling from a personal tragedy, Peggy Whitby unexpectedly inherits her estranged great-aunt Blanche’s beach cottage outside Norfolk Virginia. But her fragile peace is rattled when she begins to receive mysterious postcards dated from 1918 when Blanche served as a Navy yeomanette.  Curious to learn more about her mysterious aunt and uncover the truth behind the cryptic messages, Peggy is drawn deeper into the lives of the three young Navy girls. But her digging uncovers more than she bargains for, and, as past and present collide, Peggy must decide if finding out about her aunt is worth the risk of losing herself. – provided by Goodreads

Yours Truly, Thomas by Rachel Fordham (In Honor of World Kindness Day on November 13th)  

For three years, Penny Ercanbeck has been opening other people’s mail. Dead ends are a reality for clerks at the Dead Letter Office. Still she dreams of something more–a bit of intrigue, a taste of romance, or at least a touch less loneliness. When a letter from a brokenhearted man to his one true love falls into her hands, Penny seizes this chance to do something heroic. It becomes her mission to place this lost letter into the hands of its intended recipient.

Thomas left his former life with no intention of ending up in Azure Springs, Iowa. He certainly didn’t expect a happy ending after what he had done. All he wanted to do was run and never look back. In a moment of desperation, he began to write, never really expecting a reply.

When Penny’s undertaking leads her to the intriguing man who touched her soul with his words, everything grows more complicated. She wants to find the rightful owner of the letter and yet she finds herself caring–perhaps too much–for the one who wrote it. – provided by Goodreads

If you are interested in any of these titles, or have read them, I want to talk about them! Please consider leaving a comment!  

Want to converse with other QCL Book Club followers? Consider joining our Goodreads Group!  

You can also access our recorded interviews by visiting the QCL Book Club Page! 

November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

- Jill Leave a comment

Have you ever thought about writing a book? Perhaps you’ve imagined yourself putting pen to paper for a short story or maybe a memoir? Well, now is the perfect time to take that first step toward your goal! November has become known as National Novel Writing Month or (NaNoWriMo for short). The nonprofit organization by the same name (nanowrimo.org) issues a write-a-thon type challenge each year to aspiring writers all around the world. You can join this creative writing community and find the inspiration you need to make great progress. There’s even a non-fiction writer’s counterpart through the Literacy Archive (literacyhive.org). This year’s theme is Why Don’t You… The Literacy Archive website indicates that this year’s challenge “is designed to stimulate discussion around hobbies and leisure activities and to encourage young people to try something new.”

Want to connect in person? The Quad Cities has its own valuable writer’s resource in The Midwest Writing Center (mwcqc.org), which has it’s own contests and local support network. But, perhaps you don’t want to connect with other would-be writers. You can still find inspiration and fire up your writing muscles this November. Even if you don’t have experience and don’t know where to start, the library has resources for you. Check out some of these titles to help you learn how to build a writing habit, improve your writing skills, and find your voice:

 

BOOKS ON HOW TO WRITE:

Write your novel in a month : how to complete a first draft in 30 days and what to do next by Jeff Gerke

Refuse to be done : how to write and rewrite a novel in three drafts by Matt Bell

Unleashing your inner author : a step-by-step guide to crafting your own bestseller by Bill Vincent

Write your first novel by Gilbert Morris and Steve Laube

How to write a mystery : a handbook from Mystery Writers of America by Lee Child

Writing That Gets Noticed by Estelle Erasmus

Janet Evanovich’s how I write : secrets of a bestselling author by Janet Evanovich

Write for life : creative tools for every writer : a six-week artist’s way program by Julia Cameron

Write it all down : how to put your life on the page by Cathy Rentzenbrink

 

Online Reading Challenge – November

- Stephanie Leave a comment

Welcome Readers!

This month the Online Reading Challenge searches for materials that span decades and time. Our main title for November is Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. Here’s a quick summary from the publisher:

In this New York Times bestseller, four generations of a poor Korean immigrant family fight to control their destiny in 20th-century Japan–the inspiration for the television series on Apple TV+.

In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger. When she discovers she is pregnant–and that her lover is married–she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son’s powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations. – Grand Central Publishing

Looking for some other books that span decades or time? Try any of the following.

As always, check each of our locations for displays with lots more titles to choose from!