What we’re about
Pleasanton originated book club based in Dublin, CA. Perhaps I should have waited on the name until I picked location. In 2023, I started getting back into consistent reading after years of reading drought. It was thrilling to be back in the world of literature, but I found myself reaching for the same genres over and over again. So, I searched for a book club to hold myself accountable and found nothing local. And so I created one myself :)
With this book club, I am hoping to push myself past the comfort of the familiar reads, and regain the freedom of dropping the book mid chapter, and, of course, meet some people passionate about all things books.
We hold a monthly book discussion on the second Tuesday of the month & have occasional book related events such as book swaps.
Welcome to the monthly book discussion event! We meet on second Tuesday of the month to discuss our current read and pick a book for the next month.
Selection of the month: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
is a book in the theme of books with different origins, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a portrait of a wounded country and a story of family and friendship, of an unforgiving time, an unlikely bond, and an indestructible love.
Food for Thought
- What did A Thousand Splendid Suns teach you about the history of Afghanistan? Did anything surprise you?
- Mariam’s mother says: "Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have." In what ways is this true? How do Mariam and Laila endure? How is their endurance different from the ways their mothers faced their trials?
- Several times Mariam passes herself off as Laila's mother. In what way is their relationship like mother-daughter? How did their own relationships with their mothers shape how they treated each other and their family?
- What is the significance of Laila's childhood trip to see the giant stone Buddhas above the Bamiyan Valley? Why did her father take her on this trip? How did his influence shape the way Laila would cope with her future?
- Afghanistan changes rulers several times in the story. During the Soviet occupation, the people felt life would be better once the foreigners were defeated. Why do you think the quality of life deteriorated after the occupation rather than returning to the way it was in the pre-communist era?
- When the Taliban first enter the city, Laila does not believe women will tolerate being forced out of jobs and treated with such indignity. Why do the educated women of Kabul endure such treatment? Why are the Taliban accepted?
From ThoughCo
Code of Conduct:
- Everyone is welcome to join a discussion even if they have not finished the book.
- Book club is a safe space. Don't feel pressured to finish the book that makes you uncomfortable or just isn't your cup of tea.
- Respect other members! Give everyone a chance to share their thoughts!
- Bring your opinions! There is no wrong way to experience the book!
Suggestion Box:
Have something sitting in your ToRead list and want to share with the group? Submit the form or bring your ideas to the club directly!
Book Options For Next Month:
To honor the women's history month, the selections I am publishing for next time are largely women centric. Should have been March selection, but that't the trouble with publishing for the next month :)
- Martyr by Kaveh Akbar is a paean to how we spend our lives seeking meaning—in faith, art, ourselves, others—in which a newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a search that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum.
- Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell Drawing on Maggie O'Farrell's long-term fascination with the little-known story behind Shakespeare's most enigmatic play, Hamnet is a luminous portrait of a marriage, at its heart the loss of a beloved child.
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.
- The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
The remarkable, little-known story of Belle da Costa Greene, J. P. Morgan's personal librarian—who became one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to make her dreams come true, from New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict and acclaimed author Victoria Christopher Murray.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini : Monthly Book DiscussionStarbucks inside Barnes and Nobles, Dublin, CA
Welcome to the monthly book discussion event! We meet on second Tuesday of the month to discuss our current read and pick a book for the next month.
Selection of the month: A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
is a book in the theme of books with different origins, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a portrait of a wounded country and a story of family and friendship, of an unforgiving time, an unlikely bond, and an indestructible love.Food for Thought
- What did A Thousand Splendid Suns teach you about the history of Afghanistan? Did anything surprise you?
- Mariam’s mother says: "Women like us. We endure. It’s all we have." In what ways is this true? How do Mariam and Laila endure? How is their endurance different from the ways their mothers faced their trials?
- Several times Mariam passes herself off as Laila's mother. In what way is their relationship like mother-daughter? How did their own relationships with their mothers shape how they treated each other and their family?
- What is the significance of Laila's childhood trip to see the giant stone Buddhas above the Bamiyan Valley? Why did her father take her on this trip? How did his influence shape the way Laila would cope with her future?
- Afghanistan changes rulers several times in the story. During the Soviet occupation, the people felt life would be better once the foreigners were defeated. Why do you think the quality of life deteriorated after the occupation rather than returning to the way it was in the pre-communist era?
- When the Taliban first enter the city, Laila does not believe women will tolerate being forced out of jobs and treated with such indignity. Why do the educated women of Kabul endure such treatment? Why are the Taliban accepted?
From ThoughCo
Code of Conduct:- Everyone is welcome to join a discussion even if they have not finished the book.
- Book club is a safe space. Don't feel pressured to finish the book that makes you uncomfortable or just isn't your cup of tea.
- Respect other members! Give everyone a chance to share their thoughts!
- Bring your opinions! There is no wrong way to experience the book!
Suggestion Box:
Have something sitting in your ToRead list and want to share with the group? Submit the form or bring your ideas to the club directly!Book Options For Next Month:
To honor the women's history month, the selections I am publishing for next time are largely women centric. Should have been March selection, but that't the trouble with publishing for the next month :)- Martyr by Kaveh Akbar is a paean to how we spend our lives seeking meaning—in faith, art, ourselves, others—in which a newly sober, orphaned son of Iranian immigrants, guided by the voices of artists, poets, and kings, embarks on a search that leads him to a terminally ill painter living out her final days in the Brooklyn Museum.
- Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell Drawing on Maggie O'Farrell's long-term fascination with the little-known story behind Shakespeare's most enigmatic play, Hamnet is a luminous portrait of a marriage, at its heart the loss of a beloved child.
- Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago.
- The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict, Victoria Christopher Murray
The remarkable, little-known story of Belle da Costa Greene, J. P. Morgan's personal librarian—who became one of the most powerful women in New York despite the dangerous secret she kept in order to make her dreams come true, from New York Times bestselling author Marie Benedict and acclaimed author Victoria Christopher Murray.
- Monthly Book DiscussionStarbucks inside Barnes and Nobles, Dublin, CA
Welcome to the monthly book discussion event! We meet on second Tuesday of the month to discuss our current read and pick a book for the next month.
Selection of the month:
Food for Thought
Code of Conduct:
- Everyone is welcome to join a discussion even if they have not finished the book.
- Book club is a safe space. Don't feel pressured to finish the book that makes you uncomfortable or just isn't your cup of tea.
- Respect other members! Give everyone a chance to share their thoughts!
- Bring your opinions! There is no wrong way to experience the book!
Suggestion Box:
Have something sitting in your ToRead list and want to share with the group? Submit the form or bring your ideas to the club directly! - Monthly Book DiscussionStarbucks inside Barnes and Nobles, Dublin, CA
Welcome to the monthly book discussion event! We meet on second Tuesday of the month to discuss our current read and pick a book for the next month.
Selection of the month:
Food for Thought
Code of Conduct:
- Everyone is welcome to join a discussion even if they have not finished the book.
- Book club is a safe space. Don't feel pressured to finish the book that makes you uncomfortable or just isn't your cup of tea.
- Respect other members! Give everyone a chance to share their thoughts!
- Bring your opinions! There is no wrong way to experience the book!
Suggestion Box:
Have something sitting in your ToRead list and want to share with the group? Submit the form or bring your ideas to the club directly! - Monthly Book DiscussionStarbucks inside Barnes and Nobles, Dublin, CA
Welcome to the monthly book discussion event! We meet on second Tuesday of the month to discuss our current read and pick a book for the next month.
Selection of the month:
Food for Thought
Code of Conduct:
- Everyone is welcome to join a discussion even if they have not finished the book.
- Book club is a safe space. Don't feel pressured to finish the book that makes you uncomfortable or just isn't your cup of tea.
- Respect other members! Give everyone a chance to share their thoughts!
- Bring your opinions! There is no wrong way to experience the book!
Suggestion Box:
Have something sitting in your ToRead list and want to share with the group? Submit the form or bring your ideas to the club directly!
