The Reserve Book Club: What We’re Reading
We gathered for our meeting of The Reserve Book Club in April to read and discuss “Braiding Sweetgrass” by Robin Wall Kimmerer, and our thoughtful conversation extended well beyond the book itself. As we explored ideas of connection to nature, to place and to one another, we also considered books that stayed with us over time.
As part of the discussion, we invited members of The Reserve to share a book that was meaningful to them and why it resonated. These titles offer a window into the wide range of stories and perspectives within our growing community.
Connie Sorrentino Connected With “The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans
“The Correspondent” by Virginia Evans is an epistolary novel; that is, a book based entirely on letters. Armed with pen and paper, a lady in her 70s named Sybil writes to friends, family and strangers. Through Sybil’s letters and the replies she receives, we learn about her life, including a mystery that unfolds about a letter she never sends. In our current age of texts, emails and tweets, writing letters is a dying art. How do you feel when you get the rare handwritten thank you note, let alone a lengthy letter? It doesn’t happen often, but it brings joy when it does. I have been sending handwritten letters to friends and family after using the Goodwin Living StrongerMemory program that encourages writing by hand. Writing every day stimulates the prefrontal cortex, the executive center of the brain where short-term memory resides. And if you write a letter, chances are you’ll get one in return and may even start up a wonderful correspondence. Thanks to Virginia Evans for reminding me to write more letters.
Frank Camm Connected with “Possession” by A.S. Byatt
“Possession” by A.S. Byatt is a Booker Prize winner and literary sensation. It traces the lives of a pair of young academics as they uncover a clandestine relationship between two long-dead Victorian poets. As they unearth their letters, journals and poems, and track their movements from London to Yorkshire, what emerges is an extraordinary counterpoint of passions and ideas. Members of my book club all agreed that it offered a perfect example of serious fun.
Linda Groff Connected With “The Godfather” by Mario Puzo
“The Godfather” by Mario Puzo stood out to me because I’m often disappointed when film adaptations stray too far from their source material. In this case, I felt the book and movie were closely aligned, with the film staying true to the original storyline. I also appreciated the drama and intensity throughout the narrative. I’ve long been intrigued by the world depicted in the story and the cultural fascination surrounding organized crime. What is especially striking is the way family life and the structure of the Mafia are intertwined, and how loyalty, power and responsibility are often in tension with one another. Although law enforcement has done its part to eliminate organized crime over the years, I think it remains prevalent today, though perhaps in different forms.
Collis Phillips Connected With “The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway
“The Old Man and the Sea” by Ernest Hemingway is one of the earliest books I remember reading, and it connects closely to my upbringing. I grew up on a farm and spent much of my time fishing with my father, often on the Chesapeake Bay, where we would catch large fish and spend long hours together on the water. This story brought back memories of that relationship and the time we shared outdoors. My family lived closely connected to the land and the water, and those experiences shaped both my appreciation of nature and my connection to this book.
Miriam Browning Connected With “Raising Hare” by Chloe Dalton
“Raising Hare” by Chloe Dalton is a stunning memoir by a young British political advisor. During the COVID winter of 2020, Chloe discovers a baby hare (leveret) on the grounds of her English country home, and she raises the wild creature. Hares are famously untamable and refuse domestication. Vets are not familiar with their habits and needs. By trial and error, Chloe and the hare thrive together. Hare lore, history and research are presented. Many life lessons are learned: patience, calm and letting nature take its course. Beautiful drawings illustrate the life stages of Chloe’s hare which is never named to keep its wildness intact. The book was also a Wainwright Prize winner, 2025.
Nancy Olson Connected With “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The first book to have a lasting impact on me was “The Great Gatsby,” which was assigned reading in high school. Its poetic, compelling language was my first experience with beautiful writing and shaped my future reading selections. The descriptions of lavish parties, of that pile of many-colored shirts, and the ultimate emptiness…I’ve gone back to the book over the years many times and am still struck by Fitzgerald’s craft.