EMPTY NEST BOOK CLUB
The Empty Nest Book Club began in the fall of 1998 when a group of us met to rejoice sending our youngest children out into the world and/or off to college.  Hence the name.  Below are the books we are reading and have read.  

DATE HOSTESS TITLE AUTHOR
2024
Friday, Dec 6 Library TBA  
Friday, Nov 1 Library TBA  
Friday, Oct 4 Library TBA  
Friday, Sept 6 Library TBA  
Friday, Aug 2 Library TBA  
Friday, July 5 Library TBA  
Friday, June 7 Library Broken Horses Brandi Carlile
Friday, May 3 Library Hello Beautiful Ann Napolitano
Friday, April 5 Library Heaven and Earth Grocery Store James McBride
Friday, March 1 Zoom Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow Gabrielle Zevin
Friday, Feb 2 Zoom Tom Lake Ann Patchett
Friday, Jan 5 Zoom/hybrid American Dirt Jeanine Cummins
2023
Monday Nov 13 Library Dear Edward Ann Napolitano
Monday, Oct 16 Library Horse Geraldine Brooks
Monday, Sept 18 Library Beekeeper of Aleppo Christy Lefteri
Monday, Aug 14 In Hot Water City of Girls Elizabeth Gilberg
Monday, July 10 In Hot Water Liar's Bench Kim Richardson
Monday, June 5 In Hot Water Dinners With Ruth Nina Totenberg
Monday, May 1 In Hot Water Carrie Soto is Back Taylor Reid
Monday, April 10 In Hot Water Mad Honey Jodi Picoult
Monday, March 6 In Hot Water Lessons in Chemistry Bonnie Garmus
Monday, Feb 6 In Hot Water Winemakers Wife Kristin Harmel
Monday, Jan 9 In Hot Water Girls in the Stilt House Kelly Mustian
2022
Monday, Nov 14 In Hot Water Cultural Toolbox Anton Treuer
Monday, Oct 17 In Hot Water Henna Artist Alka Joshi  
Monday, Sept 19 In Hot Water Firefly Lane Kristin Hannah
Monday, Aug 15 In Hot Water Personal Librarian Marie Benedict
Monday, July 11 In Hot Water Vanishing Half Brit Bennett
Monday, June 6 In Hot Water State of Terror H. Clinton & L. Penny
Monday, May 2 In Hot Water Good Talk Mira Jacob
Monday, April 11 Jill, Zoom This Tender Land William Kent Krueger
Monday, March 7 Jill, Zoom Me and Earl and the Dying Girl Jesse Andrews
Monday, February 7 Gloria, Zoom Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell Robert Dugoni
Monday, January 10 Jill, Zoom Lincoln Highway Amor Towles
2021
Monday, November 15 Judy Color of Water James McBride
Monday, October 18 Barb Hidden Valley Road Robert Kolker
Monday, Sept 20 Liz Four Winds Kristin Hannah
Monday, August 16 Mary Gold Rush Widows of Little Falls Linda Peavy
Monday, July 12 Jill Invisible Life of Addie Larue V. E. Schwab
Monday, June 7 Zoom mtg, Patti Anxious People Fredrik Backman
Monday, May 10 Zoom mtg, Patti Caste Isabel Wilderson
Monday, April 12 Zoom mtg, Patti The Unlikely Disciple Kevin Roose
Monday, March 8 Zoom mtg, Patti Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek Kim Richardson
Monday, February 8 Zoom mtg, Patti The Tattooist of Auschwitz Heather Morris
Monday, January 11 Zoom mtg, Patti Nickel Boys Colson Whitehead
2020
Monday, November 16 Zoom mtg, Patti Rising Out of Hatred Eli Saslow
Monday, October 19 Zoom mtg, Patti White Fragility Robin DiAngelo
Monday, September 21 Zoom mtg, Patti Dutch House Ann Patchett
Monday, August 17 Zoom mtg, Patti How to Be an Antiracist Ibram X. Kendi
Monday, July 13 Zoom mtg, Gloria Between the World and Me Ta-Nahisi Coates
Monday, June 1 Zoom mtg, Gloria Magic Hour Kristin Hannah
Monday, April 20 Zoom mtg, Gloria Pachinko Min Jin Lee
Monday, January 6 Liz Inheritance Dani Shapiro
2019
Monday, November 18 Judy Glory Over Everything Kathleen Grissom
Monday, October 21 Liz Lemon Tree Sandy Tolan
Monday, September 23 Gloria Educated: A Memoir Tara Westover
Monday, August 19 Phyl A Gentleman in Moscow Amor Towles
Monday, July 15 Dayle Before We Were Yours Lisa Wingate
Monday, June 3 Delores The Great Alone Kristin Hannah
Monday, April 22 Jill Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine Gail Honeyman
Monday, March 25  TBD cancelled  
Monday, February 25 Patti Fire Road: The Napalm Girl's Journey - meeting cancelled Kim Phuc Phan Thi
Monday, January 7 Jill Dear America: Notes of an Undocumented Citizen Jose Vargas
2018
Monday, November 12 Dayle Waking up White Debby Irving
Monday, October 22 Barb I Little Paris Book Shop Nina George
Monday, September 24 Judy S Americanah Chimamanda Ngozi Adichi
Monday, August 20 Gloria The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Sherman Alexie
Monday, July 16 Phyl The Handmaid's Tale Margaret Atwood
Monday, June 4 Jill On Gold Mountain Lisa See
Monday, April 23 Patti The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg
Monday, February 26 Gloria Hillbilly Elegy and
Strangers in their Own Land
J. D. Vance
Arlie Hochschild
Monday, January 8 Barb P. Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane Lisa See
2017
Monday, October 23 Dayle Other End of the Leash Patricia McConnell
Monday, September 25 Holly Being Mortal Atul Gawande
Monday, August 21 Delores Lilac Girls Martha Hall Kelly
Monday, July 17 Barb I. Orphan Train Christina Kline
Monday, June 5 Rose Mary The Girls from Ames Jeffrey Zaslow
Monday, April 24 Delores Elegance of the Hedgehog Muriel Barbery
Monday, March 27 Gloria American Pastoral Philip Roth
Monday, February 27 Barb P. Me Before You Jojo Moyes
Monday, January 9 Jill The Buddha in the Attic Julie Otsuka
2016
Monday, November 14 Dayle My Brilliant Friend Elena Ferrante
Monday, October 24 Delores Tale for the Time Being Ruth Ozeki
Monday, September 26 Barb I. A Man Called Ove Fredrik Backman
Monday, August 22 Mary Nightengale Christian Hanna
Monday, July 11 Rose Mary Inside the O'Briens Lisa Genova
Monday, June 6 Phyl Confessions Kanae Minato
Monday, April 25 Holly Two Old Women Velma Wallis
Monday, March 28 Judy Good Night, Mr. Wodehouse Faith Sullivan
Monday, February 29 Gloria The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden Jonas Jonasson
Monday, January 11 Jill Where'd You Go, Bernadette Maria Semple
2015
Monday, November 16 Delores The Children Act Ian McEwan
Monday, October 26 Dayle Go Set a Watchman Harper Lee
Monday, September 28 Barb I. The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates Wes Moore
Monday, August 10 Delores All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr
Monday, July 13 Jill Language of Flowers Vanessa Diffenbaugh
Monday, June 1 Judy S Boys in the Boat Daniel James Brown
Monday, April 27 Holly Light Between Oceans M. L. Stedman
Monday, March 30 Rose Mary Aviator's Wife Melanie Benjamin
Monday, February 23 Judy S Power of One Bryce Courtenay
Monday, January 26 Mary Frog Music Emma Donoghue
Monday, January 5 Mary Pastrix Nadia Bolz-Weber
2014
Monday, November 17 Gloria at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse The Art of Hearing Heartbeats Jan-Philipp Sendker
Monday, October 27 Dayle at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves Karen Joy Fowler
Monday, September 29 Rose Mary at Southbrook Wednesday Letters Jason Wright
Monday, August 11 Delores at cabin Art of Fielding Chad Harbach
Monday, July 14 Jill at cabin Ordinary Grace Kent Krueger
Monday, March 31 Phyl at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse Shoemaker's Wife Adriana Trigiani
Monday, February 24 at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse Fall of the Giants Ken Follett
Monday, January 27 Judy S at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse Vacationland Sarah Stonich
2013
Monday, November 25 Rose Mary at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse Gone Girl Gillian Flynn
Monday, October 28 Gloria at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window Jonas Jonasson
Monday, September 30 Jill at cabin Major Pedigrew's Last Stand Helen Simonson
Monday, August 12 Delores Fault in Our Stars John Green
Monday, July 15 Holly Wonder R. J. Palacio
Monday, June 3 Rose Mary at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse Life After Murder Nancy Mullane
Monday, April 29 Dayle at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse Devil in the White City Erik Larson
Monday, March 25 Gloria at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse Infidel Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Monday, February 25 at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse Kitchen House Kathleen Grissom
Monday, January 28 Delores at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse Sandcastle Girls Chris Bohjalian
2012
Monday, November 26 at Delores's The Appeal John Grisham
Monday, October 29 at Phyl's To Kill a Mockingbird Harper Lee
Monday, September 24 at Mary's Girl in Translation Jean Kwok
Monday, May 21 at Dayle's Stanley James Clyde Henry
Monday, April 30 at Jill's Wench Dolen Perkins-valdez
Monday, March 26 at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse Bel Canto Ann Patchett
Monday, February 27 at Mary's Turtle Catcher Nicole Lea Helget
Monday, January 23 at Delores's The Latehomecomer: A Hmong Family Memoir Kao Kalia Yang
2011
Monday, December 5 at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse Happiness Project Gretchen Rubin
Monday, October 17 at Irish Blessings Coffeehouse Wicked River Lee Sandlin
Monday, September 26 at Linda's Cutting for Stone Abraham Verghese
Monday, June 20 at Rose Mary's People of the Book Geraldine Brooks
Monday, May 23 at Judy's Little Bee Chris Cleave
Monday, April 25 at Opal's Sarah's Key Tatiana de Rosnay
Monday, March 28 at Mary's The Book Thief Markus Zusak
Monday, February 28 at Gloria's I, Mona Lisa Jeanne Kalogridis
Monday, January 24 at Delores'  Every Day is a Good Day Wilma Mankiller
2010
Monday, November 29 at Dayle's Dreamers of the Day Mary Doria Russell
Monday, October 25 at Barb's House Rules Jodi Piccoult
Monday, September 27 at Jill's  Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society Mary Ann Shaffer
Monday, June 21 at Rose Mary's Lacuna Barbara Kingsolver
Monday, May 24 at Phyl's Jesus for the Non-Religious John Shelby Spong
Monday, April 26 at Barb's Lost Symbol Dan Brown
Monday, March 29 at Mary's Honeymoon in Tehran Azadeh Moaveni
Monday, February 22 at  Gloria's The Help Katherine Stockett
Monday, January  25 at Linda's Five Smooth Stones Ann Fairbairn
2009
Monday, November 30th at Dayle's The Story of Edgar Sawtelle David Wroblewski
Monday, October 26th at Jill's So Brave, Young and Handsome Leif Enger
Monday, September 28th at Phyl's Shack William P. Young
Monday, June 1st at Rose Mary's The Faith Club: A Muslim, A Christian, A Jew-- Three Women Search for Understanding Ranya Idliby, Suzanne Oliver, and Priscilla Warner
Monday, April 27th at Marlene's The View from Mount Joy Lorna Landvik
Monday, March 30th at Linda's Years of Wonder Geraldine Brooks
Monday, February 23rd at Mary's Until They Bring the Streetcars Back Stanley Gordon West
Monday, January 5th at Gloria's Eat, Pray, Love Elizabeth Gilbert
2008
Monday, November 24th at Jill's A Woman of Independent Means Elizabeth Forsythe Hailey
Monday, October 27th at Jan's Hypocrite in a Pouffy White Dress Susan Jane Gilman
Monday, September 29th at Dayle's Plum Wine Angela Davis-Gardner
Monday, June 2nd at Rose Mary's Out Stealing Horses Per Petterson
Monday, April 28th at Linda's Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ...One School at a Time Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin
Monday, March 31, 2008 at Jan's A Thousand Splendid Suns Khaled Hosseini
Friday, March 7, 2008 at Gloria's One Thousand White Women: The Journals of May Dodd Jim Fergus
Monday, January 28, 2008 at Jill's Moloka'i Alan Brennert
2007
Monday, November 26, 2007 at In Hot Water Tell No One Harlan Coben
Monday, October 29, 2007 at Linda's Rise and Shine Anna Quindlen
Monday, September 24, 2007 at Dayle's Oh My Stars Lorna Landvik
Monday, June 4, 2007 at Rose Mary's Middlesex Jeffrey Eugenides
Monday, April 30, 2007 at Jan's A Girl Named Zippy Haven Kimmel
Monday, March 26, 2007 at Jill's Water for Elephants Sara Gruen
Monday, February 26, 2007 at In Hot Water Whale Caller Zakes Mda
Monday, January 29, 2007 at In Hot Water Glass Castle Jeanette Walls
2006
Monday, November 27, 2006 at In Hot Water Broken for You Stephanie Kallos
Monday, October 30, 2006 at In Hot Water Memory Keeper's Daughter Kim Edwards
Monday, September 25, 2006 at In Hot Water Animal Dreams Barbara Kingsolver
Monday, May 22, 2006 at In Hot Water Ellen Foster Kaye Gibbons
Monday, April 24, 2006 at In Hot Water The Year of Magical Thinking Joan Didion
Monday, March 27, 2006 at In Hot Water The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Mark Haddon
Monday, February 27, 2006 at In Hot Water Class Action Clara Bingham and Laura Leed Gansler
Monday, January 30, 2006 at In Hot Water Master Butchers Singing Club Louise Erdich
2005
Monday, November 28, 2005 at In Hot Water Nickel and Dimed On (Not) Getting by in America Barbara Ehrenreich
Monday, October 31, 2005 at Mary I's house Let Me Whisper in Your Ear Mary Jane Clark
Monday, September 26,  2005 Jan - at In Hot Water The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Alexander McCall Smith
Monday, July 25, 2005 Dayle - at In Hot Water The Birth of Venus Sarah Dunant
Monday, June 27, 2005 trip to Bound to Be Read, bookstore in St. Paul on Grand Avenue
Monday, May 23, 2005 reading various books about Benjamin Franklin
Monday, April 25, 2005 Jill - at In Hot Water One For the Money Janet Evanovich
Monday, March 28, 2005 Linda - at In Hot Water Three Junes Julia Glass
Monday, February 28, 2005  Patti - at In Hot Water Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood Alexandra Fuller
Tues, February 1, 2005 at In Hot Water Monkeewrench P.J. Tracy
Mon, Jan. 3, 2005 at In Hot Water Anthem Ayn Rand
2004
Wed., Dec. 1, 2004 Jill bring children's bks to give away various
Tues., Nov. 2, 2004 Jan Second Glance Jodi Picoult
Mon., Oct. 4, 2004 Judy Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress Dai Sijie
Wed., Sept. 8, 2004 Marlene Last Juror John Grishom
Mon., Aug. 2, 2004 Sharon Tending Roses Lisa Wingate
July, 2004 Rose Mary The Sprit Catches You and You Fall Down Anne Fadiman
June, 2004 Jill A Prayer for Owen Meany John Irving
May, 2004 Char Gai-Jin - Part One James Clavell
April, 2004 Dayle Gods and Generals Jeffrey Sharra
March, 2004 Patti Sacajewea Anna Waldo
February, 2004 Mary Romance Reader Pearl Abraham
January, 2004 Judy Life of Pi Yann Martel
2003
December, 2003 Linda Xmas books various 
November, 2003 Jan Cold Sassy Tree Olive Ann Burns
October, 2003 Jill The Da Vinci Code Dan Brown
September, 2003 Rose Mary Five Quarters of an Orange Joanne Harris
August, 2003 Marlene Forever Ours Janis Amatuzio
July, 2003 Sharon Angry Housewives Eating Bon Bons Lorna Landvik
June, 2003 Kathy Holes Louis Sachar
May, 2003 Dassel Secret Garden Frances H. Burnett
April, 2003 Sauk Center Main Street Sinclair Lewis
March, 2003 In Hot Water The Secret Life of Bees Sue Monk Kidd
February, 2003 In Hot Water The Tapestries Kien Nguyen
January, 2003 Sharon Lovely Bones Alice Sebold
2002
December, 2002 Linda Xmas books various 
November, 2002 Jan Pope Joan Donna Woolfolk Cross
October, 2002 Jill White Oleander Janet Fitch
September, 2002 Patti Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All Allan Gurganus
May, 2002 In Hot Water Coffeeshop Seasons of Sun and Rain Marjory Dorner
April, 2002 Sharon Alias Grace Margaret Atwood
March, 2002 Kathy Plain Truth Jodi Picoult
February, 2002 Linda Peace Like a River Leif Enger
January, 2002 Char Circle of Three Patricia Gaffney
2001
June, 2001 Jill Diary of Ann Frank Ann Frank
May, 2001 In Hot Water Coffeeshop Memoirs of a Geisha Arthur Golden
April, 2001   Pull of the Moon Elizabeth Berg
February, 2001   Red Tent Anita Daimant
January, 2001   All the Pretty Horses Cormac McCarthy
2000
November, 2000   Greatest Generation Tom Brokow
October, 2000   Oxalis - A Story of Renewal Keith Davis
September, 2000   Rapture of Canaan Sheri Reynolds
August, 2000   Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Bk 1) J.K. Rowling
July, 2000 In Hot Water Coffeeshop 10 Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went out in the Real World Maria Shriver
June, 2000 In Hot Water Coffeeshop The Fig Eater Jody Shields
April, 2000 Maple Lake Coffeeshop Green Mile Steven King
March, 2000 Maple Lake Coffeeshop Poisonwood Bible Barbara Kingsolver
February, 2000 Char assorted works about Eleanor Roosevelt various
January, 2000 Mary Plainsong Kent Haruf
1999
November, 1999 Kathy Catcher in the Rye J. D. Salinger
October, 1999 Jill Angela's Ashes Frank McCourt
June, 1999 Marlene The Edible Woman Margaret Atwood
May, 1999 Char The Reader Bernhard Schlink
February, 1999 Mary Tuesdays with Morrie Mitch Albom
January, 1999 Laurel Midwives Chris Bohjalian
1998
December, 1998 Jill Joshua by Joseph Girzone
and Mark of the Maker by Tom Hegg
   
November, 1998 Patti The Notebook Nicholas Sparks
October, 1998 Marlene Mutant Message Down Under Marlo Morgan
September, 1998 Linda Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood Rebecca Wells

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