The Book Club at Dearborn First UMC
Take part in our monthly book club:
2nd Thursday of every month (Sept. - June)
2 p.m. in Wesleyan Hall (newly renovated area)
ZOOM LINK ALSO AVAILABLE.
Please contact:
library@dearbornfirstumc.org.
Form new friendships with people who share your passion for books and the insightful conversation they inspire!
2025-2026 READING LIST:
SEPTEMBER 11, 2025
Five Smooth Stones
By Ann Fairbairn
Written in 1966, it is classified as historical fiction. However, many can remember this era vividly. The story revolves around an interracial couple at a time when interracial marriages were prohibited in many states. This book will make you think….not a bad thing to do right now. It is long……900+ pages so start reading now! It is available on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle, and on Libby on audiobook.
OCTOBER 9, 2025
James
by Percival Everett
This is the story of Huckleberry Finn told from Jim’s point of view. This title won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2025. James gives the reader a different sense of life for a runaway slave and boy as they travel down the Mississippi at the cusp of the Civil War. Available in hardcover, paperback and on Kindle through Amazon. Available in both hardcover and large print at the Dearborn Public Library. Available from Libby and Hoopla on audio and ebook.
NOVEMBER 13, 2025
the Ways We Hide
by Kristina McMorris
For the fans of Kate Quinn, this is the story of a woman raised in Michigan’s copper country who becomes a spy during World War II. Based on a real life situation in Europe, it is a gripping story of love and loss, the wars we fight―on the battlefields and within ourselves―and the courage found in unexpected places. Get it through Amazon on Kindle and in paperback, through Hoopla and Libby in ebook and audio format and through the Dearborn Public Library in hardcover.
JANUARY 8, 2026
the Waters
by Bonnie Jo Campbell
Set in a fictional area of Michigan this title is a finalist for the 2025 National Book Award. It is listed as “…..a thought-provoking and readable exploration of eccentricity and of all different kinds of love.” This title is available through Libby on ebook and audio, through Amazon on Kindle and in hardcover and through the Dearborn Public Library in hardcover.
FEBRUARY 12, 2026
the Chosen
by Chaim Potok
A novel about two young men coming of age in the Hasidic community in New York. This was Potok’s breakout work written in 1967. For many, this was an introduction to Hasidic Jews, A timely read, it is available on Libby in ebook and audio format, on Amazon in paperback and on Kindle and through the Dearborn Public Library in book form.
MARCH 12, 2026
True Gretch
by Gretchen Whitmer
A candid memoir by Michigan’s governor, it is interesting to learn how she has developed as a leader and politician. This might be an interesting read, given our current political situation. Available through Amazon in hardcover, paperback and on Kindle, through Libby on audio and ebook and at the Dearborn Public Library in hardcover.
APRIL 9. 2026
The Luminous Life of Lucy Landry
by Anna Rose Johnson
While technically a children’s book, this is a historical novel about an orphaned French/Ojibwe girl who is sent to live with another Native American family in a lighthouse in Lake Superior. Lucy becomes involved in the search for a treasure. This is written with a sure hand — the author is a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Chippewa band. Available through Amazon on Kindle and in hardcover, through Libby in ebook and audio and through Hoopla on audio.
MAY 14, 2026
Searching for Van Gogh
by Donald Lystra
A coming of age story set in Michigan in the 1960’s, Lystra captures what many of us lived through as the man character searches for meaning on a path to self-discovery amid loss, love, and redemption. This book has limited availability right now. It is currently in the collection of the Dearborn Public Library in book format and through Amazon in hardcover, paperback and on Kindle.
JUNE 11, 2026
The Girl from Greenwich Street
by Lauren Willig
The author is a bestselling author of both romance novels and historical novels. This is her latest historical novel and focuses on Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr who collaborate to solve the shocking murder of a young woman in Manhattan in 1800. Available through Amazon in hardcover and on Kindle, in book format through the Dearborn Public Library and on audio and ebook through Libby.
