SPPL Book Club Kits

All This Could Be Different, by Sarah Thankam Mathews

Sneha has moved to Milwaukee for an entry-level corporate job that is the key that unlocks every door: she can pick up the tab at dinner with her new friend Tig, get her college buddy Thom hired alongside her, and send money to her parents back in India. She begins dating women--soon developing a burning crush on Marina, a beautiful dancer who always seems just out of reach. But before long, painful secrets rear their heads; jobs go off the rails; evictions loom. Sneha struggles to be truly close and open with anybody, even as her friendships deepen, even as she throws herself headlong into a dizzying romance with Marina. It's then that Tig begins to draw up a radical solution to their problems, hoping to save them all.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

An American Marriage, by Tayari Jones

Newlyweds Celestial and Roy are the embodiment of both the American Dream and the New South. But as they settle into the routine of their life together, they are ripped apart by unimaginable circumstances. Roy is arrested and sentenced to twelve years for a crime he didn't commit. As Roy's time in prison passes, Celestial is unable to hold on to the love that has been her center. After five years, Roy's conviction is suddenly overturned, and he returns to Atlanta ready to resume their life together.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

American Spy, by Lauren Wilkinson

1986, Cold War. Marie Mitchell is a brilliant intelligence officer with the FBI, but she’s also a young black woman working in an old boys’ club. When she’s given the opportunity to join a shadowy task force aimed at undermining Thomas Sankara, the revolutionary president of Burkina Faso, she says yes.  Inspired by true events—Thomas Sankara is known as “Africa’s Che Guevara”—American Spy knits together a gripping spy thriller, a heartbreaking family drama, and a passionate romance.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

Barracoon, by Zora Neale Hurston

In 1927, Hurston went to Plateau, Alabama to interview eighty-six-year-old Cudjo Lewis. During those weeks, the young writer and the elderly formerly enslaved man ate peaches and watermelon that grew in the backyard and talked about Cudjo’s past—memories from his childhood in Africa, the horrors of being captured and held in a barracoon for selection by American slavers, the harrowing experience of the Middle Passage packed with more than 100 other souls aboard the Clotilda, and the years he spent in slavery until the end of the Civil War.

This kit generously funded by the Library Foundation.

Beartown, by Fredrik Backman

A poignant, charming novel about a forgotten town fractured by scandal, and the amateur hockey team that might just change everything.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

Becoming , by Michelle Obama

In a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama shares her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private.

Before We Were Yours, by Lisa Wingate

Learning that her grandmother was a victim of the corrupt Tennessee Children's Home Society, attorney and aspiriing politician Avery Stafford delves into her family's past and begins to wonder if some things are best kept secret.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

Between the World and Me, by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Americans have built an empire on the idea of "race"; a falsehood that damages us all but falls most heavily on the bodies of black men and women-- bodies exploited through slavery and segregation, and, today, threatened, locked up and murdered out of all proportions. In this profound letter to his adolescent son, Ta-Nehisi Coates offers a powerful new framework for understanding our nation's history and current crisis. 

This kit generously funded through a grant from Beyond the Page, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Madison Community Foundation.

Black Buck, by Mateo Askaripour

An unambitious twenty-two-year-old, Darren lives in a Bed-Stuy brownstone with his mother. Darren is content working at Starbucks in the lobby of a Midtown office building, hanging out with his girlfriend, Soraya, and eating his mother’s home-cooked meals. All that changes when a chance encounter with Rhett Daniels, the CEO of Sumwun, NYC’s hottest tech startup, results in an exclusive invitation for Darren to join an elite sales team.

This kit generously funded by the Library Foundation.

Black Cake, by Charmaine Wilkerson

In present-day California, Eleanor Bennett's death leaves behind a puzzling inheritance for her two children, Byron and Benny: a traditional Caribbean black cake, made from a family recipe with a long history, and a voice recording. In her message, Eleanor shares a tumultuous story about a headstrong young swimmer who escapes her island home under suspicion of murder. The heartbreaking journey Eleanor unfolds, the secrets she still holds back, and the mystery of a long-lost child, challenge everything the siblings thought they knew about their family, and themselves. 

This kit generously funded by the Library Foundation.

Black Ghost of Empire, by Kris Manjapra

To fully understand why the shadow of slavery haunts us today, we must confront the flawed way that it ended. We celebrate abolition - in Haiti after the revolution, in the British Empire in 1833, in the United States during the Civil War. Yet in Black Ghost of Empire, acclaimed historian Kris Manjapra argues that during each of these supposed emancipations, Black people were dispossessed by the moves that were meant to free them. Emancipation, in other words, simply codified the existing racial caste system - rather than obliterating it.

This kit generously funded by the Library Foundation.

Caste, by Isabel Wilkerson

Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system.  Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people’s lives and behavior and the nation’s fate. Using riveting stories about people she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day.

This kit generously funded by the Library Foundation.

Darius the Great is Not Okay, by Adib Khorram

Darius Kellner is about to take his first-ever trip to Iran, and it's pretty overwhelming—especially when he's also dealing with clinical depression, a disapproving dad, and a chronically anemic social life. Darius has never had a true friend before, but he meets Sohrab in Iran and soon Darius has never felt more like himself.  But when it’s time to go home to America, he’ll have to find a way to be himself on his own. (YA)

Dear Martin, by Nic Stone

Justyce McAllister is top of his class and set for the Ivy League—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. And despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can't escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates. Justyce looks to the teachings of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. for answers. Then comes the day Justyce goes driving with his best friend, Manny, windows rolled down, music turned up, sparking the fury of a white off-duty cop beside them. Words fly. Shots are fired. Justyce and Manny are caught in the crosshairs. (YA)

This kit generously funded by the Library Foundation.

Educated, by Tara Westover

Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, Tara Westover was 17 the first time she set foot in a classroom. Her quest for knowledge transformed her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge University. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home. 

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

The End of the Beginning, by Carrie Schonhoff

Schonhoff captures the spirit of her native Wisconsin while encapsulating the growth of her life’s journey and exciting next chapter.  This work will resonate deeply with readers from the Midwest and pull at the heartstrings of those that continue to face challenges but never stop dreaming. Her second book of poems addresses the importance of healing, moving on, and being ready to face a new beginning. Schonhoff’s newest work is a continuation of beliefs that we can heal by connecting and understanding one another on a deeper level through poetry.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

The Family Chao, by Lan Samantha Chang

The residents of Haven, Wisconsin, have dined on the Fine Chao Restaurant’s delicious Americanized Chinese food for thirty-five years, happy to ignore any unsavory whispers about the family owners. But when brash, charismatic, and tyrannical patriarch Leo Chao is found dead―presumed murdered―his sons discover that they’ve drawn the exacting gaze of the entire town. The ensuing trial brings to light potential motives for all three brothers: Dagou, the restaurant’s reckless head chef; Ming, financially successful but personally tortured; and the youngest, gentle but lost college student James.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

The Fire Next Time, by James Baldwin

At once a powerful evocation of James Baldwin's early life in Harlem and a disturbing examination of the consequences of racial injustice, this intensely personal and provocative document in the form of two letters written on the 100th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation gave passionate voice to the emerging civil rights movement- and still lights the way to understanding race in America today.

This kit generously funded through a grant from Beyond the Page, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Madison Community Foundation.

Firekeeper's Daughter, by Angeline Boulley

As a biracial, unenrolled tribal member and the product of a scandal, Daunis Fontaine has never quite fit in—both in her hometown and on the nearby Ojibwe reservation. When her family is struck by tragedy, Daunis puts her dreams on hold to care for her fragile mother. After Daunis witnesses a shocking murder that thrusts her into a criminal investigation, she agrees to go undercover. But the deceptions keep piling up and soon the threat strikes too close to home. (YA)

This kit generously funded by the Library Foundation.

Forbidden, by Beverly Jenkins

Rhine Fontaine is building the successful life he's always dreamed of--one that depends upon him passing for White. But for the first time in years, he wishes he could step out from behind the facade. The reason: Eddy Carmichael, the young woman he rescued in the desert. Outspoken, defiant, and beautiful, Eddy tempts Rhine in ways that could cost him everything...and the price seems worth paying.

This kit generously funded by the Library Foundation.

The Four Winds, by Kristin Hannah

Texas, 1934. Millions are out of work and a drought has broken the Great Plains.  The Dust Bowl era has arrived with a vengeance.  In this uncertain and dangerous time, Elsa Martinelli must make an agonizing choice: fight for the land she loves or go west, to California, in search of a better life.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

The Girl With the Louding Voice, by Abi Daré

The unforgettable, inspiring story of a teenage girl growing up in a rural Nigerian village who longs to get an education so that she can find her “louding voice” and speak up for herself.  Despite the seemingly insurmountable obstacles in her path, Adunni never loses sight of her goal of escaping the life of poverty she was born into so that she can build the future she chooses for herself - and help other girls like her do the same.

This kit generously funded through Read Africa, a grant from the African Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

The Hate U Give, by Angie Thomas

16-year-old Starr Carter moves between two worlds: the poor neighborhood where she lives and the fancy prep school she attends. The uneasy balance between these worlds is shattered when she witnesses the fatal shooting of her childhood best friend, Khalil, at the hands of a police officer. Starr is the only person who knows what actually happened that night, but what she does or does not say could upend her community... and even endanger her life. (YA)

This kit generously funded by the Library Foundation.

The Henna Artist, by Alka Joshi

Escaping from an abusive marriage, seventeen-year-old Lakshmi makes her way alone to the vibrant 1950s pink city of Jaipur. There she becomes the most highly requested henna artist—and confidante—to the wealthy women of the upper class. But while trusted with the secrets of the wealthy, she can never reveal her own.

This kit generously funded through the South Asia in Wisconsin Books Project grant from the Center for South Asia at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

Hidden Figures, by Margot Shetterly

Set amid the civil rights movement, the true story of NASA’s African-American female mathematicians who played a crucial role in America’s space program. Before Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, a group of professionals worked as ‘Human Computers’, calculating the flight paths that would enable these historic achievements. Among these were a coterie of bright, talented African-American women. Segregated from their white counterparts, these women used pencil and paper to write the equations that would launch rockets and astronauts, into space.

This kit generously funded by the Library Foundation.

Homegoing, by Yaa Gyasi

Two half sisters, Effia and Esi, unknown to each other, are born into two different tribal villages in 18th century Ghana. Effia will be married off to an English colonial, and will live in comfort in the sprawling, palatial rooms of Cape Coast Castle. Her sister, Esi, will be imprisoned beneath Effia in the Castle's women's dungeon, and then shipped off on a boat bound for America, where she will be sold into slavery. Stretching from the tribal wars of Ghana to slavery and Civil War in America, from the coal mines in the north to the Great Migration to the streets of 20th century Harlem, Yaa Gyasi's has written a modern masterpiece, a novel that moves through histories and geographies and captures the troubled spirit of our own nation.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

Homeland Elegies, by Ayad Akhtar

A deeply personal work about hope and identity in a nation coming apart at the seams, Homeland Elegies blends fact and fiction to tell an epic story of belonging and dispossession in the world that 9/11 made. Part family drama, part social essay, part picaresque adventure -- at its heart, it is the story of a father, a son, and the country they both call home.

This kit generously funded through the South Asia in Wisconsin Books Project grant from the Center for South Asia at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.

How the Word is Passed, by Clint Smith

Poet and contributor to The Atlantic Clint Smith’s revealing, contemporary portrait of America as a slave owning nation. Beginning in his own hometown of New Orleans, Clint Smith leads the reader through an unforgettable tour of monuments and landmarks-those that are honest about the past and those that are not-that offer an inter-generational story of how slavery has been central in shaping our nation's collective history, and ourselves.

This kit generously funded by the Library Foundation.

How We Fight For Our Lives, by Saeed Jones

A stunning coming-of-age memoir about a young, black, gay man from the South as he fights to carve out a place for himself, within his family, within his country, within his own hopes, desires, and fears; a portrait of what we all do for one another- and to one another- as we fight to become ourselves.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

The Immortalists, by Chloe Benjamin

It's 1969 in New York, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die so the Gold children sneak out to hear their fortunes. Golden-boy Simon escapes to the West Coast, searching for love in '80s San Francisco; dreamy Klara becomes a Las Vegas magician, obsessed with blurring reality and fantasy; eldest son Daniel seeks security as an army doctor post-9/11; and bookish Varya throws herself into longevity research, where she tests the boundary between science and immortality.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

January First, by Michael Schofield

Diagnosed at age six with one of the most severe cases of child-onset schizophrenia on record, January Schofield hallucinated constantly and the line dividing delirium from reality grew dangerously blurry. This is her father's soul-bearing memoir of the daily challenges and unwavering commitment to save his daughter from the edge of insanity while doing everything he can to keep his family together.

Kindred, by Octavia Butler

The first science fiction written by a Black woman, Kindred has become a cornerstone of Black American literature. This combination of slave memoir, fantasy, and historical fiction is a novel of rich literary complexity. Having just celebrated her 26th birthday in 1976 California, Dana, is suddenly and inexplicably wrenched through time into antebellum Maryland. After saving a drowning white boy there, she finds herself staring into the barrel of a shotgun and is transported back to the present just in time to save her life. During numerous such time-defying episodes with the same young man, she realizes the challenge she’s been given.

This kit generously funded by the Library Foundation.

The Last Black Unicorn, by Tiffany Haddish

Placed in the foster care system as a teen, and struggling to read at a basic level in ninth grade, Haddish found that humor and jokes helped her endure. When offered a choice between the Laugh Factory comedy camp or counseling to help recover from issues within the foster system, she chose the former and found her calling. In her first book, Haddish recounts her early life straight through to her powerhouse success both on the comedy circuit and in Hollywood with the 2017 film Girls Trip.

This kit generously funded by the Library Foundation.

The Last Thing He Told Me, by Laura Dave

Before Owen Michaels disappears, he manages to smuggle a note to his beloved wife of one year: Protect her. Despite her confusion and fear, Hannah Hall knows exactly to whom the note refers: Owen’s sixteen-year-old daughter, Bailey. Bailey, who lost her mother tragically as a child. Bailey, who wants absolutely nothing to do with her new stepmother.  As Hannah’s increasingly desperate calls to Owen go unanswered; as the FBI arrests Owen’s boss; as a US Marshal and FBI agents arrive at her Sausalito home unannounced, Hannah quickly realizes her husband isn’t who he said he was. And that Bailey just may hold the key to figuring out Owen’s true identity—and why he really disappeared.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

Less, by Andrew Greer

Arthur Less is a failed novelist.  A wedding invitation arrives in the mail: his ex- boyfriend is getting married. Arthur can’t accept the invitation--it would all be too awkward--and he can’t say no--it would look like defeat.  On desk are a series of half-baked literary invitations he has received from around the world.  Arthur decides to accept all of them in order to skip town. Thus begins a trip that will take Arthur to Mexico, Italy, Germany, Morocco, India and Japan.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

Life Beyond Measure, by Sidney Poitier

Sidney Poitier reflects on his amazing life in Life Beyond Measure, offering inspirational advice and personal stories in the form of extended letters to his great-granddaughter. Writing for all who admire his example and who search for wisdom only a man of great experience can offer, this American icon shares his thoughts on love, faith, courage, and the future.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

The Lincoln Highway, by Amor Towles

In June, 1954, eighteen-year-old Emmett Watson is driven home to Nebraska by the warden of the work farm where he has just served a year for involuntary manslaughter. When the warden drives away, Emmett discovers that two friends from the work farm have hidden themselves in the trunk of the warden’s car. Together, they have hatched an altogether different plan for Emmett’s future.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

Little Fires Everywhere, by Celeste Ng

Elena Richardson lives in a Cleveland suburb where everything is planned and people play by the rules. But her family's idyllic life is upended by the arrival of Mia Warren- enigmatic artist and single mother- who creates a stir when another family tries to adopt a Chinese-American baby. A novel that explores the weight of secrets, the nature of art and identity, the ferocious pull of motherhood, and the danger of believing that following the rules can avert disaster.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

The Lost City of the Monkey God, by Preston Douglas

Since the days of conquistador Hernán Cortés, rumors have circulated about a lost city of immense wealth hidden somewhere in the Honduran interior, called the White City or the Lost City of the Monkey God.  Three quarters of a century later, author Doug Preston joined a team of scientists on a groundbreaking new quest - to find the lost city. Venturing into this raw, treacherous, but breathtakingly beautiful wilderness to explore, Preston and the team battled torrential rains, quick-mud, disease-carrying insects, jaguars, and deadly snakes. 

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

The Lost Man, by Jane Harper

Two brothers meet at the border of their vast cattle properties under the unrelenting sun of outback Queensland. They are at the stockman’s grave, a landmark so old, no one can remember who is buried there. But today, the scant shadow it casts was the last hope for their middle brother, Cameron. The Bright family’s quiet existence is thrown into grief and anguish. Something had been troubling Cameron. Did he lose hope and walk to his death? Because if he didn’t, the isolation of the outback leaves few suspects.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

Malice, by Keigo Higashino

Acclaimed novelist Kunihiko Hidaka is found brutally murdered in his home on the night before he's planning to leave Japan and relocate to Vancouver. His body is found in his office, a locked room, within his locked house, by his wife and his best friend, both of whom have rock solid alibis. Malice is one of the bestselling novels in Keigo Higashino's series featuring police detective Kyoichiro Kaga.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

March (1-3), by John Lewis

The inside story of the Civil Rights Movement, as told through the eyes of one of its most iconic figures, Congressman John Lewis. This award-winning graphic novel trilogy brings the lessons of history to vivid life, urgently relevant for today's world.
March is a 3-book series. Book groups may borrow any one or all three of the books, subject to availability.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

The Midnight Library, by Matt Haig

Somewhere out beyond the edge of the universe there is a library that contains an infinite number of books, each one the story of another reality. One tells the story of your life as it is, along with another book for the other life you could have lived if you had made a different choice at any point in your life. Would any of these other lives be better?  Nora Seed finds herself faced with this decision. Faced with the possibility of changing her life for a new one, following a different career, undoing old breakups, realizing her dreams of becoming a glaciologist; she must search within herself as she travels through the Midnight Library to decide what is truly fulfilling in life, and what makes it worth living in the first place.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

Mister Owita's Guide to Gardening, by Carol Wall

Carol Wall is at a crossroads in her life: children grown; beloved parents getting older. One day she meets a man tending her neighbor's yard. His name is Giles Owita. He comes from Kenya and he's very good at gardening. Soon Giles is transforming not only Carol's yard, but her heart. Despite their differences, a caring bond grows between them.

Motherhood So White, by Nefertiti Austin

In America, Mother = White.  That's what Nefertiti, a single African American woman, discovered when she decided she wanted to adopt a Black baby boy out of the foster care system. Eager to finally join the motherhood ranks, Nefertiti was shocked when people started asking her why she wanted to adopt a "crack baby" or said that she would never be able to raise a Black son on her own. She realized that American society saw motherhood through a white lens, and that there would be no easy understanding or acceptance of the kind of family she hoped to build.

This kit generously funded by the Library Foundation.

The Mothers, by Brit Bennett

Set within a contemporary Black community in California, this debut novel follows 17-year-old Nadia Turner, grieving her mother's suicide. She takes up with the local pastor's son, resulting in a pregnancy and subsequent cover-up that will have an impact far beyond their youth. A surprising story about young love, a big secret in a small community, and the things that ultimately haunt us the most.

This kit generously funded through a grant from Beyond the Page, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Madison Community Foundation.

Mrs. Everything, by Jennifer Weiner

A  timely exploration of two sisters' lives from the 1950s to the present as they struggle to find their places in a rapidly evolving world. Do we change, or does the world change us?

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.

The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander

With dazzling candor, legal scholar Alexander challenges the notion that the election of Barack Obama signaled a new era of colorblindness, arguing that "we have not ended racial caste in America; we have merely redesigned it" -- and examines how the U.S. criminal justice system functions as a contemporary system of racial control.

This kit generously funded by the Friends of the Library.