Embedded Files
Current Book
Current Book
Next meeting in person is Thursday, Sept 24th.Β
September 2026
September 2026
There Are Rivers in the Sky, by Elif Shafak
In the ancient city of Nineveh, on the bank of the River Tigris, King Ashurbanipal of Mesopotamia, erudite but ruthless, built a great library that would crumble with the end of his reign. From its ruins, however, emerged a poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh, that would infuse the existence of two rivers and bind together three lives.
In 1840 London, Arthur is born beside the stinking, sewage-filled River Thames. With an abusive, alcoholic father and a mentally ill mother, Arthurβs only chance of escaping destitution is his brilliant memory. When his gift earns him a spot as an apprentice at a leading publisher, Arthurβs world opens up far beyond the slums, and one book in particular catches his interest: Nineveh and Its Remains.
In 2014 Turkey, Narin, a ten-year-old Yazidi girl, is diagnosed with a rare disorder that will soon cause her to go deaf. Before that happens, her grandmother is determined to baptize her in a sacred Iraqi temple. But with the rising presence of ISIS and the destruction of the familyβs ancestral lands along the Tigris, Narin is running out of time.
In 2018 London, the newly divorced Zaleekah, a hydrologist, moves into a houseboat on the Thames to escape her husband. Orphaned and raised by her wealthy uncle, Zaleekah had made the decision to take her own life in one month, until a curious book about her homeland changes everything.Β
(historical fiction, contemporary, British, middle east)
Up Next Book...
Up Next Book...
October 2026
October 2026
One spring morning, a stranger arrives in the small southern city of Golden. No one knows where he has come fromβ¦or whyβ¦
His name is Theo. And he asks a lot more questions than he answers.
Theo visits the local coffeehouse, where ninety-two pencil portraits hang on the walls, portraits of the people of Golden done by a local artist. He begins purchasing them, one at a time, and putting them back in the hands of their βrightful owners.β With each exchange, a story is told, a friendship born, and a life altered.
A story of giving and receiving, of seeing and being seen, Theo of Golden is a beautifully crafted novel about the power of creative generosity, the importance of wonder to a purposeful life, and the invisible threads of kindness that bind us to one another.
(contemporary, fiction, Christian)
Books we have been reading.
Books we have been reading.
August 2026
August 2026
(mythological fiction, magical realism, fantasy)
β Our Rating: Girl Read It!
π Audio vision:Β n/a
πSpice: nope
A famous "tradwife" social media influencer whose modern lifestyle brand is built on a staged and romanticized version of 19th-century domesticity. The story escalates when she inexplicably wakes up in the harsh, primitive reality of 1855, forcing her to navigate actual pioneer survival while uncovering the truth behind her unsettling predicament. .
July 2026
July 2026
Till We Have Faces, C.S. Lewis
(mythological fiction, magical realism, fantasy)
β Our Rating: Meh.
π Audio vision: Β n/a
πSpice:π·
C. S. Lewis's retelling of the myth of Cupid and Psyche, told from the perspective of Psyche's sister, Orual. Exploring themes of jealousy, loss, and faith, it is often considered Lewis's finest and most mature novel.
2026 June
2026 June
(fiction, science fiction, magical realism, fantasy)
β Our Rating: Girl Read it!
π Audio vision: π
πSpice:π·
The Poppy Fields is a speculative novel about five unlikely travelersβincluding a little dogβjourneying to a controversial California treatment center where people can sleep through the pain of grief, forcing them to confront their pasts and answer a profound question: how far would they go to heal from great loss?
2026 May
2026 May
Before I Forget by Tory Henwood Hoen
(fiction, contemporary, magical realism)
β Our Rating: Girl Read it!
π Audio vision: π
πSpice:π·
Funny, heartfelt, late coming-of-age story that examines the role of memory.
2026 April
2026 April
(historical fiction, contemporary, family)
β Our Rating: Read
π Audio vision: π
πSpice: nope
This is a book that dives deep into family hardship and dynamics.Β
2026 March
2026 March
The Art Forger by Barbara A. Shapiro
(historical fiction, mystery)
β Our Rating: Read
π Audio vision: π
πSpice:π·
Lots of details into making of the art, it was a hit or miss for our group, but most agree that it is worth the read.Β
2026 February
2026 February
A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna
(fantasy, romance)
β Our Rating: Girl Read It!
π Audio vision: π
πSpice: πΆοΈπΆοΈ
Starts slow, people were split on the ending being good, but most agree it is worth the read.Β
2026 January / 2025 December
2026 January / 2025 December
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
(historical fiction, medicine)
β Our Rating: Read
π Audio vision: π
πSpice: 0
It is a big book, different from his others, still focused on detailed medical stuff.
More books we have read.
More books we have read.
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid, historical fiction, romance
β Our Rating: Girl, Read It! | π Audio vision: π| π Spice: πΆοΈπΆοΈ
Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson, historical fiction, mystery
β Our Rating: Girl, Read It! | π Audio vision: π| π Spice: 0
Credence by Penelope Douglas, dark romance
β Our Rating: We won't yuck your yum | π Audio vision: π | Spice: πΆοΈπ«£πΆβπ«οΈπ€¨
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, historical fiction, medicine
β Our Rating: Read | Β π Audio vision: π| π Spice: 0
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman, sci-fi, dystopia
β Our Rating: 50/50 Read | Β π Audio vision: π| π Spice: 0
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite thriller, contemporary, mystery
β Our Rating: Girl, Read It!
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology by multiple authors, short stories, horror, fantasy, fiction
β Our Rating: Girl, Read It! (just not all at once) | π Audio vision: π| π Spice: 0
Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life by Marshall B. Rosenberg, nonfiction, psychology
β Our Rating: 50/50 Read | Β π Audio vision: π| π Spice: 0
Olivetti by Allie Millington, magical realism, family, middle grade reading
β Our Rating: Girl, Read It! | Β π Audio vision: π| π Spice: 0
Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel, sci-fi
β Our Rating: Meh. | Β π Audio vision: ? | π Spice: 0
The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, from the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement, by Sharon McMahon, nonfiction, history, politics
β Our Rating: Girl, Read It! | π Audio vision: π| π Spice: 0
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Garbrielle Zevin, contemporary, romance, historical fiction
β Our Rating: Girl, Read It!
Our book rating system.
Our book rating system.
When we meet as a group, we take turns sharing our thoughts on the book and then rate it 1-10. And the ratings change throughout the discussion, or sometimes, later the next month. So it is based on generally vibe and rating from the group.
β Our Rating
Girl, read it! = majority of the group gave the book 8-10 rating
Read = majority of the group gave the book 8-7 rating
50/50 Read = almost a perfect split in loving and not liking the book
Meh. = group overall was βmehβ, not a strong rating or dislikedΒ
π Audio vision: πor π
π Spice rating:Β
π·= romantic interest
πΆοΈΒ = there is some physical loveliness
πΆοΈπΆοΈ = there is sex
πΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈ = there is sex with details
πΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈπΆοΈ = there is lots of sex with lots of details
πΆοΈπ«£πΆβπ«οΈπ€¨ = lots and lots of sex... some like, some don't... so "don't yuck my yum"
How we select books.
How we select books.
"If it is printed, we read it" ~ Melissa.Β
Generally we follow the yearly seasons/holidays for selecting books (romance for Feb), but we make quick selections based on what people are interested in or have read recently.
We meet in-person each month, join us!
We meet in-person each month, join us!
https://www.sweetsalonshoppe.com/contact
Our fearless leader Rachel owns the Sweet Salon Shop, so connect with us via her website form.
Local Independent Bookstores π«Ά
Local Independent Bookstores π«Ά
Cream & Amber, Hopkins : more information
Excelsior Bay Books, Excelsior : more information
Dream Haven Books, Minneapolis : more information
Find a list of independent bookstores at the Midwest Independent Bookseller Association (they make a cool map every year)
More places to find books...
Libby App (connects with local libraries for e-books & audio books)
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Google Sites
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