On Thursday, August 8 at noon, we will be discussing:

Lots of candles, plenty of cake by Anna Quindlen — From childhood memories to manic motherhood to middle age, Quindlen uses the events of her own life to illuminate our own in this humorous memoir. Along with the downsides of age, she says, can come wisdom, a perspective on life that makes it satisfying and even joyful. Candid, funny, moving, Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake is filled with the sharp insights and revealing observations that have long confirmed Quindlen's status as America's laureate of real life.

On Thursday, July 11 at noon, we will be discussing:

The catcher in the rye by J.D. Salinger — This classic coming of age story electrified the literary world when published in 1951. The New York Times wrote that the 'book's very first sentence, struck a brash new note in American literature': "If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth." Over sixty years later, Salinger's writing and his disaffected and cynical narrator, Holden Caulfield, not only have iconic stature in the literary world, but remain as fresh and exciting as they were when new.

On July 2, from 11:00 AM-12:00 PM, Michigan authors David Anthony and Charles David Clasman will introduce us to their super fun and exciting chapter book series, Heroes A2Z. Set in Traverse City, Michigan, this series follows twins Abigail and Andrew and their baby sister, Zoe as they face exciting adventures, mind boggling mysteries and don't forget the aliens! Books will be available for purchase and authors will be available to sign them, but there will also be free book giveaways, too. So come on in to hear about Superhero kids fighting crime before bedtime.

So you've finished the Hunger Games, and you're looking for more tales of grim future days? Look no further...

Brave new world by Aldous Huxley

The stand by Stephen King

A canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Jr

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

The handmaid's tale by Margaret Atwood

The maze runner by James Dashner

Neuromancer by William Gibson

Will we ever be able to travel through time to different eras? These books tackle tough questions about "life, the universe, and everything."

About time: cosmology, time and culture at the twilight of the Big Bang by Adam Frank

Breaking the time barrier: the race to build the first time machine by Jenny Randles

Chronos: how time shapes our universe by Etienne Klein ; translated by Glenn Burney

Einstein's cosmos: how Albert Einstein's vision transformed our understanding of space and time by Michio Kaku

How it began: a time-traveler's guide to the universe by Chris Impey

How to build a time machine by Paul Davies

In May of 1963 the first group of Americans reached the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s tallest mountain. Celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the expedition with these books and DVDs.

The vast unknown: America's first ascent of Everest by Broughton Coburn

Last Hours on Everest: The Gripping Story of Mallory & Irvine?s Fatal Ascent by Hoyland, Graham

The wildest dream [videodisc]: conquest of Everest by National Geographic Entertainment ; an Altitude Films production in association with Atlantic Productions

Blindsight [videodisc produced by Sybil Robson ; directed by Lucy Walker

Dark summit: the true story of Everest's most controversial season by Nick Heil

Everest [videodisc]