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    •      		Selections for reading groups in new paperback releases

    REVIEWS BY JULIE HALE

    The Florabama Ladies' Auxiliary & Sewing Circle
    This sassy New York Times bestseller has been likened to Steel Magnolias. Battle, author of seven other novels, tells the story of well-to-do Bonnie Duke Cullman, who, at the age of 50, divorces her low-down, bankrupt husband. The newly independent Bonnie has never had a serious job, but she signs up for a position at a community college in Florabama, Alabama, where a lingerie factory will soon close, putting hundreds of people out of work. At the school, Bonnie takes charge of a program for homemakers displaced by the shutdown of the factory. Ironically, she is expected to help a colorful group of female misfits find some direction in life. She does her best, and along the way encounters romance with an old friend named Riz. But readers hoping for a happy ending should be prepared for a few twists. Battle has written a worldly story full of humor and wisdom.

    A reading group guide is included the book.


    The Glass Palace
    Blending historical events with the lives of a captivating cast of fictional characters, this ambitious novel opens in 1885 during the British invasion of Burma. Young Rajkumar, an Indian orphan abandoned in Mandalay, drifts through the city during the takeover. As the British invaders send the Burmese royal family into exile, he spots Dolly, a pretty servant girl who waits on the queen. Smitten, the boy vows to find her again. Years later, Rajukumar -- a wealthy businessman -- searches for Dolly in India, where she has become manager of the royal household. When the two finally meet, their reunion is a fateful one. Together, they forge friendships and raise a family against a backdrop of political intrigue and conflict. Ghosh, who captures the spirit of the Indian subcontinent as well as the arrogance of the colonizing British, writes with authority. Spanning more than 100 years, this is an old-fashioned epic of love and war.

    A reading group guide is included in the book.


    Clay's Quilt
    A slice of contemporary Appalachian life set in the Kentucky hills, this debut novel is centered around a young coal miner named Clay. A good-hearted protagonist, Clay lost his mother at the age of four and never knew his father, but the inhabitants of his small hometown serve as a surrogate family: his best friend Cake, his lovely cousin Dreama, his pious Aunt Easter. When they're not working Clay and Cake haunt the local honky tonks, and Clay soon sets his sights on Alma, a talented fiddle player cut off from her mean-spirited husband and her family. When Clay is given a box of his mother's belongings, the past comes back to haunt him as he learns the truth about her life. Rendered in remarkable detail, the melancholy mountains of Kentucky add a layer of longing to the novel. Without lapsing into sentimentality, House has crafted a moving narrative about the meaning of home and the importance of family.

    A reading group guide is included in the book.


    Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal
    In this provocative expose Schlosser, an award-winning contributor to the Atlantic Monthly, goes behind the scenes of the nation's fast food chains, where he makes some distinctly unappetizing discoveries. Beginning with Harlan Sanders and the McDonald brothers, founders of the fast food phenomenon, Schlosser examines the repercussions of the industry on the nation's economy and health. From factory farms that raise potatoes and beef, to meatpacking plants that operate with little federal oversight, he makes a thorough tour of an industry characterized by unsanitary procedures and oppressive working conditions. Schlosser also offers a fascinating look at the flavor companies that -- literally -- shape our tastes. Full of keen commentary, disturbing research and compelling interviews, this unforgettable indictment of fast food culture, reminiscent of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, is sure to make readers rethink their next trip to the drive-through.


    Has your club recently read an excellent book that sparked good group discussion? If so, BookPage would like to hear about it. Contact us at reading@bookpage.com with a description of the book and the reasons for your recommendation. We'll pass the top choices along to our readers.

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