Our literary salons for grownups offer members the intellectual stimulation and satisfaction of university courses without the stress of homework or assignments. Connecting with our books, with each other, and with the world at large, we develop our literary knowledge while exploring a wide variety of genres each season.

THE LIST for this 2026/2027 Season is posted below, and you can view our Past Literary Salons for titles from previous seasons!

Before our meeting you will receive “Points to Ponder,” which may help you view that month’s selection in a new way. At the meeting you’ll enjoy a short presentation that will enhance your appreciation of the book, and then you will partake in a riveting discussion. Your trained facilitator will ensure that you ‘dig deep’ into both craft and story elements of that month’s literary treasure.

Literary Masters Salons: THE LIST 2026-2027 Season

As always, we reserve the right to change any title during the season. We always have your best reading in mind!

Book 1: Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

We asked you at the end of last season to hold off reading this book, and now your patience will pay off! Love it or hate it (or both?) Yesteryear is clearly THE book of 2026, and we can’t wait to “dig deep” into it! A tradwife, an influencer, a time-traveler—just what is our protagonist? And what are all the people who surround her? You will laugh, you will cringe, you may rage, but it will be hard to put this book down!

Book 2: Bad Bad Girl by Gish Jen

This genre-subverting novel explores the relationship between a Chinese mother and her American born daughter. Mom had a rough childhood in Shanghai, never able to please her father, whose main desire was for a son. As the Chinese Communist revolution took hold, Mom escaped to the States and established her successful American life–working, marrying, and having a daughter. But can it be so simple? Many questions are raised in this moving story: must history repeat itself, or can a new generation establish its own path? Is a parent ever free from the childhood she left behind? How should a child of immigrants balance the pressures of two competing homelands? What does one do when duty and desire conflict? And much more!

Book 3: Faith by Jennifer Haigh

Priests abusing children–a well-worn story, you say? Not when Jennifer Haigh tells it. Understated and nuanced, this tale doesn’t spotlight the priests but rather illuminates the entire community surrounding them. Narrated by the loving sister of the alleged perpetrator, family dynamics and secrets are unearthed and examined in this tale where innocence is hard to find. Beautiful and moving–this one is sure to generate some emotional discussions!

Book 4: Dangerous, Dirty, Violent, and Young by Zayd Ayers Dohrn

Here’s a jaw-dropper for you! Our nonfiction selection for the season is a memoir by the son of Weather Underground activists. And if you’re now wondering “What is the Weather Underground?” prepare to learn about national and local events from the 60s, 70s, and 80s that still reverberate today. Zayd Ayers Dohrn was a child who was raised on the run, knowing from a very young age how to avoid the law in order to protect his parents, especially his mom, who was on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted list. As Dohrn relates his tale, he struggles with reconciling what his parents told him as a child and what he has learned through researching this book. This is a story of extremist attempts to overthrow the US government, but it’s also an exploration of parenthood and an illuminating tale of how and why individuals become radicalized. Relevant, important, and eye-opening!

Book 5: Cassandra at the Wedding by Dorothy Baker

First published in 1962, this is our classic for the season and it’s a bit of a wild ride! The story revolves around Cassandra and her identical and very close twin Judith and their unique relationship. Judith is getting married and there are feelings to deal with! Fortunately we get to hear from both sisters as they navigate the very new sea of their impending life apart. Anyone with a sibling (or a heart!) will be able to relate to the roller-coaster of emotions Cassandra and Judith experience. This one is sure to garner some new Dorothy Baker fans!

Book 6: The Granddaughter by Bernhard Schlink, translated by Charlotte Collins

Our book in translation for the season is the story of Kaspar, who learns upon his beloved wife Birgit’s death that she left a daughter behind when she fled communist East Germany in the 1960s. Now it’s several decades after the fall of the Berlin Wall, and Kaspar takes it upon himself to find Svenja, Birgit’s daughter. Little does he know he’ll also find Svenja’s daughter Sigrun, who is as intrigued with this potential grandfather as he is with her. As they tenderly embark upon their relationship, there is a slight wrinkle: Svenja and Sigrun are living in a community of neo-Nazis, which Kaspar has a difficult time understanding or accepting. No doubt our conversations will explore questions of tolerance, morality, romantic love, familial duty, personal agency, and more while we also marvel at the historical changes Germany has undergone.

Book 7: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

Our speculative novel for the season is by one of our favorite Nobel laureates, the third time his books have landed on THE LIST! This beautifully written dystopian tale has so much to talk about, we may run out of time. Ostensibly a story about childhood in a very special boarding school in England, it raises profound moral questions about how to live and why. We can’t say more without giving too much away; suffice to say that you will not want to miss this meeting! And if you plan on watching the movie, please hold off until after our discussions!

Book 8: Good People by Patmeena Sabit

Our debut novel for the season is a doozy! Told by multiple (unreliable?) narrators, the story centers on a community of immigrants from Afghanistan, now living the American Dream. When a member of one family dies a mysterious death, surrounding friends, family, and frenemies weigh in on what has happened. Exploring how truth and reality are created and perpetuated is just one issue we will talk about! There is much, much more!