Year In Review: The Erie Reader Book Club

Various publishers

2025 was the first full calendar year of the Erie Reader Book Club (after its April 2024 inception), so it only felt right to recap our year of reads at the end of a year that helped define and solidify us as a book club.

But first, a bit about us: on the last Sunday of the month, we gather at Werner Books & Coffee to discuss the monthly read. Each month, the chosen book is based on the theme of that month's Erie Reader issue. This format has allowed us to branch out and read a wide array of books, all of which have led to great discussions.

The club has seen its share of members who have come and gone as we've progressed through the year, but you can always count on seeing some familiar faces, such as the Vickies, Steve, Erin, and myself, amongst many others. You'll often find Werner Books owners Kyle and Lauren joining in on the club's meetings, adding to the already intriguing discussions. We're always glad to add new members and perspectives to the group – we hope you'll join us!

January 2025: Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward // Best of Erie

Our Best of Erie issue inspires us to select from books that have been lauded for being the best in various ways, so the selection of Salvage the Bones was an easy choice after it won the National Book Award in 2011. Best described as "muscly and pulpy," by book club member AJ, the book takes place in an impoverished community in the Deep South during the disastrous Hurricane Katrina. The overall consensus was that the book was extremely well-written, even though some parts were unsettling. It was obvious to all why it had won such a prestigious award.

February 2025: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi // Black History Month

For our Black History Month pick, Homegoing was one that was well-liked and inspired a lot of discussion. Taking place across multiple timelines and following a family's lineage from the Black experience in Africa and the U.S., the imagery and generational themes throughout were deeply explored by the group. Member Victoria even brought her own personal experiences to the discussion with her familial ties to Africa.

March 2025: Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain // The Food Issue

Bourdain's peek through the other side of the kitchen door had the group divided. The writing style is brash and sarcastic, which is one of the reasons those familiar with Bourdain loved it while those unfamiliar didn't enjoy it as much. The discussion led to personal kitchen experiences, both in the home and in restaurant-style settings, with many bringing to the table their own stories from throughout the years.

April 2025: North Woods by Daniel Mason // Earth Day

An absolute favorite of Managing Editor Erin Phillips, North Woods was selected for the Earth Day issue because of its overarching themes of the effect of various natural occurrences – climate change, invasive species, human interaction, and wildfires – on one piece of land throughout the course of American history. Many in the club expressed difficulty getting into the book (it begins in dialect, but quickly moves on), but then weren't able to put it down. The storytelling style was unique, with interesting characters and a message that many were moved by when reading.

May 2025: Summer by Ali Smith // Summer Preview

Ali Smith's Summer missed the mark for some. With the meeting falling on Memorial Day weekend, our attendance was smaller than usual but a good discussion about the book was still had. Some struggled with the formatting of the book, while others didn't connect with the storyline itself. The difference in opinions allowed for healthy discourse about the different themes and storytelling style.

June 2025: Calypso by David Sedaris // Pride Month

David Sedaris felt like a perfect choice for this month. For the most part, everyone seemed to enjoy his writing. Those unfamiliar with Sedaris found it difficult to connect with the humor, especially as it related to Sedaris' father. For those who were familiar with Sedaris' other books or his work on NPR, it was a great read that inspired a thoughtful discussion about the ethics of writing about family members and the exaggerations some authors take in their writing.

July 2025: Tom Lake by Ann Patchett // 40 Under 40

When selecting a book for our 40 Under 40 issue, we go with coming-of-age stories. Tom Lake was an excellent pick for this theme, as it really is multiple coming-of-age stories happening at once. A family comes together during the COVID-19 pandemic, with the mother sharing her story while her daughters are each experiencing their own transformative times. Many loved it, noting they enjoyed the writing style as well as the story-within-a-story aspect. The group made connections between Tom Lake and the play Our Town during the discussion.

August 2025: Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C.J. Walker by A'Lelia Bundles // Erie Gives Day

Our smallest gathering this year centered around a famous philanthropist, and with help from the folks at the Erie Community Foundation, we landed on Madam C.J. Walker. Although we all agreed that Walker led an incredible and inspiring life, we also agreed that the book was dense, drawn out, and unnecessarily detailed.

September 2025: The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullors // Back to School

Finding books on education itself that aren't textbooks can be difficult – this year, we decided on a book in which one of the main protagonists is a child, and whose author was quite young at the time of its publishing. The club had a lengthy and deep discussion about how each of the characters factored into each other's lives. With the book's main character being deaf, Vickie W. also shared that her uncle was also deaf, leading to discussion around her own personal experiences and giving more insight into the character.

October 2025: Weyward by Emilia Hart // Halloween

The Halloween issue is always one to look forward to, as is the book selection. Unfortunately, the choice of Emilia Hart's Weyward didn't pack as big of a punch as was hoped. Consensus around the book was lukewarm at best, with most finding the writing mediocre. Discussion centered on the story of three women from the same family and their connection to the natural world, allowing them to overcome situations of extreme abuse. Many felt it was predictable and were overall indifferent to it.

November 2025: Home for the Bewildered by Michelle Tobin // Shop Local

Choosing a local author can be a bit daunting – there are many great options to choose from, and making sure we pick something that will appeal to a wide audience is crucial. In Home for the Bewildered, the story follows a therapist in the 1970s and her patients, introducing us to people from all walks of life and holding a mirror onto the therapist's psyche. We had a great surprise when the author attended the meeting, creating a unique experience that allowed us to not only discuss the book, but to ask questions and talk in-depth with her about her writing and inspirations.

December 2025: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey // Year in Review Issue

With this, our Year in Review issue, a lot of different themes can be explored. From wintry scenes to stories of the past, The Snow Child embodies a bit of each. Derived from the Russian folk tale, the story is set in 1920s Alaska and follows a childless older homesteading couple struggling in the Alaskan wilderness, when the sudden emergence of a young girl from the woods changes their lives.

We will meet on Sunday, Jan. 4 at 1 p.m. to discuss the novel, so stop by for a chat about the book to see where the conversation leads!