March: \;The Handmaid&rsquo\;s Tale by Ma
rgaret Atwood \;
Offred is a Handmaid in the Republi
c of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a d
ay to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words b
ecause women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once
a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant\, because in an age
of declining births\, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if t
heir overies are viable. Offred can remember the years before when she liv
ed and made love with her husband\, Luke\; when she played with and protec
ted her daughter\; when she had a job\, money of her own\, and access to k
nowledge. But all of that is gone now... \;
Counts for Jax Sta
cks Category: A Book Published before 2000\, A Book read by a Library Book
Club in 2025
\;
April: The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan&nbs
p\;
Malaya\, 1945. Cecily Alcantara's family is in terri
ble danger: her fifteen-year-old son\, Abel\, has disappeared\, and her yo
ungest daughter\, Jasmin\, is confined in a basement to prevent being pres
sed into service at the comfort stations. Her eldest daughter Jujube\, who
works at a tea house frequented by drunk Japanese soldiers\, becomes angr
ier by the day. Cecily knows two things: that this is all her fault\; and
that her family must never learn the truth. A decade prior\, Cecily had be
en desperate to be more than a housewife to a low-level bureaucrat in Brit
ish-colonized Malaya. A chance meeting with the charismatic General Fujiwa
ra lured her into a life of espionage\, pursuing dreams of an "Asia for As
ians." Instead\, Cecily helped usher in an even more brutal occupation by
the Japanese. Ten years later as the war reaches its apex\, her actions ha
ve caught up with her. Now her family is on the brink of destruction--and
she will do anything to save them. \;
Counts for Jax Stacks Ca
tegory: A Book read by a Library Book Club in 2025
May:
The Vio
lin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb \;
Ray McMillian l
oves playing the violin more than anything\, and nothing will stop him fro
m pursuing his dream of becoming a professional musician. Not his mother\,
who thinks he should get a real job\, not the fact that he can't afford a
high-caliber violin\, not the racism inherent in the classical music worl
d. And when he makes the startling discovery that his great-grandfather's
fiddle is actually a priceless Stradivarius\, his star begins to rise. The
n with the international Tchaikovsky Competition -- the Olympics of classi
cal music -- fast approaching\, his prized family heirloom is stolen. Ray
is determined to get it back. But now his family and the descendants of th
e man who once enslaved Ray's great-grandfather are each claiming that the
violin belongs to them. With the odds stacked against him and the pressur
e mounting\, will Ray ever see his beloved violin again?
Counts fo r Jax Stacks Category: A Book about Music\, A Book read by a Library Book Club in 2025
\n\nDid you know that all of our book clubs' sel ected books count toward your Jax Stacks Reading Challenge completio n? Find out what books other book clubs are reading an d join in the fun! \;
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\nPursuant to the Americans wi th Disabilities Act\, accommodations for persons with disabilities are ava ilable upon request. Please allow 1&ndash\;2 business days to process. Las t-minute requests will be accepted\, but may not be possible to fulfill. P lease ask for Learning Services at 255-2665 or email JPLPrograms@coj.net.< /p>\nhttps://jaxpubliclibrary.libnet.info/event/12915813 URL;VALUE=URI:https://jaxpubliclibrary.libnet.info/event/12915813 END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR