May’s Open Book Night was one filled with tales of truly wacky families, plays and novels that have been adapted into films, and many, many questions. We learned about a mysterious society, held a serious discussion about the transient population, chatted about the wonders of libraries, and gained insight into one of history’s great tragedies.

Piece of Mind by Michelle Adelman 

Joan found Adelman’s story of a young woman overcoming a traumatic childhood accident incredibly endearing and heartwarming. She would like to stress that this contemporary fiction ends on a happy note.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time by Mark Haddon

Joan also thought Haddon’s mystery novel was engaging and insightful. The story follows Christopher John Francis Boone, a teenaged boy with autism who is investigating the death of his neighbor’s dog. Joan felt the vivid first-person narrative shed light on what it means to live with autism.

A Small Corner of Hell: Dispatches from Chechnya by Anna Politkovskaya

Joan (a different one!) was really sucked in by the brutal depiction of the war in Chechnya by Politkovskaya, a reporter who was murdered in 2006. Joan found the fact that the novel was written from a historical, socialist and journalistic views, gave it a unique flavor — an honest look at war as a killing machine and the extreme measures to which it can push people. She shared a tidbit of reading this novel on the train and as she finished the last two pages, a fellow straphanger asked her opinion about it. Though she found it to be a rough read, she thought her conversation with the passenger was a good way to end the book.

The Mole People: Life in the Tunnels Beneath New York City by Jennifer Toth

Mark recalled going to journalism school in New York and due to his curiosity about people, had befriended those at Grand Central Station and Penn Station. He had grown up in a neighborhood where the community worked with what was given to them and learned that life is lived through spontaneity and concoction. Toth’s eye-opening book about those who live below our feet exemplified the improvisation and loss of inhibition that occurs when one is homeless.

The Death of Sweet Mister by Daniel Woodrell

Cynthia felt unsettled while reading about literary fiction’s most dysfunctional family. Though the dialogue was wonderful, she was disturbed by the family’s awfulness and the drastic difference from how she was raised. She found the plotline about a young boy who becomes a man to be a stereotypical portrayal of Deliverance (1972) with its general progression of vileness and lack of sympathy for the protagonist.

The Book of Illusions by Paul Auster

After his family dies in a plane crash, Professor David Zimmer becomes fixated on Hector Mann, a silent film star. Believing that he is alive, he sets out on a journey to find Mann and ultimately-himself. Cynthia admired the quirkiness of Auster’s writing and the enigmatic plot with its unexpected twists and turns. She was amazed how much life could be given to a character without dialogue.

You Can’t Take It With You by George Kaufman and Moss Hart

Carol adored this 1936 comedic play about a wacky family of six whose attempts at normalcy constantly backfire in knee-slapping ways. Though a movie was adapted from the play, the plot was changed and it was not as well-received as the original. The play is reminiscent of The Munsters (1964-1966) and The Addams Family (1964-1966).

Tales of the San Francisco Cacophony Society  by Carrie Galbraith and John Law

Carol is a member of a secret society of pranksters, social innovators, and artists. Originally named Suicide Club after Robert Louis Stevenson’s set of short stories, members challenge themselves to participate in events and go on adventures with like-minded people. Some of their memorable stunts have been making changes to billboards, developing a fake product to infiltrate a Macworld Expo, and holding “idiotarods” — shopping cart races across the Brooklyn Bridge. Delve into the fascinating history and quirky events of this surreptitious society. Want to become a member? Good luck — entrance into the society is by invitation only.

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Susen admitted that Backman is one of her favorite authors whose titles (My Grandmother Asked Me To Tell You She’s Sorry, Britt Marie Was Here; And Every Morning The Way Home Gets Longer and Longer) are incredibly straightforward. A gem of a book, she liked how curmudgeonly Ove was, despite the loveable family who moves in next door. She found the dialogue well-written and the relationship between Ove and the family authentically heart-wrenching. Read the book or watch the film adaption — just don’t forget the tissues.

This Is Where I Leave You by Jonathan Tropper

Because we all love quirky, dysfunctional families, Susen brought up the Foxman clan, with all their hang-ups. The story follows a family that comes together to sit shiva for their patriarch only for secrets to be revealed, past grudges  to come alive, and mistakes to occur. You can also watch the film adaptation starring Jason Bateman, Tina Fey, Adam Driver, and others.