You might think that "book club" is a new Impact Austin activity. It's not, in fact! We gathered in 2007, 2008, and 2012 to learn from authors who wrote about philanthropy, and members attending received a copy of each book under discussion. In 2013, "Impact Austin Book Club" met as members only to discuss Creating Change through Family Philanthropy. Learn more about these books in our blog about Impact Austin's commitment to philanthropy education.
In September 2023, Impact Austin's Member Connections team launched a rejuvenated Book Club. It has been very successful! At each meeting, members were asked to share recommended books that others might enjoy. Read on to see the books that have been discussed and recommended. Another Book Club is in the works for Spring 2024.
JANUARY 2024 RECOMMENDATIONS
The Maisie Dobbs mysteries by Jacqueline Winspear
America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie
No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Fifth Avenue Glamour Girl by Renee Rosen
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder by David Grann
The Small Woman by Alan Burgess
Rebirth: A Fable of Love, Forgiveness, and Following your Heart by Kamal Ravikant
A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Up The Down Escalator: Medicine, Motherhood, and Multiple Sclerosis by Lisa Doggett
The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Flying Blind: The 737 MAX Tragedy and the Fall of Boeing by Peter Robison
Vera Wong's Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jessie Q. Sutano
How Women Rise: Break the 12 Habits Holding you Back from your Next Raise, Promotion, or Job by Sally Helgesen and Marshall Goldsmith
VentureGirls; Raising Girls to be Tomorrow's Leaders by Cristal Glangchai
The Rose Code by Kate Quinn
The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown
Firefly Lane by Kristin Hannah
Mr. Texas by Lawrence Wright
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois: A Novel by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
SEPTEMBER 2023 RECOMMENDATIONS
Up the Down Escalator by Lisa Doggett
Finding Me by Viola Davis
Spare by Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex
Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
The Flamenco Academy by Sarah Bird
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Watership Down by Richard Adams and Madeline Miller
Personal History: A Memoir by Katherine Graham
Polaris Rising by Jessie Mihalik
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
An Impossible Return by Caroline Laurent and Jeffrey Zuckerman
The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
Brave Companions: Portraits in History by David McCullough
The Cabin Faced West by Jean Fritz
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
All I Ever Wanted by Kathy Valentine (GoGo's bass player and Austinite)
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois: A Novel by Honoree Fanonne Jeffers
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing
There were general recommendations for books by James Patterson, Nora Roberts, Isabel Allende, Kristin Hannah, Zora Neale Hurston.
Impact Austin's Book Club is part of the Member Connections initiative. We believe the member experience is enhanced when members gather to develop and strengthen both personal and professional relationships. Member Connections are specially curated events designed to enrich your experience by fostering a deeper sense of community, cultivating relationships and friendships among members, and building networks.
