Email the church office at office@stjudeschurch.net to join!
St. Jude's Book Club
A club for readers who like to discuss books
We would love to have you join us! This is a stress free club where members are welcome to come and go based on their interest in the current book. Contact Amanda at manager@stjudeschurch.net to be added to our mailing list!
Our Current Read
Meeting on April 7, 2026 @ 12pm
The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski
In The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County by Claire Swinarski, a small Midwestern town is held together by an unexpected sisterhood: a group of women who faithfully prepare funeral lunches for grieving families. When a shocking death unsettles their close-knit community, long-held secrets begin to surface, testing friendships, faith, and the quiet strength these women draw from one another. Tender, witty, and deeply heartfelt, this novel celebrates the power of community and the grace found in life’s most difficult moments.
Upcoming reads...
| Date | Title | Author |
| Apr-2026 | The Funeral Ladies of Ellerie County | Claire Swinarski |
| May-2026 | Ellie and the Harpmaker | Hazel Prior |
| Jun-2026 | The Mozart Code | Rachel McMillan |
| Jul - Aug 2026 | SUMMER BREAK | Have fun! |
| Sept-2026 | Never Been Better | Leanne Toshiko Simpson |
| Oct-2026 | The Patron Saint of Second Chances | Christine Simon |
What we have read so far...
Our ratings:
5 - Loved it! A new favourite!
4 - Really liked the book. Would recommend to others.
3 - It was a good book but not my favorite.
2 - It was just okay.
1 - I really didn't enjoy this book at all.
| Date | Title | Author | Rating | Comments |
| Jan-2025 | Remarkably Bright Creatures | Shelby Van Pelt | 4.5/5 | This was a great choice for our first book. Many people in the group said that this isn't something they would normally pick up, and they were pleasantly surprised at how much they enjoyed the book. |
| Feb-2025 | The Lost Apothecary | Sarah Penner | 4.5/5 | Another big hit with our group! This book spawned a lot of discussion about difficult marriages, women's roles in society, and when/if murder is ever acceptable. |
| Mar-2025 | Anxious People | Fredrik Backman | 3.5/5 | This was a re-read for some of the group, which gave us the opportunity to discuss what a second reading of a book can bring. The way that the narrator omitted descriptions of many of the characters until later in the book added to the mystery and caused some confusion. |
| Apr-2025 | The Rose Code | Kate Quinn | 5/5 | This book was loved by everyone, even those who were reading it for the second and third time! |
| May-2025 | The Reading List | Sara Nisha Adams | 5/5 | We were all really touched by this book. It brought up some incredible discussions about loneliness, grief, mental health struggles, and the importance of community. |
| Jun-2025 | The Jane Austen Society | Natalie Jenner | 5/5 | We were incredibly priviledged to be joined by author Natalie Jenner for this meeting. She shared the story of how this book came to be, and inspired us all. The group definitely wants to read the next book in the series. |
| Jul-2025 | The Clementine Complex | Bob Mortimer | 2.5/5 | Members were very split in their feelings about this book. Some thought it was hilarious, with many laugh-out-loud moments. Others found it impossible to connect with the characters and didn't enjoy the frequent swearing in the dialog. We were all able to appreciate the detailed descriptions and silly moments with the squirrels. |
| Aug-2025 | In The Upper Country | Kai Thomas | 5/5 | In the Upper Country gave us a lot to think about - not just through its characters and plot, but through the history and themes it brought to life. We explored ideas of freedom, belonging, and justice, and we considered how the stories within the novel connect to our own understanding of the past. While many of us will likely have to read it a second or third time to be able to follow all of the stories, we all learned so much about both the untold history of Canada and ourselves. |
| Sep-2025 | The Book of Lost Names | Kristin Harmel | 4.5/5 | We considered what bravery means, the importance of a name, and the ways people resist injustice in both big and small ways. While many of us felt that there were a few too many coincidences to make Eva's story 100% believable, it made each of us consider how our own small acts of resistance can combat the injustices we see today. |
| Oct-2025 | Family Family | Laurie Frankel | 4/5 | This was an emotional read for many of the group. While this story ended positively for all the characters, we discussed how adoption can be very difficult for some families as well. |
| Nov-2025 | Coronation Year | Jennifer Robson | 5/5 | We are lucky enough to have a few members who actually attended the coronation in person, so they were able to share their own stories with us. This book was well liked by the whole group. |
| Dec-2025 | The Messy Lives of Book People | Phaedra Patrick | 3/5 | This easy read for the end of the year was met with mixed feelings. Many thought it felt rushed, and wasn't edited as well as it could have been, but the overall story was fun. With some authors in our group, we had some great discussions on the process of writing a book. |
| Jan-2026 | Jennifer's Vow | Kevin R Coleman | 2.5/5 | Our group took a chance on a new genre with this book, and unfortunately it wasn't a favourite for all. Some found the romance scenes a bit difficult to read, and there was some confusion around the themes and plot pacing. However, many readers liked the characters and thought that the book addressed timely issues in an interesting way. |
| Feb-2026 | A Death in the Parish | The Reverend Richard Coles | 4.5/5 | Our familiarity with Anglican church life may have skewed our preference for this book a bit more than the average reader. It was well-liked by the majority of the group. It was very interesting to hear how much has changed since the 80s around women as priests and LGBTQ+ issues within the church. |
| Mar-2026 | The Cuban Heiress | Chanel Cleeton | 3/5 | While some of our readers appreciated the premise and historical elements, particularly the real shipwreck story, most found the writing superficial and the characters one-dimensional. They criticized the author's lack of depth in character development and atmospheric setting, particularly given the Depression-era backdrop. Despite these criticisms, the group acknowledged that the book was a page-turner due to its surprising plot twists, though they questioned the plausibility of some elements and felt the historical aspects could have been better integrated into the narrative. |
