PHC Book Discussion Picks for Summer 2026

Read our picks this winter and join us for discussion on the

sunporch at sunset this summer.

May 12, 2026: The Yellow House: Van Gogh, Gauguin, and Nine

Turbulent Weeks in Provence 1888, Paul Gauguin shared a yellow

house with Vincent van Gogh; the odd couple of the art world -- one

calm, the other volatile - - how these two artists exchanged ideas.

June 9, 2026: How to Read a Book: A Novel by Monica Wood

Will really light a fire under your book club....A reminder that

goodness, and books, can still win in this world. NYT: "A chance

encounter at a bookstore, exploring the power of sharing stories.”

July 14, 2026: Heartwood By Amity Gage

Jill Mays says, “This is even better than God of the Woods. Fast and

compelling read, exploring multiple layers of relationships, especially

mother daughter. This has made it to one of my favorite books of all

time.”

August 11, 2026: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Ann Patchett calls “A cause for celebration”—an intimate novel about

the transformative power of the written word and the beauty of

slowing down to reconnect with the people we love. Masterful . . ..

September 8, 2026: Body and Soul by Frank Conroy

Poor, lonely, growing up on the margins of life, the great world always

hurrying out of reach. But there is an out-of-tune piano in the small

apartment, and in unlocking the secrets of its keys, as if by magic,

Claude discovers he is a musical prodigy.

October 13, 2026: Signal Moon by Kate Quinn

Yorkshire, 1943. Young debutante ground down by war, trades her

white gloves for a set of headphones - her job to intercept enemy

naval communications. One night, she picks up a transmission that

isn’t code at all—it’s a cry for help … from 2023.