Palmetto Readers

Discussion of ‘The September House’ (2023) by Carissa Orlando

Wed, Oct 21 · 6:30 PM EDT

Tombo Grille, 4517 Forest Dr, Columbia, SC 29206, USA, Columbia, SC, US

Join us for dinner and a discussion of the book The September House by Carissa Orlando.

Restaurant: Tombo Grille
Address: 4517 Forest Dr, Columbia, SC 29206

Summary (from Goodreads):

A woman is determined to stay in her dream home even after it becomes a haunted nightmare in this compulsively readable, twisty, and layered debut novel.

When Margaret and her husband Hal bought the large Victorian house on Hawthorn Street—for sale at a surprisingly reasonable price—they couldn’t believe they finally had a home of their own. Then they discovered the hauntings. Every September, the walls drip blood. The ghosts of former inhabitants appear, and all of them are terrified of something that lurks in the basement. Most people would flee.

Margaret is not most people.

Margaret is staying. It’s her house. But after four years Hal can’t take it anymore, and he leaves abruptly. Now, he’s not returning calls, and their daughter Katherine—who knows nothing about the hauntings—arrives, intent on looking for her missing father. To make things worse, September has just begun, and with every attempt Margaret and Katherine make at finding Hal, the hauntings grow more harrowing, because there are some secrets the house needs to keep.

Page Count (Varies Based on Edition): 344

Genre: Horror, Mystery, Fiction

Year Published: 2023

This book is available through local public library systems in both physical and electronic formats (Lexington Public Library, Richland County Library).

Bring, at least, 3 observations and 3 questions about the book (keeping this open-ended, but this could include the characters, specific plot details, comparing it to other books, and critiques of the discussed book).

David Sedaris at the Koger Center for the Arts (USC Columbia Campus)

Mon, Nov 2 · 7:30 PM EST

Koger Center for the Arts, 1051 Greene Street, Columbia, SC, US

David Sedaris is a national treasure and one of the best humorists alive today. Let's plan to see him at the Koger Center of the Arts on the University of South Carolina's Columbia campus on Monday November 2 at 7:30pm.

You can purchase tickets on Koger Center's website. Please post your seat number and let's try to sit together.

Until Sunday September 6, you can use the promo code LABORDAY for discounted tickets at $30 each.

Here is the summary of the event from their website: David Sedaris is the bestselling author of the books Calypso, Theft By Finding, Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls, Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk, When You Are Engulfed in Flames, Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim, Me Talk Pretty One Day, Holidays on Ice, Naked, and Barrel Fever. He is a regular contributor to The New Yorker and BBC Radio 4.

Discussion of ‘Tortilla Flat’ (1935) by John Steinbeck

Wed, Nov 11 · 6:30 PM EST

Location not specified yet

Join us for dinner and a discussion of the book Tortilla Flat by John Steinbeck.

Restaurant: TBD

Summary (from Goodreads):

Danny is a paisano, descended from the original Spanish settlers who arrived in Monterey, California, centuries before. He values friendship above money and possessions, so when he suddenly inherits two houses, Danny is quick to offer shelter to his fellow gentlemen of the road. Together, their love of freedom and scorn for material things draws them into daring and often hilarious adventures. That is, until Danny, tiring of his new responsibilities, suddenly disappears...

Page Count: 256

Genre: Fiction, Classics

Year Published: 1935

This book is available through local public library systems in both physical and electronic formats (Lexington Public Library, Richland County Library).

Bring, at least, 3 observations and 3 questions about the book (keeping this open-ended, but this could include the characters, specific plot details, comparing it to other books, and critiques of the discussed book).