June 2026

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Fiction

Published in 1954

On a remote tropical island, far from the reach of civilization, a group of schoolboys find themselves suddenly, thrillingly alone. With no adults to govern them, they set about building a society of their own – electing leaders, establishing rules and clinging to the fragile hope of rescue. But as the days stretch on and the illusion of order begins to crack, fear takes root in the shadows of the jungle. What begins as a grand adventure slowly curdles into something darker, as the boys’ attempts at control give way to chaos, superstition and a growing, unspoken dread.

In Lord of the Flies, William Golding crafts a haunting allegory of human nature stripped bare, where the line between civilization and savagery proves perilously thin. With chilling precision, the novel charts the descent of innocence into brutality, asking what remains of morality when the structures that uphold it fall away. Both timeless and unsettling, it lingers as a stark reminder that the true “beast” may not lurk in the wilderness – but within us all.

This meeting for discussion of Book #222 is currently scheduled for June 13 at 5 PM.

July 2026

The Frontiersmen by Allan W. Eckert

Historical Fiction

Published in 1967

In The Frontiersmen, Allan W. Eckert transforms the violent birth of the American frontier into something vast, intimate and deeply human. Spanning the forests and river valleys of Ohio, the novel follows legendary scout Simon Kenton as he carves a life from the unforgiving wilderness, crossing paths with settlers, soldiers, renegades and Shawnee warriors during the brutal struggle for the Northwest Territory. Eckert blends painstaking historical research with sweeping narrative drama, immersing readers in a world where survival depends on courage, instinct and the uneasy collision of cultures on the edge of empire.

This meeting for discussion of Book #223 is currently scheduled for July 18 at 5 PM.