Book Clubs of the Triangle: OLLI Book Club

Posted 4:20 p.m. Aug 23, 2021 — Updated 4:20 p.m. Aug 23, 2021

Sarah Goddin

We continue highlighting the book clubs of Quail Ridge Books and their favorite books for reading or discussing.

OLLI stands for Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, which hosts programs at NC State University in Raleigh for adults aged 50+. The OLLI book club meets at Quail Ridge Books. Here are five books that were among the most enjoyed in the last two years:

Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

In his 2016 memoir comedian Trevor Noah recounts his childhood in South Africa under the apartheid government and the first few years of democratic rule by the nation's black majority.

Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right by Jane Mayer

Jane Mayer profiles the wealthy donors who have funded and established organizations to promote libertarian ideals, particularly the brothers Charles and David Koch.

Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Russell Hochschild

This 2016 National Book Award finalist by sociologist Russell Hochschild sets out to explain the worldview of supporters of the Tea Party Movement in Louisiana.

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

Winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Autobiography, Lab Girl by Hope Jahren is a beautifully written memoir about the life of a woman in science, a brilliant friendship, and the profundity of trees.

Sissy: A Coming-of-Gender Story by Jacob Tobia

Tobia combines incisive wit and undeniable intelligence to invite readers into their personal journey as a gender-nonconforming young person in North Carolina. It is in Tobia’s often self-deprecating humor that Sissy is most transformative, and where it most departs from other trans memoirs.

The OLLI book club is currently meeting via Zoom on the second Tuesday of the month at 2:30 p.m. If you're interested in joining, or finding out more about any of our book clubs, please email me, Sarah (sarah@quailridgebooks.com) and I will pass your contact information along to the moderator.

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