The library is holding a community read of Everything I Never Told You by Celest Ng!
What is a community read?
We’re encouraging everyone in Demarest to read (or listen to) Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng and join us for a hybrid in-person and Zoom discussion on Thursday, March 3.
What’s the book about?
Everything I Never Told You is the story of a Chinese-American family in 1970s small-town Ohio. When Lydia, the “favorite” of the three Lee children, is found dead in a local lake, the family unravels, each in their own way. As the investigation into Lydia’s death and the family’s history unfold, we learn their secrets, insecurities, betrayals, and longings.
How do I participate?
First: Read! You have several options for borrowing the book:
- Visit us during opening hours and ask for a copy of a print edition at the upstairs desk.
- Request a copy of a print edition, large print edition, book on CD, or Playaway through the BCCLS catalog, or by calling us at 201-768-8714 or emailing us at demacirc@bccls.org
- Borrow a copy of the eBook or digital audiobook on Libby. (Learn more about borrowing eBooks and digital audiobooks here.)
What’s next?
Join us for our hybrid socially-distanced in-person and Zoom discussion on Thursday, March 3 at 7pm. Though registration is not required for in-person attendance, we ask that you please sign up so we can make appropriate preparations.
I want to read the book but I don’t want to go to the discussion.
That’s okay! Whether you can’t attend the discussion or just aren’t interested, we still encourage you to read along. You can also find resources below if you’re interested in learning more about the author, the book, what to read next, or in having a discussion group of your own.
Additional Resources
About the Author
Visit Celeste Ng’s website
Celeste Ng’s GoodReads Author Page
Reviews of Everything I Never Told You
Booklist
BookPage
Kirkus
Library Journal
Los Angeles Times
New York Times
O Magazine
Publishers Weekly
Interviews with Celeste Ng
With GoodReads
On Late Night with Seth Meyers
With the New York Times, By the Book
With the New York Times, profile
With NPR
At Politics and Prose
At the 2018 National Book Festival
With Time Magazine
Everything I Never Told You Discussion Guide
Download the library’s discussion guide here.
Download the publisher’s discussion questions and book club guide here.
What to Read Next
Midnight at the Dragon Café by Judy Fong Bates
These haunting, lyrically written novels focus on young girls from Chinese immigrant families struggling to adapt in 1950s Canada (Midnight) and 1970s America (Everything). Both books feature richly textured characters, complex emotions, and long-hidden family secrets. (From NoveList.)
Gravity Is the Thing by Jaclyn Moriarty
Siblings of children who went missing at a young age cope with the aftermath of their disappearances in both moving, thought-provoking stories. Everything I Never Told You is a bit more sober than Gravity. (From NoveList.)
Inheritance by Lan Samantha Chang
Both are restrained, lyrically written novels that explore the secrets, frustrations, and complex emotions of Chinese and Chinese-American families. Each features a diverse cast of nuanced characters attempting to balance their personal ambitions with their family’s well-being. (From NoveList.)
The Sleepwalker’s Guide to Dancing by Mira Jacob
These haunting, richly textured, and reflective novels examine the complex dynamics of immigrant families as they struggle to fit in new communities and confront difficult emotions in revisiting devastating personal losses. (From NoveList.)
The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
In these bittersweet domestic dramas, a teenager’s sudden, mysterious death reveals buried family tensions during the 1970s. While Everything I Never Told You treats identity and belonging for a small-town Chinese-American family, Lovely Bones dwells on budding romantic love and self-acceptance. (From NoveList.)
Searching for Sylvie Lee by Jean Kwok
In both of these moving and suspenseful Chinese immigrant stories, sudden disappearances lead to secrets long kept from family members being gradually revealed. (From NoveList.)
Red at the Bone by Jacqueline Woodson
These books are moving, thoughtful, and character-driven, and they have the theme “family gatherings”; the genres “psychological fiction” and “literary fiction”; the subjects “interracial families” and “family relationships”; and have characters that are culturally diverse, authentic, and introspective. (From NoveList.)
The Last Story of Mina Lee by Nancy Joonyoun Kim
These books are moving, thoughtful, and character-driven, and they have the theme “family gatherings”; the genres “psychological fiction” and “literary fiction”; the subjects “interracial families” and “family relationships”; and have characters that are culturally diverse, authentic, and introspective. (From NoveList.)
Saints for All Occasions by J. Courtney Sullivan
These books are moving, and they have the genres “psychological fiction” and “mainstream fiction”; the subjects “loss (psychology),” “grief,” and “family secrets”; and have characters that are well-developed. (From NoveList.)