The University Friends Circle Book Club usually meets on the first Thursday of the month at 3:30 p.m., at the UC Merced on Main building at the corner of Main Street and M, in downtown Merced. The February 2026 meeting will be on Thursday, February 5th.
Book Club leaders Martha (french412@yahoo.com) and Barbara invite all UFC members to join them for robust discussion each month. Book Club members rotate responsibility for book selection during the academic year. All UFC members are welcome at any time!
The January book selection is The Bee Sting by Paul Murray.
This 2023 novel by Irish author Paul Murray is a darkly comedic and tragicomic family saga about the Barnes family in post-crash Ireland, exploring themes of debt, secrets, and the struggle to be a good person as their lives unravel. (Google AI)
Titles read so far this academic year:
- December 2025: Between Sisters by Kristin Hannah
- November 2025: Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon
- October 2025: My Friends by Fredrik Backman
- September 2025: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters
