AM Book Club

The morning book group will discuss I See You’ve Called in Dead by John Kenney. Bud Stanley didn’t really mean to die—at least not yet. A jaded obituary writer who accidentally publishes his own obit after a few too many drinks, Bud quickly realizes he’s set an irreversibly chaotic chain of events in motion.

His newspaper’s human resources system has already marked him as deceased, so he can’t technically be fired, but he’s suspended without pay until further notice. Wholly unprepared to find a new job, Bud finds himself attending the funerals of total strangers, thinking more deeply about life, death, and the messiness in between. This is a razor-sharp, darkly comedic, and emotionally piercing exploration of unexpected connections, romantic disappointments, and professional crises. Kenney (Talk to Me, 2019) seamlessly balances irreverence and depth, urging readers to confront life’s brevity with both cynicism and hope. With the satirical bite of Richard Russo’s Straight Man, the introspection of Fredrik Backman’s A Man Called Ove (2014), and the reinvention of Andrew Sean Greer’s Less (2017), Kenney’s vivid prose transforms the mundane—chats with neighbors, bad dates, office rivalries—into unexpected hilarity. I See You’ve Called in Dead is a witty and heartwarming reminder of the bottomless despair, limitless absurdity, and undeniable joy of the human experience.

This book club is moderated by a librarian.  Copies of the book are available to check out on request at the front desk. Newcomers are welcome.