book groups

  • Guaranteed no-pressure book group experience

    I clearly have the best job in the world, because I regularly get to go to a book group that does nothing but talk about good books — and lots of them. This isn’t your typical “let’s all read the same book and talk about it” book group. Instead, this is an informal group where… Continue reading

  • Rereading a favorite book

    Recently my book group read Bridge of Sighs by Richard Russo, a book I had savored more than a year ago. But a year later, with the complications of aging and excess information crowding my brain, I had almost completely forgotten the novel. What I did remember was my reaction to Bridge of Sighs — joy… Continue reading

  • Staff Favorites: Three ‘book group’ books

    A Death in the Family by James Agee Other writers describe this book as a near-perfect work of art. The prose is poetic and musical, and the characterizations are so true to life that you feel you are part of the family, insular and innocent in a small Tennessee town in 1915. With incredible insight… Continue reading

  • Julia Glass: Book Group Darling

    When Julia Glass’ first book, Three Junes, came out in 2002 and won the National Book Award, it became a book group trailblazer. Book groups everywhere rejoiced in a new author of contemporary fiction whose writing was fresh and confident and featured complex, memorable characters. You’d think that would be easy to do, but it… Continue reading

  • Seattle Reads author … in Seattle!

    Dinaw Mengestu, author of The Beautiful Things That Heaven Bears, is in town (see the schedule for his five Library visits and two other appearances) — and that in itself is a beautiful thing. Lots of cities now have community reads or “One Book” projects to bring people together for  discussions and events centered around a book. But… Continue reading

  • Nonfiction Book Discussions for 2008

    Book groups may occasionally select a biography or a nonfiction title to discuss, but few – except the Nonfiction Book Group here at the Library – are devoted to exclusively reading and discussion nonfiction titles. New members are always welcome! The group meets on the third Tuesday of each month at noon on the 8th… Continue reading