Our Book Groups are Currently Meeting Virtually
Brave New Worlds
Mystery Book Club ♦ Open Minds ♦ Read It & Steep
 History Book Club ♦ The Next Big Thing
Science Book Discussion Group ♦ Series Book Club
NEW! Brave New Worlds
Meets on the third Monday of every month at 6 pm via zoom. Contact Zoey Mills at zmills@ccls.org with questions.
Sci-Fi/Speculative Fiction 2021 Selections:
| September 20 via Zoom:
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams  Physical Book |
October 18 via Zoom:
This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar & Max Gladstone  Physical Book |
| Special Date:Â November 29 via Zoom:
How Rory Thorne Destroyed the Multiverse by K. Eason |
December 20 via Zoom:
Semiosis by Sue Burke |
Sci-Fi/Speculative Fiction 2021 Selections:
| January 17 via Zoom:
Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki |
Open Minds Book Group
Meets on the third Tuesday of every month at 2 pm. New members are always welcome. Contact Gretchen Chamberlin at gchamberlin@ccls.org with any questions.
Open Minds 2021 Selections:
Please check back to see whether these meetings will be held via Zoom or in person.
| January 19 via Zoom:
By Gish Jen |
February 16:
A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende  Physical Book |
The Resisters
| March 16:
The Water Dancer by Ta-Nehisi Coates Physical Book |
April 20:
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi |
| May 18:
by Ayad Akhtar |
June 15:
How Much of These Hills is Gold by C. Pam Zhang  Physical Book |
Homeland Elegies
| July 20:
The Yellow House by Sarah M. Broom  Physical Book
|
August 17:
Dark Salt Clear: The Life in a Cornish Fishing Town by Lamorna Ash  Physical Book |
| September 21:
Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart  Physical Book |
October 19:
Codebreaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing & the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson |
| November 16:
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab Physical Book |
December 21:
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro Physical Book |
Open Minds 2022 Selections:
| January 18:
Wilmington’s Lie: The Murderous Coup of 1898 and the Rise of White Supremacy by David Zucchino |
Open Minds Book Group Selections since 2015
Read It & Steep Book Group
Read It & Steep welcomes readers with a love of non-traditional titles, scrumptious treats & spirited conversation. Read It & Steep meets on the third Tuesday of each month from 7-8:30 pm. New members are always welcome. Contact Kate Shaw at kshaw@ccls.org with any questions.
Read It & Steep 2021 Selections:
Please check back to see whether these meetings will be held via Zoom or in person.
| January 19 via Zoom:
Because Internet by Gretchen McCulloch |
February 16 via Zoom:
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles Physical Book |
| March 16 via Zoom:
The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood |
April 20 via Zoom:
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman |
| May 18 via Zoom:
The Deep by Rivers Solomon |
Special Date: June 14 via Zoom:
Wicked Plants by Amy Stewart |
| July 20 via Zoom:
There There by Tommy Orange Physical Book |
August 17 via Zoom:
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moren0-Garcia Physical Book |
| September 21 via Zoom:
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren Physical Book |
October 19 via Zoom:
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman |
| Special Date: December 7 via Zoom:
Heir Apparent by Vivian Vande Velde |
Read It & Steep Selections since 2012
History Book Club
The History Book Club is a volunteer run group that currently meets via zoom. Members select the topic for each meeting and are free to read titles of their choosing and to participate in discussion of the topic at the next meeting. This book club traditionally meets every other 4th Tuesday of the month from 7-8:30 pm. New members are always welcome. Contact Steve Harlen at sharlen@pa.gov with any questions. Â The group meets at 7 pm.
July 29, 7 pm: UFOs, led by subject expert Bill Bower; ATTEND VIA ZOOM
September 28: The Clinton Years; REGISTER HERE to receive a reminder email
Special date: December 7, 7 pm:Â Post World War II Dictators & Strongmen; REGISTER HERE to receive a reminder email
Science Books Discussion Group
Meets on the third Thursday of every month at 7:15 pm. New members are always welcome. Contact Valerie Green at vgreen@ccls.org with any questions.
Science Book Discussion Group Selections for 2021:
Please check back to see whether these meetings will be held via Zoom or in person.
| January 21 via zoom:
The End of Everything (Astrophysically Speaking) by Katie Mack  |
February 18 via zoom:
The Deep History of Ourselves by Joseph LeDoux |
| March 18 via zoom:
Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake |
April 15 via zoom:
by Rebecca Wragg Sykes |
Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death & Art| May 20 via zoom:
The Body by Bill Bryson  Physical Book |
June 17 via zoom:
Lost in Math by Sabine Hossenfelder |
| July 15 via zoom:
The Secret Lives of Planets by Paul Murdin |
August 19 via zoom:
Fundamentals by Frank Wilczek |
| September 16 via zoom:
Exercised by Daniel Lieberman  Physical Book |
October 21 via zoom:
A Brief History of Earth by Andrew Knoll  Physical Book |
| November 18 via zoom:
The Code Breaker by Walter Isaacson |
December 16 via zoom:
A Short History of Humanity by Johannes Krause |
2022 Selections:
| January 20:
Bones: Inside & Out by Roy A. Meals  Physical Book |
Science Book Group Selections since 2000
Series Book Club
We’re excited to announce the start of a new remote book club for February 2021. This book club will choose a series and read it to completion, one book a month. We are inspired by the global read along of Lauren Willig’s Pink Carnation series to start us off!
Please be aware that this series includes explicit scenes & may not be suitable for all ages.
Meets on the last Friday of every month at 7 pm. Registration required. Contact Kate Shaw at kshaw@ccls.org with any questions.
Series Book Club 2021 Selections:
| February 26 via zoom:
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (Pink Carnation #1) by Lauren Willig |
March 26 via zoom:
by Lauren Willig |
The Masque of the Black Tulip (Pink Carnation #2)| April 30 via zoom:
The Deception of the Emerald Ring (Pink Carnation #3) by Lauren Willig  Physical Book |
May 28 via zoom:
by Lauren Willig  Physical Book |
The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation #4)| June 25 via zoom:
The Temptation of the Night Jasmine (Pink Carnation #5) by Lauren Willig |
July 30 via zoom:
by Lauren Willig |
The Betrayal of the Blood Lily (Pink Carnation #6)| September 24 via zoom:
Warcross by Marie Lu  Physical Book |
November 26Â via zoom:
by Marie Lu  Physical Book
|
Series Book Club 2022 Selections:
| January 28 via zoom:
The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan  Physical Book |
February 25 via zoom:
by Glen Duncan  Physical Book |
Talullah Rising| March 25 via zoom:
By Blood We Live by Glen Duncan |
The Next Big Thing Book Club
Started in August 2019: Have you been stuck in a rut reading all the same authors? Let us introduce you to new voices! The Next Big Thing book club is an adult book club that reads debut titles by fresh, new authors.
Meets on the third Thursday of every month at 6 pm. Contact Beverly Michaels at bmichaels@ccls.org with any questions.
The Next Big Thing 2021 Selections:
| January 21 via Zoom:
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell  Physical Book
|
February 18 via Zoom:
A Certain Hunger by Chelsea Summers  Physical Book |
| March 18 via Zoom:
A Burning by Megha Majumdar  Physical Book |
April 15 via Zoom:
New Waves by Kevin Nguyen |
| May 20 via Zoom:
The Prophets by Robert Jones, Jr. |
June 17 via Zoom:
The Liar’s Dictionary by Eley Williams  Physical Book |
| July 15 via Zoom:
The Witch’s Heart by Genevieve Gornichec |
August 19: POSTPONED |
| September 16 via Zoom:
Madam by Phoebe Wynne  Physical Book  |
October 21 via Zoom:
The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner  Physical Book |
| November 18 via Zoom:
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters |
December 16 via Zoom:
by Gabriela Garcia  Physical Book |
Of Women and Salt
The Next Big Thing Selections since 2019
Mystery Book Club
The Mystery Book Club will meet at 11 am on the second Monday of each month, currently meeting via zoom. Join us as we discuss mysteries under the following themes:
Mystery Book Club 2021 Topics:
- January 11:Â Medical Mysteries
- February 8: Ruth Rendell or Ruth Ware
- March 8:Â Mysteries Set in Ireland
- April 12: Murder En Route (mysteries set on planes, trains, automobiles, etc.)
- May 10:Â Starring Famous Mystery Authors
- Suggested titles include:
- The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict
- The Josephine Tey mystery series by Nicola Upson
- Suggested titles include:
- June 14:Â British Crime ClassicsÂ
- Choose from over 70 titles in the ccls catalog!
- No meeting in July
- August 9: Mysteries involving twins or sisters
- Suggested titles include:
- My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
- The Third Twin by Ken Follett
- The Missing Sister by Elle Marr
- Suggested titles include:
- September 13: Mysteries that have been adapted into films (bonus points for watching the movie too!)
- Suggested titles include:
- The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett
- The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
- Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
- Suggested titles include:
- October 11: Political Mysteries
- Suggested titles include:
- While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams
- The President is Missing by Bill Clinton & James Patterson
- State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton & Louise Penny
- House of Cards by Michael Dobbs
- Suggested titles include:
- November 8: Authors & Publishers
- Suggested titles include:
- Who is Maud Dixon? by Alexandra Andrews
- A Lonely Man by Chris Power
- Palace of the Drowned by Christine Mangan
- The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris
- Suggested titles include:
- December 13: Holiday themed mysteries
Mystery Book Club 2022 Topics:
- January 10: Forensic Anthropologists
- Suggested authors include:
- Aaron Elkin
- Ellie Griffiths
- Kathy Reich
- Suggested authors include:
- February 14: Mysteries Solved by Couples
- Suggested couples include:
- Tommy & Tuppence Beresford (author Agatha Christie)
- Suggested couples include:
For more information or to sign up, contact Beverly Michaels at 610.296.7996 or bmichaels@ccls.org.
Art Book Club
The Art Book Club is currently not meeting. For more information, contact Victoria Skelly at victoriacskelly@gmail.com or call Paoli Library at 610.296.7996.
Art Book Club Selections since 2015
