There are 52 upcoming classes.
Noontime Books (Online)
Date: 09/16/21Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Join us for an online discussion of the following titles:
- Thu September 16, 12 pm: O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
- Thu October 21, 12 pm: American Dirt by Jeannine Cummins
- Thu November 18, 12 pm: Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home by Richard Bell
You must register separately for each discussion date.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
For additional assistance in obtaining this title, please email Beth Haynes at [email protected]
NonFiction Addiction (Online)
Date: 09/16/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Explore the genre of nonfiction and join our discussions on third Thursdays!
Aug 19th: "The Body: a Guide for Occupants" by Bill Bryson
Sep 16th: "The Cost of Living" by Deborah Levy
Oct 21st: "Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered" by Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
Nov 18th: "Book of Delights" by Ross Gay
*E-books and e-audiobooks available via Overdrive/Libby
Physical copies of the current month book club choice will be once again kept behind the customer service desk at East Columbia branch. Please stop by and ask for your copy.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation. You will receive the link to the online class in the confirmation email. This email will also contain as the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Strictly Historical Fiction
Date: 09/20/21Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Love historical fiction? So do we! Join our discussion to step into the past and connect with characters living in times different than our own.
September 20th: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
October 18th: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
November 15th: The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Ask at the customer service desk for a copy of the book, beginning 4 weeks before the discussion date.
Asian American Literature book club (Online)
Date: 09/20/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Read and discuss books by Asian authors or based on the Asian experience.
3rd Mondays; 7 - 8 pm.
Join for an online discussion of the following titles:
April 19: Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Jong
May 17: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
June 21: Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
July 19: Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture by Euny Hong
August 16: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
September 20: Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao
October 18: The Only Child by Mi-Ae Seo
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Reads of Acceptance (Online)
Date: 09/20/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Community & Culture
Description:
Join us as we discuss books pertaining to LGBTQ+ experiences! We meet on 3rd Mondays each month from 7-8pm. Titles to be discussed are as follows:
September 20th: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
October 18th: Snapdragon by Kat Leyh
November 15th: The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers may checkout books at the Central Branch Customer Service Desk, beginning 4 weeks prior to the discussion date.
Alternatively, registered customers can place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a print or digital copy to read before the discussion. We recommend placing holds well in advance; click here for a tutorial on managing your holds requests.
Availability of copies is not guaranteed. For additional assistance in obtaining this title, please email Angie Engles at [email protected]
This event is part of HCLS Racial Equity and Inclusion series.
The Failed Promise: Reconstruction, Frederick Douglass, and the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson (Online)
Date: 09/21/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Racial Equity
Description:
Brilliantly spotlighting Douglass’s rhetorical strategies and mounting despair over the failure of Reconstruction, this trenchant study speaks clearly to today’s battles over voting rights and racial justice. - Publisher's Weekly
Robert S. Levine’s new book, The Failed Promise: Reconstruction, Frederick Douglass, and the Impeachment of Andrew Johnson, tells the story of Frederick Douglass’s heated struggle with President Andrew Johnson over the rights of Black Americans in the years immediately following the Civil War.
Levine recounts the conflicts that led to Johnson’s impeachment from the perspective of Douglass and the wider Black community. The great Black leader Douglass believed that the Union victory in the Civil War, aided by nearly 200,000 Black soldiers, meant that African Americans should gain the full rights of U.S. citizenship, including the right to vote. Sadly, Black Americans and other minorities are continuing to fight for such rights. Douglass’s struggle with Johnson speaks to the promise and failure of Reconstruction, and to the struggles of our own moment as well.
About Robert Levine
Robert S. Levine is Distinguished University Professor of English at the University of Maryland, College Park. He is the author and editor of a number of books, including The Lives of Frederick Douglass (Harvard University Press, 2016), and he is the General Editor of The Norton Anthology of American Literature, the world’s most widely used American literature anthology. He has won Guggenheim, NEH, and other grants; he is a long-time resident of Ellicott City. His website is go.umd.edu/robertslevine
This event is part of HCLS Racial Equity and Inclusion series.
BUY THE BOOK
Copies of this book can be purchased from our Bookstore partner, Books with a Past.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Presented with support from Carroll County Public Library, Prince George's County Memorial Library System, Ruth Enlow Library of Garrett County, and Worchester Public Library.
Warning Graphic Content (Online)
Date: 09/21/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Racial Equity
Description:
Read and discuss a wide array of graphic novels. 3rd Tuesdays 7 - 8 pm.
Sept 21 Kill or be Killed (Vols. 1 -4) by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation. You will receive the link to the online class in the confirmation email. This email will also contain as the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
In Other Worlds (Online) - Book Discussion
Date: 09/22/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Welcome sci-fi enthusiasts and other intrepid readers!
Discuss a wide-array of SciFi movies (2nd Wednesdays) and books (4th Wednesdays)
Sep 22nd: Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Oct 27th: City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
Dec 1st: Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation. You will receive the link to the online class in the confirmation email. This email will also contain as the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
E-books & e-audiobooks available via Overdrive/Libby
Physical copies of the current month book club choice will be once again kept behind the customer service desk at East Columbia branch. Please stop by and ask for your copy.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
Romantic Reads (Online)
Date: 09/22/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Love to read romance novels? Do you need an escape from reality? Join the new Romantic Reads Book Discussion!
Discuss your favorite romance author and book or series with other fellow romance readers. You will "zoom" away with new authors and books to add to your wish list of books to read!
For this session, we will be focusing on books by the author Tessa Dare. Please read any book of your choice by Tessa Dare
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation. You will receive the link to the online class in the confirmation email.This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Black Fiction Book Club (online)
Date: 10/02/21Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Join us for the Black Fiction Book Club, meeting on the 1st Saturday of the month.
The October Selection is What's Mine and Yours by Naima Coster
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
Read. Think. Talk.
Date: 10/04/21Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Elkridge Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Join us to discuss some great novels about the American experience before they're critically acclaimed television shows.
This month we will read and discuss The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed
Global Reads
Date: 10/04/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Read and discuss a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books on different cultures around the world as well as immigrant fiction.
1st Mondays; 7- 8 pm.
Join for a discussion of the following titles:
Oct 4: The Book of Delights by Ross Gay
Nov 1: The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
Ask at the customer service desk for a copy of the book, beginning 4 weeks before the discussion date.
Book Club Revue: Reunion (Online)
Date: 10/05/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Racial Equity
Description:
Reunited, and it feels so good!
Join us online for a celebratory return to our annual Book Club Revue. Get HCLS' "Books for Discussion 2022" list as we promote some of the year's most discussable works of fiction and nonfiction. Get tips to optimize your discussions. Learn about upcoming events. Door prizes.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Spies, Lies, and Alibis Book Discussion Group
Date: 10/05/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
We focus on spies, espionage, and world intrigue, alternating both classic and contemporary fiction and nonfiction, from the twentieth century and beyond.
Join us for discussion of the following titles:
Safe Houses by Dan Fesperman, Tue Sep 7
Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies by Ben Macintyre, Tue Oct 5
Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan, Tue Nov 2
Book on Tap
Date: 10/06/21Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Branch: Off Site
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Reading selections for fall:
Sept 1 - Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Morena-Garcia
Oct 6 - The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
Nov 3 - There There by Tommy Orange
We will plan to meet outdoors at Hysteria. If the weather is inclement, we will have a Zoom room as a backup.
An Inconvenient Book Club
Date: 10/07/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Gardening & Environment
Description:
Book discussion. Thursday; 7:00 - 8:00 PM
October 7: A Children's Bible by Lydia Millet. We hope to discuss this book in person in the Enchanted Garden. In the event of inclement weather we will meet in the Patapsco Room.
Registered customers can pick up a copy of A Children's Bible beginning Sept 9th while supplies last. Ebooks are also available.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation.
Eclectic Evenings Online
Date: 10/12/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Read and discuss a wide array of fiction and nonfiction titles.
2nd Tuesdays, 7-8pm
Join for an online discussion of the following title:
Oct 12: The Pioneers by David McCullough
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
For additional assistance in obtaining this title, please email [email protected]
In Other Worlds (Online) - Movie Edition
Date: 10/13/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Movies
Description:
Welcome sci-fi enthusiasts and other intrepid readers!
Discuss a wide-array of SciFi movies (2nd Wednesdays) and books (4th Wednesdays)
Sep 8th: The Brand New Testament (on Kanopy)
Oct 13th: Europa Report (on Kanopy)
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation. You will receive the link to the online class in the confirmation email. This email will also contain as the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Movie selections are available via Kanopy (free through Howard County Library System), Hoopla, or other free online sources such as TUBI ,or PBS.
Physical copies of the current month book club book will be once again kept behind the customer service desk at East Columbia branch. Please stop by and ask for your copy.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
Mystery Book Club (online)
Date: 10/13/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Read and discuss a wide array of mystery novels.
2nd Wednesdays; 7-8pm.
Join for an online discussion of the following titles:
September 8 - Artemis by Andy Weir
October 13 - Lazarus by Lars Kepler
November 10 - Big Sky by Kate Atkinson
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
Strictly Historical Fiction
Date: 10/18/21Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Love historical fiction? So do we! Join our discussion to step into the past and connect with characters living in times different than our own.
September 20th: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
October 18th: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
November 15th: The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Ask at the customer service desk for a copy of the book, beginning 4 weeks before the discussion date.
Asian American Literature book club (Online)
Date: 10/18/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Read and discuss books by Asian authors or based on the Asian experience.
3rd Mondays; 7 - 8 pm.
Join for an online discussion of the following titles:
April 19: Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Jong
May 17: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
June 21: Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
July 19: Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture by Euny Hong
August 16: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
September 20: Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao
October 18: The Only Child by Mi-Ae Seo
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Reads of Acceptance (Online)
Date: 10/18/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Community & Culture
Description:
Join us as we discuss books pertaining to LGBTQ+ experiences! We meet on 3rd Mondays each month from 7-8pm. Titles to be discussed are as follows:
September 20th: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
October 18th: Snapdragon by Kat Leyh
November 15th: The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers may checkout books at the Central Branch Customer Service Desk, beginning 4 weeks prior to the discussion date.
Alternatively, registered customers can place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a print or digital copy to read before the discussion. We recommend placing holds well in advance; click here for a tutorial on managing your holds requests.
Availability of copies is not guaranteed. For additional assistance in obtaining this title, please email Angie Engles at [email protected]
This event is part of HCLS Racial Equity and Inclusion series.
Bas Bleu Book Discussion Group
Date: 10/20/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Bas Bleu, French for “bluestocking,” refers to an intellectual or literary woman. We read a variety of literary fiction, and all are welcome – not just bluestockings!
Join us for a discussion of the following books:
Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce, Wed Sep 15
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, Wed Oct 20
A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier, Wed Nov 17
Nonfiction Book Club (Online)
Date: 10/20/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Join the Nonfiction Book Club to share your thoughts on a varied array of Nonfiction selections.
- Jul 21 - Voices from Chernobyl: Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster by Svetlana Alexievich
- Aug 18 - Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling
- Sep 15 - In The Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Marie Machado
- Oct 20 - Book of Delights by Ross Gay
- Nov 17 - The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk W Johnson
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed. For additional assistance in obtaining this title, please email [email protected]
Noontime Books (Online)
Date: 10/21/21Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Join us for an online discussion of the following titles:
- Thu September 16, 12 pm: O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
- Thu October 21, 12 pm: American Dirt by Jeannine Cummins
- Thu November 18, 12 pm: Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home by Richard Bell
You must register separately for each discussion date.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
For additional assistance in obtaining this title, please email Beth Haynes at [email protected]
NonFiction Addiction (Online)
Date: 10/21/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Explore the genre of nonfiction and join our discussions on third Thursdays!
Aug 19th: "The Body: a Guide for Occupants" by Bill Bryson
Sep 16th: "The Cost of Living" by Deborah Levy
Oct 21st: "Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered" by Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
Nov 18th: "Book of Delights" by Ross Gay
*E-books and e-audiobooks available via Overdrive/Libby
Physical copies of the current month book club choice will be once again kept behind the customer service desk at East Columbia branch. Please stop by and ask for your copy.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation. You will receive the link to the online class in the confirmation email. This email will also contain as the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Diversity Day Book Group: Discuss Homeland Elegies (In-Person)
Date: 10/26/21Time: 6:30pm - 7:45pm
Branch: Central Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Racial Equity
Description:
In celebration of National Diversity Awareness Month, the Howard County Office of Human Rights & Equity is partnering with the Howard County Library System to host a book discussion series. The goal of this discussion series is to explore and facilitate multiple conversations around race, belonging, immigration, dispossession, and the lived experience of the socially invisible through narrative.
Join us at HCLS Central Branch as we discuss Ayad Ahktar’s Homeland Elegies.
Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar
A deeply personal work about identity and belonging in a nation coming apart at the seams, Homeland Elegies blends fact and fiction to tell an epic story of longing and dispossession in the world that 9/11 made. Part family drama, part social essay, part picaresque novel, at its heart it is the story of a father, a son, and the country they both call home.
Join us at HCLS Central Branch as we discuss Ayad Ahktar’s Homeland Elegies.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. Availability of books is not guaranteed. Place Hold.
This series is comprised of three simultaneous events. Pick the discussion you wish to attend. There is separate registration for each discussion.
October 26: 6:30 - 7:45 pm - Discuss Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar @ HCLS, Central Branch IN-PERSON Register
October 26: 6:30 - 7:45 pm - Discuss On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong @ HCLS, Miller Branch IN-PERSON Register
October 26: 6:30 - 7:45 pm - Discuss movie Just Mercy based on the book by Bryan Stevenson ONLINE Register
This event is part of the Brave Voices Brave Choices series.
Diversity Day Book Group: Discuss On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (In-Person)
Date: 10/26/21Time: 6:30pm - 7:45pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Racial Equity
Description:
In celebration of National Diversity Awareness Month, the Howard County Office of Human Rights & Equity is partnering with the Howard County Library System to host a book discussion series. The goal of this discussion series is to explore and facilitate multiple conversations around race, belonging, immigration, dispossession, and the lived experience of the socially invisible through narrative.
Join us at the Miller Branch to discuss On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
This novel is written as a letter from son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born - a history whose epicenter is rooted in Vietnam - and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation.
Join us at HCLS, Miller Branch as we discuss Ocean Vuong’s On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. Availability of books is not guaranteed. Place Hold.
This series is comprised of three simultaneous events. Pick the discussion you wish to attend. There is separate registration for each discussion.
October 26: 6:30 - 7:45 pm - Discuss Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar @ HCLS, Central Branch IN-PERSON Register
October 26: 6:30 - 7:45 pm - Discuss On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong @ HCLS, Miller Branch IN-PERSON Register
October 26: 6:30 - 7:45 pm - Discuss movie Just Mercy based on the book by Bryan Stevenson ONLINE Register
This event is part of the Brave Voices Brave Choices series.
Diversity Day Group: Discuss the movie Just Mercy (Online)
Date: 10/26/21Time: 6:30pm - 7:45pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Racial Equity
Description:
In celebration of National Diversity Awareness Month, the Howard County Office of Human Rights & Equity is partnering with the Howard County Library System to host a book discussion series. The goal of this discussion series is to explore and facilitate multiple conversations around race, belonging, immigration, dispossession, and the lived experience of the socially invisible through narrative.
Watch the film Just Mercy based on the book by Bryan Stevenson on your own schedule, then join us for a group discussion. This session will meet online via Zoom. Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the discussion. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Just Mercy
After graduating from Harvard, Bryan Stevenson heads to Alabama to defend those who are wrongly condemned or those not afforded proper representation. One of his first cases is that of Walter McMillian, who is sentenced to die in 1987 for the murder of an 18-year-old girl, despite evidence proving his innocence. In the years that follow, Stevenson encounters racism and legal and political maneuverings as he tirelessly fights for McMillian's life.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the DVD title using their library card in order to receive a copy to watch before the discussion. Availability of books/DVD is not guaranteed. Place Hold.
This series is comprised of three simultaneous events. Pick the discussion you wish to attend. There is separate registration for each discussion.
October 26: 6:30 - 7:45 pm - Discuss Homeland Elegies by Ayad Akhtar @ HCLS, Central Branch IN-PERSON Register
October 26: 6:30 - 7:45 pm - Discuss On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong @ HCLS, Miller Branch IN-PERSON Register
October 26: 6:30 - 7:45 pm - Discuss movie Just Mercy based on the book by Bryan Stevenson ONLINE Register
This event is part of the Brave Voices Brave Choices series.
In Other Worlds (Online) - Book Discussion
Date: 10/27/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Welcome sci-fi enthusiasts and other intrepid readers!
Discuss a wide-array of SciFi movies (2nd Wednesdays) and books (4th Wednesdays)
Sep 22nd: Forever War by Joe Haldeman
Oct 27th: City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
Dec 1st: Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation. You will receive the link to the online class in the confirmation email. This email will also contain as the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
E-books & e-audiobooks available via Overdrive/Libby
Physical copies of the current month book club choice will be once again kept behind the customer service desk at East Columbia branch. Please stop by and ask for your copy.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
Read. Think. Talk.
Date: 11/01/21Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Elkridge Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Join us to discuss some great novels about the American experience before they're critically acclaimed television shows.
This month we will read and discuss It Could Happen Here by Sinclair Lewis.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed
Global Reads
Date: 11/01/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Read and discuss a wide range of fiction and non-fiction books on different cultures around the world as well as immigrant fiction.
1st Mondays; 7- 8 pm.
Join for a discussion of the following title:
The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson
Ask at the customer service desk for a copy of the book, beginning 4 weeks before the discussion date.
Spies, Lies, and Alibis Book Discussion Group
Date: 11/02/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
We focus on spies, espionage, and world intrigue, alternating both classic and contemporary fiction and nonfiction, from the twentieth century and beyond.
Join us for discussion of the following titles:
Safe Houses by Dan Fesperman, Tue Sep 7
Double Cross: The True Story of the D-Day Spies by Ben Macintyre, Tue Oct 5
Sweet Tooth by Ian McEwan, Tue Nov 2
Book on Tap
Date: 11/03/21Time: 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Branch: Off Site
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Reading selections for fall:
Sept 1 - Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Morena-Garcia
Oct 6 - The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue
Nov 3 - There There by Tommy Orange
We will plan to meet outdoors at Hysteria. If the weather is inclement, we will have a Zoom room as a backup.
Black Fiction Book Club (online)
Date: 11/06/21Time: 1:00pm - 2:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Join us for the Black Fiction Book Club, meeting on the 1st Saturday of the month.
The November Selection is The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
Mystery Book Club (online)
Date: 11/10/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Read and discuss a wide array of mystery novels.
2nd Wednesdays; 7-8pm.
Join for an online discussion of the following titles:
September 8 - Artemis by Andy Weir
October 13 - Lazarus by Lars Kepler
November 10 - Big Sky by Kate Atkinson
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
Strictly Historical Fiction
Date: 11/15/21Time: 2:00pm - 3:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Love historical fiction? So do we! Join our discussion to step into the past and connect with characters living in times different than our own.
September 20th: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
October 18th: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier
November 15th: The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes
Ask at the customer service desk for a copy of the book, beginning 4 weeks before the discussion date.
Asian American Literature book club (Online)
Date: 11/15/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Read and discuss books by Asian authors or based on the Asian experience.
3rd Mondays; 7 - 8 pm.
Join for an online discussion of the following titles:
April 19: Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Jong
May 17: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
June 21: Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
July 19: Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture by Euny Hong
August 16: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
September 20: Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao
October 18: The Only Child by Mi-Ae Seo
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Reads of Acceptance (Online)
Date: 11/15/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Community & Culture
Description:
Join us as we discuss books pertaining to LGBTQ+ experiences! We meet on 3rd Mondays each month from 7-8pm. Titles to be discussed are as follows:
September 20th: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
October 18th: Snapdragon by Kat Leyh
November 15th: The City We Became by N. K. Jemisin
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers may checkout books at the Central Branch Customer Service Desk, beginning 4 weeks prior to the discussion date.
Alternatively, registered customers can place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a print or digital copy to read before the discussion. We recommend placing holds well in advance; click here for a tutorial on managing your holds requests.
Availability of copies is not guaranteed. For additional assistance in obtaining this title, please email Angie Engles at [email protected]
This event is part of HCLS Racial Equity and Inclusion series.
Bas Bleu Book Discussion Group
Date: 11/17/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Miller Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Bas Bleu, French for “bluestocking,” refers to an intellectual or literary woman. We read a variety of literary fiction, and all are welcome – not just bluestockings!
Join us for a discussion of the following books:
Dear Mrs. Bird by A.J. Pearce, Wed Sep 15
Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng, Wed Oct 20
A Single Thread by Tracy Chevalier, Wed Nov 17
Nonfiction Book Club (Online)
Date: 11/17/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Join the Nonfiction Book Club to share your thoughts on a varied array of Nonfiction selections.
- Jul 21 - Voices from Chernobyl: Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster by Svetlana Alexievich
- Aug 18 - Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling
- Sep 15 - In The Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Marie Machado
- Oct 20 - Book of Delights by Ross Gay
- Nov 17 - The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk W Johnson
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed. For additional assistance in obtaining this title, please email [email protected]
Noontime Books (Online)
Date: 11/18/21Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Join us for an online discussion of the following titles:
- Thu September 16, 12 pm: O Pioneers! by Willa Cather
- Thu October 21, 12 pm: American Dirt by Jeannine Cummins
- Thu November 18, 12 pm: Stolen: Five Free Boys Kidnapped into Slavery and Their Astonishing Odyssey Home by Richard Bell
You must register separately for each discussion date.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
For additional assistance in obtaining this title, please email Beth Haynes at [email protected]
NonFiction Addiction (Online)
Date: 11/18/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Explore the genre of nonfiction and join our discussions on third Thursdays!
Aug 19th: "The Body: a Guide for Occupants" by Bill Bryson
Sep 16th: "The Cost of Living" by Deborah Levy
Oct 21st: "Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered" by Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
Nov 18th: "Book of Delights" by Ross Gay
*E-books and e-audiobooks available via Overdrive/Libby
Physical copies of the current month book club choice will be once again kept behind the customer service desk at East Columbia branch. Please stop by and ask for your copy.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation. You will receive the link to the online class in the confirmation email. This email will also contain as the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Read. Think. Talk.
Date: 12/06/21Time: 6:30pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Elkridge Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Join us to discuss some great novels about the American experience before they're critically acclaimed television shows.
This month we will read and discuss The Refugees by Viet Thanh Nguyen.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed
Nonfiction Book Club (Online)
Date: 12/15/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Join the Nonfiction Book Club to share your thoughts on a varied array of Nonfiction selections.
- Jul 21 - Voices from Chernobyl: Oral History of a Nuclear Disaster by Svetlana Alexievich
- Aug 18 - Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling
- Sep 15 - In The Dream House: A Memoir by Carmen Marie Machado
- Oct 20 - Book of Delights by Ross Gay
- Nov 17 - The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk W Johnson
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed. For additional assistance in obtaining this title, please email [email protected]
Noontime Books (Online)
Date: 12/16/21Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Join us for an online discussion of titles to be determined.
You must register separately for each discussion date.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
For additional assistance in obtaining this title, please email Beth Haynes at [email protected]
NonFiction Addiction (Online)
Date: 12/16/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Explore the genre of nonfiction and join our discussions on third Thursdays!
Aug 19th: "The Body: a Guide for Occupants" by Bill Bryson
Sep 16th: "The Cost of Living" by Deborah Levy
Oct 21st: "Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered" by Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
Nov 18th: "Book of Delights" by Ross Gay
*E-books and e-audiobooks available via Overdrive/Libby
Physical copies of the current month book club book will be once again kept behind the customer service desk at East Columbia branch. Please stop by and ask for your copy.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation. You will receive the link to the online class in the confirmation email. This email will also contain as the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Asian American Literature book club (Online)
Date: 12/20/21Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Read and discuss books by Asian authors or based on the Asian experience.
3rd Mondays; 7 - 8 pm.
Join for an online discussion of the following titles:
April 19: Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Jong
May 17: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
June 21: Miracle Creek by Angie Kim
July 19: Birth of Korean Cool: How One Nation Is Conquering the World Through Pop Culture by Euny Hong
August 16: Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu
September 20: Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao
October 18: The Only Child by Mi-Ae Seo
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Noontime Books (Online)
Date: 01/20/22Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Join us for an online discussion of titles to be determined.
You must register separately for each discussion date.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
For additional assistance in obtaining this title, please email Beth Haynes at [email protected]
NonFiction Addiction (Online)
Date: 01/20/22Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Explore the genre of nonfiction and join our discussions on third Thursdays!
Aug 19th: "The Body: a Guide for Occupants" by Bill Bryson
Sep 16th: "The Cost of Living" by Deborah Levy
Oct 21st: "Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered" by Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
Nov 18th: "Book of Delights" by Ross Gay
*E-books and e-audiobooks available via Overdrive/Libby
Physical copies of the current month book club book will be once again kept behind the customer service desk at East Columbia branch. Please stop by and ask for your copy.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation. You will receive the link to the online class in the confirmation email. This email will also contain as the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Noontime Books (Online)
Date: 02/17/22Time: 12:00pm - 1:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Join us for an online discussion of titles to be determined.
You must register separately for each discussion date.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation with a link to join the class/event. This email will also contain the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
Registered customers should place a hold request on the title using their library card in order to receive a copy to read before the discussion. For physical copies, please follow procedures to set up a contactless pick-up appointment once you receive a notice that your hold has come in for you.
Availability of physical copies is not guaranteed.
For additional assistance in obtaining this title, please email Beth Haynes at [email protected]
NonFiction Addiction (Online)
Date: 02/17/22Time: 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Branch: Online Branch
Age group: Ages 19+ (Adults)
Program type: Book Clubs
Description:
Explore the genre of nonfiction and join our discussions on third Thursdays!
Aug 19th: "The Body: a Guide for Occupants" by Bill Bryson
Sep 16th: "The Cost of Living" by Deborah Levy
Oct 21st: "Stay Sexy and Don't Get Murdered" by Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark
Nov 18th: "Book of Delights" by Ross Gay
*E-books and e-audiobooks available via Overdrive/Libby
Physical copies of the current month book club book will be once again kept behind the customer service desk at East Columbia branch. Please stop by and ask for your copy.
Please register with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation. You will receive the link to the online class in the confirmation email. This email will also contain as the dial-in information if you wish to participate by telephone.
