A few months ago, I shared some books that our three book clubs had recently read and discussed. I also talked about the origins of book clubs and some of the benefits they provide. Here are a few more recent book club picks to get you thinking about trying a new author, a new genre, or about joining a book club!

The Lit Wits Book Club recently read author Veronica Roth’s “Poster Girl.” Veronica Roth is best known for her dystopian young adult Divergent series, which were made into movies. “Poster Girl” is a book that is instead set after a dystopian regime has already fallen in the Pacific Northwest. How do people pick up the pieces and recover? Who bears the blame for atrocities? The group had a lively discussion about the long history and importance of dystopian science fiction. Dystopian science fiction can generate great discussions on topics such as personal freedom, privacy, the integration of technology, censorship, political corruption, and a variety of other issues that people find both current and important.

The History Book Club recently read “Hip-Hop Is History” by musician, producer, and musicologist Questlove. Questlove takes on a difficult task by trying to chronicle the rise of and changes to a current musical and cultural phenomenon. His insights into the darker side of the modern music industry and how culture and music shape each other prompted great discussion. The group also enjoyed discussing Questlove’s candid expressions about the difficulties any current historian faces in writing about the past: curating content to decide what to include or not, meeting publishers’ editorial expectations, and dealing with personal perspective and bias.

The Mystery Book Club read Clare Mackintosh’s “A Game of Lies” a couple months ago. The book follows a deceptive reality television show in rural Wales where losing means your darkest secrets might be revealed. The group discussed the challenges of reading a book in a series that isn’t the first book and how that can affect your perception of characters and the movement of the plot. The group also discussed the history of reality television and how even reality shows can be quite scripted or directed to get the audience to see things in a certain way.

Our book clubs offer something for everyone. Everyone is welcome and you don’t have to sign up or come every time. You can come even if you didn’t read the book – after all, book clubs are made for socializing. The Lit Wits Book Club usually meets on the first Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s Fred Johnson room, but their September meeting will be on Tuesday, September 2 due to the Labor Day holiday. The History Book Club usually meets on the third Tuesday of the month at noon. This month we’ll meet at Lykke Books (203 N Minnesota St.) with Kent Nerburn, the author of this month’s book selection! The Mystery Book Club usually meets on the last Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the library’s Fred Johnson room. Copies of each month’s book are available at the library’s front desk. You don’t need to worry about trying to find yourself a copy! We hope you’ll stop in and join one of our book clubs – make new friends, see some old ones, and find a book you enjoy or one you despise!

The library is located at 17 N. Broadway and is open to the public Monday-Thursday from 9:30 a.m.-8 p.m. and Friday-Saturday from 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.