Library offers two new book clubs in new year
With the start of the new year, Naperville Public Library introduces two new book clubs: Criminal Spines and Read Around the World. These two additional clubs accompany the library's established groups of Constant Readers Evening Book Club, Readers Rendezvous Daytime Book Club, Great Books Discussion Group, Great Decisions Discussion Group and Reader's Night Out.
Criminal Spines Book Club will take place the second Thursday of each month at Naper Blvd. Library, where crime fiction is especially popular.
"The library wanted to explore having a genre-based book club, and crime fiction is one of the most popular genres with our customers," said Karen Toonen, adult services librarian. "Criminal Spines will be reading all types of crime books, not just who-done-it type mystery novels. We'll also be reading espionage novels, thrillers, including legal thrillers, suspense novels and nonfiction true crime novels."
The group will meet from 7 to 8 p.m. Jan. 8 to discuss its first book "Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter" by Tom Franklin. On Feb. 12, the group will discuss "The Alienist" by Caleb Carr. The books selected for discussion are a mixture of newer releases and older titles.
"All these types of crime stories share the adrenaline rush of watching a crime being committed, the intrigue of watching an investigator puzzling out the solution and the satisfaction of witnessing justice triumph as the plot is resolved," Toonen said.
Read Around the World
The other new book club coined, Read Around the World Book Discussion, will feature books that represent a variety of countries and cultures from across the globe. The club will meet the third Tuesday of each month to discuss new and classic titles at 95th Street Library.
The new book club may help readers learn about places and cultures they might not otherwise have encountered. The group will discuss "White Teeth" by Zadie Smith during its first meeting from 7 to 8 p.m. Jan. 20. On Feb. 17, the group will talk about "The White Woman on the Green Bicycle" by Monique Roffey.
The library also offers the opportunity for teens and children to join in book discussions. For children and their parents, the library's Book & Cookie Club allows families to read together and then discuss the selected book while enjoying cookies. The child-and-parent book club will meet from 7 to 8 p.m. Feb. 11 at Naper Blvd. Library and 7 to 8 p.m. Feb. 26 at Nichols Library. Also, teen bookworms can meet up to talk about books over a slice of pizza from 6 to 6:45 p.m. Jan. 26 and Feb. 23 at Nichols Library.
For more information about upcoming book clubs, go to www.naperville-lib.org.