Category Classes & Events

Black and white drawing of two children peering over the edge of a crumbling sidewalk edge, with the title beneath. A dog has fallen partway through behind them.

April is National Poetry Month

Kristen B. Leave a comment
Black and white drawing of two children peering over the edge of a crumbling sidewalk edge, with the title beneath. A dog has fallen partway through behind them.

by Kristen B.

April is National Poetry Month. We need at least that long to appreciate all the wonderful poets and poems that enrich our lives. Poetry allows us the see the world in new ways. The rhythms and allusions of poetry open views or thoughts that ordinary prose simply cannot elicit through standard structures. Whether recounting lengthy epics like the Iliad or appreciating life’s little joyous moments with Mary Oliver, poetry’s language can transport us.

Do you have any favorites? Do any memorized pieces live in your mind? I first read Dylan Thomas‘ “Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night” the year my father was diagnosed with cancer. “Rage, rage, against the dying of the light” has been with me ever since. In less fraught circumstances, my sister memorized Shel Silverstein‘s “Sick” when she was in elementary school – it’s still fun to recall its whimsical truth as adults. I know quite a few people who can recite all the nonsensical words of the heroic “Jabberwocky,” from Lewis Carroll’s classic story, Through the Looking Glass – famously performed by the Muppets, in case you haven’t seen it.

We invite you to celebrate a month of poetry. Whether you borrow a volume or anthology of poetry, or attend a class, we hope that you take a moment or two to enjoy some wonderful words. And, on April 27 – official Poem in Your Pocket Day – you can keep handy an old favorite or a new, original composition to share throughout the day.

Creating from Wounds: A Generative Workshop
Adults. Register.
The power of poems is that they allow us to create from disaster, making something out of the brokenness to process and cope. In this workshop, Meg Eden shares tools that she has used in writing her latest poetry collection. Compose using interactive prompts, then receive resources to continue with your writing.
Sat, Apr 15
12:30 – 1:30 pm
Savage Branch

Poets Corner
Ages 6-11, 45 minutes. Ticketed; free tickets available 15 minutes before class starts.
There’s a poem in your head just shouting to come out! Discover the tools poets use to create verses that sparkle and shine. Read, write, and have fun sharing poems!
Sat, Apr 22
2 – 2:45 pm
Elkridge Branch

Playful Poetry
Ages 6-9, 45 minutes. Ticketed; free tickets available 15 minutes before class starts.
April is National Poetry Month – celebrate by joining us to hear and share fun poems from a variety of creators. Participants are welcome to bring a poem they love to share with the group. Maybe you will even be inspired to compose a poem of your own!
Thu, Apr 27
5 – 5:45 pm
Elkridge Branch

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball in season (but not all at the same time).

The viewer peers through leaves at a young Black girl standing at the edge of water where ripples circle.

Meet Nyani Nkrumah, Author of Wade in the Water

Kristen B. Leave a comment
The viewer peers through leaves at a young Black girl standing at the edge of water where ripples circle.

“Stunning…The author is supremely gifted at bringing both her characters and their close-knit rural town to life. Readers will eagerly await more from this writer.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Mon, Mar 27; 7 – 8 pm
HCLS Miller Branch and online
Register at bit.ly/AuthorNyaniNkrumah

Resonant with the emotional urgency of Alice Walker’s classic Meridian and the poignant charm of Sue Monk Kidd’s The Secret Life of Bees, this gripping debut novel of female power and vulnerability, race, and class explores the unlikely friendship between a precocious black girl and a mysterious white woman in a small Mississippi town in the early 1980s.

More from Publisher’s Weekly:

Nkrumah’s stunning debut revolves around an unlikely friendship between an 11-year-old Black girl and a middle-aged white woman in 1982 Ricksville, Miss., and the segregated town’s fraught history. Intelligent, questioning Ella stands out in her light-skinned Black family because she is the result of her mother’s fling with a much darker-skinned man. Her ne’er-do-well stepfather Leroy is seldom home, but when he is, he takes out his rage and humiliation by sexually abusing Ella, while her mother treats her with contempt and frequent whippings. Meanwhile, a white Princeton University professor named Katherine St. James, who was raised in Mississippi, stirs things up when she moves into the Black half of town for a research project. Though it’s been almost 20 years since the killings of three voting-rights activists nearby, the case remains unsolved and racial tensions still run high. Against this backdrop, Katherine becomes a tutor and mother figure to the love-starved Ella, but as shocking revelations emerge about Katherine’s past in 1960s Mississippi, Nkrumah leads readers to reflect on the limits of the professor’s good intentions. The author is supremely gifted at bringing both her characters and their close-knit rural town to life. Readers will eagerly await more from this writer.

Nyani Nkrumah was born in Boston and grew up in Ghana, West Africa, and later Zimbabwe. Nyani graduated from Amherst College, has a Masters from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and earned a Ph.D from Cornell University. A Fulbright Fellow, she lives in the Washington, DC area with her family and works in international development.

Blue water with circular waves overlapping.

Relax and Align with the Healing Flame Collective

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Members of the Healing Flame Collective posing with their instruments.

By Holly L.

Do you want to give meditation and mindfulness practice a try, but don’t know where to begin your journey? 

Join us on Saturday, March 18 from 1-3 pm at HCLS Miller Branch for an afternoon of informal meditation and mindfulness in an open setting brought to you by The Healing Flame Collective.  

Founded by musical team Janice Buerkli (known in her community as “Janice B.”) and Maurice Carroll, The Healing Flame Collective is a group of musicians, sound healers, and energy workers united by the common cause of healing. According to Janice B., “the concept and purpose of the group is to help as many people as possible with the combined healing power of music, meditation, energy work, and vibrations in a live experience.”   

Attendees of the free session on March 18 experience guided meditation and breath work, sound healing vibrations, and a mini seated Reiki session. For those new to Reiki, it is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that promotes healing. Reiki is based on the idea that “life force energy” flows through us and causes us to be alive. If one’s “life force energy” is low or blocked, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stressed. Sound Healing also works with energy and uses a variety of singing bowls, tools, and instruments in specific frequencies and vibrations designed to promote healing. Benefits of Reiki and Sound Healing include a reduction in stress, anxiety, and depression, alleviation of physical and emotional pain, an increase in gamma brain waves which aids in cognitive function, and increased relaxation. Participants should feel encouraged to participate at their own comfort level and have the opportunity to ask questions. All who attend should emerge from the session feeling more relaxed and aligned. Janice B. describes the event as, “a great opportunity to try out these healing modalities without committing to the time and cost of a full in-person session.”

Learn more about the Healing Flame Collective at www.thehealingflamecollective.com  

Holly is an Instructor and Research Specialist at the Miller Branch. She enjoys knitting, preferably with a strong cup of tea and Downton Abbey in the queue.

Two large flowers: a pink hibiscus above a white plumeria, with other yellow petals behind the plumeria and a blue background above the hibiscus. Overall, a bright pastel compostion.

March is Women’s History Month

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Two large flowers: a pink hibiscus above a white plumeria, with other yellow petals behind the plumeria and a blue background above the hibiscus. Overall, a bright pastel compostion.
Georgia O’Keeffe, Hibiscus with Plumeria, 1939, oil on canvas, Smithsonian American Art Museum, gift of Same Rose and Julie Walters, 2004.30.6

By Emily B.

In honor of Women’s History Month, let’s take a closer look at the “Mother of American Modernism,” Georgia O’Keeffe. One of the most prolific artists of the 20th century, O’Keeffe is best known for her large-scale paintings of flowers.

O’Keeffe was born in Wisconsin in 1887, the second of seven children. By age 10, O’Keeffe decided she would be an artist. Her big break came in 1916 when, unbeknownst to her, famed photographer Alfred Stieglitz presented her art in New York City. This marked the beginning of O’Keeffe and Stieglitz’s tumultuous relationship. O’Keeffe would soon move to New York and become Stieglitz’s muse, appearing in hundreds of his photographs. The pair would go on to marry, following an intense affair.

O’Keeffe’s marriage to Stieglitz, who was 23 years her senior, was far from perfect. Though Stieglitz provided O’Keeffe with studio space and connections in the art world, there was a major power imbalance and he was not faithful. His long-term affair with another photographer took a toll on O’Keeffe’s mental health. Despite this, the pair remained married until Stieglitz’s death in 1946.
In the 1920s, O’Keefe began creating large-form flower paintings. Almost immediately, male art critics began to assert that the “essence of very womanhood permeates her pictures.” While her husband promoted and capitalized off these remarks, O’Keeffe was not comfortable with the claims. She said, “…when you took time to really notice my flower, you hung all your own associations with flowers on my flower and you write about my flower as if I think and see what you think and see of the flower — and I don’t.”

O’Keeffe’s artistry was highly sought after. In 1938, she was sent to Hawaii on an all-expenses paid trip, where she was meant to produce a pineapple painting for an advertisement campaign. After nine weeks in Hawaii, O’Keefe had the beginnings of many beautiful works depicting Hawaii and its flora, but there was nary a pineapple painting. She would not complete the contracted pineapple painting until the fruit was shipped to her in New York City.

Through her career, O’Keeffe would befriend other artistic greats. O’Keeffe and Ansel Adams had a friendship spanning 50 years, no doubt bonding over their deep passion for the natural world. O’Keeffe befriended Frida Kahlo in 1931 and there is evidence to suggest they perhaps were romantically involved.

Throughout her life, Georgia’s passion for art never wavered. Even as she grew frail and her eyesight began to deteriorate, continued painting with assistance and even learned to work with clay. O’Keeffe’s appreciation for nature is timeless and is surely why she has remained one of the most beloved American artists.

Artwork by Georgia O’Keeffe and her artist friends is available to borrow from the Art Education Collection at the Central and Glenwood branches.

Emily is an Instructor & Research Specialist at the Central Branch. She enjoys puzzling, reading, listening to music, and re-watching old seasons of Survivor. 

Selected Women’s History Month Classes

Creating the Legacy
For adults. Register here.
In the world of codes and ciphers, women have always played a role. Throughout American history, women have provided vital information to military leaders, searched for enemy secrets, and pioneered new scientific fields. Learn about the contributions and talents women have brought to cryptology. Presented by Jennifer Wilcox, Director of Education for the National Cryptologic Museum.
Sat, Mar 11; 3 – 4 pm
Savage Branch

Forgotten Women Writers of the 17th Century and Beyond
For adults. Register here.
Women’s History Month provides the perfect time to recognize that for every Austen, Dickinson, and Bronte, another unheard-of author lived who was every bit as good! Discover new-to-you women authors to add to your To Be Read list.
Wed, Mar 15; 7 – 8 pm
Central Branch

Women’s History Month Button Making
For all ages; under 12 must be accompanied by an adult. Register here.
Votes for Women! Celebrate the historical significance of buttons in the women’s suffrage movement by making one. Design your own or use a template featuring historical women’s suffrage slogans and important women throughout history.
Wed, Mar 22; 7 – 8 pm       
Central Branch

Amazing Women: How Did They Build That?
Ages 6-10, 45 minutes. Ticketed; free tickets available in branch 15 mins before class.
Learn about artist/architects Maya Lin and Zaha Hadid, the innovative structures they created, and how they stay up. Design and build structures with various materials.
Fri, Mar 31; 2 – 2:45 pm
Central Branch

Eric stands on the bottom rung of a ladder, while Kelly holds a garden rake, with a stone wall behind them. A wheelbarrow full of greenery, a box of daffodils, and other gardening implements rest in front.

Spring at the DIY Center

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Eric stands on the bottom rung of a ladder, while Kelly holds a garden rake, with a stone wall behind them. A wheelbarrow full of greenery, a box of daffodils, and other gardening implements rest in front.

by Kelly M.

Does springtime make you dream of gardening? Whether you’re new to gardening or expanding a well-tended garden patch, your library can help you get your green thumb going.

Start with one of our many books on garden planning to get ideas on layout, environmentally-friendly growing techniques, and tips and tricks to help. Find inspiration at the Enchanted Garden at HCLS Miller Branch. Get advice on your plans in-person by attending one of our classes, where Howard County Master Gardeners share their knowledge and experience.

Then begin to prepare your space for planting. Healthy soil is the foundation of a good garden! Avoid tilling the ground, which breaks up valuable soil structure, by building a raised bed. Raised beds sit on top of the ground, with sidewalls built out of a range of materials such as wood board, hay bales, logs, and more. The bed is then filled with nutritious soil and compost to help your plants grow strong. If you have an in-ground garden bed already, it’s a good idea to get your soil tested to see what nutrients it may need. The DIY Center at HCLS Elkridge Branch has your tool needs covered, with saws, drills, shovels, and wheelbarrows available to borrow for free.

If you have limited space for growing, you can try growing flowers and vegetables in containers that can fit on a deck or balcony. Container gardening not only uses space efficiently, it also allows you to move your plants to catch the most sunlight in the spring and fall while avoiding too much sun in the summer. The raised height means you can garden without bending and kneeling, and gives protection from rabbits and groundhogs. Take a hands-on class on how to build a raised bed or container garden like salad table at the DIY Center, and then borrow the tools for free that you’ll need to construct one at home.

Now you’ll be ready to buy all the beautiful flowers or vegetable plants at your local gardening center! All these classes take place at HCLS Elkridge Branch.

Getting your Garden Ready for Spring
For adults. Register here.
Learn about sustainable gardening with Master Gardeners. Discover tips on spring-time gardening tasks for a range of garden types, including vegetable, perennial, and native plants.
Sat, Mar 11
11 am – 12 pm

Learn to Build a Salad Table
For adults. Register at bit.ly/3ZTyZBB
Let’s chat about what a salad table is and why you should build one. As a group, we move from plan to table during the demonstration.
Sat, Mar 18
11 am – 12:30 pm

Earth Day: How to Build a Planter
For adults. Register at bit.ly/3jgRhfL
Make a stylish patio planter for Earth Day. We introduce materials, building techniques, and the proper use of all the tools you need to complete the project and bring some nature into your space.
Sat, Apr 22
11 am – 12:30 pm

Earth Day: How to Build a Bamboo Trellis
For adults. Register at bit.ly/3DwR8eO
Trellises can give plants the space to grow in a garden, and bamboo is an ideal, renewable material. Learn the techniques for building a trellis with bamboo poles and lashing twine.
Sat, Apr 22
1 – 2 pm

Kelly is a DIY Instructor & Research Specialist at the Elkridge Branch. She likes to get her hands in the dirt, try new craft projects, and see how many books she can read at one time.

The cover depicts an Italian town on the coastline against a pale orange sky, with the cliffs overlooking a sky-blue sea and the green hills in the distance.

Meet Rebecca Serle, Author of One Italian Summer

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Author Rebecca Serle wears a pink floral slip dress and sits in the corner of a beige sofa.

Sun, Mar 12
2 – 4 pm
Miller Branch & online
In partnership with Columbia Inspired magazine
Register here for the in-person event and here for the online event.

“[A] magical trip worth taking.” — Associated Press

The New York Times bestselling author of In Five Years returns with a powerful novel about the transformational love between mothers and daughters set on the breathtaking Amalfi Coast.

When Katy’s mother dies, she is left reeling. Carol wasn’t just Katy’s mom, but her best friend and first phone call. She had all the answers, and now, when Katy needs her the most, she is gone. To make matters worse, their planned mother-daughter trip of a lifetime looms: two weeks in Positano, the magical town where Carol spent the summer right before she met Katy’s father. Katy has been waiting years for Carol to take her, and now she is faced with embarking on the adventure alone.

But as soon as she steps foot on the Amalfi Coast, Katy begins to feel her mother’s spirit. Buoyed by the stunning waters, beautiful cliffsides, delightful residents, and, of course, delectable food, Katy feels herself coming back to life.

And then Carol appears—in the flesh, healthy, sun-tanned, and thirty years old. Katy doesn’t understand what is happening, or how—all she can focus on is that she has somehow, impossibly, gotten her mother back. Over the course of one Italian summer, Katy gets to know Carol, not as her mother, but as the young woman before her. She is not exactly who Katy imagined she might be, however, and soon Katy must reconcile the mother who knew everything with the young woman who does not yet have a clue.

Rebecca Serle’s next great love story is here, and this time it’s between a mother and a daughter. With her signature “heartbreaking, redemptive, and authentic” (Jamie Ford, New York Times bestselling author) prose, Serle has crafted a transcendent novel about how we move on after loss, and how the people we love never truly leave us.

The cover depicts an Italian town on the coastline against a pale orange sky, with the cliffs overlooking a sky-blue sea and the green hills in the distance.

One Italian Summer is available from HCLS in print, as an audiobook on CD, and as an e-book and an e-audiobook from Libby/OverDrive.

After the presentation, you can purchase her book and have it have it autographed (while supplies last). For those attending virtually, books are available to purchase online from The Last Word Bookstore.

Rebecca Serle discusses her book with Anika Baty-Mills.

Rebecca Serle is an author and television writer who lives in New York and Los Angeles. Serle co-developed the hit TV adaptation of her YA series Famous in Love, and is also the author of In Five Years and The Dinner List, and YA novels The Edge of Falling and When You Were Mine. She received her MFA from the New School in New York, NY.

Anika Baty-Mills is the publisher and owner of Columbia Inspired magazine. Columbia Inspired magazine is a digital publication that provides a safe space for each and every reader to feel seen, heard, and cared for. Its mission is to help readers create, implement, and nurture their own version of a healthy lifestyle.  For the last 18 years, Anika and her family have lived, worked, and played here in Howard County and she is proud to be bringing the community together one click at a time.

In partnership with Columbia Inspired magazine and Prince George’s County Memorial Library System.

Please register for the in-person event or the online event with an email address to receive an immediate registration confirmation.

Three books propped upright by the bubble wall in the Elkridge Branch children's area: The Yeti Files, Aven Green, and J.D. and the Great Barber Battle

Fun with First Chapter Books

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Three books propped upright by the bubble wall in the Elkridge Branch children's area: The Yeti Files, Aven Green, and J.D. and the Great Barber Battle

by Eliana H.

At least once a week, typically more often, I walk a library guest over to my favorite children’s collection: First Chapter Books. Since you’re not at the Elkridge Branch visiting me in person, welcome to my virtual tour of this great option for young readers. 

A few things might lead us over to First Chapter Books. Maybe someone is asking about their second grader who has progressed past early readers but is still intimidated by the longer texts in Children’s Fiction. Perhaps a grown-up wants their child to read more than only graphic novels. Possibly a young reader is looking for some funny books, and they read quickly, so they want to know there are more book in the series waiting for them. Any of those requests are likely to prompt me to invite you to follow me as we head toward our First Chapter Book collection. 

You may be asking, so what is a First Chapter Book? First Chapter Books are chapter books, as you might have guessed, but they still have illustrations. The collection has a range of levels, but they all contain a bit less dense text than Children’s Fiction, where the rest of our chapter books live. Some have pictures on every page and maybe only a few sentences per page, while others may have a few pages of text before another illustration appears. First Chapter Books are not for a specific age. I’ve suggested the collection for readers throughout elementary grades. While all the books fit within a certain range of reading levels, they are not arranged by difficulty. As with most of our other collections, titles are shelved alphabetically by author name. Most of our First Chapter Books are part of series, so enthusiastic readers can continue to follow the adventures of favorite characters. Many of the books engage your sense of humor, and fantasy and magic are common themes as well. Plenty of options are available for children who want to read stories about kids just like them. 

So the next time you are looking for a fun book that won’t be too taxing for a fairly fluent reader, ask your friendly library staff member where you can find the First Chapter Book collection. If you have a reader between the ages of six and nine in your house who wants to talk about First Chapter Books with others, join me for Paragraph Pals, which meets monthly at the Elkridge Branch. You can register for our next meeting here starting March 2. 

Eliana is a Children’s Research Specialist and Instructor at HCLS Elkridge Branch. She loves reading, even if she’s slow at it, and especially enjoys helping people find books that make them light up. She also loves being outside and spending time with friends and family (when it’s safe).

A black cover with multi-colored type in yellow, orange, purple, and teal. Illustrated women's eyes look to left and right, one sporting a nose ring and the other a bindi.

She’s Got a Reputation. It Would Be a Shame to Waste It.

Rohini G. 1 Comment
A black cover with multi-colored type in yellow, orange, purple, and teal. Illustrated women's eyes look to left and right, one sporting a nose ring and the other a bindi.

Meet the Author
Wednesday, Mar 8
7 – 8 pm
online – you will receive a link after registration.

“[A] wild ride. Very funny—like, laugh out loud funny.” —NPR

Enter Parini Shroff with her debut novel, The Bandit Queens. I loved this novel because it offers a rare perspective into Indian women – their entrepreneurship and business acumen as well as their spunk and solidarity, and it does so without minimizing their traditionally burdensome role in society. A very difficult balancing act that Parini pulls off with aplomb. Filled with clever criminals, second chances, and wry and witty women, it’s a razor-sharp debut of humor and heart.

A young Indian woman finds the false rumors that she killed her husband surprisingly useful — until other women in the village start asking for her help getting rid of their own husbands. Five years ago, Geeta lost her no-good husband. As in, she actually lost him — he walked out on her and she has no idea where he is. But in her remote village in India, rumor has it that Geeta killed him. And it’s a rumor that just won’t die.

Freedom must look good on Geeta, because now other women are asking for her “expertise,” making her an unwitting consultant for husband disposal.

Join us on Wednesday, March 8 from 7-8 pm as Parini discusses her book with Faye McCray.

“This funny, feel-good read is a rollicking ride rife with memorable characters involved in ill-fated hijinks. It also serves up commentary on class, power dynamics and the role of women in society, with a feminist history lesson to boot.”—Good Housekeeping

Headshot of author Parini Shroff with long black hair, with lush greenery behind her.
Faye McCray, wearing a yellow dress, stands before a wood door in a brick wall. She has her arms crossed and her hair all to the left.

Parini Shroff received her MFA from the University of Texas at Austin. She is a practicing attorney and currently lives in the Bay Area.

Faye McCray is an author, playwright, and journalist whose work has been featured in the HuffPost, Parade Magazine, Little Patuxent Review, AARP Magazine, Madame Noire, Black Girl Nerds, and other popular publications. Faye is a proud board member of the Howard County Poetry and Literature Society and Hopeworks.

The Bandit Queens is available in print and as an e-book.

Black background filled with flashes reads: Get ready for the POP-arazzi. You're invited to Evening in the Stacks. In the corner, a glamorous woman with a silk scarf peers over her sunglasses.

Evening in the Stacks Goes Pop!

Kristen B. Leave a comment
Black background filled with flashes reads: Get ready for the POP-arazzi. You're invited to Evening in the Stacks. In the corner, a glamorous woman with a silk scarf peers over her sunglasses.

by Kristen B.

It’s a great event! And I don’t say that only because I work for the library. I have often suspected that Evening in the Stacks is so much fun for two main reasons: 1. everyone has a little cabin fever by the end of February, and 2. there’s an element of breaking the rules by partying inside a library building. Even if, in reality, the library is rarely a hushed, quiet place.

This year, we’re celebrating all things pop culture – it’s gonna be iconic! DJ Kopec, the official DJ of the Baltimore Ravens, keeps the party going on the dance floor. You can choose to play some Pop Quiz Trivia to start the evening, testing your knowledge of what’s current. Food and beverages will be as tasty as always – with Taharka Brothers serving ice cream for dessert!

Tickets are on sale now for this annual fundraiser taking place on Saturday, February 25 from 7 – 11 pm at HCLS East Columbia Branch. Proceeds benefit Battle of the Books, an academic competition for fifth graders happening again this year at Merriweather Post Pavilion.

Consider joining us – for a great party and to do some good in the community. Hope to see you there!

Looking fly and having fun on the dance floor.
Evening in the Stacks: Across Africa, held at HCLS East Columbia Branch in 2022.

Kristen B. is a devoted bookworm lucky enough to work as the graphic designer for HCLS. She likes to read, stitch, dance, and watch baseball in season (but not all at the same time).

The cover shows a woman with long red hair and turquoise blue glasses frames with matching striped top reading an open book with a yellow cover that she holds in her hands.

Light But Not Fluffy – New Book Club

madammommy 3 Comments
The cover shows a woman with long red hair and turquoise blue glasses frames with matching striped top reading an open book with a yellow cover that she holds in her hands.

by Piyali C.

While Covid ravaged the world, I went into a reading slump. I love to read literary fiction, historical fiction, and other thought-provoking books that are deep, engrossing and have messages for me to decipher. But Covid took up so much of my mental bandwidth. There was not much left in me to devote to complicated plots and complex characters in a novel or to focus on nonfiction. I craved happy stories – stories that gave me hope.

I shared that thought with a like-minded friend and colleague. She could relate. We both started reading books that were lighter in content than our usual fare but had issues to discuss and ponder. We read books that ended with “happily-ever-after” or with the hope of “happily ever after.” We suggested titles to each other and then began a list, jotting those titles down. We wondered if there were others out there who felt like us – who needed page turners with a purpose and were willing to discuss them. But starting a book club, at that time, was just a dream.

The book cover shows a yellow A-frame house in the background, against a turquoise sky with four fluffy white cumulus clouds. The house has green deciduous trees behind it. The eye descends from the house on top of the hill across a green expanse to the bottom, where a red lobster floats in blue water against a shoreline of grey rocks and pebbles in varying shades, shapes, and sizes.

However, the dream became a reality recently. I am starting a book club called Light But Not Fluffy on March 16, 2023. We will meet on the Third Thursday of every month at Miller Branch from 2 – 3 pm. The selected titles will be available for pickup 4 weeks prior to the discussion date from the Customer Service Desk at Miller Branch.

We will read books that talk about love, grace and, most importantly, hope. The books will include humor and perhaps some snark as well, to spice things up. If the thought of reading lighter books and joining in a discussion that will, hopefully, leave us feeling happier appeals to you, join us. 

The book shows a woman, facing the camera, from her nose to her hips. She holds a bound brown leather book against her chest with both hands. She is wearing a red shirt or dress with a white apron trimmed in a paler red over top. Her dark red lipstick matches her fingernails.

Below are the dates and titles for Spring:

March 16 – The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman (also available in e-book and e-audiobook format from Libby/OverDrive) – previously reviewed on Chapter Chats.

April 20 – Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes (also available in e-book and e-audiobook format from Libby/OverDrive)

May 18 – The Kitchen Front by Jennifer Ryan (also available in e-book and e-audiobook format from Libby/OverDrive) – previously reviewed on Chapter Chats.

Registration is preferred, not required. Click here to register.

Piyali is an instructor and research specialist at HCLS Miller Branch, where she facilitates Light But Not Fluffy and co-facilitates Global Reads. She keeps the hope alive that someday she will reach the bottom of her to-read list.