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Book Groups

bookgroupslogo2LIBRARY-SPONSORED BOOK GROUPS/MATERIALS:
Adult Story Time
Book Club in a Bag!
BookTalks at Bethany Branch
B.Y.O.B(ooks) Club (at both the downtown and Walt Branch libraries)
Just Desserts Mystery Discussion Group
The Nebraska Heritage Book Club
Once Upon a Crime – True Crime BookTalksNew -- starting in September 2021!
NON-LIBRARY BOOK GROUPS:
“Great Books Reading and Discussion Group” (currently on hiatus)
National Book Clubs (Oprah, Read With Jenna, Reese’s Book Club, etc.)
Non-Library Book Clubs


BookTalks and Book Discussion Groups

In addition to our Preschool Storytimes and various youth-related book discussion activities, the Lincoln City Libraries offers several Book Talk and Book Discussion Groups for adult readers as well. All of the groups listed below are free and open to the public…simply drop in at one of our gatherings, or call the branch location where the meeting is taking place if you have additional questions!

mysicon — Mysteries discussed romicon — Romance fiction discussed sficon — Science Fiction discussed westicon — Western fiction discussed
[ BOOKLIST ] — Online Booklist Available, as either a web page or PDF! [ PODCAST ] — Podcast Recording Available!

For more information on any of these book groups, contact the branch or location where the group meets. You can also view some booklists from past Book Talks.

>>> Submit your own community Book Discussion Group information! <<<


BCinaBag-200Book Club in a Bag!

Book Clubs and organizations now have the ability to check out the current year’s One Book One Lincoln finalists , in a special format. For each title, the Book Club in a Bag will contain 10 copies of that book as well as some starter discussion questions. Book Club in a Bag selections will be able to be checked out for 8 weeks but with no renewals. You can find out what titles are available in the Book Club in a Bag program by searching in the library catalog under Title: Book Club in a Bag. New titles will be added to this service on an annual basis.

Subscribe to the monthly Book Club Choices Booklist Newsletter, via the form below, to receive excellent reading suggestions for book groups in your e-mail each month.

Subscribe to the Book Club Choices Booklist newsletter.

 

Email:

For examples of some of the titles/themes talked about at previous Bethany BookTalk meetings, and for booklists of titles discussed at past BookTalks, check out our Book Group Archives webpage!


Bennett Martin Public LibraryAdult Story Time
Bennett Martin Public Library (— new location, formerly at Gere Branch Library!)
136 S. 14th St. (4th Floor Auditorium)
Third Thursday of Every Month, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

441-8530 (Public Service Desk at Bennett Martin Public Library downtown)

Everyone likes being read to, so why should kids have all the fun? With Adult Story Time sessions, we invite you to join us for an evening of live readings (from short stories, essays, novel fragments, poetry, play scenes, song lyrics, etc.), music with a Nebraska connection, and take-away adult coloring sheets and craft and reading lists. Unless specifically noted, monthly meetings do not have a particular theme — each presenter picks whatever they want to read, and different months will have different readers.

Would you like to receive updates about the various library-sponsored book groups, in your e-mail, such as announcements of upcoming talk themes, schedule changes and/or notices about new booktalk booklists on the BookGuide site? Visit our E-mail Group Sign-Up page, fill out our simple form, and you’ll start receiving book group alerts with the next message that is sent!

Date Program Description
January 18, 2024
 Cindy K. read a chapter from a Dave Barry essay collection; Scott C. read a short story from Harlan Ellison [ Cumulative Booklist ]
February 15, 2024
 Readers: Becky W.C. from the Walt Branch, and Heritage Room Curator Amber S. and her husband
March 21, 2024
 
April 18, 2024
 
May 16, 2024
 

For examples of some of the titles/themes talked about at previous Adult Story Time meetings, and for booklists of titles discussed at past meetings, check out our Book Talk Booklists archive webpage!


Bethany Branch LibraryBookTalks at Bethany
Bethany Branch
1810 North Cotner Blvd.
Every Friday Morning, 10:30-11:30 a.m.

441-8550

Bethany BookTalks welcomes everyone for a morning of good books. Since 2001, speakers have presented a group of books, sometimes with a theme and sometimes not. These informal presentations allow for good conversation as well. The Bethany BookTalk group meets every Friday morning, beginning at 10:30 A.M., unless otherwise noted. Approximately 15-20 regular attendees.

Would you like to receive updates about the library BookTalk groups in your e-mail, such as announcements of upcoming talk themes, schedule changes and/or notices about new booktalk booklists on the BookGuide site? Visit our Sign-Up page, fill out our simple form, and you’ll start receiving book group alerts with the next message that is sent!

Date Program Description
January 5, 2024
Book Share bring your favorite recent reads to share with fellow group members
January 12, 2024
Book Share bring your favorite recent reads to share with fellow group members
January 19, 2024
Book Share bring your favorite recent reads to share with fellow group members
January 26, 2024
Book Share bring your favorite recent reads to share with fellow group members
February 2, 2024
The Anna Bemis Palmer Museum Carrie R., former Lincoln City Libraries staff member and now curator of the Anna Bemis Palmer Museum in York, NE talks about the museum’s current exhibit
February 9, 2024
Book Share bring your favorite recent reads to share with fellow group members
February 16, 2024
Biographical Historical Fiction Jen J., from the Bennett Martin Public Library downtown, is today’s presenter [ BOOKLIST ]
February 23, 2024
Karrie and Steph’s Awesome BookTalk – Mysteries & Thrillers Karrie S. and Steph E., from the Anderson and Bethany Branch libraries, are today’s joint presenters [ BOOKLIST ]
March 1, 2024
Mysteries discussed on this dateTBA Marcy G., from the Gere and South Branch Libraries, is today’s presenter
March 8, 2024
TBA Lisa V., from the Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries, is today’s presenter
March 15, 2024
Recent Irish Fiction Jodi R., from the Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries, is today’s presenter
March 22, 2024
TBA Erin I., former staff member at the Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries, is today’s guest presenter
March 29, 2024
TBA Debbie A., former staff member at the Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries, is today’s guest presenter
April 5, 2024
Science Fiction/Fantasy discussed on this date Mysteries discussed on this dateScott’s Grab Bag – Spring 2024 Scott C., from the Bennett Martin Public Library and manager of the BookGuide readers advisory web pages, is today’s presenter
April 12, 2024
TBA Kate K., from Eiseley and Williams Branch Libraries, is today’s presenter
April 19, 2024
TBA Jen J., from the Bennett Martin Public Library downtown, is today’s presenter
April 26, 2024
TBA Scott S., Librarian in the Polley Music Library, is today’s presenter
May 3, 2024
TBA Ryan W., Director of the Lincoln City Libraries, is today’s presenter
May 10, 2024
TBA Nathan H., from the Anderson and Bethany Branch Libraries, is today’s presenter
May 17, 2024
Susan’s Selections Susan S., teen specialist from the Eiseley and Williams Branch Libraries, is today’s presenter
May 24, 2024
One Book - One LincolnOne Book One Lincoln one of the librarians in charge of this year’s One Book One Lincoln will give a sneak peak of the Top 10 titles under consideration for the 2024 program
May 31, 2024
TBA Leeanne D., from the Gere and South Branch Libraries, is today’s presenter

For examples of some of the titles/themes talked about at previous Bethany BookTalk meetings, and for booklists of titles discussed at past BookTalks, check out our Book Group Archives webpage!



Bennett Martin Public LibraryBring Your Own Books — B.Y.O.B(ooks). Club
Bennett Martin Public Library
136 S. 14th St. (4th Floor Auditorium)
Third Wednesday of Every Month, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

441-8530 (Public Service Desk at Bennett Martin Public Library downtown)

Would you like to gather with fellow book-lovers to discuss whatever you’ve been reading and enjoying lately, without the pressure of assigned reading?

The B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Books) Club is designed with you in mind. Based loosely on the concept of “literary salons” of days gone by, the idea behind this group is that it will appeal to readers who want to talk about what they’ve read or listened to, but who don’t necessarily want to be “told” what to read, or who don’t feel like they have the time to read something assigned in addition to everything else that’s already on your “to be read” list.

Each meeting will be “themed”, so participants can select a title to talk about that matches the monthly theme. You don’t actually have to bring the book with you.

Would you like to receive updates about the various library-sponsored book groups, in your e-mail, such as announcements of upcoming talk themes, schedule changes and/or notices about new booktalk booklists on the BookGuide site? Visit our E-mail Group Sign-Up page, fill out our simple form, and you’ll start receiving book group alerts with the next message that is sent!

Date Program Description
January 17, 2024
Reading Prompt A Book That Gives You Hope [ BOOKLIST ]
February 21, 2024
Reading Prompt A Favorite Book by an Author of Color [ BOOKLIST ]
March 20, 2024
Reading Prompt A Book You ‘Binged’ or Was ‘Unputdownable’ <<<<< Our Next Discussion!!
April 17, 2024
Reading Prompt A Book With a Setting in the Future
May 15, 2024
Reading Prompt What Took Me So Long? A Book You Resisted

For examples of some of the titles/themes talked about at previous B.Y.O.B(ooks). Club meetings, and for booklists of titles discussed at past meetings, check out our Bring Your Own Books Clubs – Archive webpage!


Bess Dodson Walt Branch LibraryBring Your Own Books — B.Y.O.B(ooks). Club
Walt Branch Library
6701 S. 14th St.
Third Thursday of Every Month, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

441-4460

Would you like to gather with fellow book-lovers to discuss whatever you’ve been reading and enjoying lately, without the pressure of assigned reading?

The B.Y.O.B. (Bring Your Own Books) Club is designed with you in mind. Based loosely on the concept of “literary salons” of days gone by, the idea behind this group is that it will appeal to readers who want to talk about what they’ve read or listened to, but who don’t necessarily want to be “told” what to read, or who don’t feel like they have the time to read something assigned in addition to everything else that’s already on your “to be read” list.

Each meeting will be “themed”, so participants can select a title to talk about that matches the monthly theme. You don’t actually have to bring the book with you.

Would you like to receive updates about the various library-sponsored book groups, in your e-mail, such as announcements of upcoming talk themes, schedule changes and/or notices about new booktalk booklists on the BookGuide site? Visit our E-mail Group Sign-Up page, fill out our simple form, and you’ll start receiving book group alerts with the next message that is sent!

Date Program Description
January 18, 2024
Reading Prompt A Book That Gives You Hope [ BOOKLIST ]
February 15, 2024
Reading Prompt A Favorite Book by an Author of Color [ BOOKLIST ]
March 21, 2024
Reading Prompt A Book You ‘Binged’ or Was ‘Unputdownable’ <<<<< Our Next Discussion!!
April 18, 2024
Reading Prompt A Book With a Setting in the Future
May 16, 2024
Reading Prompt What Took Me So Long? A Book You Resisted

For examples of some of the titles/themes talked about at previous B.Y.O.B(ooks). Club meetings, and for booklists of titles discussed at past meetings, check out our Bring Your Own Books Clubs – Archive webpage!


Bennett Martin Public LibraryJust Desserts
Bennett Martin Public Library
136 S. 14th St. (4th Floor Auditorium)
Last Thursday of Every Month, January through October, 6:30-7:45 p.m.

441-8530 (Public Service Desk at Bennett Martin Public Library downtown)

The Just Desserts discussion group, focusing exclusively on Mystery Fiction, meets monthly at the Bennett Martin Public Library, downtown. This group meets the last Thursday evening of each month, January through October, 6:30 p.m. – 7:45 p.m. (socializing 6:30-6:45 — book discussion starts at 6:45)

A specific mystery novel (or author) is selected in advance for discussion during each meeting, although general discussion about mystery fiction may follow the discussion of the selected title. Since our theme is “Death and Desserts,” (i.e. The murderer got their “just desserts”), any and all participants are encouraged to bring a dessert (cookies, cake, pie, tarts, brownies, bars, cream puffs, etc.) to share with the other group members. (Decaf Coffee and juice will be provided.)

If you’d like to join us, or you would like to be added to an e-mail notification list for news about this group, you can e-mail us to let us know of your interest, at: the BookGuide e-mail address (BookGuide@lincoln.ne.gov), or fill out our sign-up form at our E-mail Group Signups page. To see a list of the mysteries discussed by the Just Desserts group in the past, visit our Just Desserts archives page…or you can print out a list of the titles discussed in the first ten years of Just Desserts. If you missed one of our past meetings and would like to contribute your own opinion about one of the books we discussed, visit the Just Desserts Blog, and leave a comment on one of the book entries, plus see each month’s list of “recommended reads” from group members!

mysiconThursday, March 28, 2024 — 6:30-7:45 p.m. <<<<< Our Next Discussion!!

For our March 2024 meeting, Just Desserts is going to go backwards just a bit. In the past 17 years of Just Desserts, only three meetings have ever been cancelled. The first of those was back in 2011, when we were scheduled to read and discuss The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie, the first Flavia de Luce novel by Alan Bradley. We never actually held that discussion, and the membership of the Just Desserts group has changed dramatically in the subsequent years, so we’re going back to the Flavia de Luce series and we’ll try for another discussion.

Because the number of copies of Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (in combined book, audiobook and electronic formats) has decreased since 2011, participants in this month’s discussion are encouraged to read any of the first six titles in the Flavia de Luce series, and we’ll discuss them all in a broad sense. Here are the blurbs for each of these six novels:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie (2009) — It is June 1950 and a sleepy English village is about to be awakened by the discovery of a dead body in Colonel de Luce’s cucumber patch. The police are baffled, and when a dead snipe is deposited on the Colonel’s doorstep with a rare stamp impaled on its beak, they are baffled even more. Only the Colonel’s daughter, the precocious Flavia — when she’s not plotting elaborate revenges against her nasty older sisters in her basement chemical laboratory, that is — has the ingenuity to follow the clues that reveal the victim’s identity, and a conspiracy that reached back into the de Luce family’s murky past. Flavia and her family are brilliant creations, a darkly playful and wonderfully atmospheric flavour to a plot of delightful ingenuity. Winner of the Barry Award, the Dilys Award, the Macavity Award and the Agatha Award, and nominee for Anthony Award.

The Weed That Strings the Hangman’s Bag (2010) — Flavia thinks that her days of crime-solving in the bucolic English hamlet of Bishop’s Lacy are over–and then Rupert Porson has an unfortunate rendezvous with electricity. The beloved puppeteer has had his own strings sizzled, but who’d do such a thing and why? For Flavia, the questions are intriguing enough to make her put aside her chemistry experiments and schemes of vengeance against her insufferable big sisters. Astride Gladys, her trusty bicycle, Flavia sets out from the de Luces’ crumbling family mansion in search of Bishop’s Lacey’s deadliest secrets. Does the madwoman who lives in Gibbet Wood know more than she’s letting on? What of the vicar’s odd ministrations to the catatonic woman in the dovecote? Then there’s a German pilot obsessed with the Brontë sisters, a reproachful spinster aunt, and even a box of poisoned chocolates. Most troubling of all is Porson’s assistant, the charming but erratic Nialla. All clues point toward a suspicious death years earlier and a case the local constables can’t solve — without Flavia’s help. But in getting so close to who’s secretly pulling the strings of this dance of death, has our precocious heroine finally gotten in way over her head?

A Red Herring Without Mustard (2011) — The precocious chemist with a passion for poisons uncovers a fresh slew of misdeeds in the hamlet of Bishop’s Lacey — mysteries involving a missing tot, a fortune-teller, and a corpse in Flavia’s own backyard. Flavia had asked the old Gypsy woman to tell her fortune, but never expected to stumble across the poor soul, bludgeoned in the wee hours in her own caravan. Was this an act of retribution by those convinced that the soothsayer had abducted a local child years ago? Certainly Flavia understands the bliss of settling scores; revenge is a delightful pastime when one has two odious older sisters. But how could this crime be connected to the missing baby? Had it something to do with the weird sect who met at the river to practice their secret rites? While still pondering the possibilities, Flavia stumbles upon another corpse–that of a notorious layabout who had been caught prowling about the de Luce’s drawing room. Pedaling Gladys, her faithful bicycle, across the countryside in search of clues to both crimes, Flavia uncovers some odd new twists. Most intriguing is her introduction to an elegant artist with a very special object in her possession–a portrait that sheds light on the biggest mystery of all: Who is Flavia? As the red herrings pile up, Flavia must sort through clues fishy and foul to untangle dark deeds and dangerous secrets.

I Am Half-Sick of Shadows (2011) — Colonel de Luce, in desperate need of funds, rents his beloved estate of Buckshaw over to a film company. They will be shooting a movie over the Christmas holidays, filming scenes in the stately manse with a famous and reclusive star. She is widely despised, so it is to no one’s surprise when she turns up murdered, strangled by a length of film from her own movies! With the snow raging outside and Buckshaw locked in, the house is full of suspects. But Flavia de Luce is more than ready to solve the wintry country-house murder. She’ll have to be quick-witted, though, to negotiate the volatile chemicals of a cast and crew starting to crack — and locked in a house with a murderer!

Speaking From Among the Bones (2013) — Eleven-year-old amateur detective and ardent chemist Flavia de Luce is used to digging up clues, whether they’re found among the potions in her laboratory or between the pages of her insufferable sisters’ diaries. What she is not accustomed to is digging up bodies. Upon the five-hundredth anniversary of St. Tancred’ s death, the English hamlet of Bishop’s Lacey is busily preparing to open its patron saint’s tomb. Nobody is more excited to peek inside the crypt than Flavia, yet what she finds will halt the proceedings dead in their tracks: the body of Mr. Collicutt, the church organist, his face grotesquely and inexplicably masked. Who held a vendetta against Mr. Collicutt, and why would they hide him in such a sacred resting place? The irrepressible Flavia decides to find out. And what she unearths will prove there’s never such thing as an open-and-shut case.

The Dead in Their Vaulted Arches (2014) — On a spring morning in 1951, eleven-year-old chemist and aspiring detective Flavia de Luce gathers with her family at the railway station, awaiting the return of her long-lost mother, Harriet. Yet upon the train’s arrival in the English village of Bishop’s Lacey, Flavia is approached by a tall stranger who whispers a cryptic message into her ear. Moments later, he is dead, mysteriously pushed under the train by someone in the crowd. Who was this man, what did his words mean, and why were they intended for Flavia? Back home at Buckshaw, the de Luces’ crumbling estate, Flavia puts her sleuthing skills to the test. Following a trail of clues sparked by the discovery of a reel of film stashed away in the attic, she unravels the deepest secrets of the de Luce clan, involving none other than Winston Churchill himself. Surrounded by family, friends, and a famous pathologist from the Home Office — and making spectacular use of Harriet’s beloved Gypsy Moth plane, Blithe Spirit–Flavia will do anything, even take to the skies, to land a killer.

The Flavia de Luce series titles are available in the following formats: Regular Print | Audiobook-on-CD | Large Type book | E-book from Overdrive | Downloadable Audio from Overdrive. There are a limited number of copies of each title available – In order to get a copy before our March 2024 discussion, we suggest placing a hold for yourself early.

This link goes to the official Alan Bradley website.

mysiconThursday, April 25, 2024 — 6:30-7:45 p.m.

In April 2024, the Just Desserts group will revisit an author that is a favorite of several of our members — Robert Crais. Crais is perhaps best known for his long-running series featuring Elvis Cole and Joe Pike, although he’s had a few titles set outside of that series.

In fact, for the purposes of this month’s Just Desserts, group members will be looking at two of his novels, which focus outside the Cole & Pike series. Suspect (2013) introduces L.A.P.D. cop Scott James, who finds himself newly partnered with Maggie, an explosives-sniffing German Shepherd. The Promise is an entry in the Cole & Pike series, but features Scott James and Maggie in supporting roles. The links below should take you to both titles, in all formats, in the libraries’ online catalog. Participants in this month’s meeting are encouraged to read either or both of these, and our plan is to discuss them both in broad terms.

Here’s the plot descriptions from the jacket blurbs:

Suspect: “LAPD cop Scott James is not doing so well. Eight months ago, a shocking nighttime assault by unidentified men killed his partner Stephanie, nearly killed him, and left him enraged, ashamed, and ready to explode. He is unfit for duty… until he meets his new partner.

Maggie is not doing so well, either. A German shepherd who survived three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan sniffing explosives before losing her handler to an IED, her PTSD is as bad as Scott’s.

They are each other’s last chance. Shunned and shunted to the side, they set out to investigate the one case that no one wants them to touch: the identity of the men who murdered Stephanie. What they begin to find is nothing like what Scott has been told, and the journey will take them both through the darkest moments of their own personal hells. Whether they will make it out again, no one can say.” (4 regular print, 1 Large Type, 5 Book-on-CD, multiple E-book and E-audiobook copies)

The Promise: “Elvis Cole and Joe Pike are joined by Suspect heroes LAPD K-9 Officer Scott James and his German shepherd, Maggie, in this heart-stopping thriller from #1 New York Times bestselling author Robert Crais.
 
Elvis Cole and Joe Pike keep their promises. Even if it could get them killed…
 
Elvis Cole is hired to find a woman who’s disappeared, a seemingly ordinary case, until he learns the missing woman is an explosives expert and worked for a Defense Department contractor. Meanwhile, LAPD K-9 Officer Scott James and his patrol dog, Maggie, track a fugitive to a house filled with explosives—and a dead body. As the two cases intertwine, they all find themselves up against shadowy arms dealers and corrupt officials, and the very woman they promised to save may be the cause of their own deaths.” (7 regular print, 2 Large Type, 2 Book-on-CD, multiple E-book and E-audiobook copies)

The two books featuring Scott James and his partner Maggie are available in the following formats: Regular Print | Audiobook-on-CD | Large Type book | E-book from Overdrive | Downloadable Audio from Overdrive. There are a limited number of copies of both titles available – In order to get a copy before our April 2024 discussion, we suggest placing a hold for yourself early.

Read more about Robert Crais online: Website | Twitter/X | Facebook | Instagram

This link goes to the Robert Crais page on FantasticFiction.com, where you read the plot descriptions of each of his books.

mysiconThursday, May 30, 2024 — 6:30-7:45 p.m.

Continuing our annual tradition, which started in 2013, our May meeting will be a “Series Share” night! Because the libraries have volumes in so many brand-new mystery series constantly being added to the collection, most of which we don’t get in large quantities of copies, we’re not assigning any specific authors or titles this month. Instead — we encourage all attendees to sample a new “mystery”, “suspense” or “thriller” series, which launched in the past few years (2021 to 2024). Come to Just Desserts prepared to give a nutshell description of the series, the protagonist, the setting, the writing style, etc., and what your opinion is of that series — thumbs up or thumbs down. Extra points if it is a brand-new series, or a less-well-known author!

Attendees at Just Desserts are always looking for great new series to try out…our track record has been that this “series share” opportunity gives us all a lot of new authors to explore!

Note: Because of the unusual nature of this month’s discussion, we can’t guarantee that we’ll get to our traditional “Round Robin” at the end of the meeting — we hope to, but the discussion of “Series Shares” may take more time than anticipated!

mysiconThursday, June 27, 2024 — 6:30-7:45 p.m.

In June, the Just Desserts group will be reading and discussing the latest book from an author that we’ve never discussed before, William Landay.

Here’s the plot description of All That is Mine I Carry With Me from the jacket blurb:

Three grown siblings confront their father’s role in their mother’s disappearance in this arresting novel from the New York Times bestselling author of Defending Jacob.

Jane Larkin disappeared without a trace in November 1976. When ten-year-old Miranda arrives home from school that autumn afternoon, finding her mother’s pocketbook in its usual spot in the front hall, she assumes her mother will be back any minute. But as the hours tick by, alone in the house, Miranda becomes filled with a steady certainty that her mother will never come home again. In the absence of other leads, detectives quickly turn their suspicions toward Jane’s husband, Daniel. A criminal defense attorney, Dan would know a thing or two about how to stay one step ahead of investigators. Indeed, no evidence is ever found. But nor is any real possible motive. And so Miranda and her two older brothers, Jeff and Alex, are left in limbo, to be raised by the man who may or may not have murdered their mother.

Over the years, as the case grows colder, each makes their own uneasy peace with the situation. Until one day, when they are all grown — and a body is found.

Suddenly, the investigation is reinvigorated, and everyone has to choose a side in a confrontation they have long avoided. Once lines are drawn, there is no going back. Untangling a web of family secrets, compelling motives, and long-held grudges, William Landay masterfully grapples with a tantalizing case, calling into question the most basic of morals: How deep should family loyalty run? What do we owe to the dead? And what happens when the search for the truth could cost everything?

William Landay online: Website | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Threads | FantasticFiction

All That is Mine I Carry With Me page on publisher’s website

All That is Mine I Carry With Me is available in the following formats: Regular Print (15) | E-book from Overdrive (2) | Audiobook-on-CD (2). In order to get a copy before our June 2024 discussion, we suggest placing a hold for yourself early.

mysiconThursday, July 25, 2024 — 6:30-7:45 p.m.

In July, the Just Desserts group will be reading and discussing a 2023 mystery that showed up on many “Best of” lists for the year, and is set during the heat of summer at a luxurious vacation destination — Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum.

Here’s the plot description of Bad Summer People from the jacket blurb:

“Emma Rosenblum’s Bad Summer People is a whip-smart, propulsive debut about infidelity, backstabbing, and murderous intrigue, set against an exclusive summer haven on Fire Island. None of them would claim to be a particularly good person. But who among them is actually capable of murder?

Jen Weinstein and Lauren Parker rule the town of Salcombe, Fire Island every summer. They hold sway on the beach and the tennis court, and are adept at manipulating people to get what they want. Their husbands, Sam and Jason, have summered together on the island since childhood, despite lifelong grudges and numerous secrets. Their one single friend, Rachel Woolf, is looking to meet her match, whether he’s the tennis pro-or someone else’s husband. But even with plenty to gossip about, this season starts out as quietly as any other. Until a body is discovered, face down, off the side of the boardwalk. Stylish, subversive, and darkly comedic, this is a story of what’s lurking under the surface of picture-perfect lives in a place where everyone has something to hide.

Emma Rosenblum online: Website | Facebook | Twitter/X | Instagram | FantasticFiction

Bad Summer People page on publisher’s website

Bad Summer People is available in the following formats: Regular Print (9) | Audiobook-on-CD (4) | Large Type (4) | E-Book from Overdrive/Libby (8)| E-Audiobook from Overdrive/Libby (7)
In order to get a copy before our July 2024 discussion, we suggest placing a hold for yourself early.

mysiconThursday, August 29, 2024 — 6:30-7:45 p.m.

In August, the Just Desserts group will be reading and discussing a 2023 mystery from the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys. The Crook Manifesto is actually the second book in Whitehead’s Ray Carney series, following Harlem Shuffle (2021).

Here’s the plot description of The Crook Manifesto from the jacket blurb:

“It s 1971. Trash piles up on the streets, crime is at an all-time high, the city is careening towards bankruptcy, and a shooting war has broken out between the NYPD and the Black Liberation Army. Amidst this collective nervous breakdown furniture store owner and ex-fence Ray Carney tries to keep his head down and his business thriving. His days moving stolen goods around the city are over. It s strictly the straight-and-narrow for him until he needs Jackson 5 tickets for his daughter May and he decides to hit up his old police contact Munson, fixer extraordinaire. But Munson has his own favors to ask of Carney and staying out of the game gets a lot more complicated and deadly.

1973. The counter-culture has created a new generation, the old ways are being overthrown, but there is one constant, Pepper, Carney’s endearingly violent partner in crime. It’s getting harder to put together a reliable crew for hijackings, heists, and assorted felonies, so Pepper takes on a side gig doing security on a Blaxploitation shoot in Harlem. He finds himself in a freaky world of Hollywood stars, up-and-coming comedians, and celebrity drug dealers, in addition to the usual cast of hustlers, mobsters, and hit men. These adversaries underestimate the seasoned crook to their regret.

1976. Harlem is burning, block by block, while the whole country is gearing up for Bicentennial celebrations. Carney is trying to come up with a July 4th ad he can live with. (“Two Hundred Years of Getting Away with It!”), while his wife Elizabeth is campaigning for her childhood friend, the former assistant D.A and rising politician Alexander Oakes. When a fire severely injures one of Carney s tenants, he enlists Pepper to look into who may be behind it. Our crooked duo have to battle their way through a crumbling metropolis run by the shady, the violent, and the utterly corrupted.

Crook Manifesto is a darkly funny tale of a city under siege, but also a sneakily searching portrait of the meaning of family.”

Colson Whitehead online: Website | FantasticFiction

The Crook Manifesto page on publisher’s website

The Crook Manifesto is available in the following formats: Regular Print (13) | Audiobook-on-CD (3) | Large Type (5) | E-Book from Overdrive/Libby (4)| E-Audiobook from Overdrive/Libby (3)
In order to get a copy before our August 2024 discussion, we suggest placing a hold for yourself early.

mysiconThursday, September 26, 2024 — 6:30-7:45 p.m.

In September, the Just Desserts group will finally be reading and discussing a title from a very popular author that we, somehow, haven’t used for group discussion before — Karin Slaughter. Her 11th entry in the Will Trent series (which has been adapted to a popular TV series on ABC) was After That Night.

Here’s the plot description of After That Night from the jacket blurb:

“After that night, nothing was ever the same again…

Fifteen years ago, Sara Linton’s life changed forever when a celebratory night out ended in a violent attack that tore her world apart. Since then, Sara has remade her life. A successful doctor, engaged to a man she loves, she has finally managed to leave the past behind her.

Until one evening, on call in the ER, everything changes. Sara battles to save a broken young woman who’s been brutally attacked. But as the investigation progresses, led by GBI Special Agent Will Trent, it becomes clear that Dani Cooper’s assault is uncannily linked to Sara’s.

And it seems the past isn’t going to stay buried forever…”

Karin Slaughter online: Website | Facebook | Twitter/X | Instagram | FantasticFiction

After That Night page on publisher’s website

After That Night is available in the following formats: Regular Print (30) | Audiobook-on-CD (3) | Large Type (6) | E-Book from Overdrive/Libby (10)| E-Audiobook from Overdrive/Libby (7)
In order to get a copy before our September 2024 discussion, we suggest placing a hold for yourself early.

mysiconThursday, October 24, 2024 — 6:30-7:45 p.m. (one week early, to avoid Halloween)

As we have traditionally done, for several years, our October meeting will be our once-a-year opportunity to look back at a classic mystery/suspense/thriller writer or series. In October 2024, the Just Desserts group will read and discuss Donald Westlake’s series of novels featuring the one-name character Parker, which were written under Westlake’s pseudonym of Richard Stark. Westlake wrote dozens of novels, under his own name and multiple pseudonyms, both stand-alone and series-based, from the mid-1950s until his death in 2008. In most literary circles, Westlake is perhaps best known and celebrated for his 14 books in the humorous Dortmunder series (and, in fact, the Just Desserts group used one of the Dortmunder novels for a group discussion previously). However, as Richard Stark, his 24 volumes featuring Parker easily exceed the shorter-lived Dortmunder series. In fact, the novels written as by Richard Stark, were actually more successful than those written under his own name or any of his many other pseudonyms.

Parker is a professional robber, specializing in large-scale, high-profit targets. As Wikipedia describes the series: “A ruthless career criminal, Parker has almost no traditional redeeming qualities, aside from efficiency and professionalism. Parker is callous, meticulous, and perfectly willing to commit murder. He does, however, live by one ethical principle: he will not double-cross another professional criminal with whom he is working, unless they try to double-cross him. Should that happen, Parker will unhesitatingly undertake to exact a thorough and brutal revenge.” The Parker character has been adapted to the big screen eight times, though only one time when his actual name was used: Anna Karina as Paula Nelson in Made in U.S.A. (partly based on The Jugger) (1966 in France but not released in the U.S. until 2009), Lee Marvin as Walker in Point Blank (based on The Hunter) (1967), Michel Constantin as Georges in Pillaged (based on The Score) (French-language film in 1967), Jim Brown as McClain in The Split (1968), Robert Duvall as Earl Macklin in The Outfit (1973), Peter Coyote as Stone in Slayground (1983), Mel Gibson as Porter in Payback (also based on The Hunter) (1999), and most recently Jason Statham as Parker in Parker (2013).

The 24 Parker novels by Richard Stark are:

Anyone wishing to participate in our October 2024 Just Desserts discussion should read ANY one or more of the 24 Parker novels listed above. The libraries all 24 titles, but have limited numbers of copies of each Parker book, and some only in eBook format. They are also commonly available in digital formats and in the new and used book market. Each participant will be given a chance, “round robin”-style, to talk about whichever title(s) they selected and read. After this first “Round Robin” about the Parker novels, we’ll hold our traditional monthly “Round Robin”, in which everyone can describe whatever else they’ve been reading lately.

This link goes to the Richard Stark page on FantasticFiction.com, where you can link to the plot descriptions of each of his books or collections.

This link goes to the detailed Wikipedia page for the Parker series.


The Nebraska Heritage Book Club
Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors (host)
Bennett Martin Public Library (meetings take place in 4th floor Conference Room)
4th Friday of Every Month (see descriptions for exceptions), Noon-1:00 p.m.

136 S. 14th St.
441-8516 (Heritage Room phone #) or heritage@lincoln.ne.gov (e-mail)

The Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors at Bennett Martin Public Library is pleased to be the new official host of the The Nebraska Heritage Book Club (formerly The Nebraska History Book Club)!

For several years, this group met at the Nebraska History Museum (15th & “P”). This group was formed to discuss books about Nebraska history, highlighting the books on the Nebraska150books.org booklist. Everyone is welcome. Come when you can!

This group has now relocated their monthly meetings from the Jane Pope Geske Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors, on the 3rd floor of the downtown library, to the 4th floor Conference Room at Bennett Martin Public Library. The group meets on the 4th Friday of every month, from Noon to 1:00 p.m., for the discussion of books by Nebraska authors or with a Nebraska history theme. A specific novel, story collection or non-fiction title is selected in advance for discussion during each meeting.

Visit the archive of past Nebraska Heritage Book Club selections.

 

December 2023 – No meeting this month

Friday, March 22, 2024 – Noon-1:00 p.m. <<<<< Our Next Discussion!!

The title for discussion at the March meeting is Tosca Lee’s novel A Single Light.

Here’s the description of this 2019 book:

“In this gripping sequel to The Line Between, which New York Times bestselling author Alex Kava calls “everything you want in a thriller,” cult escapee Wynter Roth and ex-soldier Chase Miller emerge from their bunker to find a country ravaged by disease, and Wynter is the only one who can save it.

Six months after vanishing into an underground silo with sixty others, Wynter and Chase emerge to find the area abandoned. There is no sign of Noah and the rest of the group that was supposed to greet them when they emerged–the same people Wynter was counting on to help her locate the IV antibiotics her gravely ill friend, Julie, needs in order to live.

As the clock ticks down on Julie’s life, Wynter and Chase embark on a desperate search for medicine and answers. But what they find is not a nation on the cusp of recovery thanks to the promising new vaccine Wynter herself had a hand in creating, but one decimated by disease. What happened while they were underground?

With food and water in limited supply and their own survival in question, Chase and Wynter must venture further and further from the silo. Aided by an enigmatic mute named Otto, they come face-to-face with a society radically changed by global pandemic, where communities scrabble to survive under rogue leaders and cities are war zones. As hope fades by the hour and Wynter learns the terrible truth of the last six months, she is called upon once again to help save the nation she no longer recognizes–a place so dark she’s no longer sure it can even survive.

Fast-paced and taut, A Single Light is a breathless thriller of nonstop suspense about the risks of living in a world outside the safe confines of our closely-held beliefs and the relationships and lives that inspire us.”

Friday, April 26, 2024 – Noon-1:00 p.m.

The title for discussion at the April meeting is Bess Street Aldrich’s classic novel Spring Came On Forever.

Here’s the description of this 1935 book:

“Acclaimed for her 1928 novel A Lantern in Her Hand, Bess Streeter Aldrich became one of the most widely read interpreters of the prairie pioneer experience. In 1935, she published her masterpiece, Spring Came on Forever, a novel of two Nebraska pioneer families from settlement to the 1930s. Elsewhere an artist of the romance, here Aldrich turns romance on its head. The heroine is Amalia Holmsdorfer, one of a band of German immigrants who settle on the prairie. From her late teens to her mid-eighties she confronts and defeats the forces of nature and society that discourage or ruin others. Her life might be a modest triumph but for one detail: she married the wrong man.

Quickly paced and precisely drawn, this novel is Aldrich’s greatest tribute to the complexity, humor, endurance, and intelligence of the people who settled the prairie. Whatever its sentiments, it has as many cutting edges as a buzz saw.”


Loren Corey Eiseley Branch LibraryOnce Upon a Crime — True Crime BookTalks
Eiseley Branch
1530 Superior Street
2nd Tuesday of Every Month, 6:30-7:45 p.m.

441-4250

Do you enjoy reading about true crime narratives and local mysteries? Are some of your favorite authors Ann Rule, Truman Capote, Jon Krakauer and Joe McGinniss? Did you love The Devil in the White City, Helter Skelter, I’ll Be Gone in the Dark, Mindhunter or Zodiac? Then this is the book group for you! On the 2nd Tuesday of each month, join other “true crime” aficionados for a BooksTalk-style presentation. There will not be assigned reading for this program. Instead, Maddie will regale you with tales of murder, thievery and other “true crimes” on an assigned topic, and attendees will be invited to share what they have enjoyed in that reading genre.

Do you love True Crime and local mysteries? Join us for all things criminal the second Tuesday of every month at Eiseley Branch Library where we discuss current crime obsessions. Bring your favorite stories to share, and get sentenced to FUN. So join us, on the Second Tuesday of each month, in the evening from 6:30-7:45 p.m., and indulge your darker reading interests.

Would you like to receive updates about the Bethany BookTalks Group, the Once Upon a Crime group, the Let’s Get Books Together group, or the Just Desserts group, in your e-mail, such as announcements of upcoming talk themes, schedule changes and/or notices about new booktalk booklists on the BookGuide site? Visit our E-mail Group Sign-Up page, fill out our simple form, and you’ll start receiving book group alerts with the next message that is sent!

Date Program Description
September 14, 2021
And You Thought Your Copay was Bad: Medical Crimes — Hillary U. will be tonight’s main presenter. [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
October 12, 2021
Cornhusker Crimes: Nebraska Crime Stories — Maddie O. will be tonight’s main presenter. [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
November 9, 2021
Want to Skip the Holidays? Fake Your Death — Wyatt P. will be tonight’s main presenter. [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
December 14, 2021
Open Crime Share — no presentation tonight, attendees are encourage to come and share their own recent “true crime” reads.
January 11, 2022
Cancelled
February 8, 2022
Marriage and Murder: Crimes of Passion — This month’s meeting was held on Zoom. [ No handout prepared for this online meeting ]
March 8, 2022
Forget the Luck of the Irish – March Madness: Irish Crimes — [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
April 12, 2022
Blood Red Carpet: Hollywood Crimes [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
May 10, 2022
All in the (Manson) Family: Cult Crimes [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
June 14, 2022
To Err is Human, But to Arr is Pirate: Pirate Crimes [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
July 12, 2022
With Friends Like These: Friends Who Kill [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
August 9, 2022
Satanic Panic [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
September 13, 2022
Campus Crimes: Crimes on School Campuses [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
October 11, 2022
Serial Killers [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
November 8, 2022
No meeting in November due to it falling on Election Day
December 13, 2022
Crimes of the Jazz Age [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
January 10, 2023
True Crime and Indigenous Justice [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
February 14, 2023
Crimes of Passion, Part 2 [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
March 14, 2023
Wicked Women with guest presenter Jen J. [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
April 11, 2023
National Park Crimes [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
May 9, 2023
Stranger Than Fiction: True Stories Behind Movie Crimes [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
June 13, 2023
Poisonings [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
July 11, 2023
1960s Crimes [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
August 8, 2023
Falsely Accused [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
September 12, 2023
Prohibition Ambition [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
October 10, 2023
Halloween Homicides [ no handout prepared this month ]
November 14, 2023
All in the Family [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
January 9, 2024
Heists [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
February 13, 2024
Kidnappings [ See this month’s Booklist handout ]
March 12, 2024
Irish Crimes
April 9, 2024
Investments Gone Bad: Corporate Crimes <<<<< Our Next Discussion!!
May 14, 2024
Royal Blood: Royal Crimes

National Book Clubs

oprahsbookclublogo3

The Oprah Book Club
and The Oprah Book Club 2.0

(Complete historical list
1996-2002, 2003-2010, 2012-present) Updated in Mar

 

Read With Jenna Book Club Picks
(2019-present) Updated in Mar

 

Reese’s Book Club at Hello Sunshine
(2017-present) Updated in Mar

Plus these no-longer-active National Book Clubs:


nonlibdiscgroups

readandwritenebReading and Writing Nebraska [R 028.9 Kru], by Mel Krutz (for The Nebraska Center for the Book) is available for public use in the reference room at the Bennett Martin Public Library (14th & “N” St.), as well as the Heritage Room of Nebraska Authors. This newly-compiled 2004 volume lists over 60 additional book discussion groups in the Lincoln area, with address, telephone and e-mail contact information for each group. Many listings also give a description of the types of materials dicussed by each group, and their meeting frequency.If you’ve got a book group that’s open to the general public, free-of-charge, and you’d like to be included in our list of local Book Discussion Groups here, please visit our Book Groups Survey page and fill out a brief form giving us some information about your group.


Aldersgate Book Club

Where We Meet: Aldersgate United Methodist Church
8320 South St.
Members volunteer to host a meeting at their home or at the church in the Fellowship Hall. The host provides a dessert/snack and drinks. Contact the Church Office for details about location of upcoming meetings. Contact the group (see below) to inquire about joining them!
When We Meet: Monthly — The daytime group meets at 1:30 p.m. on the first Wednesday of the month. The evening group meets at 7:00 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month
Group Contact: Contact the church office to learn more about what we’re reading, 402-489-1510; [e-mail inquiry form] e-mail: aldersgatelinc@gmail.com [http://aldersgatelinc.org/book-club/] (e-mail form not available)
We Discuss: A mix of fiction and non-fiction.
Group Description: We enjoy discussing books that we can compare to our own experiences.
Other Notes: We usually read the One Book One Lincoln nominees. We have also recently read Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe, The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver, La’s Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall-Smith, Ahab’s Wife by Sena Jeter Naslund and Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand by Helen Simonson.

Boisterous Women, Wine & Books – Lincoln Chapter

When and Where We Meet: >Monthly — times, dates and locations seem to vary — group no longer active on Meetup.com but they do have a current Facebook group page.
Group Contact: This group’s organizer is Nia M. The Facebook group page is private but the group itself is public.
We Discuss: Upcoming titles for discussion:
Group Description:

Formed via online meeting organization site Meetup.com in December of 2019. Here is a book club for women in Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska and pretty much as far as you are willing to drive to Lincoln! We are a group of friendly and boisterous women who love reading all types of books, having fun, and drinking an assortment of beverages. If you’re in the area and looking to meet new women, make friends, talk about the newest authors you’ve found, etc. then check us out. We read a combination of books including Young Adult Fiction, Fantasy and Science Fiction novels, NY Times Bestsellers, Dystopian novels, and more. If there’s something you want to read we’re always interested to hear about it!

Some examples of past books this group has read and discussed include: The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah; Because We Are Bad by Lily Bailey; The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls; The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton; With the Fire On High by Elizabeth Acevedo; The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women by Kate Moore; In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado; The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware; Five Feet Apart by Rachel Lippincott; Hunger: A Memoir (of My Body) by Roxane Gay; Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter; Wool by Hugh Howey.

Cliffhangers Book Club

Where We Meet: Meadowlark Coffee and Espresso
1624 South St.
When We Meet: Monthly — 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m., the third Saturday of every month, starting in the Spring of 2018
Group Contact: Erin Bauer – austengirl72@gmail.com — click here for the group’s Facebook group page
We Discuss: Thrillers and Suspense Fiction.
Group Description: Love heart-pounding suspense and page turners you can’t put down? Enjoy books with twists and turns that keep you guessing? Then this is the book club for you! Join us for coffee or tea as we discuss bestselling thriller and suspense novels, new and old.
Other Notes:

Upcoming Discussions: Dec 15 2018Unraveling Oliver by Liz Nugent; Jan 19 2019The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn; Feb 16 2019Force of Nature by Jane Harper; Mar 16 2019You Will Know Me by Megan Abbott; Apr 20 2019The Butterfly Garden by Dot Hutchinson; May 18 2019Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewel; Jun 15 2019Her Every Fear by Peter Swanson.

Past Discussions: Apr 21 2018The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson, May 19 2018Bird Box by Josh Malerman; Jun 16 2018The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware; Jul 21 2018The Dry by Jane Harper; Aug 18 2018It’s Always the Husband by Michele Campbell; Sep 22 2018The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters; Oct 20 2018The Broken Teaglass by Emily Arsenault; Nov 17 2018Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn.

Read, Meet & Eat Book Club

When and Where We Meet: Monthly — times, dates and locations seem to vary — check the group’s Meetup.com page for the most up-to-date information
Group Contact: This group’s organizer is Emily. The group is closed, but you can ask to join at their Meetup.com profile page.
We Discuss: Upcoming titles for discussion:
Group Description: Formed via online meeting organization site Meetup.com in August 2016, Read, Meet & Eat started a book group as part of their activities in 2016. This is a book club for anybody interested in reading books and meeting new people over a burger and a beer. All books are welcome as are all people. Come join us for an intellectual discussion (or not!) on the book of the month we jointly choose. Visit the site (via links above) for additional information.

Some examples of past books this group has read and discussed include: The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro; Lives of the Monster Dogs by Kirsten Bakis; The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead; Exit West by Mohsin Hamid; Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng; Lab Girl by Hope Jahren; Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley; American Pain by John Temple; Chronicle of a Death Foretold by Gabriel Garcia Marquez; Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan; An American Marriage by Tayari Jones; A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving; Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover; A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (Feb 2019)

Silent Book Club LNK

When and Where We Meet: Usually twice per month– Dates may vary but usually on Sunday afternoons at 3:00 p.m., at Indigo Bridge bookstore at 1624 S. 17th St. Suite 200
Group Contact: This group is organized on Facebook, which is the only way to contact them.
Group Description:

Welcome to introvert happy hour!

There’s no assigned reading. Reviews are optional. Company is optional. Come and go during each club meeting as you are able.

SBC is about treating yourself. Reading in companionable silence with a friend. Interlacing gossip with recommended authors. And never worrying if you haven’t finished the book.

Especially in this unique time, when it is ever more important to be #AloneTogether, SBC LNK is committed to providing opportunity for all to “gather” in safety. Though based in Lincoln, Nebraska, we are happy to welcome all who are interested in joining our virtual gathering from all across the globe!

Happy Reading!

Something Different

When and Where We Meet: Monthly — We meet the first Thursday of every month, at 9:30 a.m. at the 52nd & “O” St. Barnes & Noble.
Group Contact: This group’s organizer is Phyllis, and she can be reached by phone at 402-483-2601 or by e-mail.
We Discuss: Past titles for discussion: May 2018: Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann; June 2018: Lonesome Dreamer by Timothy G. Anderson (Anderson will be attending this meeting to meet readers); July 2018: Where’d You Go, Bernadette?; August 2018: The Woman Who Smashed Codes by Jason Fagone.
Group Description: We’re a book club that believes in reading “Something Different” for every monthly meeting. Over the past 12 years, we’ve read fiction, non-fiction, autobiographies, mysteries, historical fiction, current best sellers – basically, anything that interests us. One of our recent additions has been the selection of a “companion” book for the monthly choice. This book is roughly connected to the main selection, either to add insight to the topic under discussion; or an understanding of the historical time period; or an additional glimpse of the subject matter.

For the complete, extensive, list of what this group has read and discussed, dating back to 2002, check out their official web site (no longer active online).

Star Base Andromeda: Lincoln’s Science Fiction Club

When and Where We Meet: Science Fiction discussed on this dateOur regular weekly meetings are at The Coffee House (1324 “P” St.), Tuesdays from 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.. Approximately once every 5 to 6 weeks, we have a Book Discussion meeting at a different location — the Downtown UNL Student Union (14th & “R” St. – near food court), or The Coffee House (1324 “P” St.).
See Star Base Andromeda’s Book Discussions page for current schedule and title information (website currently inactive though group continues to meet on Zoom during COVID-19).
Group Contact: Scott Clark, email: starbaseandromeda@yahoo.com
We Discuss: Upcoming Titles for Discussion: [unknown]

We exclusively discuss Science Fiction and Fantasy literature, with occasional dips into Horror. We alternate between established “classics” of these genres (pre-1980), and works by prominent contemporary authors (1980s to the present).

Group Description: This general-interest Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror club meets weekly Tuesday night meetings, and occasional Sunday afternoon events. We have a Book Discussion night approximately every six weeks. Membership in the club is not necessary to participate in Book Discussions, and guests are always welcome.

Books we’ve discussed since we began having “Book Discussion” meetings include: 1999: Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke; I, Robot by Isaac Asimov. 2000: Neuromancer by William Gibson; The Parafaith War by L.E. Modesitt; Citizen of the Galaxy by Robert Heinlein; Marrow by Robert Reed. 2001: Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury; Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes; FlashForward by Robert Sawyer; Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement. 2002: The Boat of a Million Years by Poul Anderson; Newton’s Cannon by J. Gregory Keyes; Tangled Up in Blue by Joan D. Vinge; Interstellar Pig by William Sleator; At the Mountains of Madness by H.P. Lovecraft; The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Leguin; Darwin’s Radio by Greg Bear. 2003: Lincoln’s Dreams by Connie Willis; The Dying Earth by Jack Vance; Perdido Street Station by China Mieville; The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester; Revelation Space by Alistair Reynolds; Unicorn Variations by Roger Zelazny. 2004: The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold; Protector by Larry Niven; Coraline by Neil Gaiman; City by Clifford Simak; Rats and Gargoyles by Mary Gentle. 2005: The Crossroads of Time by Andre Norton, The Thief of Always by Clive Barker, Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper, The Forever War by Joe Haldeman, Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson. 2006: The Man Who Folded Himself by David Gerrold, collection Sister Emily’s Lightship and Other Stories by Jane Yolen, The Long Tomorrow, by Leigh Brackett, the anthology Beyond Singularity, The Big Time by Fritz Leiber. 2007: In the Garden of Iden by Kage Baker, Eye in the Sky by Philip K. Dick, The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon, The Humanoids, by Jack Williamson, Accelerando by Charles Stross, More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon. 2008: There Will Be Dragons by John Ringo, The Worm Ouroboros by E.R. Eddison, “Farewell to the Master” by Harry Bates (the story which became the film The Day the Earth Stood Still), Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson, Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree Jr. (Alice Sheldon), Fledgling by Octavia Butler, Rogue Moon by Algis Budrys, Watchmen by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watership Down by Richard Adams. 2009: Paul of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut, Hunter’s Run by George R.R. Martin, Gardner Dozois and Daniel Abraham, Minority Report by Philip K. Dick, Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg, Little Brother by Cory Doctorow, Voyage of the Space Beagle by A.E. van Vogt, Undertow by Elizabeth Bear, What Mad Universe by Fredric Brown. 2010: Declare by Tim Powers, The Best of Cordwainer Smith by Cordwainer Smith, The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon, The Space Merchants by Frederik Pohl and C.M. Kornbluth, Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman, Time and Again by Jack Finney, The Practice Effect by David Brin, Frankenstein, or The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley. 2011: World War Z by Max Brooks, Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany, The Dervish House by Ian McDonald, Roadside Picnic by Boris and Arkady Strugatsky, Timescape by Gregory Benford, The Skylark of Space by E.E. “Doc” Smith, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams. 2012: To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip Jose Farmer, A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham, A Princess of Mars by Edgar Rice Burroughs, Kirinyaga by Mike Resnick, Deathbird Stories by Harlan Ellison, Player of Games by Iain M. Banks, Non-Stop (a.k.a. Starship) by Brian Aldiss, The Bookman by Lavie Tidhar, The Halloween Tree by Ray Bradbury, The Dark is Rising by Susan Cooper and Among Others by Jo Walton. 2013: A Case of Conscience by James Blish; The Quantum Thief by Hannu Rajaniemi; The Mote in God’s Eye by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle; Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh; The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle; Spin by Robert Charles Wilson; 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne; Redshirts by John Scalzi; Brave New World by Aldous Huxley; The Science Fiction Hall of Fame, Volume One: 1929-1964 edited by Robert Silverberg (Dec 2013 – the group’s 100th book discussion!). 2014: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson, The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey; After the Golden Age by Carrie Vaughn (Apr); Bug Jack Barron by Norman Spinrad; Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro; 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke; Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie; Year of the Quiet Sun by Wilson “Bob” Tucker; The Magicians by Lev Grossman; The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein. 2015: Beaker’s Dozen by Nancy Kress; The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien; The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell; The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick; Mort by Terry Pratchett; First Men in the Moon by H.G. Wells; The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August by Claire North; Make Room, Make Room by Harry Harrison; House of Leaves by Mark Danielewski; Wild Seed by Octavia Butler. 2016: Fly by Night by Frances Hardinge; The Chrysalids by John Wyndham; The Dog Said Bow-Wow by Michael Swanwick; Lest Darkness Fall by L. Sprague de Camp; The Three-Body Problem by Cixin Liu; Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny; Planetfall by Emma Newman; The Shockwave Rider by John Brunner; Eyes of the Dragon by Stephen King; Nerves by Lester Del Rey. 2017: A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge; The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton; Transcendental by James Gunn; Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate Wilhelm; Blindsight by Peter Watts; A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle; Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang; The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Leguin; Soldier of the Mist by Gene Wolfe. 2018: Dragon’s Egg by Robert L. Forward; Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer; The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson; Black Hole (a graphic novel) by Charles Burns. A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess; Unnatural Issue by Mercedes Lackey; Way Station by Clifford Simak; Ties of Power by Julie Czerneda; Star Maker by Olaf Stapledon; Nine Fox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee; 2019: The Science Fiction Hall of Fame Vol IIB (the group’s 150th book discussion); Learning the World by Ken MacLeod; Escape Orbit by James White; Existence by David Brin; The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester; All Systems Red by Martha Wells; JEM by Fredrik Pohl; The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal; Dreamsnake by Vonda McIntyre; The City, Not Long After by Pat Murphy; 2020: The Best of Gordon R. Dickson Vol 1; Old Man’s War by John Scalzi (on Zoom); Sargasso of Space by Andre Norton (on Zoom); Hunting Party by Elizabeth Moon (on Zoom); The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov (on Zoom); This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Glastone (on Zoom); 2021: Tales of Known Space by Larry Niven (on Zoom); Sentient by Jeff Lemire and Gabriel Walta (on Zoom); The Listeners by James Gunn (on Zoom); Piranesi by Susannah Clarke (on Zoom); Selected Stories by Theodore Sturgeon (last discussion on Zoom); The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers; Moonheart by Charles de Lint; Artemis by Andy Weir; The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson; The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig; Blood Music by Greg Bear; 2022: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch; The Dispossessed by Ursula K. LeGuin, The Empress of Mars by Kage Baker; Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card; Light From Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki; The Princess Bride by William Goldman; Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty; Time For the Stars by Robert Heinlein; Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber; Dream Park by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes; Hogfather by Terry Pratchett; 2023: Rite of Passage by Alexei Panshin; Noor by Nnedi Okorafor; No Enemy But Time by Michael Bishop; The City and The City by China Mieville; Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold; Shards of Earth by Adrian Tchaikovsky; Solaris by Stanislaw Lem; Rivers of London (a.k.a. Midnight Riot) by Ben Aaronovitch; Ringworld by Larry Niven; The Humans by Matt Haig; 2024: The Man Who Fell to Earth by Walter Tevis; Masterpieces: Best Science Fiction of the Century edited by Orson Scott Card (Feb 2024 the group’s 200th book discussion); His Majesty’s Dragon by Naomi Novik.

Other Notes: Our format is that everyone participating in the discussion should have read the pre-selected book before the meeting. We try to have at least 3 to 4 books selected in advance. Please see Star Base Andromeda Web site for the current reading/discussion schedule, or our Book Discussions page for information about our past, present and upcoming selections. (site currently offline) Approximately 5-15 regular attendees.

Third Tuesday Mystery Book Club

Where We Meet: Braeda Fresh Express Cafe
4231 S. 33rd St. (33rd & Pioneers)
When We Meet: 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.. the 3rd Tuesday of every month.
Group Contact: Facebook Group page for the Lincoln Third Tuesday Mystery Book Club, restarted anew in March 2017. (Not to be confused with the earlier Third Tuesday Mystery Book Club of Lincoln FB group page, which is no longer active).
We Discuss: Upcoming titles for discussion include[unknown].
Group Description:

This group of mystery fans, which formerly met at Lee Booksellers, has continued since the demise of that Lincoln bookstore, enjoying mysteries and thrillers each month at the Braeda Fresh Express Cafe at 33rd and Pioneers Blvd.

Some of our past books for discussion: October: A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick; November: The Killing Way by Tony Hays; December: The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters; January 2011: In the Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff; February 2011: The Calling by Inger Ash Wolfe; March 2011: A Small Death in the Great Glen by A.D. Scott; April 2011: The Murdered House by Pierre Mangan; May 17: The Sixth Lamentation by William Brodrick; Jun 21: Crazy Eights by Elizabeth Gunn; July 19: The Case of the Missing Servant by Tarquin Hall; Aug 16: The Eye of Jade by Diane Wei Ling. Oct 2011: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin; Dec 2011: Field of Blood by Denise Mina; Jan 2012: Jacquot and the Waterman by Martin O’Brien; Feb 2012: Hunting Ivory by Suzanne Arruda; [March through July 2012 information not available.]; Aug 2012: A Trust Betrayed by Candace Robb; Sep 2012: Jade Lady Burning by Martin Limon; Oct 2012: Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen.; Nov 2012: The Holy Thief by William Ryan; Dec 2012: Shoofly Pie by Tim Downs; Jan 2013: The Illusion of Murder by Carol McCleary; Feb 2013: Portello by Ruth Rendell; Mar 2013: The Bookseller by Mark Pryor; Apr 2013: The Instruments of Death by Imogen Robertson; May 2013: The Lock Artist by Steve Hamilton;Jun 2013: Killed at the Whim of a Hat by Colin Cotterill. Sep 2013: The Hynpotist by Lars Kepler; Oct 2013: Detective Inspector Huss by Helene Tursten; Nov 2013: Expats by Chris Pavone; Dec 2013: Death of a Red Heroine by Xiaulong Qui; Mar 2014: The Damage Done by Hilary Davidson; Apr 2014: Live by Night by Dennis Lehane; May 2014: Unpardonable Crime by Andrew Taylor; Jun 2014: Snow White Must Die by Nele Neuhaus; Jul 2014: The Midwife’s Tale by Sam Thomas; Aug 2014: Pot Thief Who Studied Pythagoras by Michael Orenduft; Sep 2014: Raggedy Man by Clyde Curley; Oct 2014: Under a Silent Moon by Elizabeth Haynes; Nov 2014: The Yard by Alex Grecian; Dec 2014: Norwegian by Night by Derek B. Miller; Jan 2015: A Murder at Rosemunde’s Gate by Susanna Calkins. Aug 2015: The Redbreast by Jo Nesbo; Sep 2015: Messenger of Athens by Anne Zouroudi; Aug 2016: Murder Most Malicious by Alyssa Maxwell; Sep 2016: Under Tower Peak by Bart Paul; Oct 2016: Language of the Dead by Stephen Kelly; Nov 2016: Lethal Investments by K.O. Dahl; Dec 2016: Bones of Contention by Jeanne Matthews; Jan 2017: Dinosaur Feather by Sissel-Jo Gazan; Feb 2017: Murder is a Fine Art by David Morrell, Mar 2017: Hangman’s Daughter by Oliver Poetzsch, Apr 2017: Delivering the Truth by Edith Maxwell; May 2017: Collecting the Dead by Spencer Kope; Jun 2017: The Killing Kind by Chris Holm; Jul 2017: Rubbernecker by Belinda Bauer; Aug 2017: The Long and Faraway Gone by Lou Berney; Sep 2017: All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda; Oct 2017: His Bloody Project by Graeme Macrae Burnet; Nov 2017: The Anatomist’s Wife by Anne Lee Huber; Dec 2017: The Ex by Alafair Burke; Jan 2018: A Curious Beginning by Deanna Raybourn; Feb 2018: The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware; Mar 2018: In Farleigh Field by Rhys Bowen; Apr 2018: The Zig-Zag Girl by Elly Griffiths; May 2018: The Truth About the Harry Quebert Affair by Joel Dicker; Jun 2018: Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann (Non-Fiction); Jul 2018: Chemistry of Death by Simon Beckett; Aug 2018: The Dry by Jane Harper; Sep 2018: Snowblind by Ragnar Jonasson; Oct 2018: A Lady in the Smoke by Karen Odden.

Thursday Afternoon Book Group

Where We Meet: St. Mark’s United Methodist Church
8550 Pioneers Blvd., Lincoln, NE 68520 – Lower Fellowship Hall
When We Meet: 1:00-2:30 p.m. on the first Thursday of each month (year-round) [website for St. Mark’s UMC]
Group Contact: Dennis Hanneman, e-mail form at:
We Discuss: A mixture of fiction and non-fiction
Group Description: Thursday Afternoon Book Group picks a new book each month to read and discuss.
Other Notes: Titles are selected in advance for an entire year. Here are some 2016 selections: January 7: Gray Mountain by John Grisham; February 4: The Promise of a Pencil by Adam Braun; March 3: Death Zones & Darling Spies by Beverly D. Keever (a One Book One Nebraska selection); April 7: Wish You Well by David Baldacci; May 5: Being Mortal by Atul Gawande (later announced as the One Book One Lincoln selection); June 2: House Divided by Mike Lawson; July 7: The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown; August 4: Tamarack County by William Kent Krueger; September 1: Code Talker by Joseph Bruchac; October 6: At the Water’s Edge by Sarah Gruen; November 3: (unknown); December 1: All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr. This group appears to have gone dormant.

Wednesday Morning Book Discussion Group

Where We Meet: St. Paul United Methodist Church
1144 “M” St. – Room 155/157
When We Meet: 10:00 A.M. the 4th Wednesday of each month
(August through May, excluding December)
Group Contact: Judy Jensen, 420-6370 or jensenjkay(at)yahoo.com
We Discuss: We read and discuss group selected fiction, non-fiction, biographies, a classic, a title authored by a Nebraskan and the One Book One Lincoln winning title. We read 9 books per year. We strive to experience literature that will expand our horizons in learning about others in order that we can make a difference perhaps in our little corner of the world. Many of the titles we read can be found in the church’s library.
Group Description: We are a very enthusiastic small group, who love reading and discussing books with each other. Although we are sponsored by the church, we do not read only religious books (in fact very few) and our membership is not limited to church members. In fact, several are not, and I’m sure anyone would feel comfortable there.
Other Notes: Members select books for the upcoming year at a Spring meeting. Members come with lists of books they’re interested in, and the group selects from among those. Coffee and cookies are served at each meeting, and a little social and get acquainted time is allowed.

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