Calendar

Boudreau Branch Mystery Book Group (Boudreau/Virtual)

Boudreau Branch, 245 Concord Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138

December title: Still Life by Louise Penny. This book group will meet virtually and in person at the Boudreau Branch. We will discuss current and classic mystery titles. Please register below if you would like to attend via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants one hour before the event. How to get the print book: Copies of the print book will be set aside at the Boudreau Branch (245 Concord Ave; current hours). How to get the digital version: Copies of the ebook and audiobook are available through Libby and Hoopla. For more information, call 617-349-4017 or email Liz Danner at edanner@cambridgema.gov.

Brewery Book Club (Lamplighter)

You’re invited to our January Brewery Book Club, where Lamplighter and the Cambridge Public Library team up to highlight contemporary works from marginalized voices while having a beer. This month we’ll read When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill. Copies of the book are available at the Main Library in Cambridge, at 449 Broadway. The ebook and digital audiobook can be borrowed through the Libby app. We’ll gather in the Lamplighter back taproom to discuss the book, what we learned from it, what we found ourselves touched by, and all other thoughts. Register here.

Story Time with author Sara Levine (O'Neill)

O'Neill Branch, 70 Rindge Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140

Join local author Sara Levine for a reading of her latest book, Sensitive (Lerner Publishing Group, 2023). This tender picture book follows a girl who is told she is too intense, too sensitive, too much. She's told to grow a thicker skin, but the words of others slip right through. They somersault around inside and press against her heart.

O'Neill Branch Book Group (O'Neill)

O'Neill Branch, 70 Rindge Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140

Selection: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin A book discussion group for adults at the O'Neill Branch Library, reading a mixture of fiction and nonfiction. Past titles include Gathering Moss by Robin Wall Kimmerer and Cherokee America by Margaret Verble. Print copies are available for pickup at the O'Neill Branch Library. This month's book selection is also available as an e-book and as a digital audiobook through https://minuteman.overdrive.com/ and as a digital audiobook through https://www.hoopladigital.com/. For any further information, please contact Emily Hurley at ehurley@cambridgema.gov

Parent/Child (Ages 7-10) Book Group (Main)

Main Library, Curious George Room, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138

Join us for a lively discussion of a great book. Pizza will be provided. For ages 7-10 and a parent or caregiver. Both caregiver and child should read the book before the discussion to participate. Registration is required — only one registration is needed per family. For a copy of the book, stop by the Children’s Room after you've registered or call 617-349-4038. This month, we're reading: Saucy by Cynthia Kadohata (Atheneum, 2020). For questions about parent/child book group, please email jroach@cambridgema.gov.

Great Books Book Group (Main/Virtual)

Main Library, Curious George Room, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138

This week's selection: Jonathan Swift, Gulliver's Travels Reading Interests: We concentrate on Great Books in the following areas: a long novel over the summer, two sections of poetry and short stories, a book of the Bible, a Shakespeare play, an ancient and modern drama, a work of science, a smaller work of fiction, an even smaller work of fiction, and a rotating mix of politics, philosophy, and religion. Authors read in the past five years include Dickens, Keats and Yeats, O'Connor and Munro, Ecclesiastes, Sophocles and August Wilson, Darwin, Austen, Duras, The Federalist Papers, and Arendt. How to get the print book: Copies of the reading are set aside at the Main Library. Visit the Main Library at 449 Broadway during current service hours and a staff member can help you get a copy. How to register: Registration is required. Click the registration link below to register. This is a hybrid event. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants 1 hour before the event. For more information, contact Drew Griffin (dgriffin@cambridgema.gov)

Romance Book Group (Main)

Main Library, Teen Room, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138

This month's book: Chef's Choice by TJ Alexander Audience: Teens and Adults. If you read romance (or want to start), this group is for you! Reading Interests: This group will explore the burgeoning genre of contemporary romance. Example selections include: Honey and Spice by Bolu Babalola and Mistakes Were Made by Meryl Wilsner. How to get the print book: Copies of the print book are set aside at the Main Library Q&A Desk on the ground floor. Visit the Main Library at 449 Broadway during service hours and a staff member can help you check out a copy. How to get the e-book or digital audiobook: This month’s book is available as a digital audiobook through Libby. We'll meet in the Teen Room on the first floor of the Main Library. For more information, contact Susannah at sbtkacz@cambridgema.gov.

Boudreau Branch Book Group (Boudreau/Virtual)

Boudreau Branch, 245 Concord Ave., Cambridge, MA 02138

January Title: The First Ladies by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray. This book group will meet virtually and in person at the Boudreau Branch. Please register below if you would like to attend via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants one hour before the event. How to get the print book: Copies of the print book will be set aside at the Boudreau Branch (245 Concord Ave; current hours). How to get the e-book: This month’s book is available as an audiobook and e-book through Overdrive/Libby. For more information, call 617-349-4017 or email Liz Danner at edanner@cambridgema.gov. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.

Parent/Child (Ages 10-13) Book Group (Main/Virtual)

Main Library, Curious George Room, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138

Join us virtually for a lively discussion of a great book - either in person at the Main Library or virtually on Zoom. Pizza is provided for in-person participants. For ages 10-13 and a parent or caregiver. Both caregiver and child should read the book before the discussion to participate. For a copy of the book, stop by the Children’s Room or call 617-349-4038. Registration is required — only one registration is needed per family. This month, we're reading: The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau (Random House, 2003). Need a laptop or hotspot to participate? Call the Library Tech Bar at 617-349-4425. For questions about parent/child book group, please email hsaxton@cambridgema.gov. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.

Contemporary Book Group (Main/Virtual)

Main Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138

UPDATE: Due to the weather forecast, this will be a hybrid event. Attendees can attend in person or virtually via Zoom. A Zoom link will be sent to all registrants 1 hour prior to the event. This month's book: All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby Reading Interests: The group concentrates on fiction and narrative nonfiction. Some past selections include: Hamnet by Maggie O'Farrell, Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters, and Beautiful Country: A Memoir by Qian Julie Wang. How to get the print book: Copies of the print book are set aside at the Main Library. Visit the Main Library Q&A Desk at 449 Broadway during service hours and a staff member can help you check out a copy. How to get the e-book or digital audiobook: This month’s book is available as an e-book and digital audiobook through OverDrive or the Libby app. How to register: Click the registration link below to register. Registration is encouraged but not required. For more information, contact Susannah Borysthen-Tkacz (sbtkacz@cambridgema.gov).

Kids' Books for Everyone (O'Neill/Virtual)

O'Neill Branch, 70 Rindge Ave., Cambridge, MA 02140

People of all ages who enjoy children's books can read and discuss together. In January we will read The Puppets of Spelhorst by Kate DiCamillo, then meet for pizza and discussion. Copies of the book are available at the O'Neill Branch. This book group will meet virtually AND in person at the O'Neill Branch. Please register below. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered online participants one hour before the event. Need a laptop or hotspot to participate? Call the O'Neill Branch at 617-349-4023.

O'Connell Branch Adult Book Group (Onsite)

O'Connell Branch, 48 Sixth St., Cambridge, MA 02141

January selection: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles Reading Interests: We read mostly contemporary Fiction and Non-Fiction, with forays into older works and classics. Past selections include: The Last White Man by Mohsin Hamid, Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin, Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt and Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus. How to get the print book: Copies of the book and audiobook are set aside at the O'Connell Branch. Visit during open hours and a staff member can help you check out a copy. Click here for O'Connell Branch Hours How to get the e-book or digital audiobook: This month’s book is available as a digital audio and e-book through Hoopla. This book group meets in person at the O'Connell Branch. No registration is needed. Drop-ins welcome. For more information contact the branch at 617-349-4019. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.

Valente Branch Book Group (Valente)

Valente Branch, 826 Cambridge St., Cambridge, MA 02141

Join the Valente Branch for their new book group! This group will meet monthly to discuss a mix of fiction and nonfiction books. The January selection is A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. How to get the print book: Copies of the book are available at the Valente Branch Library. How to get the e-book or digital audiobook: This month’s book is available as a digital audio and e-book through https://minuteman.overdrive.com/. No registration is required. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.

Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Group (Main)

Main Library, 449 Broadway, Cambridge, MA 02138

This Month's Read: Hugo nominated short fiction (novelettes and short stories) -- Please note that not every short story is available online. Read what you are able! Reading Interests: The group concentrates on science fiction and fantasy. An advanced reading schedule is published each fall. Example selections include: Neuromancer by William Gibson and The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch. Requirements: A love of speculative fiction and a desire to talk about books. The group is friendly and informal. How to get the print book: Copies of the print book are set aside at the Main Library Question and Answer desk on the ground floor. Visit the Main Library at 449 Broadway during service hours and a staff member can help you check out a copy. E-books and digital audiobooks are available on Libby or Hoopla. We'll meet in the Rossi Room on the ground floor of the Main Library. For more information, contact Carrie at csauder@cambridgema.gov.

Kids' Classic Fantasy Book Group (O'Connell/Virtual)

O'Connell Branch, 48 Sixth St., Cambridge, MA 02141

Our monthly Kids' Classic Fantasy book group is for kids aged 10-14. Check out a copy of the book beforehand, or download it from the Libby app. Our January book is Younguncle Comes to Town by Vandana Singh. This book group will meet virtually and in person at the O'Connell Branch. Please register below if you would like to attend virtually. A Zoom link will be sent to all registered participants one hour before the event. Need a laptop or hotspot to participate? Call the O'Connell Branch at 617-349-4019. For questions about the Kids' Classic Fantasy Book Group, please email cmeisler@cambridgema.gov. The City of Cambridge does not discriminate, including on the basis of disability. We may provide auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures to people with disabilities. For more information contact us at library@cambridgema.gov, 617-349-4032 (voice), or via relay at 711.