Events Calendar / Book Discussion

In Conversation with Romance Author L.C. Chu: The Library of Flowers thumbnail Photo

In Conversation with Romance Author L.C. Chu: The Library of Flowers

Join the discussion with L.C.Chu as we dive into The Library of Flowers, a story of a family of Chinese witches who can change emotions through perfume and an exploration of relationships, identity, and the expectations we inherit. We'll delve into all of Lily's writing and books so bring your Q's for a rapid fire Q&A! In partnership with the Ashland Library.

Register here: tinyurl.com/LibraryofFlowers

Main Library Book Discussion: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier thumbnail Photo

Main Library Book Discussion: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

The Main Library Book Discussion meets on the first Tuesday of each month. Books chosen are generally literary fiction or narrative nonfiction. Participants take turns leading the discussion. This discussion currently meets online via Zoom. Register here: https://bit.ly/fpl-adultbookdiscussion.

June 2: Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

  • The novel begins in Monte Carlo, where our heroine is swept off her feet by the dashing widower Maxim de Winter and his sudden proposal of marriage. Orphaned and working as a lady's maid, she can barely believe her luck. It is only when they arrive at his massive country estate that she realizes how large a shadow his late wife will cast over their lives--presenting her with a lingering evil that threatens to destroy their marriage from beyond the grave.

    First published in 1938, this classic gothic novel is such a compelling read that it won the Anthony Award for Best Novel of the Century.
Summer Romance Beach Read Recommendations with Lorelei of Lorelei’s Lit Lair thumbnail Photo

Summer Romance Beach Read Recommendations with Lorelei of Lorelei’s Lit Lair

If you know romance, you probably know Lorelei! Affectionately referred to as a passionate Romance Ambassador, Lorelei has been offering book recommendations, author spotlights, giveaways and connecting authors with readers through social media since 2010, providing a safe and friendly environment for book lovers around the globe. Lorelei will be chatting about the books she's looking forward to reading this summer - the best of romance beach reads! If your TBR pile isn't already groaning, it will be! Grab a cool drink and join us. 

Register here: tinyurl.com/SummerBeachReads

McAuliffe Book Discussion (Evening): Piranesi by Susanna Clarke thumbnail Photo

McAuliffe Book Discussion (Evening): Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

The McAuliffe Branch hosts two book discussion groups to discuss various fiction and nonfiction, as well as contemporary and classic literature. You can join us anytime to discuss one particular book or become a regular. Register here: https://bit.ly/mca-bookdiscussions

June 9th: Piranesi by Susanna Clarke

  • Piranesi’s house is no ordinary building: its rooms are infinite, its corridors endless, its walls are lined with thousands upon thousands of statues, each one different from all the others. Within the labyrinth of halls an ocean is imprisoned; waves thunder up staircases, rooms are flooded in an instant. But Piranesi is not afraid; he understands the tides as he understands the pattern of the labyrinth itself. He lives to explore the house.

    There is one other person in the house—a man called The Other, who visits Piranesi twice a week and asks for help with research into A Great and Secret Knowledge. But as Piranesi explores, evidence emerges of another person, and a terrible truth begins to unravel, revealing a world beyond the one Piranesi has always known.
Sci-Fi Book Discussion: The Gone World by Tom Sweterlich thumbnail Photo

Sci-Fi Book Discussion: The Gone World by Tom Sweterlich

The Sci-Fi Book Discussion reads and discusses both classic and contemporary science fiction, covering subgenres such as speculative fiction, alternate history, and apocalyptic. This discussion meets the second Wednesday of the month, from 7-8 pm. This group is hybrid, meeting at the Main Library and streaming to Zoom. Register here: https://bit.ly/fpl-scifidiscussion

June 10: The Gone World by Tom Sweterlich

  • Luminous and unsettling, The Gone World bristles with world-shattering ideas yet remains at its heart an intensely human story.
Author Talk: The Rise and Fall of Boston Pride thumbnail Photo

Author Talk: The Rise and Fall of Boston Pride

Join author Daniel Joseph Gonzalez, Ed.D in discussion on The Rise and Fall of Boston Pride, following the history of Boston Pride, from its first march in 1971 through 2024. Examining the rise of the pride movement in Boston, the ups and downs of putting on events in June for 50+ years, the events leading to the shutdown in 2021, and the rise of Boston Pride for the People. Meticulously researched over two years, The Rise and Fall of Boston Pride is the only book that tracks the entire history of Boston Pride. 

Author Talk: Quincy Boy: A City of Presidents thumbnail Photo

Author Talk: Quincy Boy: A City of Presidents

What began as a nostalgic tribute to growing up in Quincy during the 1960s and 1970s became a deeply personal, years-long quest for answers about an absent parent. In his new memoir, Quincy Boy: A City of Presidents Memoir, author and long-time Framingham resident Brett Peruzzi traces his coming-of-age in the city that shaped him—while uncovering the story of the father who wasn’t there to see it happen.

Queer Reads: Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin thumbnail Photo

Queer Reads: Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

The Queer Reads Book Discussion celebrates queer authors, books, and themes. This discussion meets in person every third Tuesday of the month at the McAuliffe Branch. Register here: https://bit.ly/fpl-queerbookdiscussion

June 16th: Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

  • Set in the contemporary Paris of American expatraites, liasons, and violence, a young man finds himself caught between desire and conventional morality. James Baldwin's brilliant narrative delves into the mystery of loving with a sharp, probing imagination, and he creates a moving, highly controversial story of death and passion that reveals the unspoken complexities of the heart.
McAuliffe Book Discussion (Morning): The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia thumbnail Photo

McAuliffe Book Discussion (Morning): The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia

The McAuliffe Branch hosts two book discussion groups to discuss various fiction and nonfiction, as well as contemporary and classic literature. You can join us anytime to discuss one particular book or become a regular. Register here: https://bit.ly/mca-bookdiscussions

June 18th: The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia

  • From the day that old Nana Reja found a baby abandoned under a bridge, the life of a small Mexican town forever changed. Disfigured and covered in a blanket of bees, little Simonopio is for some locals the stuff of superstition, a child kissed by the devil. But he is welcomed by landowners Francisco and Beatriz Morales, who adopt him and care for him as if he were their own. As he grows up, Simonopio becomes a cause for wonder to the Morales family, because when the uncannily gifted child closes his eyes, he can see what no one else can—visions of all that’s yet to come, both beautiful and dangerous. Followed by his protective swarm of bees and living to deliver his adoptive family from threats—both human and those of nature—Simonopio’s purpose in Linares will, in time, be divined.
Hot Takes: The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri thumbnail Photo

Hot Takes: The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri

Hot Takes: Romance Book Discussion at the Main Library meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month. This discussion group will delve into the world of romance through genres such as contemporary fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, and more! We welcome all tastes and experiences in our judgement free zone. Register here for email updates: https://bit.ly/FPL-Hot-Takes

June 24: The Isle in the Silver Sea by Tasha Suri

  • In a Britain fuelled by stories, the knight and the witch are fated to fall in love and doom each other over and over, the same tale retold over hundreds of lifetimes. Simran is a witch of the woods. Vina is a knight of the Queen's court. When the two women begin to fall for each other, how can they surrender to their desires, when to give in is to destroy each other? As they seek a way to break the cycle, a mysterious assassin begins targeting tales like theirs. To survive, the two will need to write a story stronger than the one that fate has given to them. But what tale is stronger than The Knight and the Witch?
Sci-Fi Book Discussion: The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton thumbnail Photo

Sci-Fi Book Discussion: The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton

The Sci-Fi Book Discussion reads and discusses both classic and contemporary science fiction, covering subgenres such as speculative fiction, alternate history, and apocalyptic. This discussion meets the second Wednesday of the month, from 7-8 pm. This group is hybrid, meeting at the Main Library and streaming to Zoom. Register here: https://bit.ly/fpl-scifidiscussion

July 8: The Fourth Consort by Edward Ashton  

  • Dalton Greaves is a hero. He’s one of humankind’s first representatives to Unity, a pan-species confederation working to bring all sentient life into a single benevolent brotherhood.

    That’s what they told him, anyway. The only actual members of Unity that he’s ever met are Boreau, a giant snail who seems more interested in plunder than spreading love and harmony, and Boreau’s human sidekick, Neera, who Dalton strongly suspects roped him into this gig so that she wouldn’t become the next one of Boreau’s crew to get eaten by locals while prospecting.

    Funny thing, though―turns out there actually is a benevolent confederation out there, working for the good of all life. They call themselves the Assembly, and they really don’t like Unity. More to the point, they really, really don’t like Unity’s new human minions.

    When an encounter between Boreau’s scout ship and an Assembly cruiser over a newly discovered world ends badly for both parties, Dalton finds himself marooned, caught between a stickman, one of the Assembly’s nightmarish shock troops, the planet’s natives, who aren’t winning any congeniality prizes themselves, and Neera, who might actually be the most dangerous of the three. To survive, he’ll need to navigate palace intrigue, alien morality, and a proposal that he literally cannot refuse, all while making sure Neera doesn’t come to the conclusion that he’s worth more to her dead than alive.
McAuliffe Book Discussion (Evening): The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama thumbnail Photo

McAuliffe Book Discussion (Evening): The Samurai’s Garden by Gail Tsukiyama

The McAuliffe Branch hosts two book discussion groups to discuss various fiction and nonfiction, as well as contemporary and classic literature. You can join us anytime to discuss one particular book or become a regular. Register here: https://bit.ly/mca-bookdiscussions

July 14: The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama

  • A 20-year-old Chinese painter named Stephen is sent to his family's summer home in a Japanese coastal village to recover from a bout with tuberculosis. Here he is cared for by Matsu, a reticent housekeeper and a master gardener. Over the course of a remarkable year, Stephen learns Matsu's secret and gains not only physical strength, but also profound spiritual insight. Matsu is a samurai of the soul, a man devoted to doing good and finding beauty in a cruel and arbitrary world, and Stephen is a noble student, learning to appreciate Matsu's generous and nurturing way of life and to love Matsu's soul-mate, gentle Sachi, a woman afflicted with leprosy.
McAuliffe Book Discussion (Morning): Over My Dead Body by Greg Melville thumbnail Photo

McAuliffe Book Discussion (Morning): Over My Dead Body by Greg Melville

The McAuliffe Branch hosts two book discussion groups to discuss various fiction and nonfiction, as well as contemporary and classic literature. You can join us anytime to discuss one particular book or become a regular. Register here: https://bit.ly/mca-bookdiscussions

July 16th: Over My Dead Body: Unearthing the Hidden History of America’s Cemeteries by Greg Melville

  • The summer before his senior year in college, Greg Melville worked at the cemetery in his hometown, and thanks to hour upon hour of pushing a mower over the grassy acres, he came to realize what a rich story the place told of his town and its history. Thus was born Melville’s lifelong curiosity with how, where, and why we bury and commemorate our dead.

    Melville’s Over My Dead Body is a lively (pun intended) and wide-ranging history of cemeteries, places that have mirrored the passing eras in history but have also shaped it. Cemeteries have given birth to landscape architecture and famous parks, as well as influenced architectural styles. They’ve inspired and motivated some of our greatest poets and authors—Emerson, Whitman, Dickinson. They’ve been used as political tools to shift the country’s discourse and as important symbols of the United States' ambition and reach.

    But they are changing and fading. Embalming and burial is incredibly toxic, and while cremations have just recently surpassed burials in popularity, they’re not great for the environment either. Over My Dead Body explores everything—history, sustainability, land use, and more—and what it really means to memorialize.
Queer Reads: Don’t Let the Forest In by C. G. Drews thumbnail Photo

Queer Reads: Don’t Let the Forest In by C. G. Drews

The Queer Reads Book Discussion celebrates queer authors, books, and themes. This discussion meets in person every third Tuesday of the month at the McAuliffe Branch. Register here: https://bit.ly/fpl-queerbookdiscussion

July 21st: Don't Let the Forest In by C. G. Drews

  • High school senior Andrew Perrault finds refuge in the twisted fairytales that he writes for the only person who can ground him to reality―Thomas Rye, the boy with perpetually ink-stained hands and hair like autumn leaves. And with his twin sister, Dove, inexplicably keeping him at a cold distance upon their return to Wickwood Academy, Andrew finds himself leaning on his friend even more.

    But something strange is going on with Thomas. His abusive parents have mysteriously vanished, and he arrives at school with blood on his sleeve. Thomas won't say a word about it, and shuts down whenever Andrew tries to ask him questions. Stranger still, Thomas is haunted by something, and he seems to have lost interest in his artwork―whimsically macabre sketches of the monsters from Andrew's wicked stories.

    Desperate to figure out what's wrong with his friend, Andrew follows Thomas into the off-limits forest one night and catches him fighting a nightmarish monster―Thomas's drawings have come to life and are killing anyone close to him. To make sure no one else dies, the boys battle the monsters every night. But as their obsession with each other grows stronger, so do the monsters, and Andrew begins to fear that the only way to stop the creatures might be to destroy their creator...
Hot Takes: First Time Caller by B.K. Borison thumbnail Photo

Hot Takes: First Time Caller by B.K. Borison

Hot Takes: Romance Book Discussion at the Main Library meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month. This discussion group will delve into the world of romance through genres such as contemporary fiction, fantasy, sci-fi, and more! We welcome all tastes and experiences in our judgement free zone. Register here for email updates: https://bit.ly/FPL-Hot-Takes

July 22nd: First Time Caller by B.K. Borison

  • Aiden Valentine has a secret: he's fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, that's a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.