Edhat Staff
Source: Santa Barbara Public Library
The public is invited to join librarians from the Santa Barbara Public Library in a variety of themed book clubs – there’s a group for every type of reader! Each book club is hosted by a librarian and topics range from History to YA for Grownups. Individuals can join any of the Santa Barbara Public Library book clubs simply by reading (in any format!) the selected book and attending the club meeting of choice.
The History Book Club is on Thursday, August 31st at 10:30 am at the Central Library. Books related to the history of Santa Barbara have been selected for the first three reads and will expand to other topics of interest based on feedback from members, as well as books related to other events and library programs, such as Thematic Learning Circles in partnership with UCSB Arts & Lectures. The first read for this club is Diary of a Sea Captain’s Wife: Tales of Santa Cruz Island, Margaret Holden Eaton’s tale of her life operating the Pelican Bay Camp on Santa Cruz Island in the early part of the 20th century. This book club will continue to meet the last Thursday of every month.
Following the launch of the History Book Club readers can delve into true and fictional stories of corruption and misdeeds with the Crime Book Club. This club will have their first meeting on Wednesday, September 6th at 5:30 pm with a discussion of the book The Blue Hammer by Ross Macdonald. A classic detective novel set in Southern California, The Blue Hammer will take readers through an intricate web of relationships that lead to death, betrayal, and, hopefully, a stolen portrait.
The Fiction Book Club begins on Tuesday September 12th. The Fiction Book Club selection is Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson, in which readers will meet August as she returns to Brooklyn to bury her father and confronts memories of her childhood as a young black girl in turbulent 1970s Brooklyn. To reserve a copy of the book, contact Jace Turner at (805) 564-5611 or jaturner@santabarbaraca.gov.
Join the YA for Grownups Book Club on Wednesday the 20th, at 5:30 pm at the Central Library, which will be discussing the Morris Award winning young adult novel The Serpent King by Jeff Zentner and explore how the relationships of a high school social outsider and son of a Pentecostal minister are relevant and relatable for those long past their teenage years.
Join any of the Santa Barbara Public Library’s book clubs and meet others with similar interests and engage in thoughtful discussions led by expert librarians. All books are available in multiple formats throughout the Santa Barbara Public Library System. Place a hold online at SBPLibrary.org or call (805) 962-7653 for staff assistance in placing a hold on a title.
Book Club Schedule (all meetings will be held at the Central Library, 40 E. Anapamu)
- History Book Club: last Thursday of the month, 10:30 am – 12:00 pm, starts August 31
- Crime Book Club: every first Wednesday, 5:30 – 7:00 pm, starts September 6
- Fiction Book Club: meets every second Tuesday, 5:30 – 7:00 pm, starts September 12
- YA for Grownups Book Club: meets every third Wednesday, 5:30 pm – 7:00 pm, starts September 20
Information about Santa Barbara Public Library System locations, hours, events, and programs is available atSBPLibrary.org. All Library programs are free and open to the public.
