On this page: ANYWHERE BOOK CLUB | PAGETURNERS BOOK CLUB
Anywhere Book Club - read, listen, or watch any of these titles available now with no waiting.
*This is a trial book club service that will continue during our phased reopening.*
September 2020 picks
Adult Selection eAudiobook
Fiction: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler
Summary: The visionary author's masterpiece pulls us—along with her Black female hero—through time to face the horrors of slavery and explore the impacts of racism, sexism, and white supremacy then and now.
Nonfiction: Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Summary: As a botanist, Robin Wall Kimmerer has been trained to ask questions of nature with the tools of science. As a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, she embraces the notion that plants and animals are our oldest teachers. In Braiding Sweetgrass, Kimmerer brings these two lenses of knowledge together to take us on "a journey that is every bit as mythic as it is scientific, as sacred as it is historical, as clever as it is wise."
Adult Selection eAudiobook and eBook - available Sept 14-28 (Libraries Transform pick)
Fiction: Book of the Little Axe by Lauren Francis-Sharma
Summary: Ambitious and masterfully-wrought, Lauren Francis-Sharma's Book of the Little Axe is an incredible journey, spanning decades and oceans from Trinidad to the American West during the tumultuous days of warring colonial powers and westward expansion.
Young Adult Selection: eBook:
Fiction: The Truth Is by by NoNiega Ramos
Summary: A powerful exploration of love, identity, and self-worth through the eyes of a fierce, questioning Puerto Rican teen.
Young Adult Selection: eAudiobook:
Fiction: A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab
Summary: Kell is one of the last Antari—magicians with a rare, coveted ability to travel between parallel Londons; Red, Grey, White, and, once upon a time, Black. Kell was raised in Arnes—Red London—and officially serves the Maresh Empire as an ambassador, traveling between the frequent bloody regime changes in White London and the court of George III in the dullest of Londons, the one without any magic left to see. Unofficially, Kell is a smuggler, servicing people willing to pay for even the smallest glimpses of a world they'll never see. After an exchange goes awry, perilous magic is afoot, and treachery lurks at every turn. To save all of the worlds, they'll first need to stay alive.
School Age Selection: eAudiobook
Nonfiction: Little White Duck: A Childhood in China by Na Liu & Andrés Vera Martínez
Summary: The world is changing for two girls in China in the 1970s. Da Qin—Big Piano—and her younger sister, Xiao Qin—Little Piano—live in the city of Wuhan with their parents. For decades, China's government had kept the country separated from the rest of the world. When their country's leader, Chairman Mao, dies, new opportunities begin to emerge. Da Qin and Xiao Qin soon learn that their childhood will be much different than the upbringing their parents experienced.
School Age Selection: eBook
Fiction: My Beijing: Four Stories of Everyday Wonder by Nie Jun
Summary: Yu'er and her grandpa live in a small neighborhood in Beijing—and it's full of big personalities. There's a story around every corner, and each day has a hint of magic.
Early Learning Selection: eBook
My Heart Fills with Happiness by Monique Gray Smith
Summary: This beautiful board book, with illustrations from celebrated artist Julie Flett, serves as a reminder for little ones and adults alike to reflect on and cherish the moments in life that bring us joy. International speaker and award-winning author Monique Gray Smith wrote My Heart Fills with Happiness to support the wellness of Indigenous children and families, and to encourage young children to reflect on what makes them happy.
Films - Available through Kanopy - These are films that pair with some of the ABC books for additional discussions:
The Exile - Directed by Oscar Micheaux (Pairs with Book of the Little Axe)
Summary: A disenchanted man heads West in search of true romance. An all-black musical from film pioneer Oscar Micheaux.
Daughters of the Dust - Directed by Julie Dash (Pairs with Kindred)
Summary: At the dawn of the 20th century, a multi-generational family in the Gullah community on the Sea Islands off of South Carolina - former West African slaves who adopted many of their ancestors' Yoruba traditions - struggle to maintain their cultural heritage and folklore while contemplating a migration to the mainland, even further from their roots.
Born in Flames - Directed by Lizzie Borden (Pairs with The Truth Is)
Summary: The movie that rocked the foundations of the early Indie film world, this provocative, thrilling and still-relevant classic is a comic fantasy of female rebellion set in America ten years after the Second American Revolution. When Adelaide Norris, the black radical founder of the Woman's Army, is mysteriously killed, a diverse coalition of women - across all lines of race, class, and sexual preference - emerges to blow the System apart. Featuring early cameos by Kathryn Bigelow and Eric Bogosian.
PageTurners Book Club: All book discussion groups welcome new participants! Just read the book and join the discussions.
To reserve a PageTurners Book Club kit:
Log into KitKeeper with your Timberland library card and PIN number.
About PageTurners:
Local participants choose the books to be discussed for the year. For more information, please contact your local library.
To see your library's current PageTurner Book Discussion meeting schedules, visit our library calendar and search by keyword "pageturners."
About the Kits:
PageTurner kits contain multiple copies of a book and include talking books and large print editions when available.
You can:
- reserve up to 12 kits
- checkout 2 kits max at one time
To see available book club kits and to make a reservation, log into KitKeeper with your Timberland library card and pin number. Visit the Welcome/Help page for more information on how to search for kits.
Contact your local library if you need assistance.