Book lovers don’t need to let COVID-19 social distancing keep them from sharing their opinions and feelings about books with other readers.
Fort Bend County Libraries (FBCL) will offer an online option for book-club meetings this spring – all book-club meetings will take place online through Webex so that readers can interact with others in real time and participate from the comfort and safety of home!
Fort Bend County Libraries’ book clubs represent a wide variety of books and genres. Book clubs that were previously specific to particular branches can now be enjoyed by readers all across the library system.
Books can be requested by calling the libraries, or by placing them on hold in the online catalog. They can be picked up from the libraries through FBCL’s Books & More! Curbside Pick-Up service. Digital versions of some books are also available for download from FBCL’s eLibrary.
Because the book club meetings will be live-streamed over the Internet via Webex, participants should register for the meetings by going to the FBCL website – www.fortbend.lib.tx.us – click on “Classes and Events,” and register for the book club meetings of their choice. A link to the Webex sessions will be emailed to all who have registered.
The schedule of book club meetings in May is as follows:
- Wednesday, May 5, 12:00 noon-1:00 pm – Literary Lunch League Book Club
The book to be discussed is The House at Riverton, a novel written by Kate Morton. This title is available in print; call the Cinco Ranch Branch Library to check availability of copies.
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The House at Riverton
Thursday, May 6– Book Talk: Bridgerton Read-Alikes (pre-recorded video).
In FBCL’s Book Talk series, library staff give a synopsis of featured books and share their thoughts on it. In this episode, hear about “Bridgerton” read-alikes. The new Netflix series, based on Julia Quinn’s regency romance novels, has inspired interest in the historical regency subgenre. Hear about similar novels, such as Wicked and the Wallflower, by Sarah MacLean; Secrets of a Summer Night, by Lisa Kleypas; and While the Duke was Sleeping, by Sophie Jordan. A link to the video will be posted on FBCL’s online calendar on the designated date, and it can be viewed at any time.
- Monday, May 10, 3:00-4:00 pm – Sienna Book Club
The book to be discussed is Moloka’i, a novel written by Alan Brennert. This title is available in print; call the library to check on availability of additional print copies.
- Monday, May 10, 5:00-6:00 pm – University Branch Book Club
The book to be discussed is The Rise of Wolf 8: Witnessing the Triumph of Yellowstone’s Underdog, written by Rick McIntyre. This title is available in print; call the library to check on availability of additional print copies.
- Tuesday, May 11, 2:00-3:00 pm – Mission Bend Book Club
The book to be discussed is The Immortalists, written by Chloe Benjamin. This title is available on OverDrive, audio, and in print; call the library to check on availability of print copies.
- Thursday, May 13, 1:00-2:00 pm – Sugar Land Book Break
The book to be discussed is Still Life, the first book in the Three Pines mystery series written by Louise Penny. This title is available in print, audio, and OverDrive; call the library to check on availability of print copies.
- Thursday, May 13, 1:30 pm – Novel Expectations Book Club
The book to be discussed is Such a Fun Age, a novel written by Kiley Reid. This title is available in print, audio, and on OverDrive; call the First Colony Branch Library to check on availability of additional print copies.
- Thursday, May 13,4:00-5:00 pm – Sienna Subtext: Graphic Novel & Animé Club. The book to be discussed is Invincible Iron Man: Ironheart, Vol 1: Riri Williams, created by Brian Michael Bendis. This title is available in print; please call the library to check availability of additional print copies.
- Saturday, May 15, 11:00 am-12:00 noon – Heavy Inks Graphic Novels Book Club
The books to be discussed are Boxers and Saints, both created by Gene Luen Yang. These titles are available in print; call George Memorial Library to check on availability of additional print copies.
- Saturday,May 15, 11:00 am-12:00 noon – Mystery Readers Club (formerly Murder & Mayhem Book Club)
This book club, which focuses on mysteries and crime novels, meets on the 3rd Saturday of every month. The book to be discussed this month is A Willing Murder, a novel written by Jude Deveraux. This title is available in audio and in print; call the Missouri City Branch Library to check on availability of additional print copies.
- Monday, May 17– Book Talk: Graphic Novels for National Pet Month (pre-recorded video).
In FBCL’s Book Talk series, library staff give a synopsis of featured books and share their thoughts on it. In this episode, hear about four graphic novels celebrating the love and loyalty of animals: Rascal, by Jean-Luc Deglin; Reggie and Me, by Tom DeFalco; She and Her Cat, by Makoto Shinkai; and Beasts of Burden, by Evan Dorkin. A link to the video will be posted on FBCL’s online calendar on the scheduled date, and it can be viewed at any time.
- Wednesday, May 19– Book Talk: The Republic of Pirates (pre-recorded video).
In FBCL’s Book Talk series, library staff give a synopsis of featured books and share their thoughts on it. In this episode, hear about The Republic of Pirates: Being the True and Surprising Story of the Caribbean Pirates and the Man Who Brought Them Down, written by Colin Woodard. A link to the video will be posted on FBCL’s online calendar on the designated date, and it can be viewed at any time.
- Thursday, May 20, 12:00 noon-1:00 pm – Book Break Book Club@ George Memorial Library. The book to be discussed is In the Kingdom of Ice: The Grand and Terrible Polar Voyage of the USS Jeannette, written by Hampton Sides. This title is available in print, audio, and OverDrive; call George Memorial Library to check on availability of additional print copies.
- Friday, May 21– Book Talk: We Have Always Lived in the Castle (pre-recorded video).
In FBCL’s Book Talk series, library staff give a synopsis of featured books and share their thoughts on it. In this episode, hear about We Have Always Lived in the Castle, written by Shirley Jackson. A link to the video will be posted on FBCL’s online calendar on the designated date, and it can be viewed at any time.
- Saturday, May 22,11:00 am-12:00 noon – The Skin I’m In: A Book Club Featuring Authors of Color. The book to be discussed is Jar of Hearts, written by Jennifer Hillier. This new book club meets on the fourth Saturday of every month. This title is available in print and audio; call the Missouri City Branch Library to check on availability of print copies.
- Monday, May 24,3:00-4:00 pm – Booked on Crime Mystery Book Club
The book to be discussed is When You See Me, a novel written by Lisa Gardner. This title is available on OverDrive, audio, and in print; call the Sienna Branch Library to check on availability of additional print copies.
The book club meetings are free and open to the public. Registration is required for the book club meetings so that a link to the Webex sessions can be emailed to all who register. To register online at the library’s website (www.fortbend.lib.tx.us), click on “Classes & Events,” select “Virtual Programs,” and find the program on the date indicated. Participants may also register by calling Fort Bend County Libraries’ Communications Office at 281-633-473.