Archives for book discussion

Fall Short-Story Discussion Series

Fall Short-Story Discussion Series

Join Librarian Barbara Wenglin to explore compelling stories from an exciting, rich, and bold new anthology: 100 Years of the Best American Short Stories Edited by Lorrie Moore and Heidi Pitlor (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015) Marking the centennial of the Best American Short Stories annual series, this collection celebrates the diversity of the genre and the American experience from 1915-2015. Available in print collection through our Catalog and as an eBook in Hoopla, as well as OverDrive and Libby. Thursdays from 2:00 – 4:15 p.m. on Zoom The selected stories with varied settings deal with intriguing and edgy romantic relationships. Please
Read More

November 8, 2020 11:16 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: book discussion, book group, Short stories, and Short Story Book Discussion.

Stamped Book Discussions for Children and Teens

Stamped Book Discussions for Children and Teens

This fall, join the Youth Services department for a series of events surrounding the Library’s city-wide reading initiative, One Book, One White Plains. We'll be reading Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi. The book is available in regular print, large print, and CD audiobook from our physical collection and as a digital audiobook and eBook from OverDrive and Libby. To give teens more time to read the book, we've postponed our teen book discussion of Stamped. The book club has been rescheduled for Monday, November 9th, at 4:30 p.m. We’ll discuss the book and
Read More

November 2, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: Antiracism, book discussion, book group, Ibram X. Kendi, Jason Reynolds, One Book One White Plains, Racism, Sachi Feris, and teen book club.

What Should We Read Next? Book Lover Event

What Should We Read Next? Book Lover Event

Sunday, November 8th 1:00–2:30 p.m. Get a heads-up on new books and refresh your reading list with books you might have missed with publishing insider Carol Fitzgerald. Back by popular demand, Carol will share news about the season’s buzzworthy titles and chat about what books groups have been doing since March when “the world went virtual.” Carol Fitzgerald is the President of The Book Report Network—a group of internet sites on books and authors that have become the gathering places for a large and devoted community of booklovers since 1996, and the host of the “Bookreporter Talks To” video/podcast series.
Read More

October 23, 2020 11:38 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: book discussion, book group, book recommendations, carol fitzgerald, reading, and The Book Reporter.

Red Door Readers

Red Door Readers

In conjunction with Gilda’s Club Westchester, the Library will offer a book discussion group for cancer survivors, their families, and caretakers. The focus will be on literary fiction and all meetings will be held over Zoom. We meet the third Thursday of each month, from 1:00-3:00 p.m. Registration is required and limited. Upcoming selections include: Thursday, November 19: How It All Began, by Penelope Lively. Click here to register. Physical Catalog: Book OverDrive and Libby: eBook Set in London, this novel examines the role of chance in people’s lives, exploring how our lives can be altered irrevocably by someone we
Read More

October 10, 2020 2:35 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Library News.
Tags: book discussion, book group, event, Gilda's Club of Westchester, Red Door Readers, and virtual event.

‘Virtual’ Short-Story Discussion Series Returns

‘Virtual’ Short-Story Discussion Series Returns

Barbara Wenglin’s short-story discussion series has been a mainstay at the Library for years, but the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020 caused the format to change from in-person to virtual, via the Zoom platform. “What we lost in intimacy was made up by gaining participants from beyond White Plains. Through the Library’s website, newsletter, social media, and word of mouth, we were able to reach out around the region and around the country,” noted Librarian Wenglin. Virtual programs will continue in the 2020-2021 season, which has resulted in the choice of a new series anthology, available in
Read More

September 16, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: Barbara Wenglin, book club, book discussion, short story discussion, and virtual book club.

Announcing Project LIT Community Chapter

Announcing Project LIT Community Chapter

Great news! The Library has become a chapter in the Project LIT Community and is in the process of organizing both teen and middle grade Project LIT Book Clubs, contacting community organizations, schools, and authors, and connecting to students in White Plains. Our Project LIT goal will be to “read, discuss and celebrate books that affirm and value all students.” What is Project LIT Community? It is a national grassroots literacy movement that is dedicated to increasing access to culturally sustaining books and promoting a love of reading. Dr. Jarred Amato and his Maplewood High School (Nashville, TN) students founded
Read More

August 27, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Book Discussion, Events, Featured, Homepage Kids, Homepage Teens, Kids, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: Antiracism, book discussion, book group, Ibram X. Kendi, Jason Reynolds, One Book One White Plains, Project Lit, Project Lit Chapter, and Project Lit Community.

September Book Club for Teens

September Book Club for Teens

Calling all middle and high school students for a monthly virtual book club for teens. Each month, join librarians Kat and Lauren to discuss the featured book and compete against friends in a mini trivia game. Our next virtual meeting has been rescheduled and will take place on Friday, September 11th at 6:30 p.m. This month, we’re reading Dumplin’ by Julie Murphy, which has also been made into a Netflix movie. Willowdean, nicknamed Dumplin’ by her mother, feels comfortable in her plus-size skin. But she faces constant criticism from her mom, a former beauty queen who still runs the annual
Read More

August 18, 2020 11:57 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Homepage Teens, and Library News.
Tags: book club, book discussion, book group, events, teen book club, and teens.

July & August Virtual Book Bunch

July & August Virtual Book Bunch

We’re thrilled about how many folks are signing up for our July book discussion for children! We can’t wait to discuss Malamander with y’all and to learn more about the book and its creation from the author! For our July Virtual Book Bunch, we will be reading Malamander by Thomas Taylor! Kids of any age who have read the book are welcome to join us but we recommend this title for those in 3rd through 7th grade. Author Thomas Taylor will be joining us for a Q&A session after the discussion! Please register by calling the library at (914) 422-1400
Read More

June 30, 2020 10:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: book bunch, book club, book discussion, book group, Daniel Isenberg, Malamander, summer programs, Thomas Taylor, trove events, and virtual book bunch.

July Book ‘Em Mystery Book Group

July Book ‘Em Mystery Book Group

Join Library Director Brian Kenney for two mystery discussions in July. July 8 2:30-3:30 p.m. Girl Waits with Gun by Amy Stewart. Based on the true story of one of the nation's first female deputy sheriffs. Please borrow the eBook through Hoopla. July 22 2:30-3:30 p.m. Stone Cold Heart by Caz Frear. “Engrossing…exceptional characters…a satisfying mystery with a fraught cliffhanger.”—Publishers Weekly. Please borrow the eBook through Hoopla (Audiobook and eBook available).
Read More

June 24, 2020 4:43 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, and Library News.
Tags: Book 'Em, book discussion, and book group.

July & August Teen Book Clubs

July & August Teen Book Clubs

Virtual book club sessions have been the highlight of spring for librarians Lauren and Kat. We are looking forward to four more sessions this summer, this time with the theme of summer reading. Each month, one book club meeting will feature one title from a Highlands Middle School recommended reading list, and the other will feature a title from the White Plains High School recommended reading list. All four books are available with unlimited copies on Hoopla, and multiple copies on OverDrive. While these books are on recommended reading lists for various grade levels, the book clubs are open to
Read More

June 11, 2020 12:02 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: book club, book discussion, diverse reads, teen book club, teen books, YA books, and YA Fiction.

Summer Virtual Book Bunch Programs

Summer Virtual Book Bunch Programs

We’re excited to announce some fun virtual book discussion programs for children throughout the summer. We’re psyched to discuss these books and get some insight about them as a few of their authors join our discussions! In June, we will be reading Our Only May Amelia by Jennifer L. Holm. Kids of any age who have read the book are welcome to join us but we recommend this title for those in 3rd through 7th grade. Unlimited eBook copies are available via Hoopla, but it's also available as an eBook on OverDrive and Libby. This program will take place on
Read More

June 4, 2020 11:31 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books and Library News.
Tags: author visit, book bunch, book club, book discussion, kids book club, and virtual book bunch.

Virtual Book Club for Teens

Virtual Book Club for Teens

Due to uncertainty about large public gatherings this fall, the Battle of the Books (BOB) competition has been postponed until October 2021. We (librarians and BOB coaches Lauren and Kat) are glad this decision has been made in the interest of safety… but we worry we’ll miss our BOB team too much! So, we’re excited to begin a monthly virtual book club for teens. Each month, we’ll read and discuss a book that’s available with unlimited copies on Hoopla. We’ll also keep our BOB skills sharp with Jeopardy games, trivia questions, and maybe even drills to improve our speed on
Read More

May 20, 2020 11:27 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Library News, and Teens.
Tags: battle of the books, book club, book discussion, book group, events, and teen book club.

May Virtual Book Bunch Events

May Virtual Book Bunch Events

Deb and I hope y’all had fun reading and discussing Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez during our last virtual Book Bunch program. We can’t wait for our next two virtual Book Bunch events! Please feel free to bring your own snack to each program. Wednesday, May 6th from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. we will discuss Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo. Unlimited eBook copies are available via Hoopla, but it's also available as an eBook and digital audiobook on OverDrive. Kids of any age who have read the book are welcome to join us but we
Read More

April 23, 2020 3:25 pm | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Featured, Kids, and Library News.
Tags: book bunch, book discussion, and virtual book bunch.

New Book Group: Facts, Not Fiction

New Book Group: Facts, Not Fiction

New to the Library is “Facts, Not Fiction,” a discussion series centered around three nonfiction books. White Plains resident Mark Tracten—the U.S. representative of Great Britain’s Crown House Publishing (which he formerly headed along with Brunner/Mazel Publishers)–will lead the discussion. Here is the schedule: ♦ March 12: The Boys in the Boat, by Daniel James Brown (Penguin Books, 2013). ♦ April 9: The Lost City of the Monkey God, by Douglas Preston (Grand Central Publishing, 2017). ♦ May 14: 1776, by David McCullough (Simon & Schuster, 2005). The Thursday discussions will be in the Library’s first-floor Community Room at 6:00
Read More

February 17, 2020 9:00 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Events, Featured, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: book discussion, book groups, and Nonfiction book group.

Short Story Discussion Resumes March 12

Short Story Discussion Resumes March 12

After a winter break, White Plains librarian Barbara Wenglin resumes her short story discussion series on Thursday, March 12, at 2:00 p.m. in the Library’s Galaxy Hall (second floor). The first selection to be explored is Barbara Kingsolver’s “Islands on the Moon” from the series anthology, Stories of Motherhood, edited by Diana Secker Tesdell (Everyman’s Pocket Classics, 2012). The theme of this story is single motherhood and pregnancy, while other aspects of what moms face will be taken up in subsequent discussions by authors Elizabeth Bowen, Tillie Olsen, Anita Desai, Louise Erdrich, and Hortense Calisher. Renowned novelist Amy Tan wraps
Read More

February 10, 2020 5:05 pm | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, Evergreen, and Library News.
Tags: book discussion, short story discussion, and Stories of Motherhood.

Barbara Wenglin’s Short Story Series

Barbara Wenglin’s Short Story Series

White Plains librarian Barbara Wenglin’s short story discussion series has been a popular fixture for years as the selections and their interpretations have produced a riveting give-and-take among the attendees. The spring series opens on Thursday, March 12th, at 2:00 p.m. with a discussion of “Islands on the Moon” by Barbara Kingsolver, taken from the anthology, Stories of Motherhood (Everyman’s Pocket Classics, 2012, edited by Diana Secker Tesdell). The flyer with dates and details is attached. The theme of mother-child relationships intersects with the screening and discussion (date TBA) of the Academy Award winning film, The Piano (Miramax, 1993) that
Read More

January 21, 2020 11:45 am | by | No Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Events, and Library News.
Tags: book club, book discussion, book groups, and short story discussion.

Slow Reading Spring Session

Slow Reading Spring Session

Library users may wonder about one of our newest reading groups: Slow Reading. “Slow reading describes my practice of looking at a text very closely in order to appreciate nuances of language and hence of meaning,” says Ellen Lambert, author (The Face of Love: Feminism and the Beauty Question) and White Plains resident, who holds a Ph.D. in English from Yale University. Lambert taught literature at Manhattan’s Dalton School for over 25 years (and intends to start a tutoring service for high school students.) “In our discussions of short fiction, we often read particular passages out loud. We then examine
Read More

January 16, 2020 11:15 am | by | 4 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Events, and Homepage.
Tags: book discussion and slow reading.

What Should I Read Next?

What Should I Read Next?

This post as expired and the event has passed. Visit our adult calendar here for a current list of book related events or subscribe to our eNewsletter here to find out when Carol Fitzgerald will return. Get a heads-up on new books and refresh your reading list for the colder weather with publishing insider Carol Fitzgerald on Sunday October 20th at 1:30 p.m. Back by popular demand, Carol will share news about the season’s buzz-worthy titles and facilitate a discussion of book group practices, successes, and failures. Carol Fitzgerald is the President of The Book Report Network—a group of internet
Read More

October 9, 2019 11:40 am | by | 2 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Director's Corner, eNewsletter, and Library News.
Tags: book club, book discussion, book groups, book recommendations, and carol fitzgerald.

Book Club: The Future is Female

Book Club: The Future is Female

One of our newest book groups returns this month. The Future is Female, a mix of memoirs, short stories, novels, and poetry by and about interesting, talented, and inspiring women in history, the arts, sports, and everyday life. Led by Ellen O’Connell, the group will meet on the first Monday of every month, from 2:00-3:30 p.m. To place one of the readings on hold, simply click on the title. October 7: Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng (2014) a Novel — As part of the One Book, One White Plains program. “A moving exploration of family, history, and
Read More

October 2, 2019 9:00 am | by | 11 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, eNewsletter, Events, Homepage, and Library News.
Tags: book discussion, books by women, and feminist books.

One Book, One White Plains

One Book, One White Plains

This September and October, White Plains will come together as a community to read Celeste Ng’s Everything I Never Told You. A gripping page-turner and striking family portrait, the novel follows a Chinese American family in 1970s small-town Ohio as they try to understand the death of the oldest daughter, Lydia. It explores “alienation, achievement, race, gender, family, and identity” (Amazon.com). Writes the New York Times Book Review: “If we know this story, we haven’t seen it yet in American Fiction, not until now.” How to participate? If you have a book group, make Everything I Never Told You your
Read More

September 3, 2019 9:00 am | by | 3 Comments
Categories: Authors & Books, Director's Corner, eNewsletter, Events, and Library News.
Tags: book discussion and One Book One White Plains.