Book & Social Groups

Library staff members lead a variety of book discussion and social groups — we are always excited to welcome new participants. Explore the descriptions below to find out more about each group. Have a question for a book group leader? Send us a message!

For book groups, copies of the books are available for pickup starting approximately one month in advance of the meeting and may be picked up at the circulation desk at the library hosting the group.

Click on “Show Book List” to see upcoming books and their meeting dates. Click View in Catalog to see further details.

If you plan to attend one of our book groups, please check the next meeting date on our events calendar in case of changes of time or venue.

Brookline Village Library


A Taste of Poetry

Where: Where: Brookline Village Library, meeting virtually -- register for the A Taste of Poetry Zoom Meeting
When: First Thursday of the month, 11 AM
Led by: Jackson

Bring your lunch and an appetite for poetry. Each month we look at half a dozen poems by a well-known poet. We provide copies of the poems – no need to read anything in advance – and lead a discussion after reading them. Request a copy of this month’s poems through our contact form.

January 4: Seamus Heaney 

February 1: Sonia Sanchez

March 7: Louise Glück

April 4: Poetry month medley

May 2: Rabindranath Tagore 

June 6: Federico García Lorca

July 11: Hoa Nguyen

August 1: Mark Strand 

September 5: John Keats

October 3: Emily Pauline Johnson

November 7: Dunya Mikhail

December 5: Emily Dickinson


Graphic Novel Group

Where: Where: Brookline Village Library Conference Room, meeting virtually -- register for the Graphic Novel Group Zoom Meeting
When: Fourth Monday of the Month, 7 pm
Led by: Jared

Read and discuss graphic novels with like-minded readers. We read a wide range of books, from big titles everyone has heard of to the newest micropress anthology that might just become your new favorite, and are always willing to try something new that the group is interested in reading.

Look Back Tatsuki Fujimoto Cover
July 22

Look Back

Tatsuki Fujimoto

The overly confident Fujino and the shut-in Kyomoto couldn’t be more different, but a love of drawing manga brings these two small-town girls together. A poignant story of growing up and moving forward that only Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of Cha

Read More View in Catalog
Giant Days Vol. 1 John Allison & Lissa Treiman Cover
August 26

Giant Days Vol. 1

John Allison & Lissa Treiman

"Susan, Esther, and Daisy started at university three weeks ago and became fast friends. Now, away from home for the first time, all three want to reinvent themselves. But in the face of hand-wringing boys, "personal experimentation,"

Read More View in Catalog
Do a Powerbomb Daniel Warren Johnson Cover
September 23

Do a Powerbomb

Daniel Warren Johnson

From the creator of MURDER-FALCON and WONDER WOMAN: DEAD EARTH comes the wrestling adventure of the decade! Lona Steelrose wants to be a pro-wrestler, but she's living under the shadow of her mother, the best to ever do it. Everything changes wh

Read More View in Catalog
Uzumaki (3-in-1, Deluxe Edition) Junji Ito Cover
November 4

Uzumaki (3-in-1, Deluxe Edition)

Junji Ito

A masterpiece of horror manga, now available in a deluxe hardcover edition! Kurôzu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. According to Shuichi Saito, the withdrawn boyfriend of teenager Kirie Goshima, their town is haunted not

Read More View in Catalog
Paying the Land Joe Sacco Cover
November 25

Paying the Land

Joe Sacco

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2020 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE GUARDIAN, THE BROOKLYN RAIL, THE GLOBE AND MAIL, POP MATTERS, COMICS BEAT, AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY From the “heir to R. Crumb and Art Spiegelman” (Economist), a masterful work of comics journalis

Read More View in Catalog
Klaus Grant Morrison Cover
December 23

Klaus

Grant Morrison

Set in a dark fantastic past of myth and magic, Klaus tells the story of how Santa Claus really came to be-- the tale of one man and his wolf against a totalitarian state and the ancient evil that sustains it ... Klaus is 'Santa Claus: Year One&

Read More View in Catalog

Queer Reading Group

Where: Where: Brookline Village Library, meeting virtually -- register for the Queer Reading Group Zoom Meeting
When: Second Thursday of the Month, 7 pm
Led by: Percival

Read and discuss books by queer authors in a variety of genres. This group has a stress-free structure, where the conversation we develop about identity, gender, race, and all intersections that these generate is just as important as reading the book. We make space to feel seen, safe, ask questions, and learn.

Bury Your Gays Chuck Tingle Cover
March 13

Bury Your Gays

Chuck Tingle

Bury Your Gays is a heart-pounding new novel from USA Today bestselling author Chuck Tingle about what it takes to succeed in a world that wants you dead. "Brilliantly bloody, wildly fun, and extremely scary, Bury Your Gays brings a sledgehammer

Read More View in Catalog
Love & Other Disasters Anita Kelly Cover
February 13

Love & Other Disasters

Anita Kelly

The first openly nonbinary contestant on America’s favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut that USA Today hailed as “an essential read.” Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, D

Read More View in Catalog
Navigating With You Jeremy Whitley Cover
January 9

Navigating With You

Jeremy Whitley

A charming POC-led WLW romance where two new friends hit the road in search of the missing volumes of their favorite manga. Neesha Sparks is a disabled, vocal community activist with a passion for costume design. Gabby Graciana is an optimistic surfe

Read More View in Catalog

Coolidge Corner Library


Afternoon Book Group

Where: Coolidge Corner Library, meeting virtually -- register for the Afternoon Book Group Zoom Meeting
When: Third OR Fourth Monday of each month, 3 PM; check events calendar for the latest schedule.
Led by: Jessica

This group reads a variety of fiction and nonfiction. Books chosen are usually 350 pages or less and released within the last 5 years.

The Bad Muslim Discount Syed M. Masood Cover
January 13

The Bad Muslim Discount

Syed M. Masood

Following two families from Pakistan and Iraq in the 1990s to San Francisco in 2016, The Bad Muslim Discount is an inclusive, comic novel about Muslim immigrants finding their way in modern America. “Masood’s novel presents a stereoscopic, three-

Read More View in Catalog
Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen Cover
February 10

Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen

Austen’s most celebrated novel tells the story of Elizabeth Bennet, a bright, lively young woman with four sisters, and a mother determined to marry them to wealthy men. At a party near the Bennets’ home in the English countryside, Elizabeth meet

Read More View in Catalog
Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen Sarah Bird Cover
March 17

Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen

Sarah Bird

"You'll be swept away by the passion and power of this remarkable, trailblazing woman who risked everything to follow her own heart." – Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author "An epic page-turner." – Christi

Read More View in Catalog
The Bride Test Helen Hoang Cover
April 21

The Bride Test

Helen Hoang

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Kiss Quotient comes a romantic novel about love that crosses international borders and all boundaries of the heart... Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or con

Read More View in Catalog
Bestiary K-Ming Chang Cover
May 19

Bestiary

K-Ming Chang

NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS’ CHOICE • Three generations of Taiwanese American women are haunted by the myths of their homeland in this spellbinding, visceral debut about one family’s queer desires, violent impulses, and buried secrets.

Read More View in Catalog

Midday Monday Mystery

Where: Coolidge Corner Library, meeting virtually -- register for the Midday Monday Mystery Zoom Meeting
When: Second Monday of the month, 12:30 PM
Led by: Chloe

A mystery book group at the Coolidge Corner Library.

The Last Days of Kira Mullan Nicci French Cover
March 10th, 2025

The Last Days of Kira Mullan

Nicci French

Nancy North is ready to put her life back together. After suffering a psychotic break that ruined friendships, stalled her fledgling restaurant, and forced her to move out of her comfortable flat, she’ll do anything to get back to normal. She and h

Read More View in Catalog
The Murders in Great Diddling Katarina Bivald Cover
February 10th, 2025

The Murders in Great Diddling

Katarina Bivald

The small, rundown village of Great Diddling is full of stories—author Berit Gardner can feel it. The way the villagers avoid outsiders, the furtive stares and whispers in the presence of newcomers… Berit can sense the edge of a story waiting to

Read More View in Catalog
A Duty to the Dead Charles Todd Cover
January 13th, 2025

A Duty to the Dead

Charles Todd

The daughter of a distinguished soldier, Bess Crawford follows in his footsteps and signs up to go overseas as a nurse during the Great War, helping to deal with the many wounded. There, serving on a hospital ship, she makes a promise to a dying youn

Read More View in Catalog
Y is for Yesterday Sue Grafton Cover
December 9th

Y is for Yesterday

Sue Grafton

In 1979, four teenage boys from an elite private school sexually assault a fourteen-year-old classmate—and film the attack. Not long after, the tape goes missing and the suspected thief, a fellow classmate, is murdered. In the investigation that fo

Read More View in Catalog

Movie Matinee

Where: Coolidge Corner Library Meeting Room
When: Wednesdays at 1:30 PM
Led by: Jeanne

Join the Coolidge Corner Library every week for free screenings of recent favorite films! Doors open at 1:15 PM.

Thelma  Cover
December 4

Thelma

When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.

View in Catalog
It Ends with Us  Cover
December 11

It Ends with Us

When a woman's first love suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with a charming, but abusive neurosurgeon is upended, and she realizes she must learn to rely on her own strength to make an impossible choice for her future.

View in Catalog
Titanic: The Musical  Cover
December 18

Titanic: The Musical

In the final hours of April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic, on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, collided with an iceberg and ‘the unsinkable ship’ slowly sank. It was one of the most tragic disasters of the 20th Century. Fifteen hundred

Read More View in Catalog

The Millennial Book Group

Where: Coolidge Corner Library
When: Third Tuesday of the month, 7 PM
Led by: Kenny

A book club intended for busy millennials looking to make connections and read books they never thought to read before. Group members select a variety of books (such as fiction, non-fiction, memoir, short story, and even graphic novels) and discuss each month.

When We Do Harm Danielle Ofri, MD Cover
January 2025

When We Do Harm

Danielle Ofri, MD

Medical mistakes are more pervasive than we think. How can we improve outcomes? An acclaimed MD’s rich stories and research explore patient safety. Patients enter the medical system with faith that they will receive the best care possible, so when

Read More View in Catalog
Nettle & Bone T. Kingfisher Cover
February 2025

Nettle & Bone

T. Kingfisher

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel An Instant USA Today & Indie Bestseller An Oprah Daily Top 25 Fantasy Book of 2022 A Vulture Best Fantasy Novel of 2022 An NPR Best Sci Fi, Fantasy, & Speculative Fiction Book of 2022 A Goodreads Best F

Read More View in Catalog
Tigerman Nick Harkaway Cover
March 2025

Tigerman

Nick Harkaway

From the award-winning author of The Gone-Away World and Angelmaker—a novel at once heartfelt and thrilling about parenthood, friendship and secret identities, about heroes of both the super and the everyday kind. “An irresistible delight, someth

Read More View in Catalog
Touch Olaf Olafsson Cover
April 2025

Touch

Olaf Olafsson

Soon to be a film directed, written and produced by Baltasar Kormákur, co-written by Olaf Olafsson. Only In Theaters July 12. "Delicate, absorbing...as satisfying as it is moving." — Vogue A mesmerizing, panoramic story of one man’s se

Read More View in Catalog
The Vegetarian Han Kang Cover
May 2025

The Vegetarian

Han Kang

FROM HAN KANG, WINNER OF THE 2024 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE “[Han Kang writes in] intense poetic prose that . . . exposes the fragility of human life.”—from the Nobel Prize citation WINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE • “Kang viscerall

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Putterham Library


Council on Aging Book Group

Where: Putterham Library Meeting Room, meeting virtually -- register for the Council on Aging Book Group Zoom Meeting
When: Third or fourth Monday of the month, 2 PM
Led by: Ginger

A book group for seniors to read together. Please note we’re taking a break in October!

Project 562 Matika Wilbur Cover
November 18

Project 562

Matika Wilbur

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A photographic and narrative celebration of contemporary Native American life and cultures, alongside an in-depth examination of issues that Native people face, by celebrated photographer and storyteller Matika Wilbur of

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Dead and Gondola Ann Claire Cover
December 16

Dead and Gondola

Ann Claire

In this series debut, a mysterious bookshop visitor dies under murderous circumstances, compelling the Christie sisters and their cat, Agatha, to call on all they’ve learned about solving mysteries from their favorite novelist. “A fair-play plot,

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Instructions for Traveling West Joy Sullivan Cover
January 27

Instructions for Traveling West

Joy Sullivan

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A vivid and inspiring poetry collection about what’s possible when we heed our instincts and honor our intuition, allowing ourselves to strike out for new territories of love, pleasure, and peace. “This empathetic, honest,

Read More View in Catalog
The Color Purple Alice Walker Cover
February 24

The Color Purple

Alice Walker

The Pulitzer Prize– and National Book Award–winning novel is now a new, boldly reimagined film from producers Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, starring Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, and Fantasia Barrino. A PBS Great American Read Top 100

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Dearly Margaret Atwood Cover
March 17

Dearly

Margaret Atwood

A new book of poetry from internationally acclaimed, award-winning and bestselling author Margaret Atwood In Dearly, Margaret Atwood’s first collection of poetry in over a decade, Atwood addresses themes such as love, loss, the passage of time, the

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A Woman Is No Man Etaf Rum Cover
April 28

A Woman Is No Man

Etaf Rum

A Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist for Best Fiction and Best Debut • BookBrowse's Best Book of the Year • A Marie Claire Best Women's Fiction of the Year • A Real Simple Best Book of the Year • A PopSugar Best Book of the Year • A

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Lost & Found Kathryn Schulz Cover
May 19

Lost & Found

Kathryn Schulz

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • A “profound and beautiful” (Marilynne Robinson) account of joy and sorrow from one of the great writers of our time, The New Yorker’s Kathryn Schulz, winner of the Pulitzer Prize “I

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Less Andrew Sean Greer Cover
June 16

Less

Andrew Sean Greer

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2018 'You will sob little tears of joy' Nell Zink 'I recommend it with my whole heart' Ann Patchett 'I adore this book' Armistead Maupin 'Charming, languid and incredibly fun

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Being Heumann Judith Heumann, Kristen Joiner Cover
July 21

Being Heumann

Judith Heumann, Kristen Joiner

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year for Nonfiction "...an essential and engaging look at recent disability history."— Buzzfeed One of the most influential disability rights activists in US history tells her personal story of fightin

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How to Age Disgracefully Clare Pooley Cover
August 18

How to Age Disgracefully

Clare Pooley

A senior citizens’ center and a daycare collide with hilarious results in the new ensemble comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Authenticity Project When Lydia takes a job running a Senior Citizen’s Social Club three afternoon

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Wisdom Cafe

Where: Putterham Library Meeting Room
When: Starting in September: first or second Friday of the month, 12 PM
Led by: Ginger

Join us at the Putterham Library for Wisdom Cafe: a social hour that features guest speakers sharing their knowledge across a diverse range of topics.

Wisdom Cafe takes place on the first or second Friday of the month following Gentle Chair Yoga. Coffee and pastries provided!

Featured guests (please note we take break in January and again in July + August):

September 13 – eLibrary resources with Ginger O’Day

Join local librarian and Putterham’s own Branch Supervisor Ginger O’Day to learn about accessing the Public Library of Brookline’s digital collection. She’ll walk attendees through the three most widely used resources for ebooks, audiobooks, movies, and more: Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy!

October 11 – Legacy letters with Miriam Diamond

Convey your personal values and life lessons with a legacy letter: a means of conveying personal ideals to inspire family, community members, friends, and future generations. Program leader and frequent Library collaborator Miriam Diamond will guide attendees through reflecting on, articulating, and preparing to communicate their special insights.

November 1 – Therapy dog meet and greet with Deb Harrow and Buddy

Therapy dog handler and Library volunteer Deb Harrow will be joining us to speak about therapy dogs and provide a special Q+A session. Attendees get to meet the amazing Buddy, Deb’s dog and one of the stars of our popular Pups @ Putterham reading program!

Brookline, MA - Official Website | Official Website

December 6 – Winter preparedness with the Office of Emergency Management

Join us with the Town of Brookline’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinators, Sara Schaffer and Sophie Gordon, to learn all about being prepared and staying safe this upcoming winter!

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February 7 – Yoga Q + A with Keith Beasley

Join us with Putterham’s very own Gentle Chair Yoga instructor Keith Beasley as he speaks about the practice of yoga and answers any questions you may have about it!

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March 7 – Local birding with Brookline Bird Club

Join us with local birders Leslie Kramer and Cliff Cook from Brookline Bird Club, the largest and one of the oldest bird clubs in the state of Massachusetts!

April 11 – Local pollinators with Brookline Pollinator Pathway

Join us with Brookline Pollinator Pathway to learn all about our local pollinators and what we can do to support them and our environment!

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May 2 – Brookline history + archives with Samantha Valentine

Join us with local librarian and archivist Samantha Valentine as she shows us how to access local history through the Public Library of Brookline’s digital catalog and archives collection!

June 13 – Ebooks, audiobooks, + more with Ginger O’Day

Join us again with local librarian and Putterham Branch Supervisor Ginger O’Day as she gives us a refresher on the Public Library of Brookline’s eLibrary resources!


Brookline Village Library


A Taste of Poetry

Where: Brookline Village Library, meeting virtually -- register for the A Taste of Poetry Zoom Meeting
When: First Thursday of the month, 11 AM
Led by: Jackson

Bring your lunch and an appetite for poetry. Each month we look at half a dozen poems by a well-known poet. We provide copies of the poems – no need to read anything in advance – and lead a discussion after reading them. Request a copy of this month’s poems through our contact form.

January 4: Seamus Heaney 

February 1: Sonia Sanchez

March 7: Louise Glück

April 4: Poetry month medley

May 2: Rabindranath Tagore 

June 6: Federico García Lorca

July 11: Hoa Nguyen

August 1: Mark Strand 

September 5: John Keats

October 3: Emily Pauline Johnson

November 7: Dunya Mikhail

December 5: Emily Dickinson


Graphic Novel Group

Where: Brookline Village Library Conference Room, meeting virtually -- register for the Graphic Novel Group Zoom Meeting
When: Fourth Monday of the Month, 7 pm
Led by: Jared

Read and discuss graphic novels with like-minded readers. We read a wide range of books, from big titles everyone has heard of to the newest micropress anthology that might just become your new favorite, and are always willing to try something new that the group is interested in reading.

Look Back Tatsuki Fujimoto Cover
July 22

Look Back

Tatsuki Fujimoto

The overly confident Fujino and the shut-in Kyomoto couldn’t be more different, but a love of drawing manga brings these two small-town girls together. A poignant story of growing up and moving forward that only Tatsuki Fujimoto, the creator of Cha

Read More View in Catalog
Giant Days Vol. 1 John Allison & Lissa Treiman Cover
August 26

Giant Days Vol. 1

John Allison & Lissa Treiman

"Susan, Esther, and Daisy started at university three weeks ago and became fast friends. Now, away from home for the first time, all three want to reinvent themselves. But in the face of hand-wringing boys, "personal experimentation,"

Read More View in Catalog
Do a Powerbomb Daniel Warren Johnson Cover
September 23

Do a Powerbomb

Daniel Warren Johnson

From the creator of MURDER-FALCON and WONDER WOMAN: DEAD EARTH comes the wrestling adventure of the decade! Lona Steelrose wants to be a pro-wrestler, but she's living under the shadow of her mother, the best to ever do it. Everything changes wh

Read More View in Catalog
Uzumaki (3-in-1, Deluxe Edition) Junji Ito Cover
November 4

Uzumaki (3-in-1, Deluxe Edition)

Junji Ito

A masterpiece of horror manga, now available in a deluxe hardcover edition! Kurôzu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. According to Shuichi Saito, the withdrawn boyfriend of teenager Kirie Goshima, their town is haunted not

Read More View in Catalog
Paying the Land Joe Sacco Cover
November 25

Paying the Land

Joe Sacco

NAMED A BEST BOOK OF 2020 BY THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE GUARDIAN, THE BROOKLYN RAIL, THE GLOBE AND MAIL, POP MATTERS, COMICS BEAT, AND PUBLISHERS WEEKLY From the “heir to R. Crumb and Art Spiegelman” (Economist), a masterful work of comics journalis

Read More View in Catalog
Klaus Grant Morrison Cover
December 23

Klaus

Grant Morrison

Set in a dark fantastic past of myth and magic, Klaus tells the story of how Santa Claus really came to be-- the tale of one man and his wolf against a totalitarian state and the ancient evil that sustains it ... Klaus is 'Santa Claus: Year One&

Read More View in Catalog

Queer Reading Group

Where: Brookline Village Library, meeting virtually -- register for the Queer Reading Group Zoom Meeting
When: Second Thursday of the Month, 7 pm
Led by: Percival

Read and discuss books by queer authors in a variety of genres. This group has a stress-free structure, where the conversation we develop about identity, gender, race, and all intersections that these generate is just as important as reading the book. We make space to feel seen, safe, ask questions, and learn.

Bury Your Gays Chuck Tingle Cover
March 13

Bury Your Gays

Chuck Tingle

Bury Your Gays is a heart-pounding new novel from USA Today bestselling author Chuck Tingle about what it takes to succeed in a world that wants you dead. "Brilliantly bloody, wildly fun, and extremely scary, Bury Your Gays brings a sledgehammer

Read More View in Catalog
Love & Other Disasters Anita Kelly Cover
February 13

Love & Other Disasters

Anita Kelly

The first openly nonbinary contestant on America’s favorite cooking show falls for their clumsy competitor in this delicious romantic comedy debut that USA Today hailed as “an essential read.” Recently divorced and on the verge of bankruptcy, D

Read More View in Catalog
Navigating With You Jeremy Whitley Cover
January 9

Navigating With You

Jeremy Whitley

A charming POC-led WLW romance where two new friends hit the road in search of the missing volumes of their favorite manga. Neesha Sparks is a disabled, vocal community activist with a passion for costume design. Gabby Graciana is an optimistic surfe

Read More View in Catalog

Coolidge Corner Library


Afternoon Book Group

Where: Coolidge Corner Library, meeting virtually -- register for the Afternoon Book Group Zoom Meeting
When: Third OR Fourth Monday of each month, 3 PM; check events calendar for the latest schedule.
Led by: Jessica

This group reads a variety of fiction and nonfiction. Books chosen are usually 350 pages or less and released within the last 5 years.

The Bad Muslim Discount Syed M. Masood Cover
January 13

The Bad Muslim Discount

Syed M. Masood

Following two families from Pakistan and Iraq in the 1990s to San Francisco in 2016, The Bad Muslim Discount is an inclusive, comic novel about Muslim immigrants finding their way in modern America. “Masood’s novel presents a stereoscopic, three-

Read More View in Catalog
Pride and Prejudice Jane Austen Cover
February 10

Pride and Prejudice

Jane Austen

Austen’s most celebrated novel tells the story of Elizabeth Bennet, a bright, lively young woman with four sisters, and a mother determined to marry them to wealthy men. At a party near the Bennets’ home in the English countryside, Elizabeth meet

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Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen Sarah Bird Cover
March 17

Daughter of a Daughter of a Queen

Sarah Bird

"You'll be swept away by the passion and power of this remarkable, trailblazing woman who risked everything to follow her own heart." – Kristin Hannah, #1 New York Times bestselling author "An epic page-turner." – Christi

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The Bride Test Helen Hoang Cover
April 21

The Bride Test

Helen Hoang

From the USA Today bestselling author of The Kiss Quotient comes a romantic novel about love that crosses international borders and all boundaries of the heart... Khai Diep has no feelings. Well, he feels irritation when people move his things or con

Read More View in Catalog
Bestiary K-Ming Chang Cover
May 19

Bestiary

K-Ming Chang

NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS’ CHOICE • Three generations of Taiwanese American women are haunted by the myths of their homeland in this spellbinding, visceral debut about one family’s queer desires, violent impulses, and buried secrets.

Read More View in Catalog

Midday Monday Mystery

Where: Coolidge Corner Library, meeting virtually -- register for the Midday Monday Mystery Zoom Meeting
When: Second Monday of the month, 12:30 PM
Led by: Chloe

A mystery book group at the Coolidge Corner Library.

The Last Days of Kira Mullan Nicci French Cover
March 10th, 2025

The Last Days of Kira Mullan

Nicci French

Nancy North is ready to put her life back together. After suffering a psychotic break that ruined friendships, stalled her fledgling restaurant, and forced her to move out of her comfortable flat, she’ll do anything to get back to normal. She and h

Read More View in Catalog
The Murders in Great Diddling Katarina Bivald Cover
February 10th, 2025

The Murders in Great Diddling

Katarina Bivald

The small, rundown village of Great Diddling is full of stories—author Berit Gardner can feel it. The way the villagers avoid outsiders, the furtive stares and whispers in the presence of newcomers… Berit can sense the edge of a story waiting to

Read More View in Catalog
A Duty to the Dead Charles Todd Cover
January 13th, 2025

A Duty to the Dead

Charles Todd

The daughter of a distinguished soldier, Bess Crawford follows in his footsteps and signs up to go overseas as a nurse during the Great War, helping to deal with the many wounded. There, serving on a hospital ship, she makes a promise to a dying youn

Read More View in Catalog
Y is for Yesterday Sue Grafton Cover
December 9th

Y is for Yesterday

Sue Grafton

In 1979, four teenage boys from an elite private school sexually assault a fourteen-year-old classmate—and film the attack. Not long after, the tape goes missing and the suspected thief, a fellow classmate, is murdered. In the investigation that fo

Read More View in Catalog

Movie Matinee

Where: Coolidge Corner Library Meeting Room
When: Wednesdays at 1:30 PM
Led by: Jeanne

Join the Coolidge Corner Library every week for free screenings of recent favorite films! Doors open at 1:15 PM.

Thelma  Cover
December 4

Thelma

When 93-year-old Thelma Post gets duped by a phone scammer pretending to be her grandson, she sets out on a treacherous quest across the city to reclaim what was taken from her.

View in Catalog
It Ends with Us  Cover
December 11

It Ends with Us

When a woman's first love suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with a charming, but abusive neurosurgeon is upended, and she realizes she must learn to rely on her own strength to make an impossible choice for her future.

View in Catalog
Titanic: The Musical  Cover
December 18

Titanic: The Musical

In the final hours of April 14, 1912, the RMS Titanic, on her maiden voyage from Southampton to New York, collided with an iceberg and ‘the unsinkable ship’ slowly sank. It was one of the most tragic disasters of the 20th Century. Fifteen hundred

Read More View in Catalog

The Millennial Book Group

Where: Coolidge Corner Library
When: Third Tuesday of the month, 7 PM
Led by: Kenny

A book club intended for busy millennials looking to make connections and read books they never thought to read before. Group members select a variety of books (such as fiction, non-fiction, memoir, short story, and even graphic novels) and discuss each month.

When We Do Harm Danielle Ofri, MD Cover
January 2025

When We Do Harm

Danielle Ofri, MD

Medical mistakes are more pervasive than we think. How can we improve outcomes? An acclaimed MD’s rich stories and research explore patient safety. Patients enter the medical system with faith that they will receive the best care possible, so when

Read More View in Catalog
Nettle & Bone T. Kingfisher Cover
February 2025

Nettle & Bone

T. Kingfisher

Winner of the Hugo Award for Best Novel An Instant USA Today & Indie Bestseller An Oprah Daily Top 25 Fantasy Book of 2022 A Vulture Best Fantasy Novel of 2022 An NPR Best Sci Fi, Fantasy, & Speculative Fiction Book of 2022 A Goodreads Best F

Read More View in Catalog
Tigerman Nick Harkaway Cover
March 2025

Tigerman

Nick Harkaway

From the award-winning author of The Gone-Away World and Angelmaker—a novel at once heartfelt and thrilling about parenthood, friendship and secret identities, about heroes of both the super and the everyday kind. “An irresistible delight, someth

Read More View in Catalog
Touch Olaf Olafsson Cover
April 2025

Touch

Olaf Olafsson

Soon to be a film directed, written and produced by Baltasar Kormákur, co-written by Olaf Olafsson. Only In Theaters July 12. "Delicate, absorbing...as satisfying as it is moving." — Vogue A mesmerizing, panoramic story of one man’s se

Read More View in Catalog
The Vegetarian Han Kang Cover
May 2025

The Vegetarian

Han Kang

FROM HAN KANG, WINNER OF THE 2024 NOBEL PRIZE IN LITERATURE “[Han Kang writes in] intense poetic prose that . . . exposes the fragility of human life.”—from the Nobel Prize citation WINNER OF THE INTERNATIONAL BOOKER PRIZE • “Kang viscerall

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Putterham Library


Council on Aging Book Group

Where: Putterham Library Meeting Room, meeting virtually -- register for the Council on Aging Book Group Zoom Meeting
When: Third or fourth Monday of the month, 2 PM
Led by: Ginger

A book group for seniors to read together. Please note we’re taking a break in October!

Project 562 Matika Wilbur Cover
November 18

Project 562

Matika Wilbur

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A photographic and narrative celebration of contemporary Native American life and cultures, alongside an in-depth examination of issues that Native people face, by celebrated photographer and storyteller Matika Wilbur of

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Dead and Gondola Ann Claire Cover
December 16

Dead and Gondola

Ann Claire

In this series debut, a mysterious bookshop visitor dies under murderous circumstances, compelling the Christie sisters and their cat, Agatha, to call on all they’ve learned about solving mysteries from their favorite novelist. “A fair-play plot,

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Instructions for Traveling West Joy Sullivan Cover
January 27

Instructions for Traveling West

Joy Sullivan

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A vivid and inspiring poetry collection about what’s possible when we heed our instincts and honor our intuition, allowing ourselves to strike out for new territories of love, pleasure, and peace. “This empathetic, honest,

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The Color Purple Alice Walker Cover
February 24

The Color Purple

Alice Walker

The Pulitzer Prize– and National Book Award–winning novel is now a new, boldly reimagined film from producers Oprah Winfrey and Steven Spielberg, starring Taraji P. Henson, Danielle Brooks, and Fantasia Barrino. A PBS Great American Read Top 100

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Dearly Margaret Atwood Cover
March 17

Dearly

Margaret Atwood

A new book of poetry from internationally acclaimed, award-winning and bestselling author Margaret Atwood In Dearly, Margaret Atwood’s first collection of poetry in over a decade, Atwood addresses themes such as love, loss, the passage of time, the

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A Woman Is No Man Etaf Rum Cover
April 28

A Woman Is No Man

Etaf Rum

A Goodreads Choice Awards Finalist for Best Fiction and Best Debut • BookBrowse's Best Book of the Year • A Marie Claire Best Women's Fiction of the Year • A Real Simple Best Book of the Year • A PopSugar Best Book of the Year • A

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Lost & Found Kathryn Schulz Cover
May 19

Lost & Found

Kathryn Schulz

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NEW YORK TIMES EDITORS’ CHOICE • A “profound and beautiful” (Marilynne Robinson) account of joy and sorrow from one of the great writers of our time, The New Yorker’s Kathryn Schulz, winner of the Pulitzer Prize “I

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Less Andrew Sean Greer Cover
June 16

Less

Andrew Sean Greer

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION 2018 'You will sob little tears of joy' Nell Zink 'I recommend it with my whole heart' Ann Patchett 'I adore this book' Armistead Maupin 'Charming, languid and incredibly fun

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Being Heumann Judith Heumann, Kristen Joiner Cover
July 21

Being Heumann

Judith Heumann, Kristen Joiner

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year for Nonfiction "...an essential and engaging look at recent disability history."— Buzzfeed One of the most influential disability rights activists in US history tells her personal story of fightin

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How to Age Disgracefully Clare Pooley Cover
August 18

How to Age Disgracefully

Clare Pooley

A senior citizens’ center and a daycare collide with hilarious results in the new ensemble comedy from the New York Times bestselling author of The Authenticity Project When Lydia takes a job running a Senior Citizen’s Social Club three afternoon

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Wisdom Cafe

Where: Putterham Library Meeting Room
When: Starting in September: first or second Friday of the month, 12 PM
Led by: Ginger

Join us at the Putterham Library for Wisdom Cafe: a social hour that features guest speakers sharing their knowledge across a diverse range of topics.

Wisdom Cafe takes place on the first or second Friday of the month following Gentle Chair Yoga. Coffee and pastries provided!

Featured guests (please note we take break in January and again in July + August):

September 13 – eLibrary resources with Ginger O’Day

Join local librarian and Putterham’s own Branch Supervisor Ginger O’Day to learn about accessing the Public Library of Brookline’s digital collection. She’ll walk attendees through the three most widely used resources for ebooks, audiobooks, movies, and more: Libby, Hoopla, and Kanopy!

October 11 – Legacy letters with Miriam Diamond

Convey your personal values and life lessons with a legacy letter: a means of conveying personal ideals to inspire family, community members, friends, and future generations. Program leader and frequent Library collaborator Miriam Diamond will guide attendees through reflecting on, articulating, and preparing to communicate their special insights.

November 1 – Therapy dog meet and greet with Deb Harrow and Buddy

Therapy dog handler and Library volunteer Deb Harrow will be joining us to speak about therapy dogs and provide a special Q+A session. Attendees get to meet the amazing Buddy, Deb’s dog and one of the stars of our popular Pups @ Putterham reading program!

Brookline, MA - Official Website | Official Website

December 6 – Winter preparedness with the Office of Emergency Management

Join us with the Town of Brookline’s Emergency Preparedness Coordinators, Sara Schaffer and Sophie Gordon, to learn all about being prepared and staying safe this upcoming winter!

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February 7 – Yoga Q + A with Keith Beasley

Join us with Putterham’s very own Gentle Chair Yoga instructor Keith Beasley as he speaks about the practice of yoga and answers any questions you may have about it!

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March 7 – Local birding with Brookline Bird Club

Join us with local birders Leslie Kramer and Cliff Cook from Brookline Bird Club, the largest and one of the oldest bird clubs in the state of Massachusetts!

April 11 – Local pollinators with Brookline Pollinator Pathway

Join us with Brookline Pollinator Pathway to learn all about our local pollinators and what we can do to support them and our environment!

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May 2 – Brookline history + archives with Samantha Valentine

Join us with local librarian and archivist Samantha Valentine as she shows us how to access local history through the Public Library of Brookline’s digital catalog and archives collection!

June 13 – Ebooks, audiobooks, + more with Ginger O’Day

Join us again with local librarian and Putterham Branch Supervisor Ginger O’Day as she gives us a refresher on the Public Library of Brookline’s eLibrary resources!