Two of the greatest inventions in history— beer and literature— are coming together thanks to the Toledo Lucas County Library’s upcoming book group Books on Tap.
This four-part monthly series will be held at Earnest Brew Works the third Wednesday of every month at 7 p.m., beginning on September 19. Each month a new book will be discussed, analyzed, and appreciated… over any one of the many delicious beers poured by Earnest Brew Works.
Books on Tap is the brainchild of Maumee Branch Library Adult and Teen Services Librarian Marco Vitella.
“A lot of libraries across the country do similar groups, hosting book clubs in bars and breweries,” said Vitella, who helped put together an identical program when he worked at a library in Plymouth, Michigan. He said the library partnered with Earnest Brew Works partially due to their proximity to the Maumee-branch library and that the pub, which specializes in serving local craft brewed beer, was no stranger to hosting literary based groups, such as Literati.
In addition to hosting their events in a cool, laid-back location, Books On Tap will be focusing on books from a wide cross-section of authors. The books that will be discussed are:
Wednesday, September 19: “The Ocean at the End of the Lane” by Neil Gaiman
Wednesday, October 17: “Chilling Adventures of Sabrina” by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and Robert Hack
Wednesday, November 14: “The Sellout” by Paul Beatty
Wednesday, December 19: “Future Home of the Living God” by Louise Erdrich
According to the Vitella, the books for the series were chosen in part due to their brevity, since he knows that adults often don’t have time to read long books due to family and job commitments. “We’re trying to focus on books are shorter. But we’re also trying to appeal to a group of people from their 20s to their 40s, as well as focus on books that wouldn’t necessarily get picked for a book club. For example, the book we’re reading in October is a graphic novel and that was chosen to pair it with the Netflix adaptation that’s coming up. We’re trying to make sure that we’re staying relevant to popular culture.”
All of the books in the series can be checked out from any Library location, but a selection is currently being held at the Maumee Branch Library, located at 501 River Road.
“Anyone who is a book lover and is looking for something different in Toledo is more than welcome to join us.”
Books on Tap meets every third Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Earnest Brew Works, located at 4342 S. Detroit Avenue. For more information on Books On Tap or any of the Toledo Lucas County Library’s several other books groups, visit www.toledolibrary.org/events
