For bookworms— and you know who you are— there are few greater pleasures than meeting with like-minded literature enthusiasts and discussing the book that’s keeping you up past your bedtime.
Toledo has much to offer local lit lovers. In addition to boasting one of the best library systems in the country, active book clubs around town welcome new members.
The Toledo Book Club Meetup Group
When: First Thursday of every month at 7 p.m.
Where: Sanger Branch Library, 3030 W. Central Avenue
Recent Reads: Dreamland: The True Tale of America’s Opiate Epidemic by Sam Quinones; Old Man’s War by John Scalzi.
Website: www.meetup.com/bookclub-641/
Probably the area’s biggest organized book club that’s not directly affiliated with the Toledo Lucas County Public Library, this is a great place to start if you’re looking for fellow readers. This group is always reading something interesting and with almost 750 members on the Meetup site, you can always count on a good turnout at their monthly events. Visit their website and you can vote on what book to read the following month. Pretty cool.
Glass City Readers
When: Last Tuesday of every month at 6:30 p.m. (no meeting is scheduled for December)
Where: Varies but has been meeting recently at SIP Coffee (3160 Markway Road). Check the website before showing up.
Recent Reads: A Gentleman In Moscow by Amor Towles, The Brief, Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz.
Website: www.meetup.com/Glass-City-Readers
Count on the Glass City Readers to recommend a book you’ll be happy to have on your nightstand. Besides the excellent aforementioned reads, they also recently discussed the Evicted: Poverty and Profit In the American City by Matthew Desmond.
Perrysburg Mystery Book Club
When: Third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m.
Where: Gathering Volumes, 196 E. South Boundary, Perrysburg
Recent Reads: Stillhouse Lake by Rachel Cline, Murder In the Lincoln White House by C.M. Gleason.
Website: www.meetup.com/Perrysburg-Mystery-Book-Club/
The literary sleuths at Perrysburg Mystery Book Club certainly will be the first to figure out “whodunit?”. One of several cool book clubs centered at the Gathering Volumes bookstore, this is the place to go if you like your literature with a lot of intrigue. Agatha Christie would be proud.
Perrysburg Fantasy/Sci-Fi Book Club
When: Third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m.
Where: Gathering Volumes, 196 E. South Boundary, Perrysburg
Recent Reads: American Gods by Neil Gaiman, The Girl With All The Gifts by M.R. Carey.
Website: www.meetup.com/Perrysburg-Fantasy-Sci-Fi-Meetup/
If you love letting your geek pride run rampant, this is the book club for you. This fun-loving group of sci-fi and fantasy enthusiasts always has something interesting on the bookshelf. The group is currently reading The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O by Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland.
Books On Tap
When: Second Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m.
Where: Earnest Brew Works, 4342 S. Detroit Ave.
Recent Reads: The Sellout by Paul Beatty.
Website: http://www.toledolibrary.org/librarygroups
Sorry, kiddies— you gotta be 21 or above to join this intoxicating evening of prose. Books On Tap is a group for those who enjoy a good read while sipping on a cold one. The fun takes place once a month at the ever-so-awesome craft beer hotspot Earnest Brew Works. Come by for pages and pints.
Under 200 Club
When: Third Monday of every month at 7 p.m.
Where: Sanger Branch Library, 3030 W. Central Ave.
Recent Reads: The Spy by Paulo Coelho, Buddha In the Attic by Julie Otsuka.
Website: http://www.toledolibrary.org/librarygroups
You must love a lit group that bills itself as “A book club for those who fear commitment.” No, they’re not referring to your ex; they mean those who find it hard to set aside time to read long books. All books of the Under 200 Club are under a couple hundred pages, meaning you can likely start and finish that month’s selection over a weekend. Convenient, yes?
For more area book clubs, visit the Toledo Lucas County Public Library’s Book Clubs site at toledolibrary.org/librarygroups
