PML Book Group

Every month the library hosts a book discussion where readers gather to talk about what they liked and disliked about our monthly read. The group meets on the first Thursday of every month at 11:00 AM.

NOVEMBER

THE HOUSE IS ON FIRE

Thursday, November 5 at 11:00 am

A “wildly entertaining” (NPR), “gripping” (The Washington Post) work of historical fiction about an incendiary tragedy that shocked a young nation and tore apart a community in a single night, from the author of Florence Adler Swims Forever.
Based on the true story of Richmond’s theater fire, The House Is on Fire is a “stunning” (Jeannette Walls, New York Times bestselling author of The Glass Castle), “all-consuming exploration” (E! News) that offers proof that sometimes, in the midst of great tragedy, we are offered our most precious—and fleeting—chances at redemption.

DECEMBER

THIS ORDINARY STARDUST

Thursday, December 3 at 11:00 am

A compassionate, vulnerable, and transformative exploration of the nurturing and spiritual power of scientific wonder, as illuminated through the tragic dual cancer diagnoses of author Dr. Alan Townsend’s wife and daughter.

At a time when society’s relationship with science is increasingly polarized while threats to human life on earth continue to rise, Townsend offers a balanced, moving perspective on the common ground between science and religion through the spiritual fulfillment he found in his work. Awash in Townsend's electrifying and breathtaking prose, This Ordinary Stardust offers hope that life can carry on even in the face of near-certain annihilation.

JANUARY 2027

Hamnet

Thursday, January 7 at 11:00 am

A "gripping drama of the conflict between love and destiny" (Kirkus), this historical fiction novel tells the story of the death of Shakespeare's 11 year old son Hamnet. The story follows Shakespeare, whose gifts as a writer are starting to emerge, and his wife Agnes, a gifted healer with a deep connection to the natural world. From the publisher... "A luminous portrait of a marriage, a shattering evocation of a family ravaged by grief and loss, and a hypnotic recreation of the story that inspired one of the greatest masterpieces of all time, Hamnet is mesmerizing, seductive, impossible to put down--a magnificent departure from one of our most gifted novelists."