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Out of This World Book Club (NIC)
Wednesday, August 1, 7:00 pm
Program Room
"Binti" by Nnedi Okorafor
Winner of the Hugo Award and the Nebula Award for Best Novella Her name is Binti, and she is the first of the Himba people ever to be offered a place at Oomza University, the finest institution of higher learning in the galaxy. But to accept the offer will mean giving up her place in her family to travel between the stars among strangers who do not share her ways or respect her customs. Knowledge comes at a cost, one that Binti is willing to pay, but her journey will not be easy. The world she seeks to enter has long warred with the Meduse, an alien race that has become the stuff of nightmares. Oomza University has wronged the Meduse, and Binti's stellar travel will bring her within their deadly reach. If Binti hopes to survive the legacy of a war not of her making, she will need both the the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined within the University, itself ― but first she has to make it there, alive.
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Reader's Night Out (NIC)
Monday, August 6, 7:00 pm 43 E. Jefferson St., Naperville
Socialize with other readers at Quigley's Irish Pub in downtown Naperville and share recent reads and favorite titles. Arrive at 6:15 p.m. to purchase dinner or join the group at 7 p.m. for the discussion only. *Program requires advance registration.
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Read Aloud Book Club (95th)
Thursday, August 9 & 23, 10:00 am
Lookout Room
Reading aloud is a long-standing social tradition. Historically, families often read together as a form of entertainment, and factory workers had books read to them as a way to relieve the tedium. The library is reaching out in that tradition with its Read Aloud Book Club for adults who wish to enjoy and explore the written word in this historical format. The book club is open to all adult readers, especially those who are learning English. Short stories will be read at a pace determined by the group.
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Criminal Spines (NBL)
Thursday, August 9, 7:00 pm
Program Room
"American Assassin" by Vince Flynn Before he was considered a CIA super-agent, before he was thought of as a terrorist’s worst nightmare, and before he was both loathed and admired by the politicians on Capitol Hill, Mitch Rapp was a star college athlete with an untapped instinct for violence.
Tensions in the Middle East are simmering when CIA Director Irene Kennedy pays a visit to Syracuse University, where she hopes to recruit none other than Mitch Rapp, a student who has quickly climbed up the academic and athletic ranks. Tragedy entered Mitch’s life a year before, when thirty-five of his classmates, including his girlfriend, perished in Pan Am flight 103. Since then, Mitch has grieved for their senseless deaths and has felt helpless in his desire for revenge. When Kennedy arrives on campus, his career path is suddenly laid out for him.
Nine months later, after grueling training, Mitch finds himself in Istanbul on his first assignment, which is to assassinate the Turkish arms dealer who sold the explosives used in the Pan Am attack. Mitch hits his target, but quickly sees, for the first time, what revenge means to the enemy. When Mitch’s mentor and a fellow recruit are kidnapped and tortured by a dangerous group of Islamic jihadists, he must stop at nothing to save them.
Join us Wednesday, August 8th for a screening of the film adaptation of "American Assassin" staring Dylan O'Brien and Michael Keaton. 6:30-8:30, Program Room, Naper Blvd. Library. | |
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Readers' Rendezvous Daytime Book Club (NIC)
Tuesday, August 14, 11:00 am
Program Room
"The Last Days of Night" by Graham Moore
New York, 1888. Gas lamps still flicker in the city streets, but the miracle of electric light is in its infancy. The person who controls the means to turn night into day will make history—and a vast fortune. A young untested lawyer named Paul Cravath, fresh out of Columbia Law School, takes a case that seems impossible to win. Paul’s client, George Westinghouse, has been sued by Thomas Edison over a billion-dollar question: Who invented the light bulb and holds the right to power the country?
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Readers' Choice Book Club (95th)
Wednesday, August 15, 10:30 am
Lookout Room
"Kitchens of the Great Midwest" by J. Ryan Stradal When Lars Thorvald’s wife, Cynthia, falls in love with wine—and a dashing sommelier—he’s left to raise their baby, Eva, on his own. He’s determined to pass on his love of food to his daughter—starting with puréed pork shoulder. As Eva grows, she finds her solace and salvation in the flavors of her native Minnesota. From Scandinavian lutefisk to hydroponic chocolate habaneros, each ingredient represents one part of Eva’s journey as she becomes the star chef behind a legendary and secretive pop-up supper club, culminating in an opulent and emotional feast that’s a testament to her spirit and resilience. Each chapter in J. Ryan Stradal’s startlingly original debut tells the story of a single dish and character, at once capturing the zeitgeist of the Midwest, the rise of foodie culture, and delving into the ways food creates community and a sense of identity. By turns quirky, hilarious, and vividly sensory, Kitchens of the Great Midwest is an unexpected mother-daughter story about the bittersweet nature of life—its missed opportunities and its joyful surprises. It marks the entry of a brilliant new talent. | |
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