Don't you agree that the next best thing to reading a good book is talking about it? The Library offers several options for you to share favorite books with friends.
Read This! is an ongoing video series where Orange County Library System librarians and staff members give you a look at what they're reading and what they think about it.
Book Clubs at the Library
Browse the list below to find a book club meeting or author event, or make a selection using the location and date range options.
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The Book, the Movie, and the Author of The Joy Luck Club: A Discussion
Saturday, May 25, 2013 at Orlando Public Library
Join us for The Big Read Keynote event featuring Guiyou Huang, Ph.D., Professor of English & Senior Vice President for Academic Affairs at Norwich University, Vermont and author of over ten books, including The Columbia Guide to Asian American Literature since 1945 and Asian American Literary Studies, as he presents a highly informative presentation on The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan. He will delve into this highly acclaimed title whose story was also expertly told on film. Immerse yourself in the world of Amy Tan as he takes us through her multilayered novel. The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. #BigRead13
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Transformers Group Book Club - Amy Tam's the Joy Luck Club
Saturday, May 25, 2013 at Southeast Branch
The Transformers Book Club will start their Second season with Amy Tam's the Joy Luck Club. Everyone is welcome to came and join the Transformers Book Club. Ms. Jones and her book club will discus books that can tranform your life. This month's book: Life's Healing Choices: Freedom from Your Hurts, Hang-ups, and Habits by John Baker and Rick Warren (Aug 21, 2007)
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Spanish Book Club and Tertulia en espanol "Cuatro gatos"
Wednesday, May 29, 2013 at South Creek Branch
Read and discuss books in Spanish.
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Cuatro Gatos, Spanish Book Club
Thursday, May 30, 2013 at Southeast Branch
Tertulia en espanol "Cuatro gatos" Spanish Book Club. Note book club meets alternate Wednesdays and Thursdays. Please check schedule for meeting dates at www.ocls.info.
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The Joy Luck Club Book Discussion
Thursday, May 30, 2013 at South Creek Branch
Join us for a book discussion on this timeless story of mother-daughter relationships that endure both the generation and the more unbridgeable culture gap. The Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest. #BigRead13
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Transformers Group Book Club
Saturday, June 01, 2013 at Southeast Branch
Ms. Jones and her book club will discus books that can tranform your life. This month's book: Life's Healing Choices: Freedom from Your Hurts, Hang-ups, and Habits by John Baker and Rick Warren (Aug 21, 2007)
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Meet the Author: Jenny Torres Sanchez
Saturday, June 01, 2013 at Alafaya Branch
Young adult author Jenny Torres Sanchez will be stopping by the Alafaya Branch to celebrate the release of her second novel, "Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia." The book follows the very strange and demented Frenchie Garcia as she tries to understand life and cope with the death of her high school crush Andy Cooper – a death that happened at the end of their one cool night together. A book signing will follow the event.
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Brown Bag Book Club
Tuesday, June 04, 2013 at Orlando Public Library
Join us the first Tuesday of every month at 12:15 for a lively lunchtime discussion. June's selection is Ann Patchett's "Run". Since their mother's death, Tip and Teddy Doyle have been raised by their loving, possessive, and ambitious father. As the former mayor of Boston, Bernard Doyle wants to see his sons in politics, a dream the boys have never shared. But when an argument in a blinding New England snowstorm inadvertently causes an accident that involves a stranger and her child, all Bernard Doyle cares about is his ability to keep his children—all his children—safe. Set over a period of twenty-four hours, Run takes us from the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard to a home for retired Catholic priests in downtown Boston. It shows us how worlds of privilege and poverty can coexist only blocks apart from each other, and how family can include people you've never even met. Ann Patchett illustrates the humanity that connects disparate lives, weaving several stories into one surprising and endlessly moving narrative. Suspenseful and stunningly executed, Run is ultimately a novel about secrets, duty, responsibility, and the lengths we will go to protect our children.
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Meet The Author: Lucas Boyce
Wednesday, June 05, 2013 at Washington Park Branch
Meet local author and NBA Executive Lucas Daniel Boyce as he shares insights from his book Living Proof: From Foster Care to the White House and the NBA. Developmentally delayed as a result of his birth mother's drug abuse, Boyce struggled as a student but his adoptive mother refused to let him become another tragic statistic. Instead, Dorothy Boyce instilled in her son very important principles that enabled him to work at the White House, fly aboard Air Force One and become an executive for the Orlando Magic at the young age of 29. Book sale and signing follows the program.
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Spanish Book Club and Tertulia en espanol "Cuatro gatos"
Wednesday, June 05, 2013 at South Creek Branch
Read and discuss books in Spanish.
OCLS in Goodreads
What We're Reading, Reviewing, and Rating
Share book reviews and ratings with OCLS, and even join a book club on Goodreads.
Join us on Goodreads for additional picks and discussion!
Book Club Resources
Book Bundles
Browse through the Book Bundles titles to find the right book for your group. We've provided a brief synopsis of each title for your convenience. Where available, we've also provided links to the author's website, reading group material or Novelist Plus.
We have set aside copies of these titles for your book club. You will find the total number of copies available next to the title. You may check out as many of these as you need for your group. Just use this form to request the books for your group!
Browse Book Bundles by title:
1-C D-I J-M N-P Q-S T-V W-Z
Freading
The Freading eBook collection is a great option for book club selections. The titles are always available, so every member can check the same book out at once!
New Book Alerts
Read descriptions and reviews of the latest books added to the OCLS collection. Subscribe via email or RSS to receive a weekly alert on what's new!
Novelist Plus
Get great ideas on the books to read in your club from NoveList Plus!
What Our Leaders Read
Discover recommended books from leaders in our community.
LitLovers
Not sure how to create a book club? Explore ideas for a successful book club with LitLovers.
Get Connected!
Mayor Buddy's Book Club
Each book, a new horizon! Mayor Buddy’s Book Club brings books to life for 5th-8th grade students in the City of Orlando. By encouraging leisure time reading and creative expression, this initiative will improve literacy throughout our community by making reading fun and increasing leisure reading.
Join Our Email Book Clubs
Each day we'll email you a 5-minute portion of a book. During the week you can read 2-3 chapters and decide if you want to check the book out of the library. Every Monday we start new books. Sign up and start reading.
LibraryThing
LibraryThing is an online service to help people catalog their books easily. You can access your catalog from anywhere—even on your mobile phone. Because everyone catalogs together, LibraryThing also connects people with the same books, comes up with suggestions for what to read next, and so forth.
Shelfari
An interactive social media site for book lovers! Using Shelfari, you can create a personal shelf of your books, see what your friends are reading, get and give recommendations for what to read next, create book lists, and even share your opinion on a book with friends or the growing Shelfari community.
