Book Groups at the Library
Virtual, International Murder Mystery—we have something for everyone. Interested in starting a new book group? Let us know!
Virtual Book Club
This online book club meets on the third Saturday of the month at 4:00 p.m.
May 17 at 4 p.m.
The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
Tracking the natural beauty that surrounds us, The Backyard Bird Chronicles maps the passage of time through daily entries, thoughtful questions, and beautiful original sketches. With boundless charm and wit, author Amy Tan charts her foray into birding and the natural wonders of the world.
2025 Book Club Selections
May 17: Backyard bird Chronicles by Amy Tan
June 21: The Sicilian Inheritance by Jo Piazza
July 19: The Life Impossible by Matt Haig
August 16: The Frozen River by Ariel Lawson
September 20: The Peach Seed by Anita Gail Jones
October 18: Someone Else’s Bucket List by Amy T Matthews
November 15: Salt Houses by Hala Alyan
December 20: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore
You can request a book, or ebook from the Mid-Hudson library system. Please call the library with any questions: 845-657-2482
International Murder Mystery Book Club
This book club meets in person at the library on the 3rd Monday of each month at 2 p.m., led by Henrietta Shannon.
May 19 at 2 p.m.
The Dance of the Seagull by Andrea Camillieri - Italy
Before leaving for vacation with Livia, Montalbano witnesses a seagull doing an odd dance on the beach outside his home, when the bird suddenly drops dead. Stopping in at his office for a quick check before heading off, he notices that Fazio is nowhere to be found and soon learns that he was last seen on the docks, secretly working on a case. Montalbano sets out to find him and discovers that the seagull's dance of death may provide the key to understanding a macabre world of sadism, extortion, and murder.
2025 Book Club Selections
May 19: The Dance of the Seagull by Andrea Camillieri - Italy
June 16: The Pure of Heart by Susan Hill - England
July 21: The Fire Witness by Lars Kepler - Sweden
August 18: Bryant and May: The Lonely Hour by Christopher Fowler - England
September 15: The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vasquez - Brazil
October 20: Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent - England
November 17: Thirty-Three Teeth by Colin Cotterill - Laos
December 15: Hold Your Breath China by Qiu Xialong - China
Defending Democracy Book Club
In-person book club meeting the first Tuesday of each month at 5:30 p.m., led by author David Corbett.
May 6 at 5:30 p.m.
Surviving Autocracy by Masha Gessen
How Democracies Die is a 2018 comparative politics book by the Harvard University political scientists Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt about democratic backsliding and how elected leaders can gradually subvert the democratic process to increase their power.
May 6: Surviving Autocracy by Masha Gessen
June 3: Autocracy Inc. by Anne Applebaum Cancelled
July 1: The Undertow by Jeff Sharlet
August 5: Dark Money by Jane Mayer