Book Groups

AML Book Group

The AML Book Group meets the third Tuesday of the month. All are welcome, no registration required. Copies of the books will be available at the circulation desk. Please check the Program Calendar for discussion dates and times.

January 19, 2027 Book Discussion

Elon Musk

Walter Isaacson

From the author of Steve Jobs and other bestselling biographies, this is the astonishingly intimate story of the most fascinating and controversial innovator of our era—a rule-breaking visionary who helped to lead the world into the era of electric vehicles, private space exploration, and artificial intelligence. Oh, and took over Twitter. Australian Financial Review Top 20 Read for 2023​ When Elon Musk was a kid in South Africa, he was regularly beaten by bullies. One day a group pushed him down some concrete steps and kicked him until his face was a swollen ball of flesh. He was in the hospital for a week. But the physical scars were minor compared to the emotional ones inflicted by his father, an engineer, rogue, and charismatic fantasist. His father’s impact on his psyche would linger. He developed into a tough yet vulnerable man-child, prone to abrupt Jekyll-and-Hyde mood swings, with an exceedingly high tolerance for risk, a craving for drama, an epic sense of mission, and a maniacal intensity that was callous and at times destructive. At the beginning of 2022—after a year marked by SpaceX launching thirty-one rockets into orbit, Tesla selling a million cars, and him becoming the richest man on earth—Musk spoke ruefully about his compulsion to stir up dramas. “I need to shift my mindset away from being in crisis mode, which it has been for about fourteen years now, or arguably most of my life,” he said. It was a wistful comment, not a New Year’s resolution. Even as he said it, he was secretly buying up shares of Twitter, the world’s ultimate playground. Over the years, whenever he was in a dark place, his mind went back to being bullied on the playground. Now he had the chance to own the playground. For two years, Isaacson shadowed Musk, attended his meetings, walked his factories with him, and spent hours interviewing him, his family, friends, coworkers, and adversaries. The result is the revealing inside story, filled with amazing tales of triumphs and turmoil, that addresses the question: are the demons that drive Musk also what it takes to drive innovation and progress?

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November 17, 2026 Book Discussion

Burned by Billionaires

Chuck Collins

A scathing exposé of the hidden impact of America’s ultra wealthy on our social, economic, political, and ecological landscape—as well as a path toward a more equitable future “The three hundred largest yachts in the world emit as much carbon dioxide as the ten million inhabitants of Burundi.” —from Burned by Billionaires Recently, it has become increasingly evident that extreme concentrations of wealth and power have profound impacts on our politics, but extreme inequality’s influence on our daily lives—and our futures—has been vastly overlooked. In Burned by Billionaires, author and a senior scholar at the Institute for Policy Studies in Washington, DC, Chuck Collins chronicles how the actions of the top .01% have severe consequences for the rest of us, especially those of marginalized identities. Collins takes down the “myth of meritocracy,” unraveling how the rich rig the game in their favor, resulting in a concentration of wealth in the hands of a tiny (but growing) class of billionaires—leading to both intense income and political polarization. In a wholly original argument, Collins charts this economic, social, and ecological destruction and shows how these effects manifest in every facet of our society, including: Increasing the tax burden on ordinary working people Reducing public funding for schools, roads, and other essential infrastructure Shrinking the pool of affordable housing, especially in poor and urban areas Accelerating climate change and dictating what ends up on our dinner plate Shaping the news we consume and fueling the spread of misinformation Collins argues that perhaps, worst of all, the concentration of wealth and power is leading to political hijacking, undermining the democratic principle that our votes matter equally. Full of engrossing charts, graphs, political cartoons, and more, this book is an urgent call-to-action and road map to a more equitable society, where everyone has access to the resources that will allow them to thrive—and one where it is no longer commonplace to live in a constant state of uncertainty, fear, and anxiety Burned by Billionaires offers a pointed prescription for taking power back from the billionaire class and achieving the shared prosperity that comes from a healthy and equal society.

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October 20, 2026 Book Discussion

The Girl at the Baggage Claim

Gish Jen

Drawing on a trove of personal accounts and cutting-edge research, a “timely and extremely important” book (The Washington Post) from the acclaimed, award-winning author of Thank You, Mr. Nixon that shows how our worldviews are shaped—and what that might mean for the shared future of the United States and China. As East and West become more and more entwined, we also continue to baffle one another. What’s more important—self-sacrifice or self-definition? Do we ultimately answer to something larger than ourselves—a family, a religion, a troop? Or is our mantra “To thine own self be true”? Gish Jen shows how our worldviews are shaped by what cultural psychologists call "independent" and "interdependent" models of selfhood. Coloring what we perceive, remember, do, make, and tell, imbuing everything from our ideas about copying to our conceptions of human rights, these models help explain why the United States produced Apple while China created Alibaba—and what that might mean for our future. As engaging as it is fascinating, The Girl at the Baggage Claim is a book that profoundly transforms our understanding of ourselves and our time.

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West Acton Citizens’ Library Book Group

The West Acton Citizens’ Library Book Group meets on the second Wednesday of the month. All are welcome, no registration required. Copies of the books will be available at the West Acton branch. Please check the Program Calendar for discussion dates and times.

December 9, 2026 Book Discussion

The Stranger in the Woods

Michael Finkel

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The remarkable true story of a man who lived alone in the woods of Maine for 27 years, making this dream a reality—not out of anger at the world, but simply because he preferred to live on his own. “A meditation on solitude, wildness and survival.” —The Wall Street Journal In 1986, a shy and intelligent twenty-year-old named Christopher Knight left his home in Massachusetts, drove to Maine, and disappeared into the forest. He would not have a conversation with another human being until nearly three decades later, when he was arrested for stealing food. Living in a tent even through brutal winters, he had survived by his wits and courage, developing ingenious ways to store edibles and water, and to avoid freezing to death. He broke into nearby cottages for food, clothing, reading material, and other provisions, taking only what he needed but terrifying a community never able to solve the mysterious burglaries. Based on extensive interviews with Knight himself, this is a vividly detailed account of his secluded life—why did he leave? what did he learn?—as well as the challenges he has faced since returning to the world. It is a gripping story of survival that asks fundamental questions about solitude, community, and what makes a good life, and a deeply moving portrait of a man who was determined to live his own way, and succeeded.

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November 2026 Book Discussion

The Pull of the Stars

Emma Donoghue

In Dublin, 1918, a maternity ward at the height of the Great Flu is a small world of work, risk, death, and unlooked-for love, in "Donoghue's best novel since Room" (Kirkus Reviews). In an Ireland doubly ravaged by war and disease, Nurse Julia Power works at an understaffed hospital in the city center, where expectant mothers who have come down with the terrible new Flu are quarantined together. Into Julia's regimented world step two outsiders—Doctor Kathleen Lynn, a rumoured Rebel on the run from the police, and a young volunteer helper, Bridie Sweeney. In the darkness and intensity of this tiny ward, over three days, these women change each other's lives in unexpected ways. They lose patients to this baffling pandemic, but they also shepherd new life into a fearful world. With tireless tenderness and humanity, carers and mothers alike somehow do their impossible work. In The Pull of the Stars, Emma Donoghue once again finds the light in the darkness in this new classic of hope and survival against all odds.

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October 14, 2026 Book Discussion

Hour of the Witch

Chris Bohjalian

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the acclaimed author of The Flight Attendant: “Historical fiction at its best…. The book is a thriller in structure, and a real page-turner, the ending both unexpected and satisfying” (Diana Gabaldon, bestselling author of the Outlander series, The Washington Post). A young Puritan woman—faithful, resourceful, but afraid of the demons that dog her soul—plots her escape from a violent marriage in this riveting and propulsive novel of historical suspense. Boston, 1662. Mary Deerfield is twenty-four-years-old. Her skin is porcelain, her eyes delft blue, and in England she might have had many suitors. But here in the New World, amid this community of saints, Mary is the second wife of Thomas Deerfield, a man as cruel as he is powerful. When Thomas, prone to drunken rage, drives a three-tined fork into the back of Mary's hand, she resolves that she must divorce him to save her life. But in a world where every neighbor is watching for signs of the devil, a woman like Mary—a woman who harbors secret desires and finds it difficult to tolerate the brazen hypocrisy of so many men in the colony—soon becomes herself the object of suspicion and rumor. When tainted objects are discovered buried in Mary's garden, when a boy she has treated with herbs and simples dies, and when their servant girl runs screaming in fright from her home, Mary must fight to not only escape her marriage, but also the gallows. A twisting, tightly plotted novel of historical suspense from one of our greatest storytellers, Hour of the Witch is a timely and terrifying story of socially sanctioned brutality and the original American witch hunt.

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Baking Club

Join us every other month for a deliciously fun and free event! In our Baking Club, we’ll explore a different baking cookbook together, then meet to share and enjoy dishes we’ve each prepared from that month’s selection. Whether you’re a seasoned baker or just starting out, it’s a great way to try new recipes, swap tips, and connect with fellow food lovers. Cookbooks will be available to check out at both library locations, first come, first serve. Please register for each meeting on the library’s Program Calendar.

September 2026 Book Discussion

Dessert Person

Claire Saffitz

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • In her first cookbook, Bon Appétit and YouTube star of the show Gourmet Makes offers wisdom, problem-solving strategies, and more than 100 meticulously tested, creative, and inspiring recipes. IACP AWARD WINNER • NAMED ONE OF THE BEST COOKBOOKS OF THE YEAR BY The New York Times Book Review • Bon Appétit • NPR • The Atlanta Journal-Constitution • Salon • Epicurious “There are no ‘just cooks’ out there, only bakers who haven't yet been converted. I am a dessert person, and we are all dessert people.”—Claire Saffitz Claire Saffitz is a baking hero for a new generation. In Dessert Person, fans will find Claire’s signature spin on sweet and savory recipes like Babkallah (a babka-Challah mashup), Apple and Concord Grape Crumble Pie, Strawberry-Cornmeal Layer Cake, Crispy Mushroom Galette, and Malted Forever Brownies. She outlines the problems and solutions for each recipe—like what to do if your pie dough for Sour Cherry Pie cracks (patch it with dough or a quiche flour paste!)—as well as practical do’s and don’ts, skill level, prep and bake time, step-by-step photography, and foundational know-how. With her trademark warmth and superpower ability to explain anything baking related, Claire is ready to make everyone a dessert person.

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Additional Resources for Book Lovers and Book Groups

• Booklist Blog: Freely accessible book lists, interviews, and resources from Booklist and the American Library Association.
• Goodreads: A social media site for book lovers.  Discover and create personalized shelves of books to read, track books you have already read and share your opinions about books with friends.
• LibraryThing: Create a library-quality catalog for your personal book collection while discovering new books through social networking.
• LitLovers: “The website for all things literary”– book club tips, book club title recommendations, reading guides and reviews.
• NPR Books We Love: Mix and match filters to view recommendations from NPR staff and trusted critics.
• Reading Group Choices: Discover great book club reads and get advice on running your book club.
• ReadingGroupGuides: Need discussion questions to help run your next book club meeting?  This online community for book clubs has over 3,600 searchable guides.