Providence Public Library Has a Book Club for That

Fnishing a good book often comes with one problem: finding someone who actually wants to hear all the thoughts it produced. Providence Public Library has an answer for that, with book clubs built around everything from history and mysteries to sprawling fantasy worlds and fictional men with questionable amounts of magic.

The gatherings happen throughout the month at PPL’s downtown library at 150 Empire Street, giving readers several ways to turn solo reading into something more social. Here’s where to find the right shelf.

Tuesday Brown Bag Book Club

Lunch break, meet book break. This longtime group gathers on the last Tuesday of each month from noon to 1pm in the third-floor Trustee Room. The format makes it an easy fit for readers who like their literary discussion with a midday schedule. All are welcome, and registration is available through PPL.

History Hijinks Book Club

Readers who willingly lose hours to biographies, presidential history, and very specific historical rabbit holes have found their people. History Hijinks meets the first Monday of the month from 5:30-6:45pm, with both in-person and Google Meet options. Registration is required.

The Book Readers Guide to the Galaxy

This one goes well beyond Earth. PPL’s speculative fiction club tackles science fiction and fantasy, with upcoming reads including Katabasis by R.F. Kuang in September, Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab in October, and The Will of the Many by James Islington in November. Meetings generally land on the last Monday of the month.

Mystery Book Club

For readers who consider “just one more chapter” a perfectly reasonable bedtime strategy, the Mystery Book Club delivers detectives, hidden motives, and suspicious characters. The group meets on the third Wednesday of each month from 5:30-6:30pm, with fall selections including Anthony Horowitz’s The Word Is Murder and Tana French’s In the Woods.

Romantasy Book Club

Dragons, fae, vampires, magic, romance, and the occasional warrior boyfriend all get room at the table here. The club meets monthly on Saturdays at 2pm, with The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern on September’s reading list and Powerless by Lauren Roberts coming in November.

Schedules, locations, registration requirements, and book selections can change, so readers should check Providence Public Library online before heading downtown. Visit PPL’s website for the latest book club calendar, registration details, and information on upcoming reads.