Three Book Clubs, One Small Town, Endless Conversation

Somewhere between the farmers markets and the beach days and the long summer evenings, there's a version of summer in Westport that involves a good book and a room full of people who've read the same one. That's not a fantasy: it's happening at your library, three different ways. The Westport Free Public Library runs three book clubs, each with its own vibe, its own meeting time, and its own reading list. Here's the breakdown:

Westport Library Book Club

2nd Friday of every month | 10:30 a.m. | Manton Community Room

This is the classic. Literary fiction, thoughtful conversation, a group that welcomes readers from all over the South Coast. June's selection: Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson. If you want to read seriously and discuss deeply with people who care about books, this is your club.

Summer selections:

July: The Greatest Sentence Ever Written by Walter Issacson

August: The Island of the See Women by Lisa See

September: Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

Murderous Monday Book Club

2nd Monday of every month | 6:00 p.m. | Manton Community Room

For the mystery lovers, the thriller readers, the people who genuinely enjoy a good murder plot. This month: Three Hours in Paris by Cara Black, a tense WWII thriller that's been getting rave reviews. Evening time makes this one accessible for working adults and parents who can get out after dinner.

Contact westportpl@sailsinc.org to join or get more information.

Summer selections:

July: Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

August: Into the Water by Paula Hawkins

September: The God of the Woods by Liz Moore

There Be Dragons: Romantasy Book Club

3rd Thursday of every month | 6:00 p.m. | Manton Community Room

Yes, this is real. And it's wonderful. If you've been swept up in the romantasy wave: Sarah J. Maas, Carissa Broadbent, Devney Perry. Or if you're romantasy-curious and want to find out what all the noise is about, this is your room. June's read: The Serpent & The Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent. The evening slot works perfectly for moms with school-age kids who are tucked in by 6.

Summer selections:

July: Blood of Hercules by Jasmine Maas

August: Swordheart by T. Kingfisher

September: Quicksilver by Callie Hart

What I love about these three clubs is that they reflect something true about Westport: we are not a monolith. We're farmers and beach-goers and commuters and retirees and young parents and long-timers. Different books speak to different lives, and the library has built a space for all of them.

All clubs meet in the Manton Community Room (if you haven't been inside recently, it's a genuinely lovely space for this kind of gathering). No membership required to attend any of these. Just show up with the book (borrow it from the library, obviously) and an opinion.

Summer reading is better with company.