Book Clubs

Like reading books and talking about life and happiness? Then these could be the groups for you. We come together for one common interest—books. Yet, in exploring the stories or history together, we will discover we have so much more in common as well. We try to find new areas to branch into each month. We may invite OLLI authors with manuscripts ready for publication. We don’t break the stories down clinically, piece by piece. Instead, we prefer to discuss the story in general terms and how it relates to us. There are three separate clubs to choose from—see below.

Click here for information about connecting to OLLI zoom classes. (OLLI members only)

“Genreflections” Book Club

Alternate Fridays • Fall, spring and summer • 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. • Zoom

Spring Intersession: April 26 • May 10

Summer Session: June 7, 21 • July 5, 19 • August 2

This course is for those who enjoy reading and discussing fiction. We will explore a variety of novels representing various genres, such as travel fiction, historical fiction, coming-of-age fiction and domestic fiction. Our first selection for the 2024 summer session is “The Tale of Halcyon Crane” by Wendy Webb; this novel fits into the genre “spirited away by the supernatural.” Books for the remainder of the semester will be determined by the course attendees during the first meeting.

Instructor: Andrea Tarr Tech Coordinator: Rosalind Charles

Graphic Novels, Comics and More!

Thursdays Alternate Weeks • Fall and Spring • 4 p.m.-5:30 p.m. • Zoom

Spring Intersession: April 18 • May 2, 16

Did you know that a graphic novel is just as popular and challenging as a traditional book? They tell stories that can be long or short, fiction or non-fiction, and cover a wide range of topics, including history, science, social justice, science fiction and fantasy. Each session, our book club reads and discusses a graphic novel, and sometimes a popular comic, relating it to current social and societal issues, or just enjoying the beautiful artwork and humor.

Instructor: Dr. Barbara Glaeser

Coordinator/Tech Coordinator: Jill Patterson

Fall 2023:

Click here for the November 16, 2023 presentation on Who is She-Hulk?

Spring 2024:

Click here for the Spring 2024 Syllabus.

Click here for the January 18, 2024 presentation on Manga.

Click here for the February 1, 2024 presentation on Yon and Mu by Junji Ito.

Click here for the February 15, 2024 presentation on Okinawa by Susumu Higa.

Click here for the February 29, 2024 presentation on Sweetness and Lightning by Gido Amagakure

Click here for the February 29, 2024 presentaton on Banned and Challenged Books: Why?

Kitty’s Book Club

Alternate Mondays • Fall, spring and summer • 12:15 p.m.-2 p.m. • Zoom

June 3, 17 • July 1, 15, 29

Our Book Club loves exploring different themes in discussing fiction books. Our members generate the list of books we read prior to the first meeting of the semester. The first book selected for the summer semester will be “The Wager” by David Grann. Please read the book and join our discussion.

Coordinators: Lisa Sewell and Juanita Driskell

Mystery Book Club

Alternate Mondays • Fall, spring and summer • 12:15 p.m.-2 p.m. • Zoom

May (27 no class) • June 10, 24 • July 8, 22

Mystery Books is a category of reading that is well established by the reading public. Authors such as Agatha Christie and characters such as Sherlock Holmes and Miss Marple are well known. Mystery Books are so popular that they have separate awards for excellence, humor etc. The OLLI Mystery Book Club meets and discusses a mystery book selected by Club members. The first two books selected for the summer are “The House of Silk” by Anthony Horowitz and “Golden Gate” by Amy Chua. Please read “The House of Silk” before our first meeting. Subsequent book selections will be determined during the first meeting.

Coordinators: Patrick Boyle and Sandy Potter

Check out the presentation about the Comic Books Past and Present Book Club that we made for the fall 2022 Open House.