Iowa Library Book Discussion & Writers Groups

Ongoing Book Discussions

Use this form to send information about your library's recurring book discussions.

Akron Public Library

4 p.m. the third Tuesday of every month in the library meeting room.

Ames Public Library

Ames Public Library offers a wide variety of book clubs and discussion groups. Visit us online for information about ongoing and upcoming discussions.

Anamosa Library and Learning Center

The "Anamosa Reads" program is a semi-annual event, with a spring meeting in April and a fall meeting in October. Discussion is open to all members of the community. Selections usually reflect contemporary, popular fiction or other titles of special interest. The program convenes in the library's meeting room on the third Thursday of April and October from 7-8pm.

Ankeny Writers Group

This group is open to all levels of writers and aspiring writers. It meets every month on the 4th Saturday from 9:00 am until 11:30 am. There is a guest speaker each month who is invited to either share her/his work with the group or to give a lesson on writing. In addition, the writers meet in small groups to share their own writing and receive constructive criticism. The small groups typically have a maximum of seven people and focus on different genres of writing.

Kirkendall Public Library in Ankeny

Two book discussions meet monthly throughout the year. The Afternoon Group meets the second Tuesday at 1:00 PM. Evening Group meets the third Thursday at 7:00PM. Books are available at the check-out desk one month prior to the discussion.

Aplington Legion Memorial Library

Book discussion group meets from September - May, generally on the first Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m.

Barlow Memorial Library in Iowa Falls

Barlow Library's monthly book discussion group meets the 4th Thursday of every month (except Nov/Dec when we meet the 3rd Thursday) at 6:45pm in the library Conference Room. A list of chosen books is included on our library website. The Barlow Memorial Library of Iowa Falls also partners with the Dr. Grace O. Doane Alden Public Library of Alden, and the Ellsworth Community College of Iowa Falls on an annual basis for the ONE BOOK community reading program. The ONE BOOK project consists of events based on themes from a selected book read by the community. We usually have the ONE BOOK program in the fall. This year our book choice is "Population 485: meeting your neighbors one siren at a time" by Michael Perry. We are planning events throughout the month of October in Iowa Falls and Alden. Events include book discussion, movie night, panel discussion, possible field trip and other ideas. For more information check the website of any of the partners (Barlow library, Alden library, ECC).

The Iowa Bibliophiles

The Iowa Bibliophiles is a group for anyone with a serious interest in books, their creation, preservation, and collecting, from buyers, sellers, librarians, to book designers to publishers and bookbinders -- to anyone who loves and accumulates books for a reason. While based in Iowa City, the group is open to the public and has attracted members from across eastern Iowa. Its objective is to provide a forum in which to share and gather experience and information about books and bookcollecting. The Bibliophiles primarily meet in the Main Library on the University of Iowa campus in Iowa City in the Special Collections Reading Room on the Third Floor, although there are occassional field trips to other locations. Meetings are at 7 p.m. the second Wednesday of each month during the academic year (there are no meetings January, June, July, August, and December). Programs last about an hour and are followed by a social period so that members and guests can expect to be away by 8:30. Meetings are announced as they are scheduled, and an email reminder is sent a week or two in advance of each meeting to all names on the "members" list. Guests are welcome.

Bondurant Book Discussion Group

The Bondurant Book Discussion Group meets once a month, on the second Tuesday of each month. Our meetings take place at our "new" library at 104 2nd St. NE, from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The discussions our very informal and chatty,and we love to have new members.

Carroll Public Library

The Carroll Public Library book discussion group meets the third Tuesday of the month, September through May at 6:30. The library has copies of the books to be discussed one month in advance of the discussion. This is an informal group with no appointed leader, so come prepared to discuss or just listen to other opinions. Bring a paper and pencil to get ideas of good books others have read this month. The decaf coffee is always fresh!

Cedar Falls Public Library

The Tuesday Morning book discussion group generally meets at 10 a.m. on the fourth Tuesday of each month. The Tuesday evening group meets at 7 p.m. on the first Tuesday of the month. We also host the Friday morning book talk, more of a lecture series, at 10 a.m. on the fourth Friday of the month.

Clarion Public Library

The library has a book discussion at noon and 7 p.m. on the 4th Thursday of the month. They do not meet in the summer months of June, July and August.

Clive Public Library: Nonfiction Book Discussion Group

Adults who enjoy reading biographies, history and other non-fiction books are invited to attend. The group meets monthly on the second Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. Bring information about one or two non-fiction books you enjoyed and share your impressions with others. Refreshments. No registration or cost to participate. September 8, October 13, November 10, December 8, 2008.

Clive Public Library: Adult Book Club

The Clive Book Club invites adults to join this interesting and stimulating reading discussion group. The Club meets in the Community Room at the Clive Public Library at 7:00 p.m. on the last Tuesday of every month (except December). Informative discussions are held on the chosen novel with impressions and opinions being shared by all. Anyone interested may attend any or all of the monthly discussions; there is no cost to participate. Some copies of most selections are available for checkout at the Library.

Clive Public Llibrary: Family Book Club

Families with children ages 10 and older are welcome to attend. We’ll share excellent books, great discussions and a chance to spend some quality time together. We will meet on the first Tuesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. Some copies of each selection will be available for check out at the Library the month before. September 2, October 7, November 4, December 2, 2008.

Coralville Public Library: It's a Mystery Group

It's a Mystery is a mystery book discussion group that has met at the Coralville Public Library for over a decade. We meet on the second Wednesday of each month at 10 a.m. in the library’s board room, and you are welcome to join in any time. We try to read a variety of books that fall under the heading of mystery--everything from cozies to noir to historical fiction to anything else you can imagine. Come for just the discussions that intrigue you, or come for them all--you may be surprised at what you discover! Books are available for checkout at the library usually at least three months in advance.

Roy R. Estle Memorial Library, Dallas Center

Group meets the third Thursday of each month (except December) at 7:30 p.m. in the library program room. The upcoming titles to be discussed can be found the library's Web site under "book club."

Carnegie-Stout Public Library, Dubuque

Carnegie-Stout Public Library's book discussion for adults meets bi-monthly on the second Tuesday at 7 p.m. on the 2nd floor gallery of the library. Group meets in January, March, May, July, September and November. Fiction and non-fiction are discussed. Copies of the title being discussed may be picked up at the circulation desk a month before the discussion.

James Kennedy Public Library - Dyersville

Another "Books for Lunch" group meets at the Kennedy Public Library at noon of the third Monday of each month to share information about what they personally reading. Bring your lunch. Coffee and cookies provided.

Ely Public Library

The Ely Public Library hosts a Brown Bag Book Club the second Thursday of each month at noon. Anyone is welcome to bring their lunch and enjoy some lively discussion. We do not read a specific book each month but talk about our current favorite authors and books. It is a great way to share what you enjoy and find out what others are reading.

Glenwood Public Library

The Glenwood Public Library hosts a "Brown Bag Book Discussion" the second Wednesday of each month. We meet in the "Courtesy Room" at noon. It has grown into a group of about 25 people. The book selection is read by all and then talked about at the meeting. Once a year, we offer the "All Iowa Reads" book as our discussion title.

Grimes Public Library Book Club

The Grimes Public Library Book Discussion Group meets the first Monday of the month at 7:00pm in the Library's meeting room. Books and movies are chosen by the library director and members of the group according to group's interests, existing popular material, and current events. Copies of books selected are provided on a first come, first served basis at meetings and at the circulation desk. Please feel free to come whether you've finished the book or not. Talk if you want, or just listen. Bring a snack to share! We are loud and have a lot of fun! No registration required

Mary J. Barnett Library, Guthrie Center

The "BookMarkers" Book Club meets the second Tuesday of the month at 9:30 to discuss selected books. Iowa authors will be the focus of the readings in 2012.

Harlan Community Library "Library and Lunch" Book Discussion Group

The Harlan Community Library book discussion group meets the 2nd Tuesday of each month from 12:00 to 1:00 pm. Bring your own brown bag lunch to our group "Library and Lunch." Each month's selection is chosen by the group's participants except for the May meeting which is designated All Iowa Reads Month.

Hawarden Public Library Book Group

The Hawarden Public Library's book discussion group meets the fourth Wednesday of each month at 10 a.m. Check out our book discussion blog to learn about each month's selection.

Hudson Public Library

The Book Club meets once a month, usually the last Thursday of each month. Contact the library at (319) 988-4217 or look at the library's Calendar of Events for the this month's book title. There is no need to register for this event, just show up at 7:00 p.m. for the book discussion and contact the library if you need a copy of the book ordered for you.

Indianaola Public Library

Two book discussions meet monthly throughout the year. The morning club meets the second Friday of each month at 10:00AM. The evening group meets the fourth Thursday at 7:00PM. The evening club meets 11 times a year (taking a break during December) whereas the morning book club meets every month. Books are available at the check-out desk one month prior to the discussion.

Kalona Public Library

The Kalona Public Library's Coffee Talk book club meets once a month on the last Friday. It is a discussion group for junior high and high school students, and we always have snacks! Some months we have a genre-based "book pass" where we choose a genre and everyone brings a book to share. Other months we choose a specific title to read. The group meets year-round, with added energy in the summer.

Kalona Public Library

The club meets eight times over the course of a year--reading, reviewing, and discussing recent and classic works of fiction and non-fiction by authors from around the world. Book Club members choose the eight books for the coming year every spring. The Book Club takes summer and December off. All book group meetings are held on on the last Tuesday of the month at 7:00 PM in the Velma Skola Program Room at the library.

Knoxville Public Library

Our book discussion group meets all year on the third Thursday evening of each month. For more information, click on "Calendar" on our Web site.

Laurens Public Library

The Laurens Public Library hosts a book discussion the 4th Monday of the month at 7:00 p.m. We discuss a wide variety of books as suggested by our patrons. This is open to anyone who would like to join us. Multiple copies of the monthly book of choice are available at the library.

Lake Mills Public Library

The Lake Mills Public Library's book discussion group meets the third Thursday of the month at 9 a.m. at the library. We meet each month except December.

Lisbon Public Library

Reading Friends, a book discussion group for adults, meets year round (except in December) on the fourth Monday of the month at 7 PM in the Lisbon Public Library. We read a variety of fiction, nonfiction, classics and contemporary works. All titles are borrowed from other libraries and are available at the library before discussion. All are welcome.

Marion Public Library

"Food for Thought" is a discussion group that meets the 4th Tuesday of each month, except December. Meetings are at noon and last about an hour. Discussions usually center around a theme, rather than a specific book title. Brown bag lunch is encouraged and a beverage is provided.

Mason City Public Library

The Mason City Public Library Book Club for adults meets the second Thursday of the month, September through May (with no meeting in December) at 2:30pm. During 2010, the club meets at Borealis Coffee Shop 316 N Federal Ave. due to the library building renovation project. We will move back into the library building late in 2010. Booklists are compiled at the May meeting for possible discussion during the fall session. Members volunteer to lead each month's discussion.

Mechanicsville Public Library

The book discussion group meets once a month on Thursday evenings. we discuss books suggested by staff or by our members. Our group usually takes a break during the summer months.

New Hampton Public Library

The New Hampton Public Library hosts adult book discussions on a monthly basis from late August through May. They generally meet the third Tuesday of the month. Participants may choose to attend a 9 a.m. or 6:45 p.m. session. At the first meeting of the year, participants share books they have read and make suggestions for discussions. Postcards are sent as reminders.

Nevada Public Library

The Nevada Public Library Reading Group meets to discuss a variety of different genres. Meetings are generally at 6:30 p.m. the last Thursday of the month.

North Liberty Community Library

We do a "Last Tuesday of the Month" book club for adults. They read a different book each month. Books selected are from a variety of genres and topics by the members. They do try and stay away from current best sellers as it is hard get the number of books needed for everyone. We also have an adult Summer Reading Program book discussion loosely based on the theme of the Summer Reading Program. This is for six weeks. We have done and hope to do again a Brown Bag Lunch book discussion for homeschoolers throughout the school year. This group is for 4th through 12th grades. It is divided into 4th-6th graders and junior/senior high students. They met one Thursday a month at lunch time. Books were selected by the students

Pella Public Library Book Discussion Group

The Pella Public Library Brown Bag Book Club meets at noon on the last Thursday of each month. There is no meeting in December.

Perry Public Library

Current book discussion opportunities at Perry Library include the Quarterly Classics Book Club, the annual All Iowa Reads book discussion event, and a new monthly book club beginning January 2012. The Quarterly Classics Book Club is generally held at 7:00 p.m. on the second Tuesdays of January, April, July, and October at the Carnegie Library Museum. We discuss both traditional and modern classic books. Book discussions are free and open to any interested adults. Paperback copies of the books are available at the library at a cost of $5.00 each (subsidized by the Friends of the Library), and we have audiobook and print copies at the library to check out. You may join us for one meeting or throughout the year. Stop at the library to sign up or call (515) 465-3569 for more information. Discussion leader is Perry Librarian Jill Cook. Our new monthly book club is at present un-named and in the planning stages, but we plan to meet on the third Tuesdays of each month at 7:00 p.m. at the Carnegie Library Museum. Paperback copies of the book will be available to purchase for $5 prior to the meetings. Discussion leader is Perry Library Director Mary Murphy. Call the library for updated information. Perry participates each year in the "All Iowa Reads" project. Information about our book discussion will be announced two to three months prior to the event. We typically invite a special guest facilitator, and copies of the All Iowa Reads book are available to purchase or to check out at the library in regular, large print, and audiobook formats. Everyone is invited to participate in this free city-wide book discussion. For more information about any of our book discussions, call the library: (515) 465-3569.

Polk City Community Library

The Polk City Community Library has three book clubs. They meet on the second Saturday of the month at 9 a.m., the third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. and the first Tuesday of the month at 7:30 p.m.

Sac City Public Library

The Brown Bag Book Club meets every third Wednesday of the month at 11:30 a.m. in the large meeting room to discuss the books members read during the month. There is no set book to read, members give reports on different books and get ideas on what to read next. Bring your lunch and a book to review for this lively book discussion group! Beverages and desserts provided.

Shenandoah Public Library

Reading Club--2nd Tuesday @ 7 p.m. Group usually reads one book each month and then discusses it. Books Sandwiched In--3rd Tuesday @ noon for an hour. Attendees bring and eat their lunch while a presenter reviews a book and discussion follows. Usually meets Sept.-Oct. and Jan.-May.

Sioux Center Public Library: Coffee Chat

Coffee Chat is held the 3rd Saturday of every month at Butler's Cafe & Coffee. Each month's selection is chosen by the group's participants. For the latest information, visit our Web site and select the "Services" tab.

Sioux City Public Library: Booked on Crime

Sioux City Public Library: Booked on Crime. Mystery lovers of all ages meet at 7 p.m. on the third Thursday of the month at The Wilbur Aalfs (Main) Library, except in July.

Sioux City Public Library: OPEN BOOK Club

The Sioux City Public Library OPEN BOOK club meets at 6:30 p.m. the first Monday of the month (2nd Monday when Library is closed for a holiday) at the Morningside Branch Library, 4005 Morningside Ave, Sioux City.

Spencer Library Storytime

Join us for stories, songs, and crafts with Sarah Beth every Tuesday at 10:30 am to 11:15 am year round!

Urbandale Public Library

Information available on our Web site for the evening book discussion group and noon Brown Bag Book Club.

Waterloo Public Library

The book discussion group meets at 6 p.m. every third Tuesday of the month. We do not meet in December. We discuss the assigned title, but always include reviews and recommendations of other good reads.

Waukee Public Library

Waukee Public Library's book discussion group meets on the third Tuesday of each month at 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. Refreshments are provided and new members are always welcome. We read a wide variety of fiction and non-fiction and always include the All Iowa Reads selection in our offerings during the year.

West Point Public Library

The West Point Public Library Book Club, The Book Babes, began in March of 2003 and meets monthly except for August when the community sponsors a Corn Festival. At the present there are sixteen female members (from over age 80 to in their 20's)who gather on the third Saturday of the month at 8:30 A.M. at the Library. The book discussed is most often a best seller found on a current book list, a classic, or a recommendation by a member. Questions are provided to stimulate discussion. Attendance is remarkable considering the Saturday time.