What we’re about
The Plaza Bookrats meet for 5 consecutive weekday mornings beginning the 3rd Monday of each month.
The group listens to an audiobook together while walking around either the Empire State Plaza (good weather) or inside the Plaza Concourse (less good weather). Parking on Madison Avenue is free before 8am.
How it Works
The walk is about 2-2.5 miles, then members can move on with their day or choose to grab a coffee/breakfast and chat about the book.
Participants should bring comfy shoes and their own headphones. Most books we read will be listened at 1.25x speed. Most books will be accessible via the Upper Hudson Library's Hoopla system which allows for simultaneous borrows (read more about Hoopla here: https://www.albanypubliclibrary.org/blog/download-stream-movies-tv-shows-music-books-on-hoopla/). The group will start walking promptly at 6am. On outside days, dogs are welcome.
On the rare occasion where the selected book is not available via Hoopla, you can also use your library access on the Libby app or purchase it. I recommend [Libro.fm](https://libro.fm/) over Audible because the former supports local bookstores.
What We're Reading
June - Bad Habit by Alana Portero
Possible future books
Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
Negative Space by Gillian Linden
The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa
True Grit by Charles Portis
Antarctica by Claire Keegan
A Perfect Day to Be Alone by Nanae Aoyama
Moshi Moshi by Bannaa Yoshimoto
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri
Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor
Run Me to Earth by Paul Yoon
The Last Final Girl by Stephen Graham Jones
Leaving the Atocha Station by Ben Lerner
Cosmopolis by Don DeLillo
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls
Lost for Words by Edward St. Aubyn
Machine by Susan Steinberg
Lanny by Max Porter
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
This group does not have dues; however, Meetup charges organizers $300/year. Consider sending an optional donation via Venmo to @LeScriz.
Upcoming events (4+)
See all- Bad Habit by Alana S. Portero: Day OneEmpire State Plaza, Albany, NY
For our inaugural book week, we will celebrate Pride month by reading Bad Habit by Alana S. Portero. Meetings for this book will be Monday June 16 - Friday June 20 from 6am-7:15am(ish) with the following break down:
Day One: Beginning through Chapter "Pebble Face"
Day Two: Chapters "The Lonely Women" through "Family"
Day Three: Chapters "Per Sempre" through "Calypso"
Day Four: Chapters "Eugenia" through "Asters"
Day Five: Chapters "Cold Skin" through end + DiscussionGood weather: Meet by the large staircase that leads up to the museum (Madison Ave. side).
Bad weather: Meet inside the Madison Ave. foyer of the underground concourse.How it Works
Show up just before 6am on the Madison Ave. side of the either the plaza or concourse and get ready to walk! Download the book beforehand and set up your play speed for 1.25x speed so we stay relatively in sync. We will do laps around Empire State Plaza for just under an hour (6-7am), with an optional brief discussion afterwards (7-7:20am). If you miss a day, feel free to listen along and jump back in. - Bad Habit by Alana S. Portero: Day TwoEmpire State Plaza, Albany, NY
For our inaugural book week, we will celebrate Pride month by reading Bad Habit by Alana S. Portero. Meetings for this book will be Monday June 16 - Friday June 20 from 6am-7:15am(ish) with the following break down:
Day One: Beginning through Chapter "Pebble Face"
Day Two: Chapters "The Lonely Women" through "Family"
Day Three: Chapters "Per Sempre" through "Calypso"
Day Four: Chapters "Eugenia" through "Asters"
Day Five: Chapters "Cold Skin" through end + DiscussionGood weather: Meet by the large staircase that leads up to the museum (Madison Ave. side).
Bad weather: Meet inside the Madison Ave. foyer of the underground concourse.How it Works
Show up just before 6am on the Madison Ave. side of the either the plaza or concourse and get ready to walk! Download the book beforehand and set up your play speed for 1.25x speed so we stay relatively in sync. We will do laps around Empire State Plaza for just under an hour (6-7am), with an optional brief discussion afterwards (7-7:20am). If you miss a day, feel free to listen along and jump back in. - Bad Habit by Alana S. Portero: Day ThreeEmpire State Plaza, Albany, NY
For our inaugural book week, we will celebrate Pride month by reading Bad Habit by Alana S. Portero. Meetings for this book will be Monday June 16 - Friday June 20 from 6am-7:15am(ish) with the following break down:
Day One: Beginning through Chapter "Pebble Face"
Day Two: Chapters "The Lonely Women" through "Family"
Day Three: Chapters "Per Sempre" through "Calypso"
Day Four: Chapters "Eugenia" through "Asters"
Day Five: Chapters "Cold Skin" through end + DiscussionGood weather: Meet by the large staircase that leads up to the museum (Madison Ave. side).
Bad weather: Meet inside the Madison Ave. foyer of the underground concourse.How it Works
Show up just before 6am on the Madison Ave. side of the either the plaza or concourse and get ready to walk! Download the book beforehand and set up your play speed for 1.25x speed so we stay relatively in sync. We will do laps around Empire State Plaza for just under an hour (6-7am), with an optional brief discussion afterwards (7-7:20am). If you miss a day, feel free to listen along and jump back in. - Bad Habit by Alana S. Portero: Day FourEmpire State Plaza, Albany, NY
For our inaugural book week, we will celebrate Pride month by reading Bad Habit by Alana S. Portero. Meetings for this book will be Monday June 16 - Friday June 20 from 6am-7:15am(ish) with the following break down:
Day One: Beginning through Chapter "Pebble Face"
Day Two: Chapters "The Lonely Women" through "Family"
Day Three: Chapters "Per Sempre" through "Calypso"
Day Four: Chapters "Eugenia" through "Asters"
Day Five: Chapters "Cold Skin" through end + DiscussionGood weather: Meet by the large staircase that leads up to the museum (Madison Ave. side).
Bad weather: Meet inside the Madison Ave. foyer of the underground concourse.How it Works
Show up just before 6am on the Madison Ave. side of the either the plaza or concourse and get ready to walk! Download the book beforehand and set up your play speed for 1.25x speed so we stay relatively in sync. We will do laps around Empire State Plaza for just under an hour (6-7am), with an optional brief discussion afterwards (7-7:20am). If you miss a day, feel free to listen along and jump back in.
