Next Chapter Society Book Club

Join Next Chapter Society Book Club on Tuesday, Sept. 23 at 6:30 p.m. as we meet to discuss "That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America" by Amanda Jones. Visit the Nashville Public Library's online catalog at nashville.overdrive.com to get your copy!

One of the things small town librarian Amanda Jones values most about books is how they can affirm a young person's sense of self. So in 2022, when she caught wind of a local public hearing that would discuss “book content,” she knew what was at stake. Schools and libraries nationwide have been bombarded by demands for books with LGTBQ+ references, discussions of racism, and more to be purged from the shelves. Amanda would be damned if her community were to ban stories representing minority groups. She spoke out that night at the meeting. Days later, she woke up to a nightmare that is still ongoing.

Mapping the book banning crisis occurring all across the nation, That Librarian draws the battle lines in the war against equity and inclusion, calling book lovers everywhere to rise in defense of our readers.

Where are we meeting: Love & Exile Bar
Food menu: available here
Love and Exile is a working winery and they have other beverages as well.
Parking info: Street level parking, all along the front. spots in front of the winery are free but on the grass/dirt are paid. There may be spots in the neighborhood.

Gather with some of Nashville's fellow book lovers and learn more about the Next Chapter Society, the Nashville Public Library Foundation's emerging leaders group. Even if you haven't read the book, you are still welcome to join us!

Join Next Chapter Society Book Club on Tuesday, Oct. 28 at 6:30 p.m. at Fait La Force as we meet to discuss "Mexican Gothic" by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. Visit the Nashville Public Library's online catalog at nashville.overdrive.com to get your copy!

After receiving a frantic letter from her newlywed cousin begging for someone to save her from a mysterious doom, Noemí Taboada heads to High Place, a distant house in the Mexican countryside. She’s not sure what she will find — her cousin’s husband, a handsome Englishman, is a stranger, and Noemí knows little about the region.

Noemí is also an unlikely rescuer: She’s a glamorous debutante, and her chic gowns and perfect red lipstick are more suited for cocktail parties than amateur sleuthing. But she’s also tough and smart, with an indomitable will, and she is not afraid: Not of her cousin’s new husband, who is both menacing and alluring; not of his father, the ancient patriarch who seems to be fascinated by Noemí; and not even of the house itself, which begins to invade Noemi’s dreams with visions of blood and doom.

Her only ally in this inhospitable abode is the family’s youngest son. Shy and gentle, he seems to want to help Noemí, but might also be hiding dark knowledge of his family’s past. For there are many secrets behind the walls of High Place. The family’s once colossal wealth and faded mining empire kept them from prying eyes, but as Noemí digs deeper she unearths stories of violence and madness.

And Noemí, mesmerized by the terrifying yet seductive world of High Place, may soon find it impossible to ever leave this enigmatic house behind.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • ONE OF TIME’S 100 BEST MYSTERY AND THRILLER BOOKS OF ALL TIME • WINNER OF THE LOCUS AWARD • NOMINATED FOR THE BRAM STOKER AWARD • ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR: The New Yorker, Vanity Fair, NPR, The Washington Post, Tordotcom, Marie Claire, Vox, Mashable, Men’s Health, Library Journal, Book Riot, LibraryReads

What's on the menu: Sandwiches from JamBox Sandwich Shop, menu here
Accessibility: Ramp to the brewery
Where can I park: The lot alongside and across from the building, plus street parking is available.

Gather with some of Nashville's fellow book lovers and learn more about the Next Chapter Society, the Nashville Public Library Foundation's emerging leaders group. Even if you haven't read the book, you are still welcome to join us!