Classic Books

This time we'll be reading Roadside Picnic by Arkady and Boris Strugatsky. Here's the blurb: Red Schuhart is a stalker, one of those young rebels who are compelled, in spite of extreme danger, to venture illegally into the Zone to collect the mysterious artifacts that the alien visitors left scattered around. His life is dominated by the place and the thriving black market in the alien products. But when he and his friend Kirill go into the Zone together to pick up a “full empty,” something goes wrong. And the news he gets from his girlfriend upon his return makes it inevitable that he’ll keep going back to the Zone, again and again, until he finds the answer to all his problems. First published in 1972, *Roadside Picnic* is still widely regarded as one of the greatest science fiction novels. The book is available here: Amazon- Paperback, eBook, Audiobook: https://www.amazon.ca/Roadside-Picnic-Arkady-Strugatsky/dp/1613743416/ref=sr_1_1?crid=4CF8Z2KM9FR5&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.OkKU7AC1WfScTlwfheDPnXc6RoH27bTDKMyfAgC_JANost0NCKJUcjZqbrLEile8IathzFMmAmFe9oXiUWLxKh0sg2kayNmgEhJeLKnThaxDk_9Nmn1yHf77Bct23OqBlVzxGEpNppD1tjZHWL0s7jQ4OA2YCoqJ5wL-eUmc8we34pauk-oG5kcohPzDgi_je8CjkyuMZtBD9FL-ijN8lzwv7OthBw_4PRiTvvZPAoimmLqGW3osojbapjD2J2EwKkDSsW8nh6xzHTdnXuVZKsuwVD2Pb6_99nT4Yqhn-WU.W4eSQPh8pV3pjNwYowMlY_NWsCM75jm2_aqs1Z4WAl0&dib_tag=se&keywords=roadside+picnic&qid=1768352378&sprefix=roadside+picnic%2Caps%2C138&sr=8-1 Indigo- Paperback: https://www.indigo.ca/en-ca/roadside-picnic/9781613743416.html Kobo- eBook: https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/roadside-picnic-1?sId=a2633ff7-55e3-4248-88ad-9f7fedb4c18f&ssId=1AYtAyk0vt3KTVdGTn8zv&cPos=1 Toronto Public Library: https://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/detail.jsp?Entt=RDM2898868&R=2898868 Toronto Public Library- eBook https://toronto.overdrive.com/media/1075415

Join us for **Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish**, an extraordinary, award-winning production that critics are calling the most powerful *Fiddler* ever staged. Performed in Yiddish with English subtitles, this deeply moving and authentic interpretation (directed by Joel Grey) brings fresh emotion, humour, and resonance to the beloved story of Tevye and his family. ***Our group will save over 60% off the regular price! We'll be seated in the second half of the First Balcony @ $46 all fees included (regular $106.75). CLICK ON "Read More" BELOW FOR FULL DETAILS.*** **The Show:** In 2018, New York audiences fell in love with this truly authentic version of Fiddler for the very first time. Don't miss the Drama Desk Award-winning production of one of the greatest musicals ever written, presented in Yiddish with English subtitles. Laugh, cry, and feel the love at this powerful and universal testament to the strength and resilience of Jewish community. [More information](https://hgjewishtheatre.com/2025-2026-Fiddler-on-the-Roof.html?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=23805489280&gclid=CjwKCAjwwpDQBhAuEiwAa-4Wo1l9txSTfAUH9KZAAuwVeAYnrF9_GaZqr2CP_vgrwRDVJaBTDOM1BRoCzxIQAvD_BwE#calendar). *** **OUR DISCOUNT TICKETS** **Group Tickets:** * **$46 including HST and service fee** (regular $106.75 with HST and service fee) ***No Meetup Fee*** *** **HOW TO PAY** 1\. Sign up on this event page 2\. Send an email to **belindameetup@gmail.com** to request the payment instructions 3\. Specify you are inquiring about **FIDDLER ON THE ROOF IN YIDDISH** 4\. Include the name you use on this Thumbs Up Theatre website\. 5\. Belinda will email you the payment instructions 6\. If you don't receive the instructions in your inbox\, check your junk box in case it has gone there **PAYMENT DEADLINE:** Sunday, May 24 @ 8 p.m. Members must purchase their ticket(s) in advance from Belinda. Purchase early to avoid disappointment. Pick up your ticket(s) from Belinda at the meetup spot on the day of performance. \*\*\* **OVERVIEW** **When:** Monday, May 25, 2026 **Time:** Show starts at 7:30 p.m. Meet Belinda between 6:45 p.m. and 7 p.m. **Where:** Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge Street, Toronto, Ontario **Show Length:** 3 hours with one intermission *** **ACCESSIBILITY** The Elgin Theatre's first balcony is not accessible for wheelchairs or walkers. While there is elevator access to the mezzanine level, stairs are required to reach all seating in this section. If you require accessible seating in the Orchestra, please let Belinda know so she can check on availability and pricing. *** **MEETUP ARRANGEMENTS** Meet Belinda any time between 6:45 p.m. and 7 p.m. outside the Yonge Street entrance, on the right side as you face the theatre. Belinda is very short and will be wearing a bright pink hat and bright pink glasses. Cell # (416) 879-7575 (text/call) for use on the day / time of performance ONLY. **Intermission Meetup Spot:** On the aisle beside Mezzanine G301 **PLEASE NOTE OUR ZERO-TOLERANCE [CELLPHONE POLICY](https://www.meetup.com/thumbs-up-theatre-toronto/events/243426512/)**

Practise your English in a friendly, welcoming class in Toronto. Join our free in-person English class and improve your speaking, fluency, grammar and vocabulary with supportive teachers. This class is a great opportunity to practise English, build confidence and meet new people. **When** Starting today - every weekday Monday - Friday 2.00pm–4.00pm **Where** Teaching House Toronto OHC / Sol Camps 469 Jarvis St Toronto, ON M4Y 2G8 Canada **What you’ll practise** * Speaking and fluency * Grammar and vocabulary * Listening and pronunciation * Everyday English for real-life situations * Confidence using English with other people **Who can join?** Adults aged 18+ who want to improve their English. Refugees, asylum seekers and newcomers are very welcome. **About the classes** The classes are taught by trainee English teachers on a Cambridge-accredited CELTA course and supervised by experienced teacher trainers. **Cost** Free **Before the class** Please arrive a little early so we can welcome you and check your English level. Spaces may be limited, so please RSVP if you would like to attend.Cost: FREE Sign up using this **Level Test: [https://forms.gle/CZXAHL9w4WfsVdxk6](https://forms.gle/CZXAHL9w4WfsVdxk6)** OR If you already know your level, choose the [registration form](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSe65RTiI_hQMJ_58JdE2DhhtYyF2Mz3Ah_PN2hL3yLSkJadpA/viewform?usp=sf_link) instead

Join us for ESL Cafe on Mondays nights at St Paul's Bloor Street. We have groups for all levels of English: Basic English, Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced. At ESL Cafe, you can practice English conversation, drink coffee (or tea) and have lots of fun meeting other interesting people!!

\*These classes are not a language exchange, but instead are meant to be a step in between so that students feel confident maintaining in depth and grammatically correct oral conversations outside of class\* \***Meetup event numbers only tend to show new students registering and do not include returning students attending class.** **Per class, there is an average of 7 students.** The first 2 classes are free and then only cost between $18 and $35 depending on which type of class you want to continue with\* These English (For Spanish speakers or advanced learners only), French, and Spanish classes are primarily meant for adults who are travellers, or who are planning to live in an English, French, or Spanish-speaking country. The classes are primarily oral-based through guided conversations. They will teach you how to handle conversations in situations such as **"Going to the Convenience Store"**, **"Making Plans"**, **"Negotiating Prices"**, and **"Going out for a Drink"**. To ensure that students get used to using the language automatically, students will learn to maintain contextual conversations with timing before moving on to the next lesson. Call (647)787-9953, e-mail us info@monkeylingo.ca, or visit monkeylingo.ca for more information! **Online and private classes are also available!** No other language classes are as conversational as these ones. We guarantee it! Cheap parking can be found using the "Spot Hero" app.

**Welcome to Miss Bachata & Miss Salsa!** **Spring is in the air, and with it comes the promise of new beginnings, fresh energy, and the joy of connection!** As the season of renewal unfolds, we invite you to step into the rhythm of community, dance, and celebration at Miss Bachata & Miss Salsa. My objective has always been to create a different kind of social gathering—one that is open, non-judgmental, and safe. A place where you can meet people just like you, where socializing and dancing come together to help build community and tear down the walls that separate us. Here, we make new friends, feel a sense of belonging, and enjoy the calmness that comes from knowing we are in a safe and welcoming space. Many times, I have been asked, “Why host an event on Monday night?” Many people escape on the weekend and dread Mondays when they return to work. I believe that if you dance and socialize on a Monday, you infuse your week with joy and positive energy, giving your life balance and helping you face your challenges with enthusiasm and confidence. We’re also thrilled to announce that our trial of advanced Bachata lessons, which began last September, has been a resounding success! Building on this momentum, we’re excited to offer an enhanced schedule for 2026. Our dance evenings will now feature three hours of classes: one hour of beginner to intermediate Bachata, one hour of advanced Bachata, and one hour of beginner to intermediate Salsa. As always, the entrance fee remains $15 for a night of 2 lessons and social dancing. For those interested in the advanced Bachata lessons, there will be an additional $5 fee. Here’s our updated schedule: **Miss Bachata – Main Ballroom** 🕖 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Beginner to Intermediate Bachata Lesson (No partner required) 🕗 8:00 pm – 12:00 am: Social Dancing **Miss Salsa – Round Room** 🕖 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm: Advanced Bachata Lesson (+$5) **NEW** 🕗 8:00 pm – 9:00 pm: Beginner to Intermediate Salsa Lesson 🕘 9:00 pm – 12:00 am: Social Dancing ✨ **Additional Details:** ✔️ Free Parking ✔️ Full Bar (Free Water, Beer: $5.75) Over the past decade, organizing Latin dancing events in Mississauga has been a labor of love. Our mission has always been to foster a sense of community, proving that the connections we share are far stronger than the differences that divide us. Loneliness is a growing concern, with over half of U.S. adults and many Canadians experiencing its effects. The COVID-19 pandemic has only heightened this issue. Harvard University's long-term study on happiness, which began in 1938, highlights the detrimental impact of loneliness on health. People with strong social connections experience slower mental and physical decline and greater overall happiness compared to those who are isolated. Here are some key findings from the study: 🌿 Close ties help delay mental and physical decline more than money, fame, social class, IQ, or genetics. 🌿 Relationship satisfaction is a better predictor of aging well than cholesterol levels in middle age. 🌿 A strong sense of community improves memory function. 🌿 Loneliness can be as harmful to health as smoking or alcoholism. And there’s hope! Strengthening our relationships and supporting community initiatives can combat loneliness and build healthier, happier lives. Miss Bachata & Miss Salsa provides a wonderful opportunity to make new friends, expand your social circle, and enjoy a safe, welcoming, authentic environment. Bring your open heart and a smile, and we’ll take care of the rest. 🌸 **Cheers to a season of renewal, joy, and community!** 🌸 **Anna G.** https://www.meetup.com/LatinDanceMeetup https://www.facebook.com/groups/1871491806494168/ https://www.facebook.com/EventsByAnnaG

For May, we'll read Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe 313 pages First published in 1722 About the book: Born and abandoned in Newgate Prison, Moll Flanders is forced to make her own way in life. She duly embarks on a career that includes husband-hunting, incest, bigamy, prostitution and pick-pocketing, until her crimes eventually catch up with her. One of the earliest and most vivid female narrators in the history of the English novel, Moll recounts her adventures with irresistible wit and candour-and enough guile that the reader is left uncertain whether she is ultimately a redeemed sinner or a successful opportunist.

The next event is happening on Saturday May 30 at 2:30PM at Danu Social House! Please RSVP if you're planning on coming so we can plan appropriately! To help cover the costs of meetup fees, we will be taking optional donations for this event. If you're inclined to, feel free to send any amount you're comfortable with to harresh.s@hotmail.com, or bring cash to the event. Please note that this is entirely optional and not required to join the event! All proceeds will go towards fees for this event and future events, as well as meetup fees.

[[RESULTS](https://opavote.com/results/4829900303499264) of the poll for this event] ABCD Reads AND Watches "**Train Dreams**", a [novella](https://tpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S234C2792355) written by Denis Johnson, and a [film](https://www.justwatch.com/ca/movie/train-dreams) directed by Clint Bentley. **:: ABOUT THE BOOK ::** "Suffused with the history and landscapes of the American West—its otherworldly flora and fauna, its rugged loggers and bridge builders—this extraordinary novella poignantly captures the disappearance of a distinctly American way of life. Train Dreams tells the story of Robert Grainer, a day laborer in the American West at the start of the twentieth century—an ordinary man in extraordinary times. Buffeted by the loss of his family, Grainer struggles to make sense of this strange new world. As his story unfolds, we witness both his shocking personal defeats and the radical changes that transform America in his lifetime." (from [Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12991188-train-dreams)) **:: ABOUT THE MOVIE ::** "Train Dreams is the moving portrait of Robert Grainier (Golden Globe-nominee Joel Edgerton), whose life unfolds during an era of unprecedented change in early 20th century America. Orphaned at a young age, Robert grows into adulthood among the towering forests of the Pacific Northwest, where he helps expand the nation's railroad empire alongside men as unforgettable as the landscapes they inhabit. After a tender courtship, he marries Gladys (Academy Award-nominee Felicity Jones) and they build a home together, though his work often takes him far from her and their young daughter. When his life takes an unexpected turn, Robert finds beauty, brutality and newfound meaning for the forests and trees he has felled." (from [Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/train_dreams)) **:: ABOUT THE EVENT ::** Instead of just reading the book as usual, this time we're asking that you also watch the movie adaptation. During our discussion, we'll explore the strengths of both the book and the movie, evaluate the adaptation's effectiveness, and touch on any other topics that arise. You are welcome to arrive 30 minutes before the event and stay 30 minutes or longer afterward to connect with other attendees outside the book talk. Please ensure you have read the book and watched the movie before attending (though finishing either is not a barrier to participating, as long as you don't mind spoilers). First-time attendees can join for free. If the event is full, we maintain an unofficial waitlist. Please send [Michael](https://www.meetup.com/members/55295192/) a direct message for more information, in either case. We request a $3 contribution from regular attendees to help cover our monthly meetup costs. **:: ABOUT OUR NEXT READ&WATCH ::** At the end of each event, we will ask for nominees for our next Read & Watch (date TBA). If you have a good pairing in mind, please ensure that the book is between 200-400 pages long, available from the Toronto Public Library, and counts as contemporary literary fiction (though these are not hard and fast rules), and that the movie or TV-series is readily available. When enough nominees are collected, Michael will send the members a direct message with a link where you can vote.

🏡🌿 **THE BRIDLE PATH (DRAKE’S MANSION) & EDWARDS GARDENS WALK** 🌿🏡 Luxury Streets, Hidden Trails & A Garden Escape Some parts of Toronto feel like a completely different world — and this walk takes you right through them. Join us for a social walk through The Bridle Path, one of the most exclusive and wealthiest neighbourhoods in the city — known for its massive estates, gated homes, and quiet, tree-lined streets. This is where celebrities and icons have lived, including Drake and the late Gordon Lightfoot. It’s the kind of area where the houses don’t just impress — they *shock*. From there, we’ll shift into nature and make our way toward Edwards Gardens, where things slow down with flowers, pathways, and a peaceful break in the middle of the walk. This is not a formal tour. It’s a social walk — a mix of city curiosity, nature, and good conversation. 📲 **Join Our WhatsApp Group:**[ Click here to join](https://chat.whatsapp.com/DRFTkxRlHS4B3IL1lMleUd) *** **🚶‍♂️ What We’ll Do** We’ll begin in the Bridle Path area, walking through the neighbourhood to take in some of the largest and most impressive homes in Toronto. From there, we’ll head toward Edwards Gardens, where we’ll take about a 30-minute break to relax, explore, and enjoy the flowers. After the break, we’ll continue along parts of the Don River trail, finishing near Eglinton & Don Mills. For those who want, we can grab something casual afterward at Tim Hortons or McDonald's. ☕🍔 You’re welcome to join or head out whenever you like. *** **🌦️ Weather & Expectations** This walk happens rain or shine. Please come prepared for the weather and wear comfortable walking shoes. The route is moderate and includes a mix of neighbourhood streets and park trails. Also — this is NOT a guided or historical tour. I’ll share bits of context casually, but the focus is on being social and enjoying the walk. *** 🧢 Meetup Details 📍 Meetup Location: Par king lot near Bayview Ave (exact spot easy to find on arrival) 🫎 I’ll be wearing my Moose Hat ⏰ Meetup Time: 11:00 AM I will only wait 5 minutes. Early is on time. On time is late. We’ll begin promptly. **End Point:** Near Eglinton & Don Mills (not returning to start) *** 🎟️ Meetup Fee: $5 cash in person or e-transfer to 📧 **mathewmaclean@hotmail.com** This helps support the group and allows us to keep hosting events like this. Thank you for supporting community! 💖 *** 🎒 **What to Bring** Water Good walking shoes A small snack Weather-appropriate clothing Please also use the washroom before arriving, as stops are limited. *** 🌈 **Who Is This For?** This group is open to anyone who wants to be social and make friends — whether single or not. **We also host:** 🎬 Movies 🚶 Walks & hikes 🎭 Arts & culture outings 🍽️ Restaurant gatherings There’s always something happening. *** **REMEMBER:** You’re welcome to just show up on the day if you’re unsure about your schedule. And as always, sometimes plans shift and events may need to be canceled — please keep an eye on updates. *** 👤 Organizer: Mathew Questions? Post on the event wall or email 📧 torontomoviesandoutings@hotmail.com Come for the mansions. Stay for the gardens. Leave feeling like you saw two completely different sides of Toronto — in one walk. 🏡✨

Tickets must be purchased in advance! [https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/life-lessons-from-a-cardiac-operating-room-by-dr-bobby-yanagawa-tickets-1989051291958?aff=oddtdtcreator](https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/life-lessons-from-a-cardiac-operating-room-by-dr-bobby-yanagawa-tickets-1989051291958?aff=oddtdtcreator) Life Lessons from a Cardiac Operating Room — Dr. Bobby Yanagawa Step inside the high-pressure world of cardiac surgery for an unforgettable evening of stories, insight, and conversation with renowned cardiac surgeon **Dr. Bobby Yanagawa**. Hosted by Stellar Socials Lectures, this unique social lecture experience blends intellectual conversation with a stylish nightlife atmosphere — bringing ambitious and curious people together to learn, connect, and engage. From life-and-death decisions inside the operating room to lessons on pressure, leadership, discipline, and the human experience, Dr. Bobby Yanagawa will share captivating stories and perspectives rarely heard outside hospital walls. Whether you’re in healthcare, business, entrepreneurship, or simply love meaningful conversations, this is an evening designed to inspire thought, spark curiosity, and create real connection. ## 🎤 What To Expect • A captivating live lecture by Dr. Bobby Yanagawa • Real stories from the cardiac operating room • Life lessons on leadership, focus, resilience & decision-making • Networking with ambitious, like-minded professionals • A stylish social atmosphere with drinks & conversation ## 🧠 About Stellar Socials Lectures Stellar Socials Lectures brings together professors, experts, entrepreneurs, and thought leaders for engaging talks hosted inside upscale bars, lounges, and social venues. Our mission is simple: create experiences where learning feels social, inspiring, and genuinely enjoyable. Because education shouldn’t stop after graduation. ## 👥 Who Should Attend? • Young professionals • Entrepreneurs & creatives • Healthcare professionals & students • Curious minds & lifelong learners • Anyone looking to meet inspiring people and experience something different ## ✨ Why Attend? ✔ Expand your perspective ✔ Meet new people in a relaxed social setting ✔ Hear fascinating real-world experiences ✔ Enjoy an elevated alternative to traditional networking events 🎟️ Limited tickets available. Early registration is strongly recommended. ## About Dr. Bobby Yanagawa Dr. Bobby Yanagawa is the Division Head, Division of Cardiac Surgery, St. Michael's Hospital and Program Director, Division of Cardiac Surgery, University of Toronto. He holds the SURE General Contractors Inc. Professorship in Infective Endocarditis. Dr. Yanagawa completed residency training at the University of Toronto and INOVA Fairfax Hospital (Fairfax, VA) and an advanced valvular fellowship at Mount Sinai Hospital (New York, NY). His research training includes a PhD at the University of British Columbia and post-doctoral fellowships at the University of Wales College of Medicine (Cardiff, UK) and National Cardiovascular Center (Osaka, Japan). His clinical and academic focus is surgical revascularization and surgery for infective endocarditis. He is the Director of the Canadian Society of Cardiac Surgeons Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Taskforce. His research interests include clinical outcome studies of ischemic and valvular heart disease. He has published over 100 peer-reviewed articles, 40 reviews and 15 book chapters. He is on the editorial board of the Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Canadian Journal of Cardiology, Guest Editor - Current Opinions of Cardiology and Feature Editor, Annals of Thoracic Surgery. ### **Agenda** 6:00 p.m. - Arrival. Doors open as soon as 5 p.m. Come in, grab a drink, some food, and settle in. If you’d like to sit closer with your friends, we advise coming in early. 7:05 p.m.- Introduction, lecture begins, followed by Q&A 8:15 p.m. -One-on-one with the lecturer, socializing. You can order another round of drinks. 8:30 p.m. -Wrap up

Can your agents scale without bankrupting your API quota or your compute budget? Join this session to explore a production-ready architecture that uses the LLM Council pattern, Google’s Agent Development Kit (ADK) for Java and Spring AI, all deployed on Cloud Run. And discover how replacing probabilistic reason-and-act (ReAct) loops with LLM Council enable goal-oriented action planning (GOAP) creates agents that are not only smarter but also significantly lighter and faster – making them the perfect workload for serverless execution. **About the venue** Free Times Cafe has bistro-style seating and a full food and drink menu. Please consider helping to support the venue by planning to have supper during the talk. **Speaker Bio** Dan Dobrin is an App Architect in Google Cloud, helping customer teams adopt modern AI technologies, cloud-native patterns, practices and technologies in GCP. Dan focuses on building GenAI applications, adopting AI coding assistance tooling with Gemini, Native Java Images, Spring AI, event-driven architectures, production-readiness and performance optimization. Prior to joining Google Cloud, he has built highly scalable, low-latency, frameworks for technology, security and financial services organizations.

Big Ohio Book Con "A convention for book lovers all over Ohio (and beyond)! Author panels, signings, bookish vendors, meet & greets, and more!" Featuring more than 100 authors, more than 50 bookish vendors, and plenty of exciting activities throughout the event! Travel with fellow book lovers or meet us at the event. Park for free at the Medina Convention Center, 735 Lafayette Rd., Medina, Ohio 44256, then hop aboard one of the free shuttles whenever you’re ready for your next bookish adventure! The convention spans three neighboring locations, giving you even more to explore and enjoy.

The theme for May is Thriller. • The book we will be discussing is A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson. (determined by votes from April Book Club. Let me know if you'd like a free digital copy of the book) • This event will be at the main library. Feel free to come whether or not you've started or finished the book. • Small snacks will be provided. You're welcome to bring your own snacks & drinks too! Let me know if you’d like to volunteer to bring snacks or drinks for the group.

[Columbus library link to book](https://cml.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S105C3351321) Location: The Goat River South 219 S High St, Columbus, OH 43215 Street parking is free on Sundays [Menu](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/686d3ed16745133042482c5f/t/68ff654dbb03b96875430bde/1761568077220/all_brunch-20250311.pdf) Book summary: On a hot day in Bethlehem, a twelve-year-old Palestinian-American girl is yelled at by a group of men outside the Church of the Nativity. She has exposed her legs in a biblical city, an act they deem forbidden, and their judgement will echo on through her adolescence. When our narrator finally admits to her mother that she is queer, her mother's response only intensifies a sense of shame: 'You exist too much,' she tells her daughter. Told in vignettes that flash between the U.S. and the Middle East--from New York to Jordan, Lebanon, and Palestine--Zaina Arafat's debut novel traces her protagonist's progress from blushing teen to sought-after DJ and aspiring writer.

By popular demand, the group wanted to read and discuss the semi-autobiographical novel by Henri-Pierre Roche, that inspired the Truffaut movie we watched last year. The book is available through the Columbus Library's interlibrary loan system. They reported there are twenty-eight copies available in the state of Ohio. If you have a library card, you can file an interlibrary loan request here: https://www.columbuslibrary.org/library-services/ . There are also used copies available on Amazon and eBay for under twenty dollars. You may want to rewatch the movie after reading the book, so we can compare and contrast in our discussion. The Columbus Library has four copies on DVD, and it's streaming on HBOMax.

Let’s meet and share discussion of the James Baldwin short story collection, Going to Meet The Man.

**Our June novel is: *The Eights* by Joanna Miller** **This month’s novel is set during World War I. It’s a 20th-century historical fiction story about friendship and war, with coming-of-age elements and a slightly haunted tone. The book is 384 pages in print and 10 hours and 9 minutes on audiobook.** Oxford, 1920. For the first time in its one-thousand-year history, Oxford University officially admits female students. Burning with dreams of equality, four young women move into neighboring rooms in Corridor 8. Beatrice, Dora, Marianne, and Otto—collectively known as The Eights—come from all walks of life, each driven by their own motives, each holding tight to their secrets, and are thrown into an unlikely, unshakable friendship. Dora was never meant to go to university, but, after losing both her brother and her fiancé on the battlefield, has arrived in their place. Politically-minded Beatrice, daughter of a famous suffragette, sees Oxford as a chance to make her own way - and some friends her own age. Otto was a nurse during the war but is excited to return to her socialite lifestyle in Oxford where she hopes to find distraction from the memories that haunt her. And finally Marianne, the quiet, clever daughter of a village pastor, who has a shocking secret she must hide from everyone, even her new friends, if she is to succeed. Among the historic spires, and in the long shadow of the Great War, the four women must navigate and support one another in a turbulent world in which misogyny is rife, influenza is still a threat, and the ghosts of the Great War don’t always remain dead.

Join us for Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn! Fresh from a brief stay at a psych hospital, reporter Camille Preaker faces a troubling assignment: she must return to her tiny hometown to cover the unsolved murder of a preteen girl and the disappearance of another. For years, Camille has hardly spoken to her neurotic, hypochondriac mother or to the half-sister she barely knows: a beautiful thirteen-year-old with an eerie grip on the town. Now, installed in her old bedroom in her family's Victorian mansion, Camille finds herself identifying with the young victims—a bit too strongly. Dogged by her own demons, she must unravel the psychological puzzle of her own past if she wants to get the story-and survive this homecoming.