Joining a book club is a great way to connect with your neighbors and find a community of fellow readers. Gunnison County Libraries facilitates book clubs in both Gunnison and Crested Butte locations. They are free and open to anyone to join.
How it works: Book clubs meet on a recurring basis, every month, to discuss a title the group has all read, often over light snacks. Copies of books are placed on hold for book club participants and are available to check out at the library. Titles for the next month’s meeting are announced a month before. They will also be available in e-edition, audiobook, large print, etc.
Books-N-Bars
For those who like to imbibe in books, beverages or both! This group meets every 2nd Thursday of the month from 5:30-7 pm at local watering holes. They read mainly contemporary fiction, with a few non-fiction titles every once in a while.
Thursday, June 8 at 5:30 pm @ Ryce Asian Bistro - 120 Elk Ave, Crested Butte, CO 81224
"Bewilderment" by Richard Powers
From the author of "The Overstory" comes a new novel that shares soaring descriptions of the natural world, its tantalizing vision of life beyond, and an account of a father and son's ferocious love. At its heart lies the question: How can we tell our children the truth about this beautiful, imperiled planet?
Thursday, July 13, 5:30 pm @ Bonez - 130 Elk Ave, Crested Butte, CO 81224
"Crossing to Safety" by Wallace Stegner
Hailed as a contemporary classic, this novel traces the lives, loves, and aspirations of two couples who move between Vermont and Wisconsin, and is a work of quiet majesty, deep compassion, and powerful insight into the alchemy of friendship and marriage.
Thursday, August 10, 5:30 pm @ Thai Chili 78 - 425 Elk Ave, Crested Butte, CO 81230
"The Measure" by Nikki Erlick
When every person, all over the globe, receives a small wooden box bearing the same inscription and a single piece of string inside, the world is thrown into a collective frenzy, in this novel told through multiple perspectives that introduces an unforgettable cast of characters.
Caregiver Conversations
Monthly book discussions about raising children, facilitated by Louise Perry, MSW. Lunch is provided at each gathering, as participants converse about parenting-related topics of interest. Groups meets every 2nd Wednesday from 11:30 am-12:30 pm.
Wednesday, August 9 from 11:30 am-12:30 pm at Gunnison Library
Read & discuss: "Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be" by Becky Kennedy
Dr. Becky shares her parenting philosophy, complete with actionable strategies, that will help parents move from uncertainty and self-blame to confidence and sturdy leadership. Offering perspective-shifting parenting principles and troubleshooting for specific scenarios-- including sibling rivalry, separation anxiety, tantrums, and more--"Good Inside" is a comprehensive resource for a generation of parents looking for a new way to raise their kids while still setting them up for a lifetime of self- regulation, confidence, and resilience.
Lunch provided, RSVP to ellen@gunnisoncountylibraries.org
Gunny GoodReads
Traditional book club that meets once a month to discuss books over light snacks. They read contemporary fiction, with a taste for the suspense or thriller genre and meet on the fourth Wednesday of every month from 4-4:45 pm (some changes due to holidays).
Wednesday, May 31 at 4 pm at Gunnison Library
"Wish You Were Here" by Jodi Picoult
A tale of longing and discovery that follows a young woman whose carefully planned life is thrown off course by a pandemic, as she finds herself on a romantic holiday - alone.
Wednesday, June 28 from 4-4:45 pm
Read & discuss: "We all want impossible things" by Katherine Newman
As Edith, her best friend of forty-two years who is dying of ovarian cancer, spends her last days at a hospice near her, Ashley, stumbling around into heartbreak, helps Edith celebrate her life as they reminisce, hold on, and try to let go.
Wednesday, July 26 from 4-4:45 pm
"The Love of my Life" by Rosie Walsh
A love story wrapped in a mystery: an up-all-night page-turner with a dark secret at its core
Wednesday, August 23 from 4-4:45 pm at Gunnison Library
Read & discuss: "What happened to you? Conversations on trauma, resilience, and healing" by Bruce D. Perry
Through deeply personal conversations, Oprah Winfrey and Dr. Bruce Perry explore how what happens to us in early childhood influences the people we become. They challenge us to shift from focusing on "What's wrong with you?" or "Why are you behaving that way?" to asking "What happened to you?"
Summer Hiking Book Club
Every 1st Wednesday of the month, community members will convene at Gunnison or Crested Butte libraries to discuss a book of the month along the trail over a local hike. Members will set off from the library or caravan to the trailhead together. Participants are responsible for their own water, gear/equipment, and safety. The library will supply book discussion facilitation and copies of the book to read beforehand.
Wednesday, July 5 from 2-5 pm. Meet at Crested Butte Library, hike Swampy Pass.
Read & discuss: "The Solace of Open Spaces" by Gretel Ehrlich.
Wednesday, September 6 from 2-5 pm. Meet at Crested Butte Library, hike Rustler's Gulch.
Read & discuss: "Gilded Mountain: A Novel" by Kate Manning.
If you are interested in receiving email communications or additional information about these book clubs, please reach out to adult programming coordinator, Taylor Worsham, taylor-at-gunnisoncountylibraries-dot-org.