Book Groups
Current Active Groups
Brown Bag Mystery
Brown Bag Mystery Readers is a member-led Book Group. A programs team member is on hand to make announcements and support the group.
This readers' group focuses on mystery, thriller & suspense novels. Born as a lunch-time book discussion club, members would bring their 'brown bags' filled with their lunches and sit down together for lively discourse and a brief moment of respite. This tradition stands today. BBMR members meet on the second Monday of every month at noon at 12pm.
Book selections are chosen through a nomination process involving members every few months, and meeting dates around holidays are subject to change. BBMR meetings take place in the Boardroom on the 4th floor.
| Author | Title | Page Count | Date of Discussion |
| Michael Innes | The Long Farewell | 206 | January 5 |
| Marcia Muller | Edwin of the Iron Shoes | 215 | February 9 |
| Mignon G. Eberhart | Five Passengers From Lisbon | 303 | March 9 |
| Georges Simenon | The Engagement | 160 | April13 |
| Ariel Lawhon | The Frozen River | 448 | May 11 |
Want to be added to the mailing list so you can keep up to date with this book groups' announcements and reminders? Email Kiran at kkaur@milibrary.org!
World Literature
World Literature is a member-led Book Group. A programs team member is on hand to make announcements and support the group.
We meet on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month at 5pm. Book selections are chosen through a nomination process involving members every six months, and meeting dates around holidays are subject to change. Our hybrid meetings take place in the 4th Floor Board Room at Mechanics' Institute and virtually on Zoom.
| Author | Title | Page Count | Date of Discussion |
| Theodore Fontane | Effi Briest | 272 | June 10 |
| Eric Maria Remarque | All Quiet on the Western Front | 250 | June 24 |
William Faulkner | Light in August | 460 | July 8 |
| - | Light in August | - | July 22 |
| Thomas Mann | Doctor Faustus | 600 | August 12 |
| - | Doctor Faustus | - | August 26 |
| Arundhati Roy | The God of Small Things | 300 | September 9 |
| Stendhal | The Charterhouse of Parma | 560 | September 23 |
| - | The Charterhouse of Parma | - | October 14 |
| Takashi Hiraide | The Guest Cat | 144 | October 28 |
| Gabriel Garcia Marquez | Love in the Time of Cholera | 368 | November 4 |
| - | Love in the Time of Cholera | - | December 2 |
Want to be added to the mailing list so you can keep up to date with this book groups' announcements and reminders? Email Kiran at kkaur@milibrary.org!
Contemporary Translated Works
Contemporary Translated Works Book Group runs in collaboration with Folio: The Seattle Athenaeum, a non-profit independent library in Seattle, WA and is co-sponsored by the Center for the Art of Translation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit that champions literary translation.
This book group meets hybrid and monthly at 12pm, on-site at Mechanics' Institute & on Zoom, to read and discuss contemporary works originally written in languages other than English or pertaining to the art of translation. By engaging with diverse voices and perspectives, members gain insight into different cultures, ideas, and storytelling traditions.
| Author | Title | Translator | Page Count | Date of Discussion |
| Geetanjali Shree | Tomb of Sand | Daisy Rockwell | 624 | February 18 |
| Elena Garro | The Week of Colors | Megan McDowell | 260 | March 18 |
| Li Zi Shu | The Age of Goodbyes | YZ Chin | 360 | April 15 |
| Jokha Alharthi | Celestial Bodies | Marilyn Booth | 243 | May 20 |
| Mohammed Kheir | Slipping | Robin Moger | 187 | June 17 |
Want to be added to the mailing list so you can keep up to date with this book groups' announcements and reminders? Email Kiran at kkaur@milibrary.org!
Embark on your literary adventure by joining a Book Group at Mechanics' Institute — where your passion for reading comes to life in an inspiring and welcoming community! See our book groups and their schedules below.
Are you a member wanting to start a Book Group? Please email programs@milibrary.org or call 415-393-0103.
Upcoming Book Groups
Site photography by Greg Habiby