Adult Reading Challenge

Join our year-long reading challenge for adults! It’s flexible (we’ll give you ideas, but you read what you want within that month’s prompt) and fun (monthly prizes and a party at the end!)

Log your reading via Beanstack. (You can also get the free app and track on your phone.) You only have to read one book per month to participate and be eligible for a monthly prize from a local business. In December, we’ll host a party!

January – Memoirs

February — Afrofuturism

March — Iconic Women

April — Sports

May — AAPI Stories

June — Trans/Nonbinary Authors

July — Music

August — Coming of Age

September — Short Stories

October — Midwestern Stories

November — Food

December — No book! Adult Reading Party!

The Atlantic Monthly Discussion Group

The Atlantic Monthly Discussion Group meets on the second Monday of the month at 11 a.m. (except in October when it is the third Monday.)

Just read the feature article (and any other articles that interest you) of the current issue of Atlantic Monthly in print or via Flipster or on the website https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/. Then join us on Zoom and engage in lively and intellectual discussion.

Email: Roberta Koscielski 

Bibliophiles Book Club

For more information, contact Nancy at 309-231-3263 or email nvarness1967@gmail.com

Meetings are held the first Tuesday of the month from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Lakeview Branch, 1137 W. Lake Ave. 

January 2 It’s What I Do: A Photographer’s Life of Love and War by Lynsey Addario

February 6The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

March 5 — Peoria Reads Selection: To Be Announced

April 2Carnegie’s Maid by Marie Benedict

May 7All the King’s Men by Robert Penn Warren

June 4Horse by Geraldine Brooks

July 2 Avenue of Spies by Alex Kershaw

August 6Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier

September 3Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

October 1Violeta by Isabel Allende

November 5Frankenstein by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley

December 2A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan

Biography & Non-Fiction Book Club

The Biography and Nonfiction Book Club meets the second Sunday of each month (unless re-scheduled because of holidays/weather). We meet at the North Branch of the Peoria Public Library, 3001 West Grand Parkway, from 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.  New members are always welcome!

For more information, please call Roberta Koscielski at 309-264-1966.

January 14 – Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks

February 11My Home Team: A Sportswriter’s Life by Dave Kindred

March 10In Order to Live: A North Korean Girl’s Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park

April 14The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson

May 19*The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones

June 9Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey by Che Guevara

July 14A Fever in the Heartland: The Ku Klux Klan’s Plot to Take Over America, and the Woman Who Stopped Them by Timothy Egan

August 11Kingdom of Characters: The Language Revolution That Made China Modern by Jing Tsu

September 8The Teachers: A Year Inside America’s Most Vulnerable, Important Profession by Alexandra Robbins

October 13Becoming FDR: The Personal Crisis That Made a President by Jonathan Darman

November 10The Art Thief: A True Story of Love, Crime and a Dangerous Obsession by Michael Finkel

December 8Andy Warhol Was a Hoarder: Inside the Minds of History’s Great Personalities by Claudia Kalb

Boos and Booze Book Club

Join us for a horrifyingly good time every third Wednesday of the month. Love of horror is a must, love of brews is not

Adults only.

New members welcome to join us at 6:30 p.m. at The Fieldhouse Bar & Grill in Campustown. Call (309) 497-2200 for more information.   

January 17A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

February 21Through the Woods by Emily Carroll

March 20Misery by Stephen King

April 17Lone Women by Victor LaValle

May 15I’ll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara

June 26Camp Damascus by Chuck Tingle

July 17Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

August 21How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix

September 18 —  Heart-Shaped Box by Joe Hill

October 16Hide by Kiersten White

November 20Carmilla by Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu

Graphic Novel Club

Each month you’ll read a graphic novel of your choice within that month’s theme. Then we’ll meet up to discuss the books we read while we snack, socialize, and enjoy themed activities and crafts. For ages 9 to 13. 

Meet the third Wednesday of every month (unless otherwise noted *) from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at North Branch, 3001 W. Grand Pkwy.

Questions? Email programming@ppl.peoria.lib.il.us .   

January’s theme: Pick any book!

February’s theme: Love/Friendship

March’s theme: Superheroes

April’s theme: Animals

May’s theme: Summer/Outdoors

Historical Fiction Society

Join us on the first Wednesday of each month from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. to discuss a historical fiction title and be transported back in time. We meet at Lakeview Branch, 1137 W. Lake Ave.

New members are always welcome. 

Questions? Email programming@ppl.peoria.lib.il.us .   

January 3The Woman with the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff

February 7Fruit of the Drunken Tree by Ingrid Rojas Contreras

March 6Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

April 3The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

May 1Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman

June 5In the Shadow of Banyan by Vaddey Ratner

July 2 — The Mountains Sing by Nguyen Phan Que Mai

August 7The Girl Who Came Home: A Novel of the Titanic by Hazel Gaynor

September 4Clark and Division by Naomi Hirahara

October 2The Housekeepers by Alex Hay

November 6The Lost Girls of Willowbrook by Ellen Marie Wiseman

December 4The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray

Intercontinental Readers

Intercontinental Readers meets once every three months at Main Library Lower Level 2, Conference Room to discuss books by American and Irish authors. We Skype with members in Clonmel, Ireland.

For more information, email Terry Tate at knttate@mchsi.com

** Please note that meeting times may vary.

March 13 (12:00 p.m.) –  Three Girls from Bronzeville by Dawn Turner

An “unmissable” (Vogue), “exceptional” (The Washington Post), and “evocative” (Chicago Tribune) memoir about three Black girls from the storied Bronzeville section of Chicago that offers a penetrating exploration of race, opportunity, friendship, sisterhood, and the powerful forces at work that allow some to flourish…and others to falter.

June 5  (11:00 a.m.) – Love by Roddy Doyle

Two old friends reconnect in Dublin for a dramatic, revealing evening of drinking and storytelling in this winning new novel from the author of the Booker Prize-winning Paddy Clarke Ha Ha Ha.

September 4 (11:00 a.m.) — West with Giraffes by Lynda Rutledge

Part adventure, part historical saga, and part coming-of-age love story, West with Giraffes explores what it means to be changed by the grace of animals, the kindness of strangers, the passing of time, and a story told before it’s too late.

December 4 (11:00 a.m.) — The Gathering by Anne Enright

The Gathering is a novel about love and disappointment, about thwarted lust and limitless desire, and how our fate is written in the body, not in the stars.

Lattes & Lit Book Club

Join us for a relaxing morning of good drinks and great discussion at Intuition Coffee + Juice, 734 Main St.

We will meet the third Saturday of the month from 10 a.m. to 11 a.m.

For more information, email programming@ppl.peoria.lib.il.us

January 20Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

February 17The Family by Naomi Krupitsky

March 16The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab

April 20 — Peoria Reads book

May 18The Guest List by Lucy Foley

June 15You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld

July 20Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins ReidJoi

August 17Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

September 21The Turnout by Megan Abbott

October 19More Than You’ll Ever Know by Katie Gutierrez

November 16The Phoenix Crown by Kate Quinn and Janie Chang

December — No meeting

Mature Readers Book Club

The Mature Readers Book Club meets at Lakeview Branch, 1137 W. Lake Ave., at 2:15 p.m. on the last Wednesday of the month.

Please call us at (309) 370-0067 if you are interested in joining this book club.

January 31In the Unlikely Event by Judy Blume

February 28 — The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman

March 27 — My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante

April 24Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

May 29Homecoming by Kate Morton

June 26 Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

July 31Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

August 28The Violin Conspiracy by Brendan Slocumb

September 25Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See

October 30Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

November 20The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan (One week early due to Thanksgiving)

December 18The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams (One week early due to Christmas)

Read On Book Club

This group focuses on fiction by Black authors. Lincoln Branch Manager Cynthia Smith leads the discussion, which meets the fourth Monday of every month from 5:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.. For more information, call 309-497-2601.

January 29

January’s theme – Happy Beginnings with mocktails, snacks, and great Conversations about the book, Far from the Tree by Virginia DeBerry & Donna Grant.

This bestselling author duo tell a poignant story of two very different sisters who grapple with sisterhood, family secrets and the ties that bind them.

February 26

February’s theme – Let’s Celebrate Black History with the book, The Queen of Sugar Hill: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel by ReShonda Tate.

The author presents a fascinating fictional portrait of Hattie McDaniel, one of Hollywood’s most prolific but woefully underappreciated stars and the first Black person ever to win an Oscar for her role in the critically acclaimed film classic Gone With the Wind.

March 25

March’s theme – Book & Tea. Drink a new tea with your book!  This month’s read Brooklyn by Tracy Brown crafts a tale about a master manipulator and serial survivor, who will scorch earth to get what she wants.  The question isn’t who murdered her; the question is who wouldn’t?

Let’s spill the tea on this mystery thriller.

April 29 

April’s theme – Location Meeting Change, Alexander Steakhouse, 100 Alexander Avenue.

Let’s have a book discussion around the dinner table with the book, Double Lives (A Lexington, Alabama Novel) by Mary Monroe

Enjoy Monroe’s latest shocking twist-filled novel of the Depression-era Alabama saga.  This novel tells the riveting tale of identical twin sisters with a talent for switching lives and hiding their scandals, until one risk too many changes their lives forever.  Reminiscent of the Mama Ruby series!

*Each member must register at the branch for a head count, and each member is responsible for their meal ticket.

May 27

May’s theme – Chapter Read. Each member can pick a chapter to discuss Flipping Boxcars: A Novel by Cedric “The Entertainer” Cedric Kyles.

This first novel by the funny man himself will take readers through an engaging and entertaining crime caper of black families and tightly woven communities struggling to get by during the Depression and World War II.  This novel is based off of the author’s beloved grandfather and a generation past.

June 24

June’s theme – Bring A Friend. Let’s discuss The Exes by Brandon Massey.

This riveting suspense thriller deals with a couple going their separate ways and re-building their lives after tragedy strikes.  However, the Ex wants to reunite the family and will do everything in her power to win!

July 29

July’s theme – Popcorn and Candy. It’s time for a snack as we discuss, The First Ladies by Marie Benedict & Victoria Christopher Murray.

A novel about the extraordinary partnership between First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt and civil rights activist Mary McLeod Bethune, an unlikely friendship that changed the world.  This is the story of two different, yet equally formidable, passionate, and committed women and the way in which their friendship helped form the foundation for the modern civil rights movement.

August 26

August’s theme – Fall Back into a Good Book. Enjoy One Blood: A Novel by Denene Millner.

New York Times bestselling author, Denene Millner explores the lives of three generations of women tied together by love, hope, dreams, ambition and family secrets in this epic novel.

September 30

September’s theme – Netflix & Read. Catch-up on Netflix the Family Business Saga and read the latest novel Family Business 7 by Carl Weber & La Jill Hunt.

Keep up with the Duncan family down South as this novel takes readers on a road trip to New Orleans.  The head of the family, LC Duncan enlists his nephew, bounty hunter Curtis Duncan and highly trained niece Lauryn Duncan, to help add some muscle and security to their family’s struggling businesses.

October 28

October’s theme – It’s Your Choice. Choose one of the following memoirs.  Leslie Jones: A Memoir by Leslie Jones or Thicker Than Water: A Memoir by Kerry Washington.

The author, Leslie Jones walk you though her childhood growing up in the South, her early stand-up days and darkest moments in this country for a black woman.  Thicker Than Water by Kerry Washington presents shocking truths about her family, career, and her most beloved acting roles.

November & December: Holiday Break

Science Fiction | Fantasy Book Club

This group typically meets on the second Monday of the month at 6:30 p.m. in the Lakeview Room of the Peoria Public Library Lakeview Branch (1137 W. Lake Ave. 61614-5935).
This book club is meeting both in person and virtually. If you need a Zoom link, please reach out to Jamie Jones at 497-2110.

January 8 The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula Le Guin

February 12 Starter Villain by John Scalzi

March 11 – Foundation and Earth by Isaac Asimov

April 8Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab

May 13 – A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers

June 10Babel by R. F. Kuang

July 17 –  Special joint meeting and author visit with Boos and Booze – Ghost Station by S. A. Barnes

August 12Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller

September 9Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir

October 14* (off-site meeting; call 309-497-2110 for location details) – The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin

November 11The Book That Wouldn’t Burn by Mark Lawrence

December 9The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

Sugar & Spice Book Club

If you’ve been on the #spicy side of BookTok, you’ll love this new contemporary romance book club that meets every third Thursday at 6:30 p.m. at Sugar Wood-Fired Bistro, 826 SW Adams.

Adults only. 
For more information, email programming@ppl.peoria.lib.il.us

January 18 The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood

February 15 – Neon Gods by Katee Robert

March 21 – Forget Me Not by Julie Soto

April 18In At The Deep End by Kate Davies

May 16Hooked by Emily McIntire

June 20Written in the Stars by Alexandria Bellefleur

Additional titles will be chosen by members and added.

The Reading List

Join us for a book club based on the book The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams. Meets at 6:30 p.m. on the last Wednesday of every other month at Lakeview Branch, 1137 W. Lake Ave. See exact meeting dates in the calendar.

We will discuss Adams’ book as well as the book selected for that month. For more information, email programming@ppl.peoria.lib.il.us or call (309) 497-2143.

January 31The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

March 27Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

May 29Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

July 31Beloved by Toni Morrison

September 25 A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

The Sherlock Holmes Story Society

This group traditionally meets in the North Branch Seminar Room at 6:30 pm on the 4th Thursday of the month (except for November).

New members are always welcome, whether you’re a seasoned Sherlockian or a newcomer to the canon! Please call 309-497-2110 if you have any questions.

January 26 — “The Adventure of Gloria Scott” from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

 

February 24 — “The Adventure of Musgrave Ritual” from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

 

March 23 — A Study in Scarlet

 

April 27 — “The Adventure of the Speckled Band” from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

 

May 25 — “The Adventure of the Yellow Face” from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

 

June 22 — “The Adventure of the Red Circle” from His Last Bow

July 27 — “The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet” from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

 

August 24 — “The Adventure of the Resident Patient” from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

 

September 28 — “The Adventure of the Reigate Squire” from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

 

October 26 — “The Adventure of the Second Stain” from The Return of Sherlock Holmes

November 30 — “The Adventure of the Naval Treaty” from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

 

December 28 — “The Adventure of the Crooked Man” from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

January 25 — “The Five Orange Pips” from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

February 22 — “The Adventure of the Noble Bachelor” from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

March 28The Valley of Fear

April 25 — “A Scandal in Bohemia” from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

May 23 — “A Case of Identity” from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

June 27 — “The Greek Interpreter” from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

July 25The Sign of the Four

August 22 — “Silver Blaze” from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

September 26 — “The Stockbroker’s Clerk” from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes

October 24 — “The Boscombe Valley Mystery” from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes

November 21 — “The Man with the Twisted Lip” from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
(One week early because of Thanksgiving)

December 19 — “The Adventure of the Engineer’s Thumb” from The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (One week early to avoid Christmas-related conflicts.)

Twelve Tropes of Romance Book Club

Are you a fan of feel good romance novels that take place in modern day? Is there a specific romance trope you love so much you’ll read anything with that trope? Join the Twelve Tropes of Romance Book Club where each month we’ll read a book with a different romance trope. Reader advisory: Different books may rate higher than others on the spicy scale.

Meets every second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. at Lakeview Branch, 1137 W. Lake Ave.

New members are always welcome. Please call 309-497-2600 if you have any questions.

January 10 — The Bodyguard by Katherine Center

February 14Lunar Love by Lauren Kung Jessen

March 13 — The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren

April 10 — Red, White and Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

May 8The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams

June 12 Happy Place by Emily Henry

July 10When Grumpy Met Sunshine by Charlotte Stein

August 14Love, Naturally by Sophie Sullivan

September 11Booked On a Feeling by Jaci Lee

October 9Payback’s a Witch by Lana Harper

November 13Would You Rather by Allison Ashley

December 11Royal Holiday by Jasmine Guillory