Book Discussion
Join the Friends’ Book Discussion group for our thought-provoking selections and lively conversations. New members are always welcome. We meet at the library 4 times a year for about an hour. If you like to talk about characters, plots, connections to Westfield life and much more this a book club for you.
To be added to our Book Discussion list and receive information about meetings, including how to pick up copies of the books in a safe and secure manner, email INFO@FWMLNJ.ORG.
Our 2nd book this year will be YEAR OF WONDERS by Geraldine Brooks on Tuesday, November 17 at Noon in the Local History Room on the 2nd floor of the library.
YEAR of WONDERS is a historical fiction novel that traces the 1666 outbreak of the bubonic plague in the English town of Eyam. When the town’s zealous rector and the community submit to a voluntary quarantine, young widow Anna Firth serves with the rector and his wife Elinor to minister to the townsfolk as the plague wreaks havoc. Through the eyes of 18-year-old Anna, the novel explores what happens when disaster strikes and fear pushes people to their limits physically, emotionally, and spiritually. {Consortium}
Books we read Fall 2026 – Spring 2027
Whistler is a story about two adults looking back over the choices they made, and the choices that were made for them. It’s a story about bravery, memory, the often small yet consequential moments that define our lives, and the endless stream of loss that in time comes for us all. Beautiful in its simplicity, it is ultimately about how love endures, and how the feeling of being known by one other person, even for a short period of time, can change everything.
Books we read Fall 2025 – Spring 2026
BUCKEYE by Patrick Ryan on Tuesday, May 12 at 1:00 PM.
Summary:
The book is a sweeping family saga focusing on two couples whose lives intertwine across decades. It explores themes of love, secrets, war’s impact, and sexuality from World War II through the 1980’s.
May 17 @ 1:00 PM in the Community Meeting Room
January 12 @ 1:00 PM in the Community Meeting Room
A debut novel about one woman’s journey through many husbands after her attic begins magically producing and swapping them out 🙂
November 12 @1:00 PM in the Community Meeting Room
Published in 2018, the book follows a large cast of Native Americans living in the Oakland, California area and contains several essays on Native American history and identity. The characters struggle with a wide array of challenges, ranging from depression and alcoholism
September 17 @ 1:00 PM in the Community Meeting Room
James by Percival Everett is a historical fiction novel that reimagine Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of Jim, the enslaved man. It follows Jim's escape from slavery in Missouri as he
desperately seeks to reunite with his wife and daughter, who have been sold away. The narrative explores themes of freedom, identity, and the complexities of race and relationships in pre-Civil War America.