
Yoga therapist Jacci Gruninger, left, and library associate Samuel Buelow will lead book discussions in June. Photo Courtesy LAC
COUNTY NEWS RELEASE
Do you like to meet with other community members to discuss books and explore interesting topics? The Los Alamos County Library staff are pleased to announce a book club series featuring two in-person discussions in June and another two in July. The book clubs will be hosted by different facilitators and the locations will alternate between the Mesa Public Library and White Rock Library branch. The series is part of the 2023 Adult Summer Reading Program and patrons who participate in a discussion will earn a badge for the 2023 summer reading challenge. But reading challenge participation is not a requirement for attending a book club. All patrons with an interest in the discussion title and topic are welcome.
The book club series kicks off with a discussion of the title, “Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning” by Cathy Park Hong. The discussion will take place on June 8 from 6:00 to 7:30 PM at the White Rock Library branch. The book is a collection of essays examining the Asian American experience. The discussion will be led by Library Associate Samuel Buelow, a fourth-generation Japanese American who considers the book to be “one of the most personally resonate books I have ever read.” The award-winning title is described by the publisher as a blend of memoir, cultural criticism, and history. Registration for this event is encouraged but not required. Drop-ins are welcome.
The second June book club is a discussion of the title “Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art” by James Nestor. The discussion will take place at the Mesa Public Library and will be led by yoga therapist Jacci Gruninger, MS, C-IAYT. During the discussion, participants will discuss the book and be guided through different breath techniques to enhance health and wellbeing. It is not necessary to have read the text to participate. Simply attending the program and learning about the concepts through discussion can lead to an interest in reading the book later. Registration is required for this event.
In July, the Library will host two additional book clubs. The first will focus on any readings about J. Robert Oppenheimer and the second on first-person stories about living with disability.
Please visit the event calendar at LosAlamosLibrary.org or call (505) 662-8250 for more information, registration, and links to the discussion materials in the online library catalog.