Book Club
For more than 30 years, the SHL Book Club has been a place where book lovers can come together to learn, reflect, and engage in thoughtful discussion. We normally meet on the fourth Sunday of each month at 3 pm in Meeting Room B of the Main Branch of the Charleston County Public Library (68 Calhoun St. in Charleston). Our discussions are lively, respectful, and accessible. Book club is for anyone who enjoys exploring big ideas through reading and conversation, and it is for fun–it is not homework. Whether you read every page, only part of the book, or simply want to listen and join the conversation, everyone is welcome to join us.
Last updated 2026-05-25
Upcoming Meetings:
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Book Club is for fun!
“Reading should be fun. It should be enjoyable. It doesn’t mean that you’re going to always be happy, but reading should never be painful, it should never be obligatory. Once you have graduated from whatever program is compelling you to read, everything you do after that should be because you want to…Do not feel guilty about reading. Reading should always be something that brings you joy, even if it doesn’t bring you happiness.”
Candidate Book List
The linked spreadsheet lists books that group members have suggested for possible future meetings:
List of Past Books
The linked spreadsheet lists books the SHL Book Club previously read:
Past Meetings
July 2025: Class Clown by Dave Barry
For our July 27, 2025 meeting we are reading Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass: How I Went 77 Years Without Growing Up by Dave Barry.
June 2025: Inverse Cowgirl by Alicia Roth Weigel
For our June 22, 2025 meeting we are reading Inverse Cowgirl: A Memoir by Alicia Roth Weigel.
May 2025: Erasing History by Jason Stanley
For our May 25, 2025 meeting we are reading Erasing History: How Fascists Rewrite the Past to Control the Future by Jason Stanley.
April 2025: An Immense World by Ed Yong
For our April 25, 2025 meeting we are reading An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us by Ed Yong.
March 2025: The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larson
For our March 23, 2025 meeting we are reading The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson.
February 2025: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
For our February 23, 2025 meeting we are reading Parable of the Sower by Octavia E Butler.
January 2025: All the Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley
For our January 26, 2025 meeting we are reading All the Beauty in the World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art and Me by Patrick Bringley.
December 2024: Lamb by Christopher Moore
For our December 22, 2024 meeting we are reading Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore.
November 2024: James by Percival Everett
For our November 24, 2024 meeting we are reading Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore.
October 2024: On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder
For our October 27, 2024 meeting we are reading On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder.
September 2024: The Upswing by Robert Putnam
For our September 22, 2024 meeting we are reading The Upswing by Robert Putnam.
August 2024: Banned Books
For our August 25, 2024 meeting we are reading The Upswing by Robert Putnam.