Book Clubs Los Angeles

Book Club Meet Up

Jaycees November Book Club

**Pasadena Jaycees Book Club** It's time for our 2nd book club meetup! Join us on **Sunday, November 15** as we discuss *I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom* by Jason Pargin. Come hang out, share your thoughts on the book, and enjoy some good conversation! 📅 **Date:** Sunday, November 15 📍 **Location:** Playhouse Village Park 📖 **Book:** *I’m Starting to Worry About This Black Box of Doom* by Jason Pargin Hope to see everyone there! 📚

Literary Open Mic

Bring a five-minute (maximum) original reading to share with a community of writers. Or just come drink beer and soak in the poetry, short stories, songs, monologues, and more! It's free to attend and free to read. Check out our [merch](https://noholitmic.threadless.com/)! **Please note that the only way to reserve a spot to read is to follow this link to our [sign-up form](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sYc12KZ9c_P_6jbylgF1R1ER03S35XghUYgCR52Irf8/edit?tab=t.0) (or copy and paste the link below).** RSVPing on MeetUp doesn't guarantee you a spot! If you'd like to come listen without reading, you are very welcome to, and you do not need to sign up or RSVP. [https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sYc12KZ9c_P_6jbylgF1R1ER03S35XghUYgCR52Irf8/edit?tab=t.0](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sYc12KZ9c_P_6jbylgF1R1ER03S35XghUYgCR52Irf8/edit?tab=t.0)

November Book Discussion: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

# **Our November Book Has Been Chosen! 📚** Thanks to everyone who voted! Our next **Books & Brew** read is: ## 📖 *Man's Search for Meaning* — Viktor E. Frankl Grab a copy, start reading, and join us for a thought-provoking conversation! ### About the Book Drawing on his experiences as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps during World War II, psychiatrist Viktor E. Frankl explores how people find purpose and meaning even in the face of unimaginable suffering. Part memoir and part psychological exploration, *Man's Search for Meaning* introduces Frankl's approach to psychotherapy, known as logotherapy, which centers on the human search for meaning as a fundamental source of motivation. Through his reflections on suffering, resilience, freedom, and personal responsibility, Frankl challenges readers to consider what gives life meaning and how we respond to circumstances beyond our control. A powerful and deeply reflective book, *Man's Search for Meaning* offers plenty to think about—and even more to discuss together.

Game Day at Geeky Teas & Games

**Please note the $8 fee for this event is NOT payable to the meetup group, it is the entrance fee to Geeky Teas & Games, paid directly to Geeky Teas. (Feel free to use your punch card instead!)** Join us at Geeky Teas & Games (Alameda & Main St, Burbank) for an afternoon of board gaming with fellow sci-fi/fantasy readers. We have tables reserved from 11am-3pm; staff can help you find us. In the past we've had people teaching Wingspan, Mysterium, We're Doomed, Monikers, Catan, Gloom, Everdell, Ticket to Ride, 7 Wonders, and Parks. If you have a game you know and want to teach, you are welcome to bring it - or grab it from the Geeky Teas library. More from their site: "In-store gaming is open for nice guests. Entry is $8 / person with all-day privileges and access to our large libraries of board games, tabletop terrain, and miniature paints." Their game library is truly impressive (https://www.geekyteas.com/game-library) and your entrance fee allows you to play for the full day until close, not just during the meetup. Looking forward to an afternoon of gaming with you!

CFI-West Skeptics Book Club

Join us for the CFI-West Skeptics Book Club monthly meeting! We meet both in person and on Google Meet. There's always a lively conversation, whether you've read the book or not (though... reading helps). November 18th's selection is "How to Be a Dictator: The Cult of Personality in the Twentieth Century" by Frank Dikötter. You can get 15% off at Skylight Books if you mention our book club in the comments at checkout. The in-person meeting will be hosted at the Center for Inquiry West at 2535 W. Temple Street, Los Angeles, CA 90026. Park in the lot off Rampart behind the building. The meeting is upstairs in the conference room. Bring any snacks you'd like to share! **We'll be extending a new practice: the in-person meeting will continue an additional half-hour after we say goodbye to our online friends at 9 PM.** Virtual attendees, join us on Google Meet. Use this link: https://meet.google.com/sqd-ujpn-nhf Bring your nominations for future books - we'll be voting at the end of the meeting!

A Taste for Death by P.D.James

(Posting Early as I'll be gone until Nov 4th.) When the quiet Little Vestry of St. Matthew's Church becomes the blood-soaked scene of a double murder, Scotland Yard Commander Adam Dalgliesh faces an intriguing conundrum: How did an upper-crust Minister come to lie, slit throat to slit throat, next to a neighborhood derelict of the lowest order? Challenged with the investigation of a crime that appears to have endless motives, Dalgliesh explores the sinister web spun around a half-burnt diary and a violet-eyed widow who is pregnant and full of malice--all the while hoping to fill the gap of logic that joined these two disparate men in bright red death. . . .

November: "The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife" by Anna Johnston

**LOCATION:** Ellen's House! Address will be emailed and posted the Friday before! (South Redondo Beach) **NOTE:** Bookshop.org is a website that connects readers with independent booksellers. If you select an independent bookstore prior to purchasing your physical book or e-book, revenue from that sale will directly benefit the store you've chosen. If you would like to support Angela's store, the here is a link direct link: [https://bookshop.org/shop/mirabai](https://bookshop.org/shop/mirabai) **WHAT WE'RE READING:** *‘Would you mind terribly, old boy, if I borrowed the rest of your life? I promise I’ll take excellent care of it.'* Frederick Fife was born with an extra helping of kindness in his heart. If he borrowed your car, he’d return it washed with a full tank of gas. The problem is there’s nobody left in Fred’s life to borrow from. At eighty-two, he’s desperately lonely, broke, and on the brink of homelessness. But Fred’s luck changes when, in a bizarre case of mistaken identity, he takes the place of grumpy Bernard Greer at the local nursing home. Now he has warm meals in his belly and a roof over his head—as long as his poker face is in better shape than his prostate and that his look-alike never turns up. Denise Simms is stuck breathing the same disappointing air again and again. A middle-aged mom and caregiver at Bernard's facility, her crumbling marriage and daughter's health concerns are suffocating her joy for life. Wounded by her two-faced husband, she vows never to let a man deceive her again. As Fred walks in Bernard’s shoes, he leaves a trail of kindness behind him, fueling Denise's suspicions about his true identity. When unexpected truths are revealed, Fred and Denise rediscover their sense of purpose and learn how to return a broken life to mint condition. Bittersweet and remarkably perceptive, *The Borrowed Life of Frederick Fife* is a hilarious, feel-good, clever novel about grief, forgiveness, redemption, and finding family. **NO SHOW POLICY:** In April 2019, a new NO SHOW POLICY was put into place to help ensure people on the waitlist can get into each meeting with enough time to read the book while also weeding out flakey flakers who reserve a seat but don't use it. The new NO SHOW POLICY is in two parts: (1) If you RSVP 'Going' and cancel your RSVP within seven days of book club WITHOUT EXPLANATION, you'll be immediately removed from the group. (2) If you RSVP 'Going' and cancel your RSVP within seven days of book club with explanation, but for any reason, you'll be marked a 'No Show.' If you rack up three 'No Shows," you'll be removed from the group.

[Book Only] HORROR BOOK CLUB (November): “The Harrowing”

Book Club: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

In *Klara and the Sun*, Kazuo Ishiguro looks at our rapidly changing modern world through the eyes of an unforgettable narrator to explore a fundamental question: what does it mean to love? From her place in the store, Klara, an Artificial Friend with outstanding observational qualities, watches carefully the behavior of those who come in to browse, and of those who pass on the street outside. She remains hopeful that a customer will soon choose her, but when the possibility emerges that her circumstances may change forever, Klara is warned not to invest too much in the promises of humans. Looking forward to enjoying afternoon tea at the Callisto Tea House in Pasadena. The menu can be found here: [https://callistoteahouse.com/pages/menu](https://callistoteahouse.com/pages/menu) The event fee will secure your reservation and be applied to membership dues, which covers the cost of the website. The event fee is NONREFUNDABLE unless the event is canceled by the organizer. To join the waitlist comment on the event page. If you have RSVPed and can no longer attend, please contact me directly and I will contact the people on the waiting list and then move you to "not going" when I find a replacement. Thank you and happy reading!

(No Host) An Evening with LeVar Burton

Overview LeVar Burton discussing his memoir, "[Take My Word for It"](https://link.amazon/B06CO8pSc) **Please note:** **\-\- Tickets cannot be resold on reseller platforms\. Resold tickets will not be honored\.** **\-\- Tickets are non\-refundable and are not transferable\.** **\-\- All ticket holders should be ready to show ID at the event\.** **\-\- The name\(s\) you provide during registration will be on a will\-call list at the event\, where you will check in and get your ticket to enter the theatre\.** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **Join us for an in-person and virtual\* Live Talks Los Angeles event:** ### Wednesday, November 18, 2025, 8 pm *\*Virtual event airs on November 27 at 6 pm PT/9 pm ET* ### **An Evening with LeVar Burton** **Discussing his memoir, ["Take My Word for It"](https://link.amazon/B06CO8pSc)** **TICKETS: (sold here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/an-evening-with-levar-burton-tickets-2002943446767)** * $60 General Admission ticket + signed book * $95 Two General Admission tickets + ONE signed book * $100 Reserved Section Seating +signed book (first three rows) * Additional signed books available for purchase at event * The virtual version of this event airs on November 25, 2026, at 6 pm PT/9 pm ET and is available on video-on-demand for five days. Tickets include a copy of the book. * [Virtual Tickets can be purchased here.](https://livetalksla.stellartickets.com/events/in-conversation-with-levar-burton-virtual-event/occurrences/e9ecb0b6-ff33-47a1-902a-07743b7fe85c) * ASL interpreter provided upon request. * Free parking at the venue **The legendary actor behind *Roots, Star Trek: The Next Generation,* and *Reading Rainbow* shares never-before-told stories from a life that has shaped generations in this “compassionate, vulnerable memoir” (*Time*).** **LeVar Burton** played Kunta Kinte in the acclaimed miniseries *Roots,* and he starred in *Star Trek: The Next Generation* as Lt. Commander Geordi LaForge. Other credits include a regular role on the CBS series *Christy*, and he served as host and contributing producer of the Emmy Award-winning children’s program *Reading Rainbow*, for which he received twelve Daytime Emmy Awards and a Peabody Award. He is an educator committed to improving children’s education through innovative uses of storytelling. *This is my attempt to pull back the curtain. Not just on the roles I’ve played, but on the life I’ve lived. The fears. The fight. The survival. And yes, the joy. All of it.* Tracing the different eras of his life—from Kunta Kinte to Geordi La Forge to *Reading Rainbow* and far beyond the camera—celebrated actor LeVar Burton fearlessly opens up about growing up during the Civil Rights Movement, being raised by a remarkable mother, and discovering his calling as a storyteller. He explores how acting has served as both a source of transformation and an escape from the most difficult parts of his past, while also confronting the challenges of being a parent, husband, and householder. As Burton honors the loved ones whose strength and resilience shaped him in this inspiring memoir, he also asks what we owe to our ancestors and to each other, reflecting on the deep necessity he’s always felt advocating for liberation and equity. Generous, deeply moving, and illustrated with personal family photos, *Take My Word For It* is a courageous self-portrait of an iconic artist.

Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon (& TJs White Elephant Exchange!)

As a reminder, because of the holidays we meet only once (on an atypical day) for a combined November-December book discussion. And because this is a short book, we will also do a TJs white elephant gift exchange (this is completely voluntary). If you would like to participate, bring a wrapped gift purchased from Trader Joes (ITKYK), in the $5-$10 range. Food, wine, skin care, home decor, etc. are all great options! **Summary of** **Lost Souls Meet Under a Full Moon by Mizuki Tsujimura** **from Goodreads:** *I bring together the living and the departed. I am the Go-Between.* When a young woman from Tokyo contacts the Go-Between to request a meeting with a deceased TV star who once helped her, she doesn’t expect a teenage boy to show up. Dressed in a designer duffel coat and carrying a tattered notebook, Ayumi Shibuya, our mysterious intermediary, offers an extraordinary service: he reunites the living with their dearly departed. Meeting his clients at a luxury hotel, Ayumi lays down the ground rules: each reunion is a one-time arrangement that the dead can refuse; the service is entirely free, and the meeting must take place during a full moon. As Ayumi arranges these reunions, we encounter a resentful eldest son who wants to ask his mother to unearth the deeds to a plot of land; a teenage girl who blames herself for her best friend’s death; and a weary businessman seeking answers about his fiancée’s disappearance days after he proposed. With each rendezvous, clues begin to surface, leading readers to unravel the mystery of the boy in the duffel coat, whose own story is eventually revealed.