Book Drives Los Angeles

Culver City Book Club! “Determined” by Robert Sapolsky

We will be meeting to discuss a chapter every week, from Robert Sapolsky’s “Determined”, to talk about concepts like free will and agency.

Book of May: Pale Fire

Join us for the first time or for the nth!


WHAT ARE WE READING? Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov One of The Atlantic’s Great American Novels of the Past 100 Years “An ingeniously constructed parody of detective fiction and learned commentary, Pale Fire offers a cornucopia of deceptive pleasures, at the center of which is a 999-line poem written by the literary genius John Shade just before his death. Surrounding the poem is a foreword and commentary by the demented scholar Charles Kinbote, who interweaves adoring literary analysis with the fantastical tale of an assassin from the land of Zembla in pursuit of a deposed king.”


WHERE ARE WE READING?

4100 bar

There is no food served - but they do allow outside food and sometimes have a food truck.
Please feel free to comment with any questions. 







Everyone is welcome - whether you read the whole book or the back cover (but be prepared for spoilers if so), looking forward to seeing you all to talk about (hopefully) good books!

Neuromancer- William Gibson

Boy Erased, by Garrard Conley

**IN-PERSON EVENT at Sheri's House** Bring either something to eat or drink.... and enjoy the conversation. *** **A beautiful, raw and compassionate memoir about identity, love and understanding. Now a major motion picture starring Nicole Kidman, Russell Crowe, and Lucas Hedges, directed by Joel Edgerton..** The son of a Baptist pastor and deeply embedded in church life in small town Arkansas, as a young man Garrard Conley was terrified and conflicted about his sexuality. When Garrard was a nineteen-year-old college student, he was outed to his parents, and was forced to make a life-changing decision: either agree to attend a church-supported conversion therapy program that promised to “cure” him of homosexuality; or risk losing family, friends, and the God he had prayed to every day of his life. Through an institutionalized Twelve-Step Program heavy on Bible study, he was supposed to emerge heterosexual, ex-gay, cleansed of impure urges and stronger in his faith in God for his brush with sin. Instead, even when faced with a harrowing and brutal journey, Garrard found the strength and understanding to break out in search of his true self and forgiveness. By confronting his buried past and the burden of a life lived in shadow, Garrard traces the complex relationships among family, faith, and community. At times heart-breaking, at times triumphant, this memoir is a testament to love that survives despite all odds.

The Wedding People Book Club Discussion

Join us for this months book club discussion. The Wedding People by Alison Espach is a novel about Phoebe Stone, a woman at a personal low point who arrives at a Newport hotel for a planned splurge, only to be mistaken for a wedding guest, leading to an unexpected connection with the bride, Laya, and other wedding attendees, forcing them all to confront grief, expectations, and the messy reality of life beyond perfect plans. The book blends humor and tenderness, exploring themes of divorce, infertility, and finding new paths, and was a New York Times bestseller and a Today Show book club pick.

Book Club Meeting: Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

**Mocha Girls Read \| June Book Club Meeting** Join us for our June book club meeting as we come together to discuss our Monthly Book Selection, *Yellowface* by R.F. Kuang. This month, we are diving into a bold and thought-provoking story that explores authorship, identity, and the complexities of the publishing world. Whether you loved the book, had questions, or didn't even read it yet, your voice is welcome in this space. 📅 **Date:** Friday, June 6 ⏰ **Time:** 1:30 PM 📍 **Location:** Lore Bookstore 4334 Degnan Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90008 **About the Book** “Hard to put down, harder to forget.” — Stephen King White lies. Dark humor. Deadly consequences… Bestselling sensation Juniper Song is not who she says she is, she didn’t write the book she claims she wrote, and she is most certainly not Asian American—in this chilling and hilariously cutting psychological thriller from R.F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel. Authors June Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars in the world of literary fiction. But Athena’s a literary darling. June Hayward is literally nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls, June thinks. So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse: she steals Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I. So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? Doesn’t this piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller? That’s what June claims, and the New York Times bestseller list seems to agree. But June can’t get away from Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens to bring June’s (stolen) success down around her. As June races to protect her secret, she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves. With its totally immersive first-person voice from a masterfully crafted unreliable narrator, Yellowface grapples with questions of diversity, racism, and cultural appropriation, as well as the terrifying alienation of social media. R.F. Kuang’s novel is timely, razor-sharp, and eminently readable. **Parking:** Metered street parking is available. Parking across the street is typically the best option.

Book Discussion: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

Read s much as you can and let's discuss "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life, a 2016 nonfiction self-help book by American blogger and author Mark Manson.The book covers Manson's belief that life's struggles give it meaning and argues that typical self-help books offer meaningless positivity which is neither practical nor helpful. It was a New York Times and Globe and Mail bestseller. Critics have been quick to note that the apparent lack of sophistication in language and style of the book is a clever disguise for more serious value-related content of the book." - Wikipedia

Find Your Quiet Corner: A Silent Book Club @ Studio DDLA

Looking for a dedicated hour to finally read that book, meet new people, and enjoy the vibrant atmosphere of **Chinatown LA**? Our Silent Book Club is the perfect low-pressure gathering for **friendly, likeminded readers**. The structure is simple and designed for maximum reading time: we meet up, say a quick hello to our fellow book-lovers, and then settle in for a full hour of **uninterrupted, quiet reading**. It’s a wonderful way to connect with your community without the pressure of small talk. While our club is built around a focus on **meaningful topics** and **life's big questions**—exploring themes of reflection, legacy, and mortality—you are absolutely welcome to bring *any* book you want to read quietly. If you're looking for inspiration, our hosts always bring a curated stack of books for you to browse. Join us for a welcoming, reflective, and dedicated reading experience.

Persuasion by Jane Austen (Rescheduled Date)

WHAT WE'RE READING: Persuasion by Jane Austen WHAT IT IS ABOUT: "*Persuasion*, Jane Austen's last novel, is a moving, masterly and elegiac love story tinged with the heartache of missed opportunities. It tells the story of Anne Elliot, who, persuaded to break off her engagement to the man she loved because he was not successful enough, has never forgotten him. When he returns, he brings with him a tantalizing second chance of happiness." WHERE WE'RE MEETING: 4100 Bar in Silver Lake A NOTE ON PARKING: Street parking should be more readily accessible on Sunset Blvd to the west of the meet-up location. A NOTE ON THE MEET-UP SEATING LOCATION: Meet-ups are generally held on the bar terrace, if sufficient seating is available. Please dress warmly in the event of cool evening weather! A NOTE ON RSVPING: If your name is on the attendee list for a scheduled meet-up and you no longer plan on attending the event, please remove your name from the attendee list at least a week before the scheduled event to allow individuals on the waitlist sufficient time to read the book beforehand (no worries if a cancellation has to be last-minute, though!). Happy reading! Colin

Light from Uncommon Stars IN PERSON at Aroma Cafe

May: "Butter" by Asako Yuzuki

**LOCATION:** Shannon's House! Address will be emailed the Friday before. (Harbor City) **WHAT WE'RE READING:** **The cult Japanese bestseller about a female gourmet cook and serial killer and the journalist intent on cracking her case, inspired by a true story.** *There are two things that I can simply not tolerate: feminists and margarine.* Gourmet cook Manako Kajii sits in Tokyo Detention Center convicted of the serial murders of lonely businessmen, who she is said to have seduced with her delicious home cooking. The case has captured the nation’s imagination but Kajii refuses to speak with the press, entertaining no visitors. That is, until journalist Rika Machida writes a letter asking for her recipe for beef stew and Kajii can’t resist writing back. Rika, the only woman in her news office, works late each night, rarely cooking more than ramen. As the visits unfold between her and the steely Kajii, they are closer to a masterclass in food than journalistic research. Rika hopes this gastronomic exchange will help her soften Kajii but it seems that she might be the one changing. With each meal she eats, something is awakening in her body, might she and Kaji have more in common than she once thought? Inspired by the real case of the convicted con woman and serial killer, "The Konkatsu Killer," Asako Yuzuki’s *Butter* is a vivid, unsettling exploration of misogyny, obsession, romance and the transgressive pleasures of food in Japan. **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.

A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar

In a near-future Kolkata beset by flooding and famine, Ma, her two-year-old daughter, and her elderly father are just days from leaving the collapsing city behind to join Ma’s husband in Ann Arbor, Michigan. After procuring long-awaited visas from the consulate, they pack their bags for the flight to America. But in the morning they awaken to discover that Ma’s purse, containing their treasured immigration documents, has been stolen. Set over the course of one week, *A Guardian and a Thief* tells two the story of Ma’s frantic search for the thief while keeping hunger at bay during a worsening food shortage; and the story of Boomba, the thief, whose desperation to care for his family drives him to commit a series of escalating crimes whose consequences he cannot fathom. With stunning control and command, Megha Majumdar paints a kaleidoscopic portrait of two families, each operating from a place of ferocious love and undefeated hope, each discovering how far they will go to secure their children’s future as they stave off encroaching catastrophe.