Mechanics' Hall Book Discussion Group

Curated by the Mechanics' Hall Library Committee, this group reads a mixture of fiction and non-fiction stories that "make knowledge, ideas, and arts accessible.”

The salon-style discussions occur on the first Tuesday of every month in our charming second-floor library. Everyone is welcome and ongoing attendance is not required.

The group is free for Mechanics' Hall Members.

Curious about the group but not a Mechanics' Hall member? You're invited to stop by! If you like what you hear, consider becoming a member.

Comfy seating in the library is limited. Please register in advance.

MECHANICS HALL BOOK DISCUSSION GROUP SELECTIONS | 2024-2025

11/5/2024 Coyote America, Dan Flores - How coyotes, long the target of an extermination policy, spread to every corner of the United States. "A masterly synthesis of scientific research and personal observation." Wall Street Journal. Published 2016.

12/3/2024 Caste, Isabella Wilkerson – Discusses how racism is an unspoken aspect of the caste system that has shaped America; shows how our lives today are still defined by a hierarchy of human divisions. Published 2020.

1/7/2025 The Sympathizer, Viet Than Nguyen - The narrator is a spy for the North Vietnamese while also being part of the exiled Vietnamese community in the US. Americanization and the Vietnam War are central themes of this Pulitzer Prize-winning book. Darkly comedic, political mystery. Published 2015.

2/4/2025 The Stolen Wealth of Slavery, Montero – Makes a case for reparations by following the trail of the wealth amassed by families and corporations throughout America’s history of enslavement. Published 2024.

3/4/2025 Parable of the Sower, a graphic novel adapted by D. Duffy and J. Jennings from the 1993 novel by Octavia E. Butler. It is set in a post-apocalyptic Earth heavily affected by climate change and social inequality. Published 2021.

4/1/2025 Notes From The Porch, Thomas Greene – Start the new year with 44 moving, tender, and humorous short true stories, designed to make the reader feel better about the world. Greene is a novelist, bar owner & Vermonter. Published 2024.

5/6/2025 Mad Honey, Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan – A trans girl’s M**der and the trial of her boyfriend. Love, identity, and secrets; two narrators. Published 2022.

6/3/2025 A Map of Future History, Lauren Markham - Mesmerizing, trailblazing synthesis of reporting, history, and memoir. The stories we tell about migration don’t just explain what happened but what will happen. Published 2024.

PARKING/TRANSPORTATION

The Greater Portland Metro’s Congress & Casco Street Stop is directly in front of our building, served by routes 1, 7, 8, and 9B.

Parking is available at the Arts District Garage, which has entrances on Casco and Brown Street, with a rate of $5 per hour. Metered street parking is available on Congress, Casco, Cumberland, Free Street, and other nearby streets. Free hourly street parking is available between Parris and Alder Street.

For further assistance or to request additional accessibility accommodations, please contact us at programming[@]mechanicshall.org.

Host or Publisher Mechanics' Hall (Maine)