Second-Friday Book Club to Discuss “Museum of Extraordinary Things”

Can’t make it to the Library’s Thursday night After-Dark Book Club? You’ll be pleased to know that the Library has formed a Second-Friday Book Club, which meets on the second Friday of each month at 10:30 a.m., discussing both fiction and non-fiction titles. As with the nighttime book club, the group will meet from September through June, with the exception of January.

The Club’s next selection is Museum of Extraordinary Things. The novel, by Alice Hoffman, takes place in New York in the early 1900s — the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire plays a role in the book — and the Museum mentioned in the title is on the boardwalk on Coney Island and filled with oddities, such as the Butterfly Girl and the Goat Boy. The story is told by Coralie, daughter of the man who runs the museum, Professor Sardie. She herself is an oddity, a “girlfish” who is born with webbed fingers.

The new club is being facilitated by Carol Ipsen, who spent over 20 years as a journalist for Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, Newsday, Reader’s Digest and other publications. She, her husband, and son have lived here for 18 years following eight years in London. She is an avid reader of fiction and non-fiction, and has been a book club junkie for seven years.

After a January break, the Club resumes in February. Current selections will be available for pickup at the Circulation Desk. Check back to the Second-Friday Book Club’s web page for further titles. All are welcome, and we hope to see you there!

The 2nd-Friday Book Club is generously funded by a gift in memory of Karin and Ted Mayer.