Thursday Morning with Friends Book Club: "James"
 

Reading and discussing current literary fiction, historical fiction and some nonfiction titles.
We are the Thursday Morning with Friends Book Club. We meet every fourth Thursday morning at 10:30 a.m. in person at Central Library. This is a volunteer-led book club and new members are welcome.
2025 Reading List
- Jan. 23: Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
- Feb. 27: My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
- Mar. 27: The Return by Hisham Matar
- Apr. 24: James by Percival Everett
- May 22: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Nora Zeale Hurston
- June 26: The Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead
- July 24: South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon Line by Imani Perry
- Aug. 28: The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah
- Sept. 25: The 42nd Parallel by John Dos Passos
- Oct. 23: The Hunter by Tana French
- Nov. 20: All The Beauty in the World by Patrick Bringley
- Dec. 18: West with Giraffes by Lydia Rutledge
REGISTRATION RECOMMENDED. By registering, you will receive an event reminder.
For more information, LIB-CentralOperations@arlingtonva.us
- Date:
- Thursday, April 24, 2025
- Time:
- 10:30am - 12:00pm
- Location:
- Bluemont Room
- Library:
- Central Library
- Audience:
- Events for Adults Good for Adults Age 55+
- Categories:
- Book Discussion
- Calendar:
- Arlington Public Library
- Location campus Central Library
- Audience:
- Categories:
About the Book:
"From Percival Everett-a recipient of the NBCC Lifetime Achievement Award and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Booker Prize, and numerous PEN awards-comes James, a retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, both harrowing and ferociously funny, told from the enslaved Jim's point of view. When the enslaved Jim overhears that he is about to be sold to a man in New Orleans, separated from his wife and daughter forever, he decides to hide on nearby Jackson Island until he can formulate a plan. Meanwhile, Huck Finn has faked his own death to escape his violent father, recently returned to town. As all readers of American literature know, thus begins the dangerous and transcendent journey by raft down the Mississippi River toward the elusive and too-often-unreliable promise of the Free States and beyond. While many narrative set pieces of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn remain in place (floods and storms, stumbling across both unexpected death and unexpected treasure in the myriad stopping points along the river's banks, encountering the scam artists posing as the Duke and Dauphin...), Jim's agency, intelligence and compassion are shown in a radically new light. Brimming with the electrifying humor and lacerating observations that have made Everett a "cult literary icon" (Oprah Daily), and one of the most decorated writers of our lifetime, James is destined to be a major publishing event and a cornerstone of twenty-first century American literature"--Publisher
Accommodations in the Library
Arlington County provides accommodations to individuals with disabilities upon request. Please contact us at least five days in advance to discuss accommodations for both online and in-person events.
- Phone: 703-228-5993
- Email: Jberg@arlingtonva.us
Learn about other available accommodations when visiting the library.