Books, Brews, and Beyond: DPL'S November Reading Adventures Await

If no one funds local news, your community is just rumors. Help Decorah News bring facts home. DECORAH — Decorah Public Library will host five book discussions in November. All groups are open to the public, and newcomers are encouraged to attend. For more information or to reserve a copy of a book, call 563-382-3717. To join an email list, contact ktorresdal@decorahlibrary.org. Multiple copy sets are provided by Friends of Decorah Public Library. The Happy Hour Book Group meets at Pulpit Rock Brewing Co. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 5:15 p.m. (note date change) to discuss Robert Dugoni's "The World Played Chess." Set in 1979, the novel follows Vincent Bianco, a recent high school graduate spending his last summer before college working with two Vietnam veterans. Decades later, as his own son prepares for college, Vincent reflects on the summer that shaped his understanding of adulthood, responsibility, and sacrifice. The History Book Group meets on the library's second floor on Thursday, Nov. 20, at 3 p.m. to discuss Paul Cooper's "Fall of Civilizations: Stories of Greatness and Decline." Inspired by the acclaimed podcast, the book examines how great societies rose, thrived, and fell—from Mesopotamia and Byzantium to the Maya, Inca and Aztec empires—blending rigorous research with vivid storytelling to imagine what it was like to witness the end of an era. The Friday Book Group meets on the second floor on Friday, Nov. 21, at 2 p.m. to discuss Amanda Churchill's "The Turtle House." Spanning 1990s Texas and pre–World War II Japan, the novel tells the story of a granddaughter and her Japanese-born grandmother bound by shared secrets and a longing for home. When family pressures threaten to pull them apart, they embark on a journey to reclaim the past and rediscover what it means to belong. The Speculative Short Fiction Group meets via Zoom on Wednesday, Nov. 19, at 6 p.m. (note date change) to discuss Eric Raglin's "Bitter Apples." Published by Cursed Morsels Press, the collection gathers dark tales of teacher horror from authors who have worked in education. The stories feature ghostly students, cults, zombies and haunted classrooms—exploring the unsettling realities of the profession through speculative fiction. The Speculative Fiction Book Group follows at 6:30 p.m. via the same Zoom link to discuss Emily Skrutskie's "The Salvation Gambit." The novel follows Murdock and her crew of thieves as they're captured by the Justice, a sentient warship that serves as judge, jury and god for the criminals it contains. When the ship tries to recruit Murdock for her hacking skills, she must choose between loyalty to her crew and the chance to outwit a power that controls life and death. Zoom links for the speculative groups are available on the library website. For more information, contact Tricia Gunderson (Friday Book Group) or Kristin Torresdal (Happy Hour, History and Speculative Fiction Book Groups) at 563-382-3717. Never a dull moment! Subscribe to the free DecorahNews.com newsletter and stay one step ahead with local news and information you just can't get anywhere else.