Welcome to the L.A. Times Book Club, an opportunity to see, hear and interact with world-class authors, celebrities and newsmakers as they discuss their books and tell their stories.
Every month, we share a book club selection, publish stories exploring the topic and invite you to read along. Then we host a community event with the author and invite you to join that, too. Our focus is on stories and storytellers relevant to Southern California and the West, and our mission is to make your newspaper something not just to read but to experience — something that brings us together.
I’m your host and editor Donna Wares, and my goal is to get L.A. reading and talking. So tell me: What stories do you want to share with the city? What authors would you most like to meet? Here’s your chance to help us build something amazing.
On Oct. 21, bestselling novelist Michael Connelly will debut “The Night Fire,” the next installment of the popular series featuring detectives Harry Bosch and Renée Ballard. Connelly will be in conversation with Times reporter and novelist Jeffrey Fleishman. Get tickets.
On Oct. 22, journalist Ronan Farrow discusses “Catch and Kill” with Times Deputy Managing Editor Julia Turner. Get tickets.
General admission rear orchestra seats are $25. Main orchestra seats, which include a copy of “Catch and Kill,” are $55. The $100 VIP package includes the best seats, a pre-signed copy of “Catch and Kill,” a pre-event reception with Ronan Farrow and an L.A. Times Book Club tote. Times subscribers get a $5 discount on tickets. For more information, email eventinfo@latimes.com.
On Nov. 18, actress Julie Andrews will discuss “Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years” with Times readers. Andrews will be in conversation with Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist Mary McNamara about the book, which will be released Oct. 15.
The event, hosted by the book club and the Times Ideas Exchange, begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Orpheum Theatre in downtown Los Angeles. Get tickets here. For additional information, contact eventinfo@latimes.com.
On Sept. 10, actor and author George Takei talked about “They Called Us Enemy,” a graphic memoir about his childhood years in Japanese American internment camps during World War II. Watch a segment from the event on LA Times Today. For book clubs and school groups, here is a discussion guide.
Author Laila Lalami joined Times reporter Lorraine Ali for a conversation about “The Other Americans, ”a mystery and family saga set in the Southern California desert. Here’s an interview with Lalami and five things to know about “The Other Americans.”
Earlier, we read “The Library Book” by bestselling author Susan Orlean and hosted a community forum where Orlean and readers shared library stories. We also took a deep dive to explore what L.A. is reading right now and showed book lovers how to read for free with library apps.
The L.A. Times Book Club builds on the success of America’s largest literary event, the Los Angeles Times Festival of Books, which attracts 150,000 people every April. We want to keep the conversation going year-round.
Want to know more? Sign up for our newsletter in the subscription box above, and we’ll keep you in the loop about book club news and upcoming events.
Want to share an idea? On Twitter, you can reach us @latimesbooks. Or send an email to bookclub@latimes.com.
The L.A. Times Book Club Facebook group is a chance to share your thoughts and compare notes with fellow book lovers. Please join the discussion there too.