Explore the wealth of public book groups thriving in Milwaukee, Wisconsin!
Looking for a new book group to reinvigorate your love of literature? If you live in Milwaukee, you’re in luck, as the city has much to offer in the way of creative literary programming. Listen to a professor expound on a book’s literary merits, dine on themed meals and desserts, explore the Milwaukee Public Museum’s exhibits through books, or learn about urban engineering and the leading voices in the field from our book group round-up of Brew City.
Great Books Dinner & Discussion Series
If you enjoy meeting new people, exchanging ideas, expanding your literary knowledge, and sampling gourmet cuisine, Milwaukee School of Engineering’s Great Books Dinner and Discussion Series is an adventure you must experience. Partake in a lively discussion, or simply sit back, observe, and enjoy the haunting atmosphere of MSOE’s beautiful Alumni Partnership Center.
For just $50, whet your appetite in a delightful exchange of great books, great food, and great conversation facilitated by a MSOW professor.
Featured books have included:
- Junot Diaz’s The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
- The nonfiction classic The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiessen
- Sci-fi award-winner The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
Milwaukee Public Museum Book Club
Read interesting books selected by MPM docents on a wide range of topics that complement Museum exhibits in this free, open-to-the-public book club that meets during lunchtime on the first Monday of the month, September through May.
Everything from seeds to dinosaurs is examined in this group, first through reading, then via discussion, and finally on a docent-led tour following discussion.
Recent books have included:
- Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
- Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
- The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu And Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer
Urban Milwaukee’s Book Club
After taking 2017 off, the Urban Milwaukee Book Club is back for another year. They kicked off the year by discussing Jarrett Walker‘s seminal work Human Transit in which Walker examines everything necessary for the creation of a successful transit system, from system design to public policy.
Find upcoming meet-up dates on their Facebook page and join them for discussion followed by a social hour. All are welcome to attend, the discussions are informal and open-ended. If you don’t finish the book, don’t worry! Attend to listen, learn and engage.
Recent books have included:
- Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City by Matthew Desmond
- Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban Design by Charles Montgomery
- Our Kids: The American Dream in Crisis by Robert Putnam
Pfister Hotel Book Club
Join other book enthusiasts, and beloved former Pfister Narrator Nicole Mattke, in the elegant Rouge ballroom for monthly discussions. There’s nothing stuffy about this club—all readers are encouraged to attend and enjoy the beauty of the Pfister, along with a themed dessert by Travis Martinez, Pfister pastry chef.
Required, advance-purchase tickets are available on the hotel website and include entry to book club, a complimentary cocktail, a specially-created themed dessert, and free self-parking.
Featured books have included:
- The Feather Thief: Beauty, Obsession, and the Natural History Heist of the Century by Kirk Wallace Johnson
- An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
- Love and Ruin by Paula McClain