Great Books Discussion meets at 10:15 a.m. Thursday (and the first Thursday of each month) from Great Conversations 2 and 4. December’s reading is “Where I Lived” by Thoreau from Great Conversations 4. Elsie Quirk Library Conference Room, 100 W. Dearborn St., Englewood. For more information, contact George Mahoney at 941-474-7685. 

Fruitville Library Book Discussion meets at 1:30 p.m. Thursday (and monthly) at the Fruitville Library, 100 Coburn Road, Sarasota. Limited to 25 participants. Register at reference desk or call 941-861-2518. 

Gulf Gate Readers meets at 2 p.m. Thursday (and the first Thursday of every month). Participants are welcome to share and discuss a book with a different book chosen for each month. Gulf Gate Library, 7112 Curtiss Ave., Sarasota. 941-861-1110. 

Copperfish Book Club meets at 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday to discuss Alice Childress’ “Like One of the Family,” a look at working women in Harlem in the 1950s, which was first published in Paul Robeson’s newspaper “Freedom.” Copperfish Books, 103 W. Marion Ave., Punta Gorda. 941-205-2560; copperfishbooks.com 

Local mystery and crime writers book signing from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Dec. 9 at Books-a-Million Sarasota, 6591 S. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. Featured are Wendy Dingwall, author of the Yvonne Suarez Travel Mysteries; Janet Heijens author of the Wrongful Conviction Mystery Series; Cheryl Hollon, author of the Webb's Glass Shop Mysteries, and Sarah Glenn and Gwen Mayo, co-authors of “Murder on the Mullet Express.” 941-922-7804

Jacaranda Book Club discusses a new book each month. 10 a.m. Dec. 15, Jacaranda Library, 4143 Woodmere Park Blvd., Venice. 941-861-1260