[h6]“In the Heart of the Sea” by Nathaniel Philbrick. Thurs., Dec. 8, 11:30 a.m., at MCPL Edgar. [/h6]“In 1819, the Essex left Nantucket for the South Pacific with twenty crew members aboard. In the middle of the South Pacific the ship was rammed and sunk by an angry sperm whale. The crew drifted for more than ninety days in three tiny whaleboats, succumbing to weather, hunger, disease, and ultimately turning to drastic measures in the fight for survival.” New members are always welcome in Edgar and for all book clubs. Call the Edgar Branch at 715-352-3155 for more information.

[h6] “A Week in Winter” by Maeve Binchy. Thurs. Dec. 8., 6:30 p.m. at MCPL Athens.[/h6] They are always looking for new attendees, so feel free to join. “Stoneyville is a small town on the coast of Ireland where all the families know each other. When Chicky decides to take an old decaying mansion, Stone House, and turn it into a restful place for a holiday by the sea, the town thinks she is crazy. She is helped by Rigger, a bad boy turned good who is handy around the place; and her niece Orla, a whiz at business.”. For more information contact 715-257-7292.

[h6] “The Paper Bag Christmas” by Kevin Alan Milne. Mon. Dec. 12, 5:45 p.m. at MCPL Marathon City.[/h6] “Enlisted by a Santa-costumed doctor to help him while visiting the children at a nearby hospital, brothers Molar and Aaron befriend a young transplant candidate who expresses curiosity about Christmas and an angry girl who hides her scars behind a paper bag. For more information contact 715-443-2775.

[h6]“Deck the Halls” by Mary Higgins Clark. Tues. Dec. 13, 2:00 p.m. at MCPL Hatley. [/h6] “When Regan Reilly’s father, Luke, mysteriously vanishes just before the Christmas holidays, she turns to her parents’ neighbors, Willy and Alvirah, for help in finding him, only to discover that Luke and the driver of the taxi in which he had been riding have been kidnapped and are being held for ransom by the disinherited son of his Luke’s partner.” For more information contact 715-446-3537.

[h6]“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by Barbara Robinson. Thurs. Dec. 15, 1:30 p.m. at MCPL Spencer Branch. [/h6] “This book is the story of the six mean Herdman kids, who lie, steal, smoke cigars (even the girls!) and then become involved in the community Christmas pageant.” Call 715-659-3996 for more information.

[h6]“The Mistletoe Inn” by Richard Paul Evans. Mon. Dec. 19, 1:00 p.m. at the Mosinee Branch Library.[/h6] “At thirty-two Kimberly Rossetti, a finance officer at a Lexus car dealership, has had her heart broken more times than she wants to remember. With two failed engagements, a divorce and again alone with no prospects, she hardly seems the type to dream of being a published romance author. Dreading another holiday alone, she signs up for The Mistletoe Retreat, a nine-day writing retreat in Savannah, Georgia. Deep inside Kimberly knows she’s at a junction in her life and it’s time to either fulfill her dream or let it go.” No registration is required, and new members are always welcome. Call 715-693-2144 for more information.

[h6] “Starry Night” by Debbie Macomber. Mon. Dec. 19, 1:00 p.m. at the Stratford Branch.[/h6] “Carrie Slayton, a big-city society-page columnist, longs to write more serious news stories. Her editor hands her a challenge: She can cover any topic she wants, but only if she first scores an interview with Finn Dalton, a notoriously reclusive author. Living in the remote Alaskan wilderness, Finn has written a bestselling memoir about surviving in the wild but refuses to speak to anyone in the press. Though it’s the holidays, Carrie forsakes her family celebrations and flies out to snowy Alaska, where she finally finds Finn…” Free and open to the public with no registration required. Call 715-687-4420 for more information.

[h6]“The Best Christmas Pageant Ever” by Barbara Robinson. Mon. Dec. 19, 6:30 p.m. at MCPL Spencer Branch.[/h6] “This book is the story of the six mean Herdman kids, who lie, steal, smoke cigars (even the girls!) and then become involved in the community Christmas pageant.” Call 715-659-3996 for more information.

[h6]Readers of Classic Literature: “One of Ours” by Willa Cather. Wed. Dec. 21, 12:00 p.m. at MCPL Wausau. [/h6]Join the Readers of Classic Literature book club for a lively discussion of Willa Cather’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel. “Claude Wheeler, the sensitive but aspiring protagonist, has ready access to his family’s fortune but refuses to settle for it. Alienated from his uncaring father and pious mother, and rejected by a wife whose only love is missionary work, Claude is an idealist without ideals to cling to. Only when his country enters the Great War does he find the meaning of his life.” No registration is required and new members are always welcome. Please note this meeting will be held on the third Wednesday of the month, instead of the usual fourth Wednesday. Call 715-261-7230 for more information.