Memorable moments from the L.A. Times’ Book Club’s first 4 years

In a time of division, the L.A. Times Book Club does something extraordinary: We bring Los Angeles together. To talk. And listen. And laugh. And celebrate the world of books and ideas that matter to our city, our state and the world. That’s been our mission, and our joy, for four years and counting.

Along the way, we’ve welcomed a U.S. president and the priest who founded Homeboy Industries. We’ve read works by activists and actors, National Book Award honorees, poets laureate and Pulitzer Prize winners, acclaimed filmmakers, world-class chefs and bestselling novelists, the world’s most renowned naturalist and a tennis legend who learned to play on the public courts of Long Beach.

Then the pandemic hit, but Los Angeles kept on reading, as our book club moved from in-person events to virtual meet ups that drew thousands of readers every month. We trekked to Paris, Iceland, Korea, Vietnam, Mexico, and always back to California with guest authors as our guides. Now we immerse in both in-person and virtual events combined.

It all began on June 25, 2019, when the L.A. Times Book Club debuted with Susan Orlean, author of “The Library Book,” set in Los Angeles’ iconic Central Library. That first conversation led us on a deep dive into what L.A. is reading across 200 branch libraries, revealing literary habits as diverse as the city itself.

The L.A. Times Book Club continues to be a welcoming place for savoring the most interesting and important stories of our times. Even a riveting book club night about the nation’s enduring legacy of slavery became an occasion that brought people together rather than pull them apart.

As our community book club turns 4, here’s a look at where we’ve been.