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Thursday Afternoon Book Discussion

"Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee

2025-07-03 13:30:00 2025-07-03 14:30:00 America/New_York Thursday Afternoon Book Discussion Do you have afternoons available? Join us at the library for some coffee, confections, and conversation about the titles chosen by fellow book club members! 📚 ☕ James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library - Beth Patridge Meeting Room

Thursday, July 03
1:30pm - 2:30pm

James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library

Beth Patridge Meeting Room

Do you have afternoons available? Join us at the library for some coffee, confections, and conversation about the titles chosen by fellow book club members! 📚 ☕

This month we will be discussing: "Pachinko" by Min Jin Lee

Plot Summary: "In the early 1900s, teenaged Sunja, the adored daughter of a crippled fisherman, falls for a wealthy stranger at the seashore near her home in Korea. He promises her the world, but when she discovers she is pregnant—and that her lover is married—she refuses to be bought. Instead, she accepts an offer of marriage from a gentle, sickly minister passing through on his way to Japan. But her decision to abandon her home, and to reject her son's powerful father, sets off a dramatic saga that will echo down through the generations.

Richly told and profoundly moving, Pachinko is a story of love, sacrifice, ambition, and loyalty. From bustling street markets to the halls of Japan's finest universities to the pachinko parlors of the criminal underworld, Lee's complex and passionate characters—strong, stubborn women, devoted sisters and sons, fathers shaken by moral crisis—survive and thrive against the indifferent arc of history." (Goodreads.com)

👈 Register for book club reminders! 

📚 Copies of the book are provided by our Friends of Duncan Library, become a Friend today to support Library programs! https://www.friendsofduncanlibrary.org/donations/

James M. Duncan Jr. Branch Library

kpayne@alexlibraryva.org
Phone: 703.746.1705
Fax: 703.746.1785
Branch manager
Kayla Selsky

Hours
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Mon, Aug 03 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Tue, Aug 04 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Wed, Aug 05 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Thu, Aug 06 10:00AM to 8:00PM
Fri, Aug 07 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Sat, Aug 08 10:00AM to 5:00PM
Sun, Aug 09 1:00PM to 5:00PM

About the branch

Parking: There is a small lot with 9 spaces.  On street parking is available.

Public Transit:

  • Metrorail: Yellow and Blue lines at Braddock Road (1.3 miles) and King Street Stations (1.5 miles)
  • Metrobus: A11, A12
  • DASH Bus: 33

For reasonable disability accommodation, contact jgregorio@alexlibraryva.org or call 703.746.1701 or TTY 703.746.1790.

Upcoming Events

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Tue, Aug 04, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Teen Area
Join DM John in a dino DnD adventure! Ages 13-18. Registration required.
Registration is now closed

Wed, Aug 05, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Join us the first Wednesday of the month for a relaxing session led by David Kosar with Yoga in Daily Life! We will learn methods, practices, and techniques to help guide you through yogic philosophy

Thu, Aug 06, 10:15am - 10:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room,Children's Area
Come join us for engaging stories that are worth gathering for. Great for toddlers and siblings. Ages 0-5. Tickets Required. Edades 0-5, se requieren boletos.

Thu, Aug 06, 11:15am - 11:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room,Children's Area
Come join us for engaging stories that are worth gathering for. Great for toddlers and siblings. Ages 0-5. Tickets Required. Edades 0-5, se requieren boletos.

Thu, Aug 06, 1:30pm - 2:30pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Do you have afternoons available? Join us at the Library for some coffee, confections, and conversation about the titles chosen by fellow book club members! 📚 ☕

Fri, Aug 07, 3:30pm - 4:30pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Bring your best building brains! Ages 6-12 Edades 6-12

Sat, Aug 08, 10:30am - 11:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
All levels are welcome to stretch, breathe and cultivate connections with body-heart-mind-spirit
This event is full

Sun, Aug 09, 2:30pm - 3:30pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) activities for ages 3-6 actividades de ciencia, arte, ingeniería, tecnología, y matemáticas para niños 3-6

Mon, Aug 10, 10:15am - 10:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Wiggle, crawl and clap at Baby Time! (0-14 months) Tickets Required. 0-14 meses, se requieren boletos.

Mon, Aug 10, 11:15am - 11:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Wiggle, crawl and clap at Baby Time! (0-14 months) Tickets Required. 0-14 meses, se requieren boletos.

Mon, Aug 10, 7:00pm - 8:00pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Join us for a free and open to the public meeting where the Friends of Duncan Library Board will share updates about the staff, library programming, book sales, and more!

Tue, Aug 11, 12:00pm - 12:30pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
30-minute sessions designed for busy lives

Tue, Aug 11, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Join DM John in a dino DnD adventure! Ages 13-18. Registration required.

Wed, Aug 12, 4:00pm - 5:00pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Dig into the evolution of dinosaurs and learn fun facts along with our resident dino expert, Sadie! (Ages 6-12)

Thu, Aug 13, 10:15am - 10:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room,Children's Area
A storytime in English and Spanish (0-5 years). Tickets required. Un cuentacuentos en inglés y español (edades 0-5), se requieren boletos.

Thu, Aug 13, 11:15am - 11:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room,Children's Area
A storytime in English and Spanish (0-5 years). Tickets required. Un cuentacuentos en inglés y español (edades 0-5), se requieren boletos.

Thu, Aug 13, 6:00pm - 8:00pm
Join us at The Company of Books, where we discuss what we're currently reading. Bring something to write with; you are always going to leave with a list of things to add to your TBR pile!

Sat, Aug 15, 10:30am - 11:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
All levels are welcome to stretch, breathe and cultivate connections with body-heart-mind-spirit
This event is full

Mon, Aug 17, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Join us for an all-levels yoga class that invites you to connect with your body, build stability over time, and deepen your practice in a supportive, welcoming environment—no prior experience needed
This event is full

Tue, Aug 18, 2:00pm - 3:30pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Feeling stressed, overwhelmed, or just not sure what comes next? Join us for a mindfulness workshop just for teens! (Ages 14-18)

Tue, Aug 18, 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Join DM John in a dino DnD adventure! Ages 13-18. Registration required.

Sat, Aug 22, 10:30am - 11:45am
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
All levels are welcome to stretch, breathe and cultivate connections with body-heart-mind-spirit
This event is full

Mon, Aug 24, 6:30pm - 7:30pm
Beth Patridge Meeting Room
Join us for an all-levels yoga class that invites you to connect with your body, build stability over time, and deepen your practice in a supportive, welcoming environment—no prior experience needed
This event is full