Book Group: Deacon King Kong

Program Type:

Online/Virtual, Book Discussion, Literature

Age Group:

Emerging Adults, Adults, Older Adults
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Event Details

Join us for the Pacific Beach Library's monthly book discussion!  Our group meets in a hybrid format, so you can choose whether you'd prefer to join us in-person in the PB Library's Community Room or virtually (please send an email to cwainwright@sandiego.gov for this year's Teams login info).  

In November we will discuss the 2025 One Book, One San Diego selection: Deacon King Kong, by James McBride.

Description:  In September 1969, a fumbling, cranky old church deacon known as Sportcoat shuffles into the courtyard of a housing project in south Brooklyn, pulls a .38 from his pocket, and, in front of everybody, shoots the project’s drug dealer at point-blank range. The reasons for this desperate burst of violence and the consequences that spring from it lie at the heart of Deacon King Kong.  As the story deepens, it becomes clear that the lives of the characters overlap in unexpected ways. When the truth does emerge, we see that not all secrets are meant to be hidden, that the best way to grow is to face change without fear, and that the seeds of love lie in hope and compassion.

 

If you'd like to check out a print copy of the book, they are available 1 month before each discussion at the Pacific Beach Library's Circulation Desk.  Please call 858-581-9934 x0 before coming to pick it up so that staff may confirm availability.

Book Discussion Calendar

  • January 9, 2025: Select titles to discuss in 2025
  • February 13: The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store  by James McBride
  • March 23: The Gambler Wife  by Andrew D. Kaufman
  • April 10: The Color of Water  by James McBride
  • May 8: The Phoenix Crown  by Kate Quinn & Janie Chang
  • June 12: South to America: A Journey Below the Mason-Dixon to Understand the Soul of a Nation  by Imani Perry
  • July 10: How to Hide an Empire: A History of the Greater United States  by Daniel Immerwahr
  • August 14: 1984  by George Orwell
  • September 11: Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China  by Jung Chang
  • October 9: The Women  by Kristin Hannah
  • November 13: Deacon King Kong  by James McBride
  • December 11: The Light Eaters: How the Unseen World of Plant Intelligence Offers a New Understanding of Life on Earth  by Zoë Schlanger
  • January 8, 2026: Select titles to discuss in 2026
  • February 12, 2026: James  by Percival Everett

Accessibility

Need disability-related modifications or accommodations? Information and program content can be made available in alternative formats upon request by emailing RACooper@sandiego.gov.