Read Contra Costa
Read Contra Costa is an annual event that encourages all county residents and library users to share in the experience of reading and discussing the same book. The program runs from Tuesday, September 2 through Saturday, November 8, 2025.
This year, a committee of dedicated library staff had the pleasure of choosing the award winning James by Percival Everett. Everett’s novel, which won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award for fiction in 2025, is a powerful retelling of Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. The story is told from the perspective of Jim, an enslaved man who runs away after he discovers he’s about to be sold and separated from his family.
To learn more about Read Contra Costa, click here.
One City, One Book was a “citywide book club” and a precursor to Read Contra Costa that encouraged the community to read the selection and participate in a series of events that celebrate a particular book. The annual choice is announced in the summer and community events are planned for the fall giving the community time to read and enjoy the book. One City, One Book was presented by the Walnut Creek Library Foundation and Contra Costa County Library. View previous book selections are HERE.