Gulf Coast Reads

Thank you all for joining us for the 2025 Gulf Coast Reads season! We had amazing programs and book clubs throughout the city, and we've enjoyed hearing your GCR stories. Join us again in 2026!

We had an amazing evening with GCR Author Jennifer Mathieu on Monday night! Did you miss it? No worries, catch it on the HCPL YouTube page!

Gulf Coast Reads 2025 Author Talk with Jennifer Matthieu This year's selection is The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathhieu. Live from our West University Branch.Gulf Coast Reads: On the Same Page is an annual region...

We finally made it. Happy Gulf Coast Reads Month! Reading The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu is only half the fun. Here are a few more ways you can participate! Learn more at www.gulfcoastreads.org

Finished The Faculty Lounge? GCR Committee member Kristen S. from Brazoria County Library System has some great advice for us while we wait for October. She says, "If you loved reading “The Faculty Lounge” please try these books. Read the first section for a similar setting! If you really liked the novel is vignettes or stories, try something from the second section. If you are vibing with the book in general, take a book from the third round!" Thanks, Kristen!

Need another reason to love Gulf Coast Reads? Take a break from your Monday morning, refill your coffee and check out the latest blog: "6 Powerful Reasons Shared Reading Events Like Gulf Coast Reads Matter More Than Ever." https://www.gulfcoastreads.org/blog

On Friday Wendy W. from Houston Great Books hosted a fantastic Book Club Facilitator Training for the Gulf Coast Reads Committee and Staff! She went over best practices, questions, and tips in case we get stuck. Thank you, Wendy! The committee also had time to share the themes, program ideas, the youth companion reading list and the author event coming up that we worked on over the summer! We also got fresh ideas from new people in the audience. What type of programming are you interested in seeing??

News of the World by Paulette Jiles was the 2017 Gulf Coast Reads Selection. Paulette's contributions to the literary world will be missed!

We are saddened to hear about the recent death of author Paulette Jiles on July 9. Her novel, "News of the World" was our Texas Center for the Book Texas Great Read in 2017, The novel was a finalist for a National Book Award, won the Jesse H. Jones Award for Best Book of Fiction from the Texas Institute of Letters, and was turned into a movie starring Tom Hanks.

Our Talking Book Program has a new blog post listing Jiles' titles available in their collection. Read more about Jiles and her books: www.tsl.texas.gov/texastalkingbooks/2025/07/23/paulette-jiles/

It's finally time! The votes were counted, and your 2025 Gulf Coast Reads selection winner is The Faculty Lounge by Jennifer Mathieu! We are so pleased and excited for the next GCR season in October. Read more about your selection at gulfcoastreads.org!

Thank you to all who took the time to read and support the 2025 GCR Vote! Our committee will meet in June and July to discuss programming for October (GCR Month), and our big announcement will come in August!
In the meantime, go support your local library's Summer Reading Program! See you again soon!