AUGUSTA — The Lithgow Library will celebrates Read ME, the statewide summer reading program.

Dozens of libraries across the state will host events and share copies of books in this Maine community read program, created in partnership with the Maine Humanities Council and the Maine State Library. This is the second year that Lithgow Library has participated in the program, according to a news release from the library.

This year, bestselling author Tess Gerritsen has chosen Sarah Perry’s “After the Eclipse” and Susan Conley’s “Paris Was the Place.” Both Perry and Conley have been awarded multiple honors and fellowships for their writing.

Copies of the books are available to borrow from Lithgow and additional copies are available through interlibrary loan.

Julie Olson, Lithgow’s assistant director and the coordinator of Lithgow’s Read Me program, said, “We ordered 20 copies of each book, and we can’t keep them on the shelves. They go out as soon as they come back in, but there are lots of available copies at other libraries, so the wait for a copy isn’t long,” according to the release.

Read ME events will be held across the state, culminating in a live broadcast of Maine Calling with Gerritsen, Conley and Perry at Bangor Public Library on Aug. 29.

The library will host four Read ME events at the library located at 45 Winthrop St., in Augusta: a book discussion and an evening with the author for both books. In July, it’ll focus on “Paris Was the Place,” and in August on “After the Eclipse.”

• Book Discussion Group: “Paris Was the Place” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, July 10;

• An Evening with Susan Conley, author of “Paris Was the Place” at 6:30 p.m. Wedneday, July 17;

• Book Discussion Group: “After the Eclipse” at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 7; and

• An Evening with Sarah Perry, author of “After the Eclipse” at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 26.

Last year’s Read ME events at Lithgow were well attended, with event attendance of several hundred people over the course of the summer. Olson said, “judging by the interest in this year’s books, we expect attendance to be great again this year. There’s a real appetite for community reads here in Augusta,” according to the release.

Lithgow is the host of the annual Capital Read program, a community read program based here in Augusta. The Capital Read program has taken a brief hiatus over the last few years but the library hopes to bring it back in 2020.

As with all of Lithgow’s events, Lithgow’s Read ME events are free and open to the public. Individuals do need a library card in order to borrow the Read ME books, but do not need a membership to attend the events.

For more information, call the library at 626-2415 or visit lithgowlibrary.org.

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