Meets the last Monday of the month

6:30 - 8 p.m.

at Verboten Brewing, 127 East 5th Street, Loveland

Our informal nonfiction beer and book discussion group!

No purchase required to attend. Non-alcoholic drinks are for sale.

For more information, call us at (970) 962-2402 or email reference@cityofloveland.org

BuzzWords Schedule:

 August 26^th

Butts: A Backstory by Heather Radke

Whether we love them or hate them, think they’re sexy, think they’re strange, consider them too big, too small, or anywhere in between, humans have a complicated relationship with butts. It is a body part unique to humans, critical to our evolution and survival, and yet it has come to signify so much more: sex, desire, comedy, shame. A woman’s butt, in particular, is forever being assessed, criticized, and objectified, from anxious self-examinations trying on jeans in department store dressing rooms to enduring crass remarks while walking down a street or high school hallways. But why? In Butts: A Backstory, reporter, essayist, and RadioLab contributing editor Heather Radke is determined to find out.

Part deep dive reportage, part personal journey, part cabinet of curiosities, Butts is an entertaining, illuminating, and thoughtful examination of why certain silhouettes come in and out of fashion—and how larger ideas about race, control, liberation, and power affect our most private feelings about ourselves and others.

September 30^th

The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher

We all have a vague sense that social media is bad for our minds, for our children, and for our democracies. But the truth is that its reach and impact run far deeper than we have understood. Building on years of international reporting, Max Fisher tells the gripping and galling inside story of how Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and other social networks preyed on psychological frailties to create the algorithms that drive everyday users to extreme opinions and, increasingly, extreme actions. As Fisher demonstrates, the companies’ founding tenets, combined with a blinkered focus on maximizing engagement, have led to a destabilized world for everyone.

Fisher also weaves together the stories of the heroic outsiders and Silicon Valley defectors who raised the alarm and revealed what was happening behind the closed doors of Big Tech. The Chaos Machine is the definitive account of the meteoric rise and troubled legacy of the tech titans, as well as a rousing and hopeful call to arrest the havoc wreaked on our minds and our world before it’s too late.

October 28^th

The Fight to Save the Town by Michelle Wilde Anderson

Decades of decreased revenue and rising poverty have devastated diverse communities across the nation, regardless of their political leanings or demographics. These areas, often criticized for their poverty and politics, now face financial collapse, having exhausted all possible measures to stay afloat.

Author Michelle Wilde Anderson presents a compelling vision for revitalizing these struggling communities. Through detailed portraits of four blue-collar areas—Stockton, California; Josephine County, Oregon; Lawrence, Massachusetts; and Detroit, Michigan—Anderson illustrates the resilience and innovative efforts of local leaders and residents. These communities are tackling severe issues such as gun violence, inadequate basic services, job insecurity, and housing instability. Anderson argues that by saving our small towns, we can learn vital lessons about saving ourselves, demonstrating the potential of local governments to drive positive change if given the opportunity.

Special Event

Monday, December 2^nd

6:30 - 8 p.m. at Verboten Brewing

Mark your calendar for our annual book selection night at Verboten Brewing! Sip on your favorite brew while we dive into lively discussions and vote on the books we’ll read together next year. Whether you're a regular or a newcomer, this is the perfect chance to share your suggestions and discover new reads. Bring your enthusiasm, your book recommendations, and get ready for a fun, literary night out.

See you there! Cheers to another year of great reads!