What we’re about
Welcome fellow Readers! This is an African-American book club in Denver for Black people to discuss issues of race in America regarding African-Americans, Black Americans, and the Black diaspora worldwide. This is an inclusive and progressive group and all Black people are welcome to join. The main purpose of the group is to foster community in Denver amongst the Black diaspora. This group reads and discusses books by Black authors and based on the comfort level of members in the group, we choose whether to conduct meetings virtually or in person, possibly at a Denver library, coffee shop, or other decided upon venue.
Upcoming events (1)
See all- Let's Select Our Next Book! Book Club Poll and Meeting at Whittier Cafe!Whittier Cafe, Denver, CO
Hello Book Club People! A FANTASTIC time was had by all at our Juneteenth Potluck celebration (or at the very least, y'all showed up and contributed to an amazing event in my eyes). These vibes have been carrying me through this work week and I thank you all for your presence and spirit this past Sunday. Our next book is a Fiction title that we'll discuss during our July book club meeting on the tentative meeting date of July 26th.
I'm setting up this book club poll for everyone to vote on the next book before July 6th at 11:59pm. We'll have a little meeting on July 12th at the Whittier Cafe to discuss book club happenings as well as what people think of the book that will ultimately be chosen. I will announce the book on July 7th, Monday evening.
Our book club alternates between fiction and nonfiction books. We will be choosing between the following 7 titles (these were randomly selected from our book club list):
Poll: https://strawpoll.com/X3nkPpA3PgE
Poll closes on July 6th at 11:59pm MDT!!
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Wizard of the crow: (Ngugi wa' Thiongo)
Commencing in “our times” and set in the “Free Republic of Aburĩria,” the novel dramatizes with corrosive humor and keenness of observation of a battle for control of the souls of the Aburĩrian people. Among the contenders: His High Mighty Excellency; the eponymous Wizard, an avatar of folklore and wisdom; the corrupt Christian Ministry; and the nefarious Global Bank. Fashioning the stories of the powerful and the ordinary into a dazzling mosaic, Wizard of the Crow reveals humanity in all its endlessly surprising complexity.Sugar: (Bernice McFadden)
A young prostitute comes to Bigelow, Arkansas, to start over, far from her haunting past. Sugar moves next door to Pearl, who is still grieving for the daughter who was murdered fifteen years before. Over sweet-potato pie, an unlikely friendship begins, transforming both women's lives--and the life of an entire town.Parable of the Sower: (Octavia Butler)
The sequel to Parable of the Sower continues the story of Lauren Olamina in socially and economically depressed California in the 2030s. Convinced that her community should colonize the stars, Lauren and her followers make preparations. But the collapse of society and rise of fanatics result in Lauren's followers being enslaved, and her daughter stolen from her. Now, Lauren must fight back to save the new world order.The Underground Railroad: (Colson Whitehead)
Cora is a slave on a cotton plantation in Georgia. An outcast even among her fellow Africans, she is on the cusp of womanhood—where greater pain awaits. And so when Caesar, a slave who has recently arrived from Virginia, urges her to join him on the Underground Railroad, she seizes the opportunity and escapes with him.Colored Television: (Danzy Senna)
Jane has high hopes that her life is about to turn around. After a long, precarious stretch bouncing among sketchy rentals and sublets, she and her family are living in luxury for a year, house-sitting in the hills above Los Angeles. The gig magically coincides with Jane's sabbatical, giving her the time and space she needs to finish her second novel--a centuries-spanning epic her artist husband, Lenny, dubs her "mulatto War and Peace." Finally, some semblance of stability and success seems to be within her grasp. But things don't work out quite as hoped. Desperate for a plan B, like countless writers before her Jane turns her gaze to Hollywood. When she finagles a meeting with Hampton Ford, a hot producer with a major development deal at a streaming network, he seems excited to work with a "real writer," and together they begin to develop "the Jackie Robinson of biracial comedies." Things finally seem to be going right for Jane--until they go terribly wrong.Theft: (Abdulrazak Gurnah)
At the turn of the twenty-first century, three young people come of age in Tanzania. Karim returns to his sleepy hometown after university with new swagger and ambition. Fauzia glimpses in him a chance at escape from a smothering upbringing. The two of them offer a haven to Badar, a poor boy still unsure if the future holds anything for him at all. As tourism, technology, and unexpected opportunities and perils reach their quiet corner of the world, bringing, each arrives at a different understanding of what it means to take your fate into your own hands.Skye Falling: (Mia McKenzie)
Twenty-six and broke, Skye didn't think twice before selling her eggs and happily pocketing the cash. Now approaching forty, Skye moves through life entirely--and unrepentantly--on her own terms, living out of a suitcase and avoiding all manner of serious relationships. Her personal life might be a mess, and no one would be surprised if she died alone in a hotel room, but at least she's free to do as she pleases. But then a 12-year-old girl shows up during one of Skye's brief visits to her hometown of Philadelphia, and tells Skye that she's "her egg." Skye's life is thrown into sharp relief and she decides that it might be time to actually try to have a meaningful relationship with another human being. Spoiler alert: It's not easy. Things gets even more complicated when Skye realizes that the woman she tried and failed to pick up the other day is the girl's aunt and now it's awkward.
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Poll:
These books were randomly selected from the book list at the following link:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1EfdJlaTJydyXoiQsEcb02k1cYucu-Ta-EYc6alkKOTw/edit?usp=sharingEveryone gets to make 3 selections and voting ends on July 6th, Sunday, 11:59pm. I will announce the book that has the most votes on July 7th, Monday evening, and then I will schedule a tentative meeting at Blair Caldwell on July 26th! Don't hesitate to DM me if you think that you need more time to read the book and we may be able to move back the meeting date.
Also, If you have a particular book that you'd like to add to future polls, feel free to contact me on Meetup or add it to the book list shown above!
Thank you all for participating and being wonderful souls!
-austin
