Category: Book Club

On Tuesday March 19 nine members of the book club met for a bonus session to discuss Viktor E Frankl’s classic Man’s Search for Meaning. Often during our voting cycles, a third-place winner will emerge in our three categories, Fiction, Nonfiction, and Classics, and as a group we’ve decided to make a concerted effort to…

On Thursday, February 28, twenty members of the Book Club met at Nagomi Izakaya to discuss There There by Tommy Orange. This novel, which speaks to the experience of the urban Native American community in Oakland, California, appeared on many must-read lists throughout 2018. Most agreed that Orange tackles too many characters, and too many…

On Wednesday, January 30, fifteen members of the book club met to discuss Sarah Vowell’s rollicking retelling of the American Revolution, Lafayette in the Somewhat United States. This selection is perfect for anyone who appreciates a fresh look at traditional historical narratives. Vowell’s art history background made for unique, entertaining reflections on France’s crucial role…

On Thursday, January 3rd, thirteen members of the book club met to discuss Walden by Henry David Thoreau, our December 2018 selection, rounding out our Fall 2018 Series. I tend to strategically assign one of our classics for our December meetings, and Walden proved the perfect opportunity for members to reflect on simple living and…

Sixteen members of the book club gathered on Tuesday, November 27 to reflect on Trevor Noah’s Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood. The book‘s star power brought out a big crowd, and we discussed a whole host of topics spanning the details of Noah’s experience with the legacy of apartheid, his mother’s…

On Monday, October 30 the book club met to discuss Ursula K Le Guin’s beloved work of science fiction The Dispossessed. This novel kept appearing on our biannual recommendation lists, but only this year was voted into our series. DC PBK definitely adores the science fiction genre! The Dispossessed, though clearly a commentary at least…

On Thursday, September 27, eight members of the book club met to discuss the timely memoir The Line Becomes a River: Dispatches from the Border by Francisco Cantú. A former officer at Customs and Border Patrol, Cantú affords readers a look at his experiences at the front lines of American immigration policy enforcement. His reflections,…

On Saturday September 1, seven members of the book club met in downtown DC for breakfast followed by a trip to the National Book Festival at the Convention Center. Speakers included the author of our September selection The Line Becomes a River, Francisco Cantu, Madeline Albright, and Tara Westover, author of Educated, recommended by former…

On Tuesday, August 28, eighteen members of the book club met to discuss Naomi Alderman’s The Power. This work of speculative fiction portrays a contemporary world where women are suddenly afforded the physical upper hand over men, via an ability to generate and wield electricity. The novel follows the trajectories of four women and one…

On Tuesday, July 31, fourteen members of the book club met to discuss What the Qur’an Meant: And Why it Matters by Garry Wills. This text seeks to clarify the Qur’an’s message on several topics, such as sharia and jihad, commonly distorted by modern audiences for political purposes. He casts religious ignorance about Islam (these…