What we’re about
Black Girls Read Book Club (also known as Black Girls Read Chicago) is a monthly Chicago-based book club that celebrates Black women writers. This is a book club for Black women interested in reading and discussing books written by Black women from the United States and around the world. We read fiction, nonfiction, and poetry, and our book discussions take place at various locations in the city. By collectively elevating and celebrating the work of Black women writers, we affirm that our stories matter.
Upcoming events
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#110: The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor + Holiday Party
Hall Branch, Chicago Public Library, 4801 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL, USOur December book selection is The Women of Brewster Place by Gloria Naylor. Before our book discussion, join us for our holiday party, including a book and tote bag swap, to celebrate the end of another year together! More details are below.
About the book: In her heralded first novel, Gloria Naylor weaves together the stories of seven women living in Brewster Place, a bleak-inner city sanctuary, creating a powerful, moving portrait of the strengths, struggles, and hopes of black women in America. Vulnerable and resilient, openhanded and openhearted, these women forge their lives in a place that in turn threatens and protects—a common prison and a shared home. Naylor renders both loving and painful human experiences with simple eloquence and uncommon intuition in this touching and unforgettable read.
Holiday party details:- Please bring a wrapped book to swap. Include a short note about why you think the recipient will love it (but don’t reveal the author or title!).
- Also bring a tote bag that you would like to give away or swap.
- Used books and tote bags are encouraged and welcome! But please make sure whatever you bring is clean and in good condition. If you wouldnt want to receive it, don’t bring it!
***Support Black Girls Read Chicago by purchasing The Women of Brewster Place on Bookshop (affiliate link).
40 attendees
#111: Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Location not specified yetOur first book selection of 2026 is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston!
About the book: One of the most important works of twentieth-century American literature, Zora Neale Hurston's beloved 1937 classic, Their Eyes Were Watching God, is an enduring Southern love story sparkling with wit, beauty, and heartfelt wisdom. Told in the captivating voice of a woman who refuses to live in sorrow, bitterness, fear, or foolish romantic dreams, it is the story of fair-skinned, fiercely independent Janie Crawford, and her evolving selfhood through three marriages and a life marked by poverty, trials, and purpose. A true literary wonder, Hurston's masterwork remains as relevant and affecting today as when it was first published—perhaps the most widely read and highly regarded novel in the entire canon of African American literature.
Support Black Girls Read Chicago by purchasing Their Eyes Were Watching God on Bookshop (affiliate link).9 attendees
Past events
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