Ampersand Book Club

Welcome to 27th Letter Books' official book club!

If you're new to Ampersand Book Club, the gist is this:

  • We meet in person every second Saturday of the month at 7 PM and our discussion (yes, we actually talk about the book) usually runs for about an hour and a half.
  • We mix it up — we read across genres and hope that by participating in book club you will end up reading something that expands your worldview.
  • We have an open invite policy. We'd love it if you can support our shop, but it's cool if you borrow the book or audiobook from the library. Our goal is to keep our programming accessible for our local community.
  • You get a discount if you buy books from the Book Club. Details below.

2025 Book Selections

3 Month Bundle: $50 gets you 3 book club picks, you choose the months

6 Month Bundle: $95 gets you 6 book club picks, you choose the months

12 Month Bundle: $180 gets you all the books for the year
Learn more about our 2025 books ↓
January 18th

Inciting Joy

Ross Gay
Inciting Joy

In these gorgeously written and timely pieces, prizewinning poet and author Gay considers the joy we incite when we care for each other, especially during life’s inevitable hardships. Throughout Inciting Joy, he explores how we can practice recognizing that connection, and also, crucially, how we can expand it.

Taking a clear-eyed look at injustice, political polarization, and the destruction of the natural world, Gay shows us how we might resist, how the study of joy might lead us to a wild, unpredictable, transgressive, and unboundaried solidarity. In fact, it just might help us survive.

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February 15th

The City We Became

N.K. Jemisin
The City We Became

The City We Became takes place in New York City, in a world in which major cities become sentient through human avatars. After the avatar of New York falls into a supernatural coma and vanishes, five new avatars, representing the city's five boroughs, come together to fight their common enemy.

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March 8th

Detroit: I Do Mind Dying

Dan Georgakas & Marvin Surkin
Detroit: I Do Mind Dying

Detroit: I Do Mind Dying tracks the extraordinary development of the Dodge Revolutionary Union Movement and the League of Revolutionary Black Workers as they became two of the landmark political organizations of the 1960s and 1970s. It is widely heralded as one the most important books on the black liberation movement.

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April 12th

Human Acts

Han Kang
Human Acts

A poignant and harrowing novel that explores the aftermath of the 1980 Gwangju Uprising in South Korea, where protesters were brutally suppressed by the government. Through a series of interconnected narratives, the book examines the physical and emotional trauma endured by the victims, as well as the long-lasting effects of violence on individuals and society. With its lyrical prose and exploration of human suffering, Human Acts delves into themes of memory, resilience, and the search for justice.

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May 10th

An Amerikan Family

Santi Elijah Holley
An Amerikan Family

An Amerikan Family is a history of the fight for Black liberation in the United States, as experienced and shaped by the Shakurs. It is a story of hope and betrayal, addiction and murder, persecution and revolution. Drawing from hundreds of hours of personal interviews, historical archives, court records, transcripts, and other rare documents, An Amerikan Family tells the complete and often devastating story of Black America’s long struggle for racial justice and the nation’s covert and repressive tactics to defeat that struggle.

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June 14th

The Secret Life of Saeed

Emile Habiby
The Secret Life of Saeed

Purposefully imitating Voltaire’s classic Candide, another dark comedy which derives its humour from life’s tragedies, Habiby’s The Secret of Saeed the Pessoptimist is a classic of Arab literature. The story of Saeed, a Palestinian who becomes a citizen of Israel, is a story of fact and fantasy, tragedy and comedy. At once a comic hero and luckless fool, his life is full of terror, aggression, resistence and heroism. 

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July 12th

To Name The Bigger Lie: A Memoir In Two Stories

Sarah Viren
To Name The Bigger Lie: A Memoir In Two Stories

To Name The Bigger Lie: A Memoir in Two Stories intertwines two narratives—her personal journey of discovering her identity as a journalist and the story of her father's involvement in a wrongful conviction. Through these interconnected tales, Viren explores themes of truth, memory, and the complexity of the lies we tell ourselves and others.

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August 9th

Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture

Sudhir Hazareesingh
Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture

Black Spartacus: The Epic Life of Toussaint L'Ouverture chronicles the life of Toussaint L'Ouverture, the Haitian revolutionary leader who led the fight for freedom and independence from French colonial rule. The biography delves into his strategic genius, political acumen, and enduring legacy in shaping the history of slavery, emancipation, and the birth of the Haitian republic.

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September 13th

Evil Eye

Etaf Rum
Evil Eye

Evil Eye follows the lives of three generations of Palestinian-American women, exploring the complex dynamics of family, cultural expectations, and personal identity. The story centers on a mother-daughter relationship, as the daughter navigates her independence while grappling with the weight of her mother’s traditional values and the family's past. Through its poignant portrayal of intergenerational trauma and love, the novel explores themes of freedom, sacrifice, and the pursuit of happiness.

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October 11th

The Terraformers

Annalee Newitz
The Terraformers

The Terraformers is a speculative science fiction novel set on a distant planet being transformed to support human life. The story follows a diverse group of characters as they navigate political, environmental, and social challenges while attempting to terraform the planet and make it habitable. Through its expansive world-building, the novel explores themes of ecological justice, technology, and the complexities of creating a sustainable future.

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November 8th

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance

Rashid Khalidi
The Hundred Years' War on Palestine: A History of Settler Colonialism and Resistance

The Hundred Years' War on Palestine offers a comprehensive historical analysis of the Palestinian struggle against settler colonialism, focusing on the impact of Zionism and the establishment of Israel. Khalidi traces the roots of the conflict from the early 20th century to the present, highlighting the resistance movements and the continuous displacement of Palestinians. The book provides a powerful critique of the political and historical forces shaping the ongoing conflict, emphasizing the resilience of the Palestinian people.

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December 13th

The Seed Keeper

Diane Wilson
The Seed Keeper

The Seed Keeper follows the story of Rosalie Iron Wing, a Native American woman who grapples with the loss of her family’s traditions and the trauma of displacement. The novel intertwines her personal journey with the legacy of her ancestors, who preserved sacred seeds and agricultural knowledge as a form of cultural survival. Through its exploration of memory, land, and identity, The Seed Keeper highlights the importance of reconnecting with heritage and the land in the face of environmental and social challenges.

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