Li’l Weirdos

Come join us for Li’l Weirdos, where we’ll explore the world of literature through the lens of short, strange books. Often literary, sometimes freaky, but always weird, these books will span genres, and they will all make you say “what the fuck did I just read?” Come join Ellyn, one of Dog-Eared’s co-owners, and Mariah, its most voracious book-clubber, as we dive into some of the most ineffable books the world has to offer.

This month’s book is Assembly by Natasha Brown. Li’l Weirdos will meet at 6PM on Friday, April 11th.

This visionary and unflinching novel is about a black woman who has spent her life carefully navigating cutthroat worlds of privilege in her career and relationships—until one day she is pulled up short by a life and death decision.​

Come of age in the credit crunch. Be civil in a hostile environment. Go to college, get an education, start a career. Do all the right things. Buy an apartment. Buy art. Buy a sort of happiness. But above all, keep your head down. Keep quiet. And keep going.

The narrator of Assembly is a black British woman. She is preparing to attend a lavish garden party at her boyfriend’s family estate, set deep in the English countryside. At the same time, she is considering the carefully assembled pieces of herself. As the minutes tick down and the future beckons, she can’t escape the question: is it time to take it all apart?

Assembly is a story about the stories we live within – those of race and class, safety and freedom, winners and losers.And it is about one woman daring to take control of her own story, even at the cost of her life. With a steely, unfaltering gaze, Natasha Brown dismantles the mythology of whiteness, lining up the debris in a neat row and walking away.

Purchase a copy to read, or grab it from the library, and join us at Dog·Eared Books at 6 PM on April 11th, to discuss the book with book club hosts, Ellyn and Mariah! This book club is free to anyone who wishes to participate, no registration necessary.

Also, for 20 minutes after each club meeting, you will receive 20% off all books and merchandise!

Content Warnings for The BOO*-k Club 2024-2025
Content Warnings for Assembly
Content Warnings for Greek Lessons
Content Warnings for Everyone on the Moon is Essential Personnel