Dorothy's Silent Book Club!

SILENT BOOK CLUB breaks the barriers of a traditional book club where there's no pressure to finish a certain book, no pressure to socialize and no pressure to do anything but read! Silent Book Club is just that: a silent gathering of readers in Dorothy once a month with an option to follow our highlighted reads and an option to chat with our book club curator - or to keep on reading!

During a Silent Book Club Sundays, Dorothy will be playing instrumental music at a slightly lower volume than normal and will keep the lights at a key higher than usual. Due to the dark nature of our bar we encourage anyone to bring reading lights! Silent Book Club lasts all night: 6-11pm. Arrive early for seating and happy hour from 6-7pm.

Dorothy is 21+ and requires physical ID for all to enter. Dorothy is also ADA accessible with elevator access on Campbell Ave. If you are a guest who requires elevator access, please wait by the black doors on Campbell Ave and call our staff to assist: 773-770-3799

For April - June 2025, Charlie has curated book suggestions which you're welcome to explore, bring to the bar or completely ignore and read whatever you want. :)

APRIL

• Unbound: A Book of AIDS by Aaron Shurin
• Detransition Baby by Torrey Peters
• Don’t Call Us Dead by Danez Smith

MAY

• The 2000s Made Me Gay: Essays on Pop Culture by Grace Perry
• Bull in a China Shop by Bryna Turner
• Bad Gays: A Homosexual History by Ben Miller and Huw Lemmey

JUNE

• Are You My Mother? By Alison Bechdel
• My Lesbian Novel by Renee Gladman
• Dear Mothman by Robin Gow

Alongside our event we will have pop up guests with us, including:

APRIL: Read and Run - sharing info on their book-themed guided running routes, author talks, and lectures throughout the city of Chicago!

MAY: Chicago Public Library - register for a library card or change your name with CPL!

JUNE: The Chicago Humanities - bringing us an Alison Bechdel encouraged reading session coming off of their previous night event with her!

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ABOUT OUR HOST AND CURATOR

Charlie is a writer, bookseller, and pop culture enthusiast who lives in Logan Square with their (cool as fuck) spouse, Beth and (demonic) cat, JJ Peppers Convenience Store. A Chicago native, Charlie knows there’s no place like (or better than) home. When they’re not in the photo booth at Dorothy or FaceTiming their friends to talk about fanfiction, they like to go out for Italian ice, visit the garlic couple at the farmers market, and howl at the moon.

Event Venue

Dorothy, 2500 West Chicago Avenue, Chicago, United States