Must-Read Chicago Books Inspiring Summer 2025 Events
By Allison Yates
Book Club Runs
Read these books prior to attending the corresponding events for the best experience.
Last Summer on State Street by Toya Wolfe
Toya Wolfe posing with Read & Run Chicago volunteers after our Book Club Run of Last Summer on State Street in July 2024.
What it’s about: Set in 1999, this is a fictional story of four childhood friends—Felicia, Stacia, Precious, and Tonya—and the final summer they spend together in the Robert Taylor Homes before their building was demolished as part of the Chicago Housing Authority’s redevelopment efforts along the State Street Corridor. Much of what the friends deal with that summer are typical girlhood things, but much of the story is also about the dangers of growing up in one of the country's most notorious housing projects in the 1990s and losing friends, family members, and an entire community to forces beyond their control.
Why we picked it: Guide Cynthia Okechukwu was a history major and has always been drawn to studying the rich histories of Chicago’s Black neighborhoods, and she’s also a fan of coming-of-age stories. She would add Last Summer on State Street to her list of the classics alongside A Tree Grows in Brooklyn and The House on Mango Street.
Best for these interests: Chicago history, urban planning and policy, coming-of-age novels
Run this book with guide Cynthia Okechukwu on Saturday, May 31 out of the Chicago Bee Branch of the Chicago Public Library in Bronzeville. Post-run discussion, snacks, and social time.
Cold Girls by Maxine Rae
What it’s about: Maxine Rae's Cold Girls is a young adult novel that delves into themes of grief, identity, and healing. The story centers on eighteen-year-old Rory Quinn-Morelli, who is grappling with the aftermath of a car accident that killed her best friend, Liv Martinez. Struggling with survivor's guilt and the weight of unspoken feelings, Rory adopts a detached demeanor, emulating the "cold girl" façade that Liv once embodied.
Why we picked it: Here’s what guide Quinn Sluzenski has to say: “Cold Girls made me tear up for the first time on page six. It’s heartbreakingly human and messy, devastating but never losing hope. It’s also firmly placed in the affluent North Shore suburbs, an area I’ve come to know well since moving to Evanston a few years ago, making this the first time I’ve read a story that animates my adopted home so vividly.”
Best for these interests: coming-of-age novels, friendship, grief
Run this book with guide Quinn Sluzenski on Saturday, June 7 out of Gearhead Outfitters in Evanston. Post-run Q&A with author Maxine Rae.
The Most Fun We Ever Had by Claire Lombardo
Readers & runners after speaking virtually with author Claire Lombardo in May 2023.
What it’s about: Claire Lombardo's debut novel, The Most Fun We Ever Had, is a sweeping, character-driven family saga set in Oak Park, Illinois. The story centers on Marilyn and David Sorenson, a couple who fall in love in the 1970s and remain deeply connected over the decades. By 2016, they have four adult daughters—Wendy, Violet, Liza, and Grace—each grappling with personal challenges and the complexities of their family dynamics.
Why we picked it: This book is messy, hilarious, and shocking all in the best way. Few other books so accurately portray the loving yet often fraught relationships between siblings and parents, and how deep-seated issues fester over time—and sometimes compound in the most dramatic of ways.
Best for these interests: fiction, family drama, complex relationships
Run this book with guides Fernanda Wetzel and Allison Yates (plus New Balance!) on Saturday, July 12 out of Fleet Feet Oak Park. Virtual Q&A with author Claire Lombardo after the run.
Running Tours and Fun Runs
For those with busy schedules, reading these books before attending the event is completely optional!
The Haymarket Affair by Joseph Rulli
Credit: Chicago History Museum, ICHi-00368
What it’s about: The Chicago Haymarket Affair: A Guide to a Labor Rights Milestone, provides an in-depth exploration of the pivotal events surrounding the Haymarket Affair of May 4, 1886. This incident began as a peaceful labor demonstration advocating for an eight-hour workday near Chicago's Haymarket Square (now the West Loop) but turned tragic when a bomb exploded, leading to gunfire and chaos. The aftermath saw the trial and execution of several rally organizers, drawing significant attention to workers' rights and law enforcement practices—discussions that remain relevant today.
Why we picked it: Chicago has a few callbacks to this part of history—Haymarket Brewing and Haymarket Press, to name a couple—but few people know the full story behind the affair and its aftermath—and its connection to one of Chicago’s favorite beverages: beer.
Run or walk this book with us, author Joseph Rulli, and the Beer Culture Center on Tuesday, May 6 out of Haymarket Brewing in the West Loop. Post-run discussion with author Joseph Rulli and Beer Culture Center founder and historian Liz Garibay. One beer included.
Not Just a Simple Chinese Girl by Kara Eng
Author Kara Eng and her family at her grandmother’s former Chinatown restaurnt, Golden Horse Carriage.
What it’s about: Not Just a Simple Chinese Girl is a heartfelt coming-of-age novel that explores themes of identity, family secrets, and cultural heritage. Set in the outskirts of Chicago's Chinatown, the story follows 16-year-old Vanessa Jade Lee, who has long believed she understood her family's history. However, her perception is challenged when she discovers a mysterious photograph that unravels hidden truths and compels her to investigate her family’s past.
Why we picked it: Author Kara Eng’s family history in Chinatown spans several decades, and this intimate understanding of the area is showcased through her plot.
Run this book with author and guide Kara Eng on Saturday, May 17 out of the Chinatown Branch of the Chicago Public Library in Chinatown. Post-run hangout with author Kara Eng.
Gaybash by David Jay Collins
Read & Run Chicago volunteers with David Jay Collins in May 2024.
What it’s about: Set in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood, the horror novel explores themes of identity, friendship, and the consequences of seeking validation through others. The story follows Matt Tompkins, a reserved gay man who has led a cautious and unfulfilling life. His best friend, Greg, is outgoing and confident, often receiving admiration for his boldness. When Greg gains unexpected fame after standing up to homophobic attackers, Matt's envy and desire to be more like Greg lead him to take a stand during a similar confrontation. This split-second decision dramatically alters Matt's life, forcing him to confront his insecurities.
Why we picked it: We love local, and we especially love hyper-local—and that’s what David Jay Collins’s novels are full of. You’ll recognize street names, locations of former bars, and feel a sense of belonging to the neighborhood through Matt’s story.
Run this book with us and David Jay Collins on Friday, May 23 out of Elevate Coffee in Boystown. Post-run hangout with author David Jay Collins. One coffee or tea included.
We Are The Culture by Arionne Nettles
Author Arionne Nettles. Courtesy of Arionne Nettles.
What it’s about: This nonfiction book explores how Black Chicagoans shaped American culture across fields like music, media, fashion, and activism. The author traces the history of Black Chicago from the Great Migration—when over half a million Black Americans moved from the South to Chicago—to the emergence of influential institutions like the Chicago Defender, Jet, and Ebony magazines.
Why we picked it: This may be nonfiction, but it’s anything but dry. Arionne includes much of her own family history and heartwarming interviews with locals. The book is full of must-know Chicago history and should be required reading.
Run this book with guide Cynthia Okechukwu on Sunday, June 22. We’ll end at the Chicago Athletic Association Hotel for a post-run hangout with author Arionne Nettles.
The Girls in 3-B by Valerie Taylor
Readers & runners outside of a very gay historic Marshall Field & Co (now Macy’s) in June 2024.
What it’s about: In this iconic 1959 published “Lesbian pulp fiction” novel by Valerie Taylor, three good rural girls move to the city and live together: one is in college, one works at a department store, and one works in an office. Through their three diverging paths once they arrive in Chicago, the book explores women’s place in workplace, lesbian identity, sexual assault, and gender roles.
Why we picked it: The 1950s are very flattened in our mainstream media representation: The white, middle-class, nuclear family is a carefully packaged media creation, and the real 1950s were just as messy and interesting as our world today. We still have so many of the same buildings and landmarks in Chicago that we did seventy years ago, and while we’ve made a lot of mainstream social progress, queer people and weirdos of all kinds have always sought out their own communities here.
Run this book with guide Quinn Sluzenski on Tuesday, June 24 out of Vuori Gold Coast. Event includes a post-run lecture from Jen Dentel of Gerber/Hart Library & Archives. A portion of ticket sales donated to Gerber/Hart Library & Archives.
Books about Jane: Liberating Abortion, The Story of Jane, All You Have to Do is Call
Guide Kaylee Tock with her copy of Laura Kaplan’s book, The Story of Jane: The Legendary Underground Feminist Abortion Service
[Related: What It Was Like to Work at Jane, Chicago’s 1970s-era Underground Abortion Network]
What it’s about: Our Running Tour of Jane is a choose-your-own adventure kind of event. While no prior knowledge of the topic is required, guide Kaylee Tock rounded up several books and other media that tell the story of Jane, Chicago’s revolutionary underground abortion counseling service that operated between 1969-1972.
[Related: Historical Context of Jane, Plus Contemporary Resources]
Why we picked it: Kaylee’s top recommendation is The Story of Jane. Why? As Kaylee explains, Kaplan was a Jane, and it shows in her writing. While there are some contradictory parts (due to the nature of the genre), and the chronology is a little hard to follow at times, she really tells the story with authenticity, plus, the prose itself is easy to read (while not being simplified). She doesn’t sugarcoat the service’s interpersonal politics, and by including so many of her fellow Janes’ voices, she creates a full picture of what Jane was and who chose to be part of it.
Run this book with guide Kaylee Tock on Saturday, July 19 out of Call & Response Books. Post-run panel with former members of Jane. 100% of ticket sale profits donated to the Chicago Abortion Fund.
A Few Red Drops by Claire Hartfield
Readers & runners with Dan Duster, the great-grandson of Ida B. Wells, in July 2024.
What it’s about: This meticulously researched nonfiction book delves into the causes and consequences of one of the most violent racial conflicts in American history, the 1919 Chicago Race Riots.
Why we picked it: While there are many books, poems, and other texts exploring the horrific events of what is referred to as the 1919 Chicago Race Riots, Claire Hartfield’s book contextualies the historical period in a very approachable and accessible way. Appropriate for students aged middle schoolers and up, the nonfiction book provides incredible education on the entire history of the city. Hartfield shows that 1919 was not an isolated or random incident by examining how racial tensions, racist policies, and structural issues allowed this violence to happen. The author’s grandmother lived through these riots as a child in Bronzeville, so this history is personal to her.
Run this book with founder Allison Yates on Sunday, July 27 out of Eugene Williams Memorial Plaza, just north of 31st Street Beach. A portion of ticket sales donated to the 1919 Chicago Race Riot Commemoration Project (CRR19).