hannah reads book club: winter 2025
As mentioned in my reflection of one year here on substack last month, I am launching a seasonal book club. Selections will be written by women, people of color, and LGBTQIA+ individuals and all titles will be back list (published at least a year ago), so they should be easily accessible at your local library.
For our inaugural club we will be reading In Cold Blood by Truman Capote in the months of February and March.
summary
In Cold Blood was published by Truman Capote in 1965. From the back cover: “On November 15, 1959, in the small town of Holcomb, Kansas, four members of the Clutter family were savagely murdered by blasts from a shotgun held at close range. There was no apparent motive for the crime, and there were almost no clues. As Capote reconstructs the murder and the investigation that led to the capture, trial, and execution of the killers, he generates both mesmerizing suspense and astonishing empathy. In Cold Blood is a work that transcends its moment, yielding poignant insights into the nature of American violence.”
why I picked this
This is one of the veteran members of my tbr, kicking around since before 2015. It paved the way for what we know as true crime today and is considered a modern classic. And to fit in the mission statement of reading from diverse authors, Truman Capote was an out gay man.
schedule
Conveniently, In Cold Blood is already divided into four sections. On the following dates I will be opening up chats here on substack for us to discuss each section, which I will link below as they are posted. We will also discuss the 2005 biopic “Capote,” which stars the late great Phillip Seymour Hoffman and chronicles the writing of the book.
Part One: The Last to See Them Alive — February 6th
Part Two: Persons Unknown — February 20th
Part Three: Answer — March 6th
Part Four: The Corner — March 20th
“Capote” movie discussion/Wrap-up — March 27th
I should add that you don’t have to be a new reader of this title to join the discussion. In fact, I would love someone’s perspective who already read this!
I hope you join me for this first book club! As this is the first one, please bear with me as I work out any kinks and feel free to ask any questions in the comments below.
