Crawfordsville’s League of Women Voters invites readers to explore the complex intersections of policy, identity and citizenship through its 2026 Well-Read Citizen Book Club. The group meets monthly at 7 p.m. Eastern at Whitlock Hall, 212 E. Green St., with each session fostering discussion about ideas that shape democracy and public life.
The club’s mission is to deepen civic dialogue through discussion of books that broaden understanding and inspire community engagement. Book club meetings are open to the public and nonpartisan, reflecting the League’s commitment to encouraging thoughtful participation in civic life regardless of political affiliation.
This year’s book lineup spans investigative journalism, political memoir, and deeply personal storytelling. February’s discussion centered on Beth Macy’s Paper Girl: A Memoir of Home and Family in a Fractured America. From there, the reading list probes new dimensions of power, empathy and belonging.
March 11
Megan Greenwell’s “Bad Company: Private Equity and the Death of the American Dream” traces how corporate takeovers have hollowed out jobs, communities and civic trust through the lives of ordinary Americans caught in the fallout of private equity’s expansion.
April 1
Omar El Akkad’s “One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This” confronts the moral cost of selective empathy, drawing on contemporary conflicts to expose how Western audiences rationalize distant suffering.
May 6
Karla Cornejo Villavicencio’s “The Undocumented Americans” weaves personal narrative and reportage to render undocumented lives in vivid, human detail, revealing what policy debates often hide.
June 11
Selection TBD. Book club members will help choose the June title from the 2026 reading list as part of the club’s midyear vote.
July 1
Former Prime Minister of New Zealand Jacinda Ardern’s “A Different Kind of Power” offers a case study in compassionate leadership, arguing that collaboration and empathy can coexist with decisiveness in political life.
August 12
Stewart Reynolds’ “Lessons from Cats for Surviving Fascism” adds a sly humor to the lineup, using feline behavior to frame strategies for resisting conformity and preserving one’s autonomy under pressure.
September 2
“Who Is Government? The Untold Story of Public Service,” edited by Michael Lewis, celebrates behind-the-scenes federal workers who keep democracy functioning through quiet, diligent service.
October 7
Gretchen Sisson’s “Relinquished: The Politics of Adoption and the Privilege of American Motherhood” examines how race, class and policy shape the American adoption system and cultural ideals of motherhood.
The club has not yet chosen books for November 11 or December 2.
Anyone can attend the meetings and sign up for the mailing list to receive updates and cast votes for the final 2026 selections. Further suggested titles include works by Vanessa Williamson, Jonathan Haidt, Robin Wall Kimmerer, Amanda Montell, and others that explore democracy, persuasion, power and belonging from many angles.
In a time when public discourse can feel divisive, the Well-Read Citizen Book Club offers space for curiosity and civility—an evening each month where listening is as important as speaking.