516 Book Club: December 2025

For December, we’re excited to start the 516 ARTS Book Club with The Force of Such Beauty: A Novel by Barbara Bourland.

“A fascinating novel about bodies, the way we use them, and the way we break them. It’s one of several works to come out this year concerned with the appropriation of female beauty by powerful men, and examines a harsh choice in the lives of women dubbed desirable by the patriarchal state: do you participate, or do you say no?…Bourland is skilled at finding the noir in the everyday, and illustrating the mechanisms of control that keep us in our place.”—Crime Reads, Best Books of the Year (So Far)

Sign up for this event here! You may purchase your copy of this book at your local bookstore, Bookworks, or online.

Join us for our monthly 516 Book Club! Explore literature that challenges, inspires, and connects to the themes of our current exhibition—including social justice, cultural identity, and artistic resistance, with a focus on banned or challenged books. Each month, we’ll dive into thought-provoking titles and foster meaningful dialogue in an intimate, welcoming setting. Presented in partnership with Bookworks, Albuquerque’s beloved independent bookstore, the 516 Book Club is facilitated by Bookworks representative Alex Avila.

Active 516 ARTS members receive discounts on selected titles purchased through Bookworks. Space is limited to 20 participants per session, and RSVPs through Eventbrite is required. Sessions are $5 for non-members and free for 516 ARTS members. (Not a member? Join here.) Light refreshments provided.

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Host or Publisher 516 ARTS