February 2025 – Each chapter of Last Call Library shared, selected, and settled on four very different reads for the month of February. See each book summary below:
The Age of Diagnosis by Dr. Suzanne O'Sullivan
Penguin Random House, 2025 (pp. 298)
Dr. Suzanne O’Sullivan, a neurologist with decades of clinical experience, takes aim at how modern medicine labels human experience, suggesting we may be diagnosing too much and caring too little for nuance.
Mailman by Stephen Starring Grant
Simon & Schuster, 2025 (pp. 304)
Stephen Starring Grant’s memoir begins with loss and necessity: laid off and facing health challenges, he becomes a rural Appalachian mail carrier during the Covid-19 pandemic.
How to Hide an Empire by Daniel Immerwahr
MacMillan Publishers, 2019 (pp. 528)
Daniel Immerwahr turns the spotlight on the United States’ overlooked imperial history, charting how territories and far-flung possessions shaped American power beyond the continental map.
The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
Vintage Books, 2003 (pp. 447)
Erik Larson uses the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair as the backdrop for two gripping real stories: the architectural triumphs of the fair and the chilling murders of H. H. Holmes.
By the end of February each Last Call chapter will have read their respective book of the month and shared their thoughts at their NYC bar of choice. Come March, one of the books and bars will be featured here!
The books
Why?
As we enter the second quarter of the 21st century, men in America increasingly struggle to build and sustain healthy friendships outside of school and work. National data on education, employment, and social connection all point in the same direction: men are feeling more isolated, less supported, and unsure of where to find real community.
Our increased dependency on digital devices has led to further disconnection from the physical world. Men today are unwittingly sorted into digital filter bubbles that reward outrage and discontent rather than nuance and expertise.
Powered by algorithms, bad faith influencers sell an idea of what it is to be a "real man" at remarkable scale — stoking resentment instead of fostering genuine growth. It's evident that a void has developed and the anxieties men face have been exploited.
TL;DR: Men's attention has been hijacked and we need to reclaim it.
It's now up to good men to do something: it's time to unplug and step outside. Last Call Library is an experiment in building community for men — replacing online noise with offline banter, swapping glowing screens for dog-eared pages, and abandoning doom-scrolling for an evening at the pub with men who want to learn from one another. If this is of interest to you, we encourage you to join.
Our story
In December 2024, about twenty men replied to an online post about starting an “NYC Pub/Nonfiction” club. A month later, roughly a dozen of us showed up in person to talk books over beer: a journalist, a military veteran, a stand-up comic, a nonprofit professional, and a few guys in tech. Some were longtime New Yorkers; others were new to the city.
From there, the club found its footing. We voted on books, read them on our own time, and gathered at different bars across the city to discuss. As we mentioned our club to friends, the group continued to grow. New faces joined in every few months, including even one of the bar owners.
Members gradually met up outside of book club, too. Whether it was to watch a game, help with a graduate school application, or grab a bite to eat, it became easy to reach out to each other.
The response from outside the group was overwhelmingly supportive, from both men and women. And within the group, a simple thought kept coming up: if this helped us feel more connected, maybe we could help other men, too.
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Our model
Establishing a simple structure and maintaining clear communication are essential to a successful Last Call Library chapter. Two books every 90 days and an active group chat helps set expectations and keeps everyone connected.
We enjoy quality nonfiction that exposes us to new ideas, overlooked stories, and emerging trends that help make sense of a world that feels increasingly uncertain and ambiguous. That said, each chapter is free to choose its own themes.
We suggest creating a space for thoughtful conversation, not performative debate. After all, the goal of Last Call Library is to be better informed, meet new people, and discover great bars. If you’re looking to argue, posture, or dominate the room, this likely isn’t the right space. Any form of racism, bigotry, or misogyny will not be tolerated. These guardrails exist to keep conversations insightful and meetups enjoyable.
This is what has worked for us:
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Respect the room Leave your ego at the door. Bring curiosity and an open mind. Enjoy yourself, but not at someone else’s expense.
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Read the book Show up ready to talk about what you read or listened to. Skipping the book undercuts the experience for everyone. Don't be that guy.
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Choose a point person One person should manage book and bar selections. If you’ve ever organized a fantasy football league or group trip, you have the skills. The book/bar list is a resource.
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Keep the group small, but wide Six to twelve people is the sweet spot. Big enough for a varying range of views, small enough for everyone to take part.
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Pick books together Give the group a day to nominate books and two days to vote on the book of the month.
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Rotate bars Try a new place each month and switch up neighborhoods when you can. A change of setting brings new energy to the conversation.
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Set the pace Five to six weeks per book gives people breathing room. We suggest books between 250-450 pages, which works out to roughly ten to twelve pages a day.
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This model is suggestive, not prescriptive It’s a starting point. Feel free to adapt the model as your group deems fit.
Jan 8th: Kick-off
Feb 19th: 📖 & 🍻
March 26th: 📖 & 🍻
April 30th: 📖 & 🍻
May 28th: 📖 & 🍻
June: Break
July 16th: 📖 & 🍻
Aug: Break
Sept 3rd: 📖 & 🍻
Oct 8th: 📖 & 🍻
Nov 12th: 📖 & 🍻
Dec 17th: EOY party
Our goal
Last Call Library started small on purpose. A handful of guys. A few books. A few bars. Enough structure to show up and enough flexibility to keep it fresh.
In 2026, our goal is straightforward: double the impact
That means:
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More men
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Launch one new chapter that runs through the end of 2026
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Sustain a consistent group of 24 readers
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Work towards creating a network of men's 📚 & 🍻 chapters
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More socialization
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Visit 16 different bars
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Explore at least one new borough
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More reading
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Read 16 different books
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Reach a collective page count target of 6,000
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In addition, we aim to enhance the experience:
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Host a summer social event in August (think: a Brooklyn Bridge Park BBQ)
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Build out a blog capturing the books we read and bars we visited
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Explore hosting a book-club gathering at a maritime museum in Red Hook
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If possible, invite an author to join the group for one session
Sign up
Fill out the form below and we'll connect you with other dudes interested in starting their own Last Call Library chapter.
We notify new participants on the first Friday of every month
Have questions or want to collaborate? Reach out to us!
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