When was the last time you read a book? Not a text-book and certainly not a SparkNotes version of whatever you may be studying in English. A full book. In July of 2021, my best friend Annie WhatsApp'd me to discuss the fact that we--- two of the biggest self-proclaimed bookworms in the world, who, at sixteen years old, would choose to read at sleepovers instead of going out to party--- hadn't read an entire book in over a year. We just didn't have the time! Too many good TV shows were capturing our Friday night attentions!
Ah, well, this just couldn't be... what was it about tween/teen selves that had us so addicted to fiction? And then it hit us! The community of fellow bookworms we hung out with. Other people to discuss the plot and characters and dystopian worlds with (if you missed out on a hyped up new book, you'd be lost during the lunchtime conversation)... who understood the allure of the enemies-to-lovers journey, who laughed and cried and groaned and cringed at the same chapters, who would dress up as their favourite characters on World Book Day and actually take it seriously. We loved reading, and we loved our "Bookies" community even more.
So, the book club was born. We don't have a very creative name for it, but it is what it is. I update this particular blog post every month, so if you're interested in finding out what we read in the book club (feel free to join by messaging me... it's low stakes and high reward) or would like to check out the end-of-month discussion Powerpoints in more detail, be sure to bookmark this page. We feature the photos of the MVPs of the book club session (what a lucky prize!).
2022 Update
Okay, I went through a lot in 2022 and could not sustain the book club. I still read independently. Honestly, I think it was the only thing that got my through the year.
April 2022
Book: It Ends with Us
Author: Colleen Hoover
Book Club Discussion Presentation: I could not STAND this book, so no presentation.
March 2022
Book: The Lost Apothecary
Author: Sarah Penner
Book Club Discussion Presentation: N/A
February 2022
Book: Sorrow and Bliss
Author: Meg Mason
Book Club Discussion Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1rEh-bNJRoZs0RbotS64WLaeE8BG26X2Ow5wYmuaQRQ4/edit?usp=sharing
January 2022
Book: Cloud Cuckoo Land
Author: Anthony Doerr
Book Club Discussion Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1KcX0xkL1WPXvG2Xdgm8uXh3OmFP9f_geWVmK-_U0WNw/edit?usp=sharing
2021 Summary - all the books we read this year
December 2021
Book: The End of Men
Author: Christina Sweeny--Baird
Book Club Discussion Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1MeKnaKUUWF5rRHfsZtPydjapUN-iYJExqDhEm09N7fg/edit?usp=sharing
November 2021
Book: Memorial or If We Were Villains (a tied vote!)
Author: Bryan Washington; M. L. Rio
Book Club Discussion Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1scLcCQYCFfNiJIW_ZDe_kFGFnZ35pfkuFBfJIZiqg4A/edit?usp=sharing
October 2021
Book: Such a Fun Age
Author: Kiley Reid
Book Club Discussion Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1EYbSUZo3b-93NGef9nFOrsxbFUuhphIb8xsTF_FJgGE/edit?usp=sharing
September 2021
Book: The Midnight Library
Author: Matt Haig
Book Club Discussion Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1LU1dKdcVVC8GrGO6t2CXmn6dgCCQu9aE9s5GnJ8Oar0/edit?usp=sharing
August 2021 (The book club is founded by me and my best friend Annie Flint Smith)
Book: Daisy Jones & The Six
Author: Taylor Jenkins Reid
Book Club Discussion Presentation: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Trg13VcQpx4iImnnqvgW21lCD_lPoZCbSUTWaDzfrho/edit?usp=sharing
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