Turning a new page in 2021...
Shyamala Harris raised a reader... Photos from The Truths We Hold, by Kamala Harris
Turning a new page in 2021...
Today, Kamala Harris became the Vice President of the United States, the highest political office a woman has held in the 245-year history of this country. Vice President Harris—yep, we're going to keep spelling that out—was only the second Black woman to be elected to the Senate in 2016, and the first South Asian woman to serve in that role. We are celebrating this new chapter of American history as inspiration to challenge the status quo in all areas of our lives, including our reading habits.
This year, we're taking on new reading challenges. One of our favorites is the Read Harder challenge from Book Riot, which encourages intersectional exploration: Read a non-European book in translation. Read a realistic YA book not set in the U.S., UK, or Canada. Read a food memoir by an author of color. For those looking to add nuance to their annual numbers, check out the New York Public Library's recommendations to get started.
As Silent Book Club cofounders, our own practices are shifting as well. This year, we are less focused on hosting as many events as possible, and more on creating a space for people to meaningfully connect and share. How can we introduce new authors to our community of voracious readers? What are the ways we can pursue curiosity, push ourselves from complacency?
Pulling from NYPL suggestions, and our own community's recommendations, this past weekend we offered up a Black voices bookshelf at the Silent Book Club bookshop, celebrating writers who cover the full range of genre and human experience with their books. Take a look for ideas for your own TBR, or to share to a local school, Little Free Library, or books behind bars program.
Finally, we're kicking off the year with TWO giveaways to get more books into the hands of SBC members. Below, you'll have a chance to win one of 6 copies of Emily English Medley's From the Moon I Watched Her, a haunting novel that explores family trauma, mental illness, and religion through the eyes of a young girl. You can also enter to win one of 25 advanced reader copies of The Rib King, an unsparing examination of America's fascination with black iconography and exploitation that redefines African American stereotypes in literature.
Here's to new books, Madame Vice Presidents, and good things to come in 2021.
Guinevere & Laura
BOOKMARKS
Here are some highlights of what we've been reading online.
Are You Accepting the Read Harder Challenge in 2021? NYPL
Tongo Eisen-Martin Selected as San Francisco's Poet Laureate KQED
Introverted Daters to Come Together for Quality Reading Time Dating News
Don't give fascists book deals Josh Cook
Representation Matters: Black Joy Is an Act of Resistance School Library Journal
University presses and the impact of COVID‐19 Learned Publishing
Ibram X. Kendi’s Anti-Racism Books to Be Adapted by Netflix IndieWire
SBC Author Chat Books Bookshop.org
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BLACK VOICES
SILENT BOOK CLUB ONLINE
Did you know that dozens of Silent Book Club chapters meet online every month? Find a virtual meetup to join from the comfort of your couch. All are welcome!