Book Club: International Day of Mourning and Memory theme

One of my regrets from last year was how the Rolling Around In My Head book club got lost. I had planned for us to have a day devoted to The Thousand Autumns of Jacob Zoet and I know a number of you read the book in advance of the book club happening. What with two deaths of two close friends within weeks of each other, and the resulting effect on my life, it just never happened. To be honest, one of the reasons it didn't happen is because I'm not a very good book reviewer. Whenever I try to do one I end up feeling like I'm in school and the work becomes drudgery. I had started doing these because I like to see how disability or the disability experience is used by writers of popular literature. I have been very, and surprisingly, affected by some of the books that I've read. I have a long list of books I recommend when asked by those starting disability book clubs of their own. I like supporting writers who incorporate disability into their stories and use that experience to broaden understanding. I also like the point of view of artists who aren't necessarily from the disability community. I have changed both practice and attitude from reading these stories. I have been powerfully convicted and motivated by some of the images that flash in my mind as the words pass my eyes. I think its a thing worth doing - discussing these books. So I felt that I let down you as readers and myself as blog host.

I still want the book club and I still want to participate. But what I've done is asked someone who is very, very, skilled at writing book reviews to come on board and do these for me. She has agreed. So I hope to have one of these at least three times a year. We are starting fresh this year with a book that I found incredible. I found myself dreaming about the story and the characters - I never do that. I think its because the experience is so real. More than that, the story really goes well with the 'International Day of Mourning and Memory' that we have coming up here on the blog. It's The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry. I can tell you for certain that the book club will be held on March 16th, two months from today.

Here's how to participate:

1) Sign up in the comment section

2) read the book, then do one of the next steps (or all of them)

3) write a review on your blog and have it post on March 16 and send me the link to be put on my blog

3a) read the review on my blog and leave a comment with your own review or reaction to the book

3b) form a local  disability book club and send a summary of the reaction to the book

Any and all of these work.

Again, I apologise for my failure to follow through last year and know that it won't happen this year. So get to book and get reading!

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