The 2021 Girls* in Action Book Club

 

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”  

          ― Charles W. Eliot 

  

    Friends, counselors, teachers. A peek into the lives of people we’ve never met, of characters we can’t help but fall in love with. A retelling of an experience so drastically different from your own that you can hardly imagine yourself in the character’s shoes, but you still somehow have an uncanny understanding of their emotions. A scramble of words that at first glance seem unimportant, but burst with meaning and value once explored. Books are all of these things and so much more. 

    Welcome to the 2021 Girls* in Action Book Club! As we exit 2020 and enter into a new year, we can all pause and take a breath. We can thank our bodies and our minds and our loved ones for carrying us through a very, very difficult year. Next, we must take a moment to remember: our work does not end when this year ends. There is still so much to be done. This coming year, we must join together to turn our world into one that supports and protects all of its people. And every single one of us has a role to play in this change-making process. 

    Any intro to activism article or Instagram post will tell you that the first step to becoming an ally and advocate for social justice is to educate yourself. This can be extremely overwhelming as a young person who lives in a society where there is excessive amounts of available information to sift through. How does one know what information is reliable and worth engaging with? That question does not have a simple answer, but I will say that books are an amazing place to begin.

    Enter the Girls* in Action Book Club! Here at Girls* in Action, we have compiled a list of 12 books (one for each month of the coming year) that will help you begin (or continue on) your journey of activism and allyship. Our hope is that as you read these books, you will be inspired by the words and the stories of their authors, and you will begin asking questions about what you are learning. You will channel that inspiration and begin to educate and inspire others. You will discover a community of people that cares about these issues, and wants to continue learning alongside you.

How does it work?

- At the beginning of each month, a new book will be announced on the Girls* in Action Instagram (@girlsinaction.sf) and this blog. 

- Throughout the month, questions stickers and polls will be posted on our Instagram stories. This will be your space to share your thoughts about the book so far, or ask any questions you may have!

- At the end of each month, there will be a book review posted on this blog that will discuss the different themes and characters of the book. These reviews will be a compilation of my own thoughts about the book, and feedback from other book club participants. Under the blog post, there will be a space for comments, and anyone can offer their own thoughts about the book, or pushback on anything said in the review. Again, this is an opportunity for all of us to grow together (myself included), so genuine conversation and pushback is encouraged! 

- This blog will be the book club’s homebase. It is on this site that all new information and updates will be shared, along with reviews and comments from other book club participants. 

 What is expected of a participant?

    Find a copy of the book, read it, and think about it! There is no obligation to post any comments or participate in the discussions if you don’t feel like it. At the very least, this project can simply be a book recommendation list. That is perfectly fine. At the same time, if you are someone who enjoys the conversations, or is confused about something in the book and would like to talk through it, there will be space for you to do so! 

How are the books chosen?

    The current list is a brainstorm, and nothing is set in stone. Once we have introduced the first book and the book club gets rolling, we will start asking for book recommendations that could potentially turn into book club books for the next month! We are definitely open to suggestions. 

    

    We are so excited to start learning (and unlearning) with you. Remember to share this blog post with your friends and family and encourage them to participate, and subscribe to the Girls* in Action blog to be notified when there are new posts!

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    Wishing everyone a safe, happy holiday season and a smooth start to the New Year! 2021 will be a year filled with love, community, and positive change. 

Much love,

        Briana