Discussion
Finding My Voice
The moment was sitting solo in the back of the classroom for independent time. I couldn't tell you the teacher's name—nor my classmates. I don't think I felt it was important at the time, considering it was a matter of time before I made my way to a new school. And I knew the statistics of kids like me. Still, I liked this solitary time—reading time. And this classroom had a small trove of books donated to the class library.
By Dan-O Vizzini2 years ago in BookClub
A Children's Book Called Sister Anne's Hands
“Roses are red, violets are blue. Don’t let Sister Anne get any black on you.” Decades later, I can still remember that line. It comes from the children’s book Sister Anne’s Hands, written by Marybeth Lorbiecki and beautifully illustrated by K. Wendy Popp. My mother would always read to me when I was little and this book was one of her favorites. I didn’t have an epiphany at six years old when it was first read to me. And as an adult, I didn’t have an epiphany either when I re-read it to write this piece. It is hard to say that this book “changed me.” Rather, I would call this story a stepping-stone on the path that I try and walk today, its poignant message carried well past the age of reader the pages are targeted towards.
By Rae Fairchild (MRB)2 years ago in BookClub
Midnight Transformations
Before reading The Midnight Library as part of Brandy Clark's book club, I spent quite a bit of time thinking about regret. Both the concept of regrets and the specific instances themselves plagued my mind regularly. Like I'm sure many of us do, as time travel is such a prevalent ideal in our culture, I sometimes think about the top moments or actions I would go back and change if given the chance. The funny thing people don't realize is that we are constantly time traveling, and maybe that's the problem. We're always rapidly moving forward, into the future, whether we like it or not, while simultaneously traveling to the past in our minds while visiting memories, sometimes we even become stuck there. Either direction one goes, too far in the future or the past, the outcome is essentially the same: time spent not being present in the current moment. In other words: time we'll never get back spent not living our lives.
By Hailey Marchand-Nazzaro2 years ago in BookClub
Ain't No Monologue Like A Vagina Monologue
The script became the play that became a book, or a playbook, or generations of unspoken thoughts and feelings that needed to 'scream-yell-and-tell' like there was no tomorrow because there wouldn’t be. Not without us and our vaginas. Yep, vaginas. But such awful things happened to them. And kept on happening to them. And a massive silent public didn’t seem too outwardly bothered enough.
By The Dani Writer2 years ago in BookClub
The Transformative Power of Literature
The world of literature possesses a remarkable capacity that extends beyond the boundaries of time and place, providing readers with an extraordinary opportunity to submerge themselves in a diverse array of worlds, both familiar and foreign. Through the pages of books, individuals are granted a unique chance to inhabit the lives of a myriad of characters, thus gaining insight into their distinct perspectives.
By Norma Kaufman2 years ago in BookClub
Dune is Not About Oil
The prompt for the Book Club challenge is funny because it was David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation that introduced me to Dune. Dune was one of my favorite movies as a kid. It was one of my top picks at the library, besides all the Star Trek and Universal monster movies I could get my hands on. My love for the Dune universe grew in the 90s, with the books from Brian Herbert. Despite this, I would not read the first novel until 2017. Why, I am unsure. Since then I have dove as deep into the Dune universe as I can. I still have not finished the original series, due to a combination of work and school. Well, also after acquiring a copy of the encyclopedia, I decided I wanted to have the time to sit and read the series with that as my companion. Because if Dune does nothing else, it raises a lot of questions for the reader. Both in and out of the universe.
By Atomic Historian2 years ago in BookClub
Blissful Serendipity
Salt Lake City Once upon a time in the enchanting city of Salt Lake City, Amanda, a hardworking soul who had been putting in extra hours at work, yearned for a break from the non-stop hustle. One day, Amanda decided to escape the demands of work and headed to the beach, seeking solace in the gentle waves and warm sand.
By Praise izehi 2 years ago in BookClub
All the Books I read in August 2023
I went away twice for some extended weekends. In those bags I had already picked up the books I was planning on reading and popped the in my bag. It was fun reading last month’s stuff and especially reading books that people from Vocal had written as well.
By Chloe Gilholy2 years ago in BookClub
Ten Writers I Can No Longer Read
One of the things I have learned after many years of reading and writing is that you are allowed to dismiss what you once loved; you are allowed to give up on writers who no longer speak to you and have set up a barrier in your mind to enjoyment of their work. I do not mean that I care that deeply about their political, racial, psychological or emotional issues (the list of acceptable writers would be incredibly short if I dismissed the ones who did not reach such high standards). I am simply concerned with what is on the page and how it makes me react, as Vladimir Nabokov once stated, “between the shoulder blades” (where you really do feel the work).
By Kendall Defoe 2 years ago in BookClub
Murder In The Family By Cara Hunter
So, I have a confession to make. I had not read a book in close to 10 years because I didn’t ever feel the need too. As soon as I left school, I put reading behind me and never looked back, until recently. I had some extra money, a suggestion for a book that was right down my alley from my boyfriend and went for it. I lost myself in this book, something I am not used to doing but very much enjoyed. This book had such a unique concept to it that I had no chance in resisting as soon as I opened the front cover and turned that first page, I was hooked.
By YesItsMocha2 years ago in BookClub
