When your Book Club announces more books and more parties
by Jennifer Cloer
Our Book Club is on fire, folks, and it’s putting me in a celebratory mood.
In a world with too many emails, text messages and social media alerts, more than 700 people told us they want more book selections more often, more genres and more opportunities to connect on stories that matter. I’m so inspired by this and excited to connect more deeply with this community this year.
Based on our community survey from late last year, we’re very pleased to announce a variety of updates for our community.
We’ll be making book selections every month rather than every quarter, and we’ll be including more diversity in the genres. We’re adding a dedicated slack moderator, regular discussion questions for each book selection (expect those roughly two weeks after each selection is revealed) and more member-exclusive book discounts.
When possible, we’ll host virtual QAs with authors and - at the end of the year - we will host one big Book Club party in person to celebrate all the books and have an opportunity to connect in person with people we meet throughout the year.
The Story Changes Culture Book Club was created to bring together women in tech and media (and men, too, who are interested in these stories) to share tales that disrupt, transform and inspire. Our Book Club membership has grown faster than any other platform we host, so we wanted to make sure we’re supporting this community in exactly the ways it wants to be supported. Thank you to everyone who shared their feedback and big shout out to Selu Gupta, who is the winner of $100 in free books and featured here.
This Month’s Selection
When selecting this month’s book, we wanted to choose something that inspired a sense of exploration and discovery as we all embark on a new year. That’s why after sitting with “And Then the Flash,” by A Hunter Sunrise and Marico Fayre, we knew it was our choice.
“And Then the Flash” is a beautiful collection of poems and photography that take us on an adventure with the authors/artists where we find both vibrant beauty and dark sorrows that make us feel more than we think.
The result is an opening to lean into our relationships, to creative endeavors, to new adventures and new opportunities. As we mentioned, what a fitting choice for a new year. You can read a QA with the authors/artists and members receive exclusive discounts and the opportunity for a beautiful print from these autographed, first and limited edition copies (to become a member, you can sign up here).
When I open a book to the first page and I smell the crisp, clean and unread pages, it awakens me. It’s not unlike smelling a just opened bottle of wine and wondering where the grapes were harvested that particular fall or smelling a fresh cut bouquet of flowers and considering the valleys and waterways where those flowers might have grown.
It opens up possibilities. Where will I go? Who will I meet? What kind of world will it let me into unseen, where I can simply be—an observer, a learner, a wanderer.
And when I finish a book that moves me, professionally or personally, I’m often left asking myself, “What can I do with this feeling, where can I channel this energy and desire to explore this story through discussion or action?” What do I do with that experience? I don’t want it to go away, I want it to last. And the only way to do that is with you, our Book Club members and community.
If you’re a member and have a book suggestion or need a Slack invite, email me directly at jennifer@storychangesculture.com If you’re not already a member, you can subscribe here: https://www.storychangesculture.com/book-club