Online Book Clubs and Where We Gather Online: African American Book Clubs, and More
© Tinu Abayomi-Paul
And you may. But they might not be what you're really looking for in a book club.
It's hardly the search engine's fault. There's a lot more mention of these gatherings than there are references to the actual clubs. While African American Book Clubs are formed online, and represented in strong numbers, they can be harder to locate than you might think. To save you some time and trouble, I've assembled what I believe to be a good starting list, including a brief index of clubs that specialize in African American Women's Literature. But first, let me talk a little about why.
Why should you participate in an Online Book Club? What's in it for you, and why should you make a special effort? Just for starters:
• You can read about authors who are more to your liking that you otherwise might not hear about. • Some books are that much more interesting when you get another person's perspective. • It's a great way to meet people who share your interests - you can start life-long friendships over a common appetite in literature. • It's a great way to support the authors of your favorite genre. • Many times, you can get the chance to interact with your favorite authors. • Whether you're an avid reader or a writer, the networking that happens through these online interactions with other men and women who enjoy African American literature can be helpful to you in other areas of your life.
Here are some brief reviews of African American Book Clubs, including some that specialize in Women's Literature. Then I'll give you a couple of other places to discover wonderful Black female authors that you might not have thought of before.
The Sistah Circle Book Club http://www.thesistahcircle.com/
In operation since 1999, this non-profit book club maintains a newsletter at its' site, conducts interviews with authors, and has local offline chapters in Atlanta, New York, Dallas, and Denver. On their site, they keep a running list of books being released in 2004. Visit their web site to find out how you can participate or start a local chapter of your own. (You may have seen them before featured on the African American Literature Suite 101 Topic Links page.)
