She Dwells: The Book Club
Join me in 2025 for a year of reading!
One of my goals for 2025 is to create a space and community for joint reading and discussion. Welcome to She Dwells: The Book Club, an extension of my Substack. As mentioned in my first essay, consistent reading changed my life. I want to help others build a similar routine with stories that make an impression. I also love nothing more than talking/gossiping/giggling about book characters, so join!
Below is the January Book Pick and instructions for joining.
How To Join:
This book club will take place virtually on Goodreads… for now.
We will begin with one book a month, which will be selected and announced on Instagram and this Substack at the beginning of each month.
To join, please create a Goodreads account and join my group:
Our meetings will take place on Zoom at the end of each month. The link will be distributed via the email on your Goodreads account.
*If you don’t have a Goodreads account, please input your email here.
FYI: If you don’t finish or don’t like the book, please still join our monthly meeting and tell us why. The same thing goes for if you’ve already read the book; please join us and let us know your thoughts and if you re-read it.
Discussions will be light-hearted and fun!
The January Book Pick:
Our first read of the year is When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalinithi.
When Breath Becomes Air is a memoir written by American neurosurgeon Paul Kalinithi. The story begins with Paul’s search for the meaning of life in his early adulthood. After studying English Literature and the writings of renowned philosophers, novelists, and poets, Paul decides that he can only discover the meaning of life by engaging with those on the edge of death.
Paul finds his calling as a neurosurgeon but also grapples with the challenging decisions of saving or letting go of lives. Just as he finds a balance, he is diagnosed with terminal cancer. In an instant, he shifts from a doctor to a patient facing his mortality. Paul continued to write this book until the very end.
Like breath turning into air, this book transforms from deeply personal to extensively relatable. I don’t read memoirs often, but this is one of my all-time favorite books, and I recommend it to anyone. If you read it, you will witness exemplary writing, but more importantly, you will witness an exemplary life.
I don’t know Paul, but this book made me care for him and the intersection between English and Science. I thank him for using his final breaths to write a memoir that serves as a guide for the rest of us. I can’t say I know the meaning of life, but Paul’s take is pretty damn good.
*I plan for this to be the only book in my book club that I have read before. As we advance, I want to hear others’ input on what to read.*
I wanted to start my book club with a book I had read before for three reasons:
This is a phenomenal story. It is transformative and a perfect read for the start of a new year.
The story is accessible. Readers of all levels can read it and will enjoy it.
I wanted to re-read it! I read this for the first time less than a year ago, but good books make you want to go back to the beginning and experience it all over again.
Join me for a first-time read or re-read of When Breath Becomes Air, and don’t forget to join She Dwells: The Book Club on Goodreads to get more information on virtual book club meetings.
Hello, unfortunately I won’t be able to attend Sunday’s book club meeting. I’m sad to miss it, but definitely looking forward to future meetings!
Compassionate direction on the why. Excited to read. Thanks!