Thank you to those who joined us during our last meet-up to talk about On A Woman’s Madness, by Astrid Roemer!

We usually meet up every other month, on the fourth Wednesday of the month, but the meeting of September will be pushed forward a bit because I will be on vacation at the time we usually meet.

But first, let’s find out which book we will be reading!

Book Of September

Animals go mad and men die (accidentally and not) at a slaughterhouse in an impoverished, isolated corner of Brazil.

In a landscape worthy of Cormac McCarthy, the river runs septic and sludgy with blood. Edgar Wilson makes the sign of the cross on the forehead of a cow, then stuns it with a mallet. He does this over and over and over again, the stun operator at Mr. Milo’s slaughterhouse: reliable, responsible, quietly dispatching cows and following orders, wherever that may take him. It’s important to calm the cows, especially now that they seem so unsettled. One runs headlong into the side of a barn, 22 more hurl themselves off the side of a cliff. Bronco Gil, their foreman, thinks it’s a jaguar or a wild boar, Edgar Wilson does not. But what is certain is that there is something in this desolate corner of Brazil driving men, and animals, to murder and madness.

We will be reading Of Cattle And Men, by Ana Paula Maia.

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam
(Right outside metro station Eendrachtsplein)

When:
30th of September (Wednesday)
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
Book Club from 7pm to 9pm

We have limited seating, so reserving a spot is mandatory.

We also ask that if you reserve a seat and realise you can’t make it after all, to let us know, so we can call in someone from the waiting list.

To reserve a seat or order a copy of the book (in English or in Dutch), you can reply to this newsletter, send an email to ey@boekhandelvangennep.nl, or call/send a message to 0104330592.

These meetings are free; if you have any to spare please donate to one of the organisations in this link in support of Palestine. Thank you!

Don’t forget that you can join the book club on Storygraph, or join our Whatsapp group.

I know that providing accessibility should be a given, but unfortunately we are a bit constrained, as the best spot to hold these meetings is up a flight of stairs with no lift, and the toilet is down a flight of stairs.

If you need accommodation, please let us know so that we can change things around a bit to make it possible.

See you all very soon!
Carina
&theBojoBoekenTeam

We have coffee, tea, and water available for everyone, as well as light snacks, but feel free to bring your own drinks or snacks if you’d like.

Since the session is after opening hours, the door of the bookshop will be locked; just knock and I will let you in. Feel free to start showing up anytime after 6:30pm to do some book browsing before we begin. :)

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam
(Right outside metro station Eendrachtsplein)

When:
Tomorrow, 22nd of July
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
Book Club from 7pm to ~9pm

Note that we have limited seating and this meeting is almost fully booked. If you haven’t yet reserved a seat, please do so in reply to this newsletter.

Reserved a seat but can’t make it? Let us know!

These sessions are free; if you have any to spare please donate to one of the organisations in this link in support of Palestine. Thank you!

See you tomorrow!
Carina
&theBojoBoekenTeam

We had a very insightful book club meeting at the end of May, discussing A Thousand Splendid Suns! Thank you for joining us!
If you couldn’t make it last time and would like a sneak peek, head to our Instagram page.

A few months ago I received a request from the group to read either a book by a Dutch author, or related to the Dutch diaspora, and Sam recommended a recent translation by a Surinamese author.

So without further ado, let’s reveal July’s book pick!

Book Of July

When her abusive husband of just nine days refuses her request for divorce, Noenka flees her hometown in Suriname, on South America's tropical northeastern coast, for the capital city of Paramaribo. Unsettled and unsupported, her life in this new place is illuminated by the passionate romances of the present but haunted by society’s expectations and her ancestral past.

A classic of queer literature that’s as electrifying today as it was when it originally appeared in 1982, On a Woman’s Madness tells the story of Noenka, a courageous Black woman trying to live a life of her choosing.

We will be reading On A Woman’s Madness, by Astrid Roemer.

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam
(Right outside metro station Eendrachtsplein)

When:
22nd of July (Wednesday)
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
Book Club from 7pm to 9pm

We have limited seating, so reserving a spot is mandatory.

We also ask that if you reserve a seat and realise you can’t make it after all, to let us know, so we can call in someone from the waiting list.

To reserve a seat or order a copy of the book (in English or in Dutch), you can reply to this newsletter, send an email to ey@boekhandelvangennep.nl, or call/send a message to 0104330592.

These meetings are free; if you have any to spare please donate to one of the organisations in this link in support of Palestine. Thank you!

Don’t forget that you can join the book club on Storygraph, or join our Whatsapp group.

I know that providing accessibility should be a given, but unfortunately we are a bit constrained, as the best spot to hold these meetings is up a flight of stairs with no lift, and the toilet is down a flight of stairs.

If you need accommodation, please let us know so that we can change things around a bit to make it possible.

Rotterdam Reading & Writing Club

This Saturday - 13th of June - I am hosting a Rotterdam Reading & Writing Club meet-up focused solely on writing, with a super fun Writing Prompts Night!

It’s a more interactive session where we all run against the clock, coming up with a few short stories based on pre-selected ideas; the point of the session is to get to know your original characters better, come up with new ones, and putting the writing on the page, even if it’s not perfect.

All the details about the session can be found in this link, and you can book a free ticket here.

See you all very soon!
Carina
&theBojoBoekenTeam

We have coffee, tea, and water available for everyone, as well as light snacks, but feel free to bring your own drinks or snacks if you’d like.

Since the session is after opening hours, the door of the bookshop will be locked; just knock and I will let you in. Feel free to start showing up anytime after 6:30pm to do some book browsing before we begin. :)

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam
(Right outside metro station Eendrachtsplein)

When:
Tomorrow, 27th of May
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
Book Club from 7pm to ~9pm

Note that we have limited seating and this meeting is almost fully booked. If you haven’t yet reserved a seat, please do so in reply to this newsletter.

Reserved a seat but can’t make it? Let us know!

These sessions are free; if you have any to spare please donate to one of the organisations in this link in support of Palestine. Thank you!

See you tomorrow!

Carina
&theBojoBoekenTeam

Another wonderful book club discussion yesterday with One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This!
The book was not what most expected, but I think we could all appreciate it for what it is, and it ended up sparking a bunch of conversations about the world and what we’re all experiencing at the moment.

I always say this during our book club end-of-the-year recap, but I want to reiterate that I am ever so grateful that I get to meet up with you all every other month!
There’s never a meet up where I don’t go home wiser and happier to have shared those few hours with you talking about a book! <3

Now, on to our book club pick of May!

Book Of May

Mariam is only fifteen when she is sent to Kabul to marry the troubled and bitter Rasheed, who is thirty years her senior. Nearly two decades later, in a climate of growing unrest, tragedy strikes fifteen-year-old Laila, who must leave her home and join Mariam's unhappy household. Laila and Mariam are to find consolation in each other, their friendship to grow as deep as the bond between sisters, as strong as the ties between mother and daughter.

With the passing of time comes Taliban rule over Afghanistan, the streets of Kabul loud with the sound of gunfire and bombs, life a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear, the women's endurance tested beyond their worst imaginings. Yet love can move people to act in unexpected ways, lead them to overcome the most daunting obstacles with a startling heroism. In the end it is love that triumphs over death and destruction.

We will be reading A Thousand Splendid Suns, by Khaled Hosseini.

This book was a recommendation by one of our book club members, Palma, who is Afghan and found a lot of cultural pieces in it that transported her back to her roots.
I have read The Kite Runner by the same author and really enjoyed it.

Below are the deets for the next meet up.

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam
(Right outside metro station Eendrachtsplein)

When:
27th of May (Wednesday)
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
Book Club from 7pm to 9pm

We have limited seating, so reserving a spot is mandatory.
We also ask that if you reserve a seat and realise you can’t make it after all, to let us know, so we can call in someone from the waiting list.

I know that providing accessibility should be a given, but unfortunately we are a bit constrained, as the best spot to hold these meetings is up a flight of stairs and there is no lift.
If you need accomodation, please let us know so that we can change things around a bit to make it possible.

To reserve a seat or order a copy of the book (in English or in Dutch), you can reply to this newsletter, send an email to ey@boekhandelvangennep.nl, or call/send a message to 0104330592.

These meetings are free; if you have any to spare please donate to one of the organisations in this link in support of Palestine. Thank you!

Don’t forget that you can join the book club on Storygraph, or join our Whatsapp group.

Rotterdam Reading & Writing Club

Our next silent reading & writing meet up is on the 19th of April (Sunday).

If you want to join us, the event is from 7pm to 9pm, at van Gennep, and you can book your (free) ticket in this link.

See you very soon!
Carina
&theBojoBoekenTeam

We have coffee, tea, and water available for everyone, as well as light snacks, but feel free to bring your own drinks or snacks if you’d like.

Since the session is after opening hours, the door of the bookshop will be locked; just knock and I will let you in. Feel free to start showing up anytime after 6:30pm to do some book browsing before we begin. :)

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam
(Right outside metro station Eendrachtsplein)

When:
Tomorrow, 25th of March
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
Book Club from 7pm to ~9pm

Note that we have limited seating and this meeting is almost fully booked. If you haven’t yet reserved a seat, please do so in reply to this newsletter.
Reserved a seat but can’t make it? Let us know!

These sessions are free; if you have any to spare please donate to one of the organisations in this link in support of Palestine. Thank you!

See you tomorrow!
Carina
&theBojoBoekenTeam

Thank you so much to everyone who has joined our meeting last Wednesday, I had a great time discussing True Biz!

Although we didn’t all liked the book to the same extent, we all agreed on how valuable it is and how it works great as a bridge to expand our knowledge about the Deaf community and, in general, to look at the world a bit closer in regards to accessibility and accomodation.

I’ve been trying to learn Dutch Sign Language for a few years now, and the book, combined with our discussion, definitely made me want to focus more on it.

A few resources were shared during the meeting, both media with Deaf representation, and tools to learn sign language. Here they are:

Gebarentaal Challenge (Dutch Sign Language course; if you’re interested in following this course let me know because I have material that I can share)
Signio (sort of Duoling for Dutch Sign Language)
American Sign Langage Book Recs (with a couple of links that lead to Black American Sign Language books)
Switched At Birth (TV series)
Sound Of Metal (movie)
CODA (movie)
Sorda (movie)
Badak (movie)
El Deafo (graphic novel)
The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter (book)

Now on to our next book club pick!

Book Of March

This book chronicles the deep fracture which has occurred for Black, brown, indigenous Americans, as well as the upcoming generation, many of whom had clung to a thread of faith in western ideals, in the idea that their countries, or the countries of their adoption, actually attempted to live up to the values they espouse.
It is a reckoning with what it means to live in the west, and what it means to live in a world run by a small group of countries—America, the UK, France and Germany.  It will be The Fire Next Time for a generation that understands we’re undergoing a shift in the so-called ‘rules-based order,’ a generation that understands the west can no longer be trusted to police and guide the world, or its own cities and campuses. It draws on intimate details of Omar’s own story as an emigrant who grew up believing in the western project, who was catapulted into journalism by the rupture of 9/11.

We will be reading One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This, by Omar El Akkad.

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam

When:
25th of March (Wednesday)
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
Book Club from 7pm to 9pm

We have limited seating, so reserving a spot is mandatory.
We also ask that if you reserve a seat and realise you can’t make it after all, to let us know, so we can call in someone from the waiting list.

Coffee, tea, water, and light snacks are on us, but feel free to bring anything to share with the group if you want.

To reserve a seat or order a copy of the book, you can reply to this newsletter, send an email to ey@boekhandelvangennep.nl, or call/send a message to 0104330592.

I know that providing accessibility should be a given, but unfortunately we are a bit constrained, as the best spot to hold these meetings is up a flight of stairs with no lift, and the toilet is down a flight of stairs.
If you need accommodation, please let us know so that we can change things around a bit to make it possible.

These meetings are free; if you have any to spare please donate to one of the organisations in this link in support of Palestine. Thank you!

Don’t forget that you can join the book club on Storygraph, or join our Whatsapp group.

Rotterdam Reading & Writing Club

Our next reading & writing meet up is on the 22nd of February (Sunday).

If you want to join us, the event is from 7pm to 9pm, at van Gennep, and you can book your (free) ticket in this link.

See you all very soon!
Carina
&theBojoBoekenTeam

We have coffee, tea, water, and a few soft drinks available for everyone, as well as light snacks, but feel free to bring your own drinks or snacks if you’d like.

Since the session is after opening hours, the door of the bookshop will be locked; just knock and I will let you in. Feel free to start showing up anytime after 6:30pm to do some book browsing before we begin. :)

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam
(Right outside metro station Eendrachtsplein)

When:
Tomorrow, 28th of January
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
Book Club from 7pm to ~9pm

Note that we have limited seating and this meeting is fully booked. If you can’t make it, please let me know so I can offer your spot to someone on the waiting list.

These sessions are free; if you have any to spare please donate to one of the organisations in this link in support of Palestine. Thank you!

Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow evening! <3
Carina
&theBojoTeam

We’re halfway through January, so here is a reminder of our two events of the month!

5 Year Anniversary Party

We are finally celebrating 5 years of book club, and we are doing so with two fun activities, and hopefully a lot of improvisation on the day itself.

So don’t worry too much about which book to bring, or how many books you should add to the bookswap (bring whatever you want), it’s all very open, and hopefully we can just enjoy each other’s company.

I am planning a couple of fun things besides these two activities, and very much looking forward to it.

We don’t really have an ending time for the event. We’ll play it by ear, taking into account those who rely on public transport and can’t stay too long, so I’ll keep the main activities until no later than 10pm.
I have a schedule in mind, but I will lay it out for you on the day and we can all decide together what works best.

As usually, coffee, tea, and light snacks are on us (I’ll have vegan snacks as well), but feel free to bring anything to share with the group if you want.

This event is currently fully booked, but we have a waiting list, so let me know if you want me to add you to it.
If you booked a ticket but can’t make it, please let me know so I can assign that ticket to someone else.

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam

When:
25th of January (Sunday)
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
BYOB + Book Swap from 7pm

Educate Yourself Book Club Of January

For our meeting of January we are discussing True Biz by Sara Nović!

It’s a long book but so far it is really interesting, reads easily, and is also fun, so there’s still plenty of time to read it before the meeting.

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam

When:
28th of January (Wednesday)
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
Book Club from 7pm to 9pm

I still have a couple of spots available for this meeting, so let me know if you want to join us!

I know that providing accessibility should be a given, but unfortunately we are a bit constrained, as the best spot to hold these meetings is up a flight of stairs with no lift, and the toilet is down a flight of stairs.
If you need accommodation, please let us know so that we can change things around a bit to make it possible.

See you all very soon!
Carina
&theBojoBoekenTeam

With the start of a new year, I always like to look back at our book club picks.

2025 marked the definitive move to van Gennep - a venue I am really enjoying for the freedom it gives us; it really feels very fitting to host these meetings amongst books, and to be able to offer you all a place that complements the club so well!

Here is a wrap up of what we have read in 2025:

Although I personally liked all of these (a few more than others), I really want to find more translated literature for us, as when I looked back at the six book club picks, only one of the books - Elena Knows - wasn’t originally written in English.

We usually read a lot more in translation, and I want to keep it that way as much as possible.

We explored quite a lot of themes, some of them overlapping, and while we’ve read more women than men, we are clearly lacking in non-binary representation.

Of course, with only six books per year, I am not unhappy with the diversity of our reads, although I’d like to keep what we missed in mind and take it into consideration for 2026.

Once again, thank you for sharing this reading year with me, and I will see you all on the 25th of January for our 5 year anniversary celebration, or on the 28th to discuss True Biz!

Happy 2026! <3
Carina
&theBojoTeam

Educate Yourself Book Club started in November 2020, during the pandemic, in an effort to read books with social justice themes, and to learn more about those themes together.
Five years later, we now focus less on specific themes, and more on reading books by authors from marginalised communities as a way to support them, and to keep learning.

At some point at the end of 2022, with a few meet ups cancelled for lack of attendance, I wondered if it was worth carrying on with the book club.
Somehow, that exact same month the book club picked up, and since 2023 we have had a regular influx of readers.
I love seeing a full house, and I love that I continue to be given a chance to discuss these books with you every other month.
It’s a joy, and a privilege, and I am so glad we get to count 5 years of it!

Five years doing this, with more or fewer readers around me, deserves a little celebration!
It comes a little later than I had first planned, but I find it is a great way to start the year together!

For this meet up I have something different in the cards: we will be doing a BYOB (Bring Your Own Book) + a Book Swap!

Bring Your Own Book

This is going to be very similar to a book club session, but instead of talking about the same book together, we will all have the opportunity to bring a book to talk about with the group.

If you have a favourite book you’d love to recommend, or if you feel like talking about your current read, bring them along!

Without spoilers, it will be a bit of a book club remix, talking about our favourite books - or simply showing off what we are reading at the moment.

Book Swap

Do you own any book(s) that you aren’t going to read, or have read and don’t want to keep? Then this is the time to pass them on to someone who wants to take them from your hands, and give those books a new life!

You don’t need to wrap up the books; just bring them along and I will put them on display, then one by one you will have the chance to pick one book that catches your attention and take it home with you at no cost, while your books will also be available as a choice to other readers.

Because books deserve to be read, and offered a second chance to be loved.

If you don’t own any books to swap, that is absolutely fine! I am going to be distributing book swap numbers at the start of the event to those who have books to swap so they can have a go first at choosing from the books available. Once everyone with a book to swap has had a go, those who didn’t bring a book will have a chance to choose one book as well.
The point of the book swap is for as many books as possible to find a new home.

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam

When:
25th of January (Sunday)
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
BYOB + Book Swap from 7pm

Because this is an event, we ask that you get a FREE ticket via this link.
We have limited seating, and without a ticket we can’t guarantee you a seat.

Coffee, tea, water, and snacks are on us! And there are going to be a couple of fun surprises for you all! :)

I know that providing accessibility should be a given, but unfortunately we are a bit constrained, as the best spot to hold these meetings is up a flight of stairs with no lift, and the toilet is down a flight of stairs.
If you need accommodation, please let us know so that we can change things around a bit to make it possible.

I hope you all have a great time during the holidays, and I will see you all again in January!
Carina
&theBojoTeam

What a fun end of the year meet-up it was last wednesday!

Thanks for your insights, which made me reconsider my rating of the book, and once again proved that a book is never the same for everyone, that’s the magic in them!

We go into 2026 with a few things to look forward to: a new book club meeting at the end of January, a silent reading & writing meet-up, and the long promised 5 year book club anniversary celebration!

But first, let me get one thing out of the way, and introduce you to our first book pick of the year!

The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history finals, and have politicians, doctors, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they’ll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who’s never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school’s golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another’s—and changed forever.

This is a story of sign language and lip-reading, disability and civil rights, isolation and injustice, first love and loss, and, above all, great persistence, daring, and joy.

******
We will be reading True Biz, by Sara Nović.

We haven’t yet read a book with deaf representation, so I am looking forward to seeing what this one teaches us.
I tried to learn Dutch sign language online a few years ago, but lacking people to practise with I ended up forgetting most of it.

As an extra learning tool for this book, here is a small poster with the Dutch Sign Language alphabet that you can print. You can use it to spell words, and we’ll go over it in the next meeting.

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam

When:
28th of January (Wednesday)
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
Book Club from 7pm to 9pm

We have limited seating, so reserving a spot is mandatory and now more important than ever.
We also ask that if you reserve a seat and realise you can’t make it after all, to let us know, so we can call in someone from the waiting list.

I know that providing accessibility should be a given, but unfortunately we are a bit constrained, as the best spot to hold these meetings is up a flight of stairs and there is no lift.
If you need accomodation, please let us know so that we can change things around a bit to make it possible.

To reserve a seat or order a copy of the book (in English or in Dutch), you can reply to this newsletter, send an email to info@boekhandelvangennep.nl, or call/send a message to 0104330592.

These meetings are free; if you have any to spare please donate to one of the organisations in this link in support of Palestine. Thank you!

Don’t forget that you can join the book club on Storygraph, or join our Whatsapp group.

******

Educate Yourself 5 Year Anniversary

The marking of this milestone is taking place a little later than I had first planned, but I don’t want to let this date go by without a little celebration.

I will send out a solo newsletter with all the deets about the event later, but for now you can already save the date: 25th of January!

It’s on a Sunday after 6pm, so we can forget about the Monday Blues for a little while longer.

Keep an eye on your inboxes; the newsletter will go out sometime between this week and next.
And a little hint: save those books you don’t want to keep in your bookshelves for this!

******

Silent Reading & Writing meet-up

Now that we have our own space, I am trying to organise these meet-ups more often.

The next one will take place on the 11th of January, starting at 6pm. Free entrance, as usual.

If you don’t want to miss these sessions, make sure you sign for the independent newsletter in this link, so you’ll get updates directly in your inbox.

I also host a weekly online writing session on discord, every Tuesday at 7:30pm, and you’re welcome to join in. Just reply to this newsletter and I’ll send you a link.

******

Talk soon!
Carina
&theBojoTeam

We have coffee, tea, and water available for everyone, as well as light snacks, but feel free to bring your own drinks or snacks if you’d like.

Since the session is after opening hours, the door of the bookshop will be locked; just knock and I will let you in. Feel free to start showing up anytime after 6:30pm to do some book browsing before we begin. :)

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam
(Right outside metro station Eendrachtsplein)

When:
26th of November (Wednesday)
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
Book Club from 7pm to 9pm

Note that we have limited seating and this meeting is fully booked. If you can’t make it, please let me know so I can offer your spot to someone on the waiting list.

These sessions are free; if you have any to spare please donate to one of the organisations in this link in support of Palestine. Thank you!

Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow evening! <3
Carina
&theBojoTeam

The meet up is fully booked, but we have a waiting list, so you can sign up for that.
Signed up but can’t make it? Let us know so we can call in someone from the waiting list.

For those who still need a copy of the book, you’re welcome to drop by the bookshop.

To reserve a seat or to order a book you can reply to this newsletter, send an email to info@bojoboek.nl, or call/send a message to 0104330592.

Don’t forget that you can join the book club on Storygraph and add your questions there!

You’ll hear from me again the day before the meeting! Enjoy your reading and until then!
Carina
&theBojoBoekenTeam

I think it is safe to say that our first meet-up at van Gennep was a success!
It’s great to have our own space, and to be able to browse the bookshop after hours, so thank you for joining in last week!

The next meeting is our last of 2025.
A few months ago I asked you for book recommendations on our Whatsapp group, and ended up choosing a rec by as our book pick of November. Thanks, Bia!

So it is time to roll the drums…

As a child, Kathy – now thirty-one years old – lived at Hailsham, a private school in the scenic English countryside where the children were sheltered from the outside world, brought up to believe that they were special and that their well-being was crucial not only for themselves but for the society they would eventually enter. Kathy had long ago put this idyllic past behind her, but when two of her Hailsham friends come back into her life, she stops resisting the pull of memory.

And so, as her friendship with Ruth is rekindled, and as the feelings that long ago fueled her adolescent crush on Tommy begin to deepen into love, Kathy recalls their years at Hailsham. She describes happy scenes of boys and girls growing up together, unperturbed – even comforted – by their isolation. But she describes other scenes as well: of discord and misunderstanding that hint at a dark secret behind Hailsham’s nurturing facade. With the dawning clarity of hindsight, the three friends are compelled to face the truth about their childhood – and about their lives now.

***

We will be reading Never Let Me Go, by Kazuo Ishiguro.

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam

When:
26th of November (Wednesday)
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
Book Club from 7pm to 9pm

We have room for about 15 attendees, so reserving your seat is now more important than ever.

To reserve a seat or order a copy of the book (in English or in Dutch), you can reply to this newsletter, send an email to info@boekhandelvangennep.nl, or call/send a message to 0104330592.

These meetings are free; if you have any to spare please donate to one of the organisations in this link in support of Palestine. Thank you!

Don’t forget that you can join the book club on Storygraph and add your questions for the next session there, or ask to join our Whatsapp group.

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Silent Reading & Writing meet-up: Halloween Edition

Every year I organise a very special Silent Reading & Writing meet up: Halloween Edition, to celebrate my favourite time of the year with readers and writers.

This year the location is different, but the core of the meet-up remains: we have snacks, ghostly decoration, an hour of uninterrupted reading and writing, and a book quiz! Also free coffee and tea for everyone! :)

Let us know if you’d like to join us on the 1st of November (Saturday) starting at 6:30pm, so I can save you a seat. We have place for about 8 people, so make sure you sign up on time!

I am currently trying to organise these Silent Reading & Writing meet ups with more regularity - not the Halloween edition, but the regular meetings - so feel free to also subscribe to that newsletter if you don’t want to miss an event.

See you all in November!
Carina
&thevanGennepTeam

* Please note that due to the diversity of the group, our book club meetings are mostly held in English.

We have coffee, tea, and water available for everyone, as well as light snacks, but feel free to bring your own drinks or snacks!

Since the session is after opening hours, the bookshop will be closed; just knock and I will let you in. Feel free to start showing up anytime after 6:30pm. :)

Please note that we now have limited seating so if you haven't yet signed up for the meeting, you can do so by replying to this newsletter and I will reserve a place for you.

When & Where

Location:
Boekhandel van Gennep
Oude Binnenweg 131B
3012 JD Rotterdam

When:
24th of September (Wednesday)
Walk-in starting at 6:30pm
Book Club from 7pm to 9pm

These sessions are free; if you have any to spare please donate to one of the organisations in this link in support of Palestine. Thank you!

I'll see you tomorrow evening!
Carina
&theBosch&deJongTeam

For this newsletter I have good news and bad news, so let’s get the bad news out of the way: for those who missed it, Bosch&deJong will close its doors in the Fenix Food Factory.

Bosch&deJong was an oasis in Katendrecht, and you can read more details about the closure by clicking the link above, but I think I speak for everyone when I say we are all extremely sad about it.
We take comfort in knowing that the bookshop still has a foot in town, and you can find part of its soul at van Gennep, which will continue to embody the spirit of Bosch&deJong and carry on its legacy.

The closure of Bosch&deJong comes with some repercussions to Educate Yourself Book Club, but there’s no need to panic! We carry on (almost) as usual, just in a brand new location.
You guessed it, we are moving our meetings to the shop in the town’s centre.

It is a shame we are moving out of the South, especially when so many of you come from there, but this change carries with it positive notes: we will have a space of our own for these meetings, which means we can now offer coffee, tea, and snacks to those joining us every other month, and use the space without the constraints that a place like the Fenix holds.

Furthermore - and this is going to be very exciting for all of you - book club attendees will get a chance to visit the bookshop after closing hours, allowing you to browse and buy books before each meeting.
That’s not an everyday experience, and I hope it brings a little bit of comfort amongst the disappointment of Bosch&deJong’s closure and the book club changing locations.

The only less favourable change is the limited space: we have room for about 15 attendees - which is mostly fine, since we regularly have fewer sign ups than that - but reserving your seat is now more important than ever.

Otherwise, everything will remain more or less the same: we will meet up every other month, on the 4th Wednesday of the month, at 7pm.
And for those who take public transport, the bookshop is right outside the metro station Eendrachtsplein and easy to access from everywhere in town.

I will send over more deets closer to our next meeting, but with this newsletter you can already get a gist of what’s to come.

Now, onto our book club pick for September!

An engaging exploration of what it means to be asexual in a world that's obsessed with sexual attraction, and what we can all learn about desire and identity by using an ace lens to see the world
What exactly is sexual attraction and what is it like to go through the world not experiencing it? What does asexuality reveal about consent, about compromise, about the structures of society? This exceedingly accessible guide to asexuality shows that the issues that aces face—confusion around sexual activity, the intersection of sexuality and identity, navigating different needs in relationships—are conflicts that all of us need to address as we move through the world.
Through interviews, cultural criticism, and memoir, ACE invites all readers to consider big-picture issues through the lens of asexuality, because every place that sexuality touches our world, asexuality does too.

*

We will be reading Ace, by Angela Chen.

The meeting is on the 24th of September, at 7pm in Boekhandel van Gennep.
Make sure to reserve a seat!

Unlike most of our book club picks, Ace isn’t available in Dutch, but it is a theme I’ve been wanting to read about with the group.
To reserve a seat or order a copy of the book, you can reply to this newsletter, send an email to info@boschendejong.nl, or call/send a message to 0628700281.

These meetings are free; if you have any to spare please donate to one of the organisations in this link in support of Palestine. Thank you!

Don’t forget that you can join the book club on Storygraph and add your questions for the next session there!

Silent Reading & Writing

Just like the book club, our silent reading & writing meet-ups will continue to take place at more or less regular intervals.
I am currently planning one for the 23rd of August, so make sure you sign up for the Silent Reading & Writing newsletter if you’d like to get news of it.
There will be a newsletter with all the details in the inbox of all subscribers next week.

See you all very soon!
Carina
&theBosch&deJongTeam

* Please note that due to the diversity of the group, our book club meetings are mostly held in English.

I'll see you tomorrow evening in the Fenix Food Factory, at 7pm.
Carina
&theBosch&deJongTeam

We had a great time discussing Enter Ghost, and during that meeting an official Whatsapp group for EY has been created!
It’s a place where I can easily share info about the book club, but also a place of discussion for when you can’t join a meeting but would still like to read along and talk about the book!

If you want me to add you to this group, send me an email with your phone number, or DM me on Instagram at @astoryofsorts.

Our next meet up is in about five weeks, and it is time to reveal our book club pick!

It’s Holy Week in the small town of Las Penas, New Mexico, and thirty-three-year-old unemployed Amadeo Padilla has been given the part of Jesus in the Good Friday procession. He is preparing feverishly for this role when his fifteen-year-old daughter Angel shows up pregnant on his doorstep and disrupts his plans for personal redemption. With weeks to go until her due date, tough, ebullient Angel has fled her mother’s house, setting her life on a startling new path.

***

We will be reading The Five Wounds, by Kirstin Valdez Quade.

The meeting is on the 23rd of July, at 7pm in the Fenix Food Factory!*
Don't forget to save your seat with us.

To reserve a seat or order a copy of the book (in English or Dutch) you can reply to this newsletter, send an email to info@boschendejong.nl, or call/send a message to 0628700281.
These meetings are free; if you have any to spare please donate to one of the organisations in this link in support of Palestine. Thank you!

Don’t forget that you can join the book club on Storygraph and add your questions for the book club there!

See you all very soon!
Carina
&theBosch&deJongTeam

* Please note that due to the diversity of the group, our book club meetings are mostly held in English.

I'll see you tomorrow evening in the Fenix Food Factory, at 7pm.
Carina
&theBosch&deJongTeam