In-Sight Collaborative Book Club
.png)
Have you ever wanted to join a book club? Has your busy work schedule, kids, lack of motivation to put on real pants and leave your house, or a shortage of book clubs in your community posed as obstacles? Did the rigors of academic reading kill your motivation to read for fun? Are you looking for a way to meet like-minded people, expand your way of thinking, and engage in interesting contemporary issues?
Fear not, In-Sight Collaborative has just the opportunity for you. This fall, we will launch our first ever book club session and we hope you are ready to join! The session will run from October 1st, 2023 to February 15th, 2024*
​
​
​
​
*Participants are welcome to join at any point during the session - read more about the format and pacing options below
Current Session:
October 1st, 2023 - February 15th, 2024
"We are told that love conquers all. What happens if you do not have the right passport?"
​
Love stories are universal and transcend culture, language, and time. But what happens when invisible lines, artificial borders, and insurmountable bureaucratic obstacles stand in the way of your love story?
​
In an age of fast-growing border imperialism and restrictions on human mobility, Anna Lekas Miller sets out to explore the human toll of a divided world through the lens of love stories: a medium understood by all.
​
This book will challenge your understanding of migration and society as we know it, and restore your faith in the power of love.
​
Key Dates
This session runs October 1st, 2023 - February 15th, 2024
Our book club is structured to encourage conversation across borders. Participants are encouraged to join discussions moderated by In-Sight Collaborative, but discussions and in-person meetings may be organized by other leaders. In-Sight Collaborative Moderated sessions will be held on Zoom on the following dates: Wednesday, October 25th at 10am and 7pm Pacific Standard Time (Seattle) Friday, November 3rd at 10am Pacific Standard Time (Seattle) Wednesday, November 29th at 10am and 7pm Pacific Standard Time (Seattle) December 18th at 10am Pacific Standard Time during our celebration of International Migrant's Day Wednesday, January 24th, 2024 at 10am Pacific Standard Time (Seattle), evening start time TBD Concluding celebration will be held on February 15th, 2024 at 9am Pacific Standard Time (Seattle)
Ways to Participate
In-Sight Collaborative offers three different pacing options for book club: Self-Paced and Independent: Are you an independent reader who wants to discuss books with a new group of friends but can't accommodate live meetings? This option grants you access to the book club forum where you can ask questions, share your thoughts, and engage with others without needing to adjust your schedule. Self-paced readers are still welcome to join any live meetings or events with the wider group. Read Along with In-Sight Collaborative: Each book club session, In-Sight Collaborative will release a reading schedule with pre-selected online meeting times. If you have a flexible schedule and want to make new friends during live meetings and discussions, this is the option for you! In-Sight Collaborative staff will moderate the discussions, send reminder emails, and be available for one-on-one chats to help keep you on track. They will also encourage you to attend any guest speaker events and to share your thoughts in the forum! New or Pre-Existing Book Clubs: Do you want to start your own book club with your friends or bring the In-Sight Collaborative book club structure and resources to a pre-existing book club? We would love for you to do so! You can either download our book club leadership guide, or request a meeting with an In-Sight team member who will help you get set up with all the resources you need to organize your book club! Book club leaders who bring in five or more members, or people who sign their book club up for a session will receive free "Books not Borders" stickers!
Book Club Format
The book for each session will be divided into sections and spread out across a 3-5 month period. Every section will have various opportunities for participants to engage with the book's content in the form of (1) live and online discussions with other readers, (2) self-reflection forms with prompts where they can process their response to the book and document questions or comments they have to share, and (3) contextualizing the material in the book by listening in to guest speakers with knowledge on the topic, or appearances from the author. Book Club Meetings: In-Sight Collaborative will offer online meetings for each section where readers come together for discussions, interactive games, and to share their thoughts on the book so far. You are welcome to participate in these meetings even if you are moving through the book at your own pace, or with a smaller group in your community or personal network! Timing of these meetings will depend on the session schedule. Section Reflections: After each section, online reflection forms will be available to participants so they can write down their immediate thoughts about the content of the book. This way, participants can read and reflect at their own pace without needing to worry about forgetting any thoughts that they want to share with their group or on the forum! Online Forum: The online forum is divided by section and will open to all participants. It will include additional resources, any events organized by book club members, and ways to engage with people in the wider group. Guest Speakers and Author Appearances: Guest speakers can help contextualize and expand on content in the books we select for book club. These events also allow participants the opportunity to ask questions to someone outside of their group. All of the conversations we have with guest speakers will be posted online after they take place, so participants can still watch the discussion if they miss it live!