Read more general info about my book & writing club here.

Give a big applause for the book of January: Maud Martha by Gwendolyn Brooks, a novel about girlhood, race, beauty, and the small, defining moments that shape a woman’s inner life.

“The story follows Maud Martha Brown, a young Black girl growing up in Chicago, as she moves from childhood into adulthood — navigating family, colorism, love, disappointment, and the constant negotiation of self-worth in a world that often overlooks her. Told in delicate, vignette-like chapters, the novel captures the poetry of ordinary life and the private resilience required simply to exist.”

This month’s pick was a random one. It was just after Christmas, and I found myself wanting something to read, to have a year with a lot of books. I spotted this slim novel at the bookstore, and it immediately caught my eye. After reading more about the author — a Pulitzer Prize–winning poet, the first Black author to win the award mhmmmm I was completely intrigued.

Sometimes the best reads are the ones that appear out of nowhere.

The questionnaire, with prompts and questions to complete during or after your reading, can be found here.

Prompts

1. “Everydayness is”
 (Finish the sentence in your own words — for example: small rituals, quiet chaos, comfort, repetition)

2. “I love these moments”
 (List the moments — small, big, quiet, chaotic — that make life feel alive.)

Have fun reading, readers!

Let me know if you have any questions!

Xx,

Victoria (so much luv in dis club)