✏️This will make you want to buy school supplies

Hey readers, How happy are you with your reading life right now? We've found that members usually join the MMD Book Club for two reasons, both of which improve readerly happiness: - To learn more about key components of their reading lives—journaling, #bookstagram, book reviews—by taking a class or course, like our new [Book School](). - To connect with a smart, supportive bookish community of like-minded readers. For #1: our brand-new course, [Book School](), starts tomorrow. We're going to learn so much, and have tons of fun fun doing it. Click the link to check out the syllabus. If school supplies and TBR lists make your heart go pitter-patter, we think you're going to love it. But I'd like to talk about #2.... You don't need me to tell you that the Internet is not always a happy or welcoming place, but I've always been grateful for our community here in Modern Mrs Darcy land. You are sincerely among the kindest readers on the internet and—in stark contrast to most sites these days—reading the comments section is a joy. That sense of bookish camaraderie is extended and multiplied in our Book Club. In our private forums and live discussions, readers from around the globe come together to share their perspectives, loves, hates, questions, and quirks. New friendships are created here everyday: some span long distances, some are close enough to gather for brunch (and you send us the photographs to show us!). Perhaps it's the varying perspectives that I value most in our group. Last summer when we read Kristin Hannah's The Great Alone, a novel that takes up domestic violence as a prevailing theme, many readers opened up and shared their own experiences. I think it says a lot about our community that they felt safe enough to share, and I know we all appreciated their stories. Their personal stories changed not just our reading lives, but our whole lives. And just this week a member shared her experience at a school board meeting about banning books. I always read the news stories about these meetings, but it was fascinating to hear about one of my fellow reader's actual, first-hand experience. Of course, we talk about the practical stuff, too. Today I mentioned offhandedly in our pre-Book School discussion that each publisher has its own personality and target audience, and it blew everyone's mind. I'm looking forward to unpacking these kinds of readerly concerns in the weeks to follow. If you want to improve your reading life, and do so in a fun, encouraging community, I hope you'll join us in the MMD Book Club. In addition to Book School, we have a growing library of classes and author events, plus a forum devoted to bookish topics that's ready to hear from you 24/7. This month we're reading two books I loved with my whole bookish heart: Jon Cohen's Harry's Trees and in February we're reading Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson. Anne will be joining us to discuss her book at the end of the month and I can't wait to talk to hear about her poignant story. 👉 [Click here to join](). It's no secret that I love reading, both for the insights and delights it brings to me personally, but also for the connections and community a shared love of reading creates. I hope to see you tomorrow: it’s so good to be among people who are reading, and who are learning to read better, together. Happy reading, Anne [Modern Mrs Darcy](=) | 6000 Brownsboro Park Blvd Ste H, Louisville, Kentucky 40207 [Unsubscribe from all MMD emails](