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  • Book Club: Summer Read (Summer 2025)

Summer 2025

Book Club: Summer Read

Book lovers, unite! Each cycle, we’ll do a close read of three new books and discuss them at monthly fixed meetings. Based on enthusiastic community input, the books selected for this summer are all from our longtime partner Penguin Random House: -Michelle Zauner’s Crying in H Mart; -Safia Elhillo’s Home Is Not a Country; and -Sulieka Jaouad’s The Book of Alchemy For all three books, we’ll focus in particular on reading as writers and taking note of the ways each author crafts their story.

Book Club: Summer Reads, photo of two girls reading books

Girls Write Now Collaboratory

This Journey is Closed, but You Can Pre-Enroll in a Spring 2027 Journey Now!

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Requirements

  • Read the assigned books.
  • Attend the monthly Journey meetings.
  • Review of one book read during the cycle (800-1500 words) or submit to Writing for Life Essay Contest
two women looking at each other and smiling

Book Club: Summer Read Course

Each cycle, we’ll close read 3 books and discuss them at monthly fixed meetings. We’ll focus, in particular, on reading as writers and taking note of the ways each author crafts their story.

Writing

Book Club: Summer Read Mentoring

Mentors and mentees in the Book Club Journey will be matched for one cycle. Pairs will meet for at least two sessions each month. Each session should be at least one hour long.

 

Book Club: Summer Read Community Experiences

Mentors and mentees in the Book Club Journey must attend at least one Community Experience per month. They are expected to attend Book Club meetings to discuss the books. It is strongly recommended that they attend Exploratory Community Studios, College & Career Chats, and Salon Experiences.

Journey Circle: Community
Book Club

What Past Participants Have to Say

“I really enjoyed being able to read some great books and watch some cool performances.”
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Alejandre Lamas-Nemec Mentee
“[I] learn[ed] new things about myself through being in community with others who love words and language – I knew I would love being a mentor, as I have been one in other capacities, but the specific literary emphasis surprised me in how connected it made me feel with others.”
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Lisa Borten Mentor
“I think seeing the Literature for Life presentations in person was the best. I was able to see incredible performers bridge both theater and literature in beautiful adaptations that I was lucky enough to see in person. I was also able to talk to some of the adults in the audience and have meaningful conversations with some mentors and guests from the public. Many of the people I talked to were much older than me yet we were able to have meaningful and enjoyable conversations. I probably would never have seen the performances or connected with the people I did if I stayed at home so I’m really happy that I went in to the office for those experiences. Girls Write Now impacted my personal growth by teaching me the skill of editing my work. My mentor encouraged me to look for edits that I could make, and even discuss or question her edits to my essay. I feel confident in my editing which is a skill that I never had before as a writer, and I’m excited to keep working. ”
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Sofia Elena Salyer Mentee

Read 360 Adventure

The Book Club: Summer Read Journey is a part of the Read 360 Adventure.

Journeys in the Read 360 Adventure focus on close readings of books and creative works in community with other writers. Think of it as a Girls Write Now book club!
Learn more about the other Adventures offered at Girls Write Now below.

See All Adventures

Find Your Journey

Find Your Journey

Civil Discourse: Connection & Persuasion (Spring 2026)

In this Journey, mentors and mentees will develop essential skills in public speaking, argumentation, and critical thinking. Through engaging activities and interactive discussions, participants will learn to craft persuasive speeches, construct well-reasoned arguments, and present their ideas with confidence. They will explore techniques for effective communication, refine their ability to think critically under pressure, and practice responding to diverse perspectives in a structured setting.

Civil Discourse Connection & Persuasion; two girls speaking with a mic

STARS: Crafting White Papers for Change (Spring 2026)

In this Journey, Fellows from STARS CGI partner organizations engage in a youth-led writing and advocacy experience that empowers them to turn their experiences into policy-focused narratives. Through in-person and virtual sessions, participants learn to research, write, and collaborate on a White Paper that amplifies youth voices across New York City and advocates for increased support, funding, and policy improvements for youth programs. The Journey builds communication, leadership, and advocacy skills, culminating in a youth-authored White Paper presented to a City Council Member as a public call to action.

Storytelling Across Languages and Cultures (Fall 2025)

This Journey invites multilingual storytellers—and those curious about language, identity, and culture—to explore how the languages we speak and the communities we come from shape our stories. Through writing, discussion, and creative expression, participants will examine the connections between language, culture, and self. The Journey celebrates multilingual voices and empowers participants to honor their perspectives and grow as confident storytellers across cultures.

Hooked on Fiction: Crafting Your First Chapter (Fall 2025)

In this fiction Journey, our curriculum will focus on opening chapters. The first pages of a novel are some of the most daunting for many writers. There's so much to establish in very few pages—the ones your future readers will flip through to decide if they should keep reading. In this journey, we'll deep dive into the varied ingredients that make a compelling first chapter. We'll examine how to use your limited space to build motivated well-rounded characters, craft palpable stakes, establish a fully-realized setting, create a killer hook, and so much more. We'll tackle big questions, like how to know if you are starting in the right place and how to get all this information onto the page without overwhelming your readers. Whether you're starting a story from scratch or already editing a draft of your novel, join us to develop some impactful opening pages.

Wicked Stagewriting: From Plays to Musicals (Fall 2025)

The Writing for the Stage: From Plays to Musicals Journey is designed to help develop the skills and understanding needed to work as a writer in today’s theatre industry. This Journey provides insight into the work of a playwright – a deep understanding of live storytelling and professional scripts, plays vs musicals, professional working practices, and employment strategies. We will look to popular musicals such as Wicked for inspiration in creating original pieces. Specific topics range from story structure and formatting scripts to actually seeing a script to fruition.

Civil Discourse: Connection & Persuasion (Fall 2025)

In this one-Cycle Journey, Mentees will develop essential skills in public speaking, argumentation, and critical thinking. Through engaging activities and interactive discussions, participants will learn to craft persuasive speeches, construct well-reasoned arguments, and present their ideas with confidence. They will explore techniques for effective communication, refine their ability to think critically under pressure, and practice responding to diverse perspectives in a structured setting.

Civil Discourse Connection & Persuasion; two girls speaking with a mic
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