Book clubs are a fantastic way to practice a language.
If you are a language student and love reading, you’ll probably enjoy reading a book in its original language. If doing it alone could be difficult or frustrating, reading a book with fellow students and book lovers can be a great way of practicing Italian while doing something you love.
I have studied English all my life, and, as a passionate book reader, I joined an English book club a couple of years ago. It’s been – and still is – a wonderful experience, which gives me the opportunity to enrich my English vocabulary and become more confident with the language by talking about topics I love (books! plots! characters!). Since the English book club has been so beneficial to me, I decided to start my Italian book club for students!
It’s called Leggiamo insieme, and it’s a book club to practice Italian in a relaxed and cosy way.
Apart from the English one, I have been a member of many other book clubs, in person and online. Sometimes they can be quite overwhelming, so I decided to make this book club very relaxed, allowing participants plenty of time to read the book. Leggiamo insieme will be offered four times per year, which means that you’ll have three months to read each book.
If you sign up for the book club, you’ll read the book independently, but there are some group activities:
– A YouTube livestream where I introduce the book, which is open to everyone (here is the recording)
– A Telegram group (for book club members only) to discuss topics while reading the book (where I’ll actively participate with prompts and ideas)
– Two Zoom calls (for book club members only) to discuss the book with other participants
The fall book club will run from October to early December. Here are the specific details:
When?
Monday, October 5, at 8 pm Italian time: YouTube livestream, which is open to everyone (here is the recording)
Monday, November 2, at 8 pm Italian time: halfway Zoom call (book club members only)
Monday, December 7, at 8 pm Italian time: final Zoom call (book club members only)
[All the calls will be recorded]Which book?
After reading a crime novel in the winter edition, a coming-of-age story in the spring edition of the book club, and a fun, cosy, and heart-warming story in the summer, I picked something a bit autumnal for this last book club of the year. The book is Accabadora by Michela Murgia, and I thought it was perfect for fall because it is full of magic, old traditions, and just a bit of mystery. Here is the book description:
“Acabar” in Spanish means to finish. And in Sardinian, “accabadora” is the one who finishes. In the eyes of the community, hers is not the act of a murderer, but the loving and compassionate gesture of someone helping destiny fulfill itself because she is the last mother.
Maria and Tzia Bonaria live like mother and daughter, but their bond has the special value of the things you choose. The old seamstress saw Maria stealing a little something in a shop, and since no one was paying attention to her, she decided to take her in, because “faults, like people, only begin to exist when someone notices them.”
Now she has much to teach that stubborn, lonely girl: how to sew buttonholes, how to prepare for the battles awaiting her, but above all, how to learn the humility of welcoming both life and death.
After a fun and easy read in the summer months, I decided to go for something a little bit darker and more mysterious for our fall book club. The spooky season is coming, after all, and I thought that a book about an old woman with an ancestral role and special powers could be just perfect.
Moreover, the book is set in Sardinia, an incredibly beautiful yet very mysterious Italian island, a place where folklore and ancient traditions still play an important role in society. Also, the book will give us the chance to discover a lesser-known Italian region which is full of charm and interesting things to learn.
Compared to the previous ones we read, this one is a bit more literary, maybe a bit more complex, but the language is accessible for Italian students. In addition, the book is quite short, so in case you find it a bit more challenging, you’ll have plenty of time to read it slowly and carefully.
Which level?
The book club is best enjoyed if your level of Italian is B1 or higher. Your level should be intermediate, and you should be confident with past and future tenses and with the use of the conditional and subjunctive. The book is mainly in the present but, like all Italian books, also uses some passato remoto, so you should be a bit familiar with it as well (not to use it, but to recognize it).
How much?
The book club costs 25 USD. It includes:
- a YouTube livestream run by me to introduce the book
- a Telegram group where I’ll share prompts and materials, and encourage discussion about the book
- Two Zoom calls to discuss the book (plus recordings)
- Lots of learning opportunities – and fun!
If you have questions about the book club, comment below or send me an email at cinzia@instantlyitaly.com