Lo'Mas Lit Book Club

Lo'Mas Lit Book Club Summer 2021 Edition

Lo'Mas Lit Book Club is back for the summer! Lo'Mas Lit Book Club is a reading group, a book club, a discussion zone, quarantine-era hangout time for youth ages 13–20. Started in Summer 2020, this book club has brought together teens from across the Uptown Manhattan neighborhood and across the country. Meetings will be held each week on Wednesdays at 5pm from July 28 to September 2021.

This summer season join us for a revamped and exciting new format:
- Read and discuss yet-to-be-published literature with peers
- Write reviews
- Interview authors
- Make a zine!

This season's club is different in that many of the books we will be reading what are known in the publishing industry as "advance reading copies" (ARCs), which are sometimes called "galleys." Publishers send these pre-publication copies out to potential reviewers, in hopes of getting media and others excited about the book before it comes out. Besides discussing the content of the official Lo'Mas Lit selections, club members will also make a zine about books, life, and whatever else we/they wish!

Books we will be reading together:
Wild Tongues Can't Be Tamed: 15 Voices from the Latinx Diaspora (Flatiron Books, September 2021)
edited by Saraciea J. Fennell

My Monticello: Fiction (Henry Holt & Co., October 2021)
by Jocelyn Nicole Johnson

Blue-Skinned Gods: A Novel (Soho Press, November 2021)
by SJ Sindu

OBTAINING BOOKS:
- Club members who are ages 13–20—and who live in upper Manhattan or the Bronx—will receive book club picks for FREE. All books will be available for pickup at 2113 Amsterdam Avenue, New York NY 10032, during regular store hours.
- Non-local participants may receive electronic advance review copies or can pay for shipping to receive a physical ARC.
- If you are a supporter of the club, please make sure to preorder the official selections at www.wordupbooks.com!
- If you are 21 years of age or older, stay tuned for new book clubs and other programs by Word Up!

ATTENDANCE:
So that we can have great discussions about the books, bringing all our different perspectives to the group, attendance is very important! After registration closes, we will send the first book to eligible participants. Additional books will be sent to those who attend consistently!

PUBLIC EVENTS & WORKSHOPS:
Past editions of Lo'Mas Lit have involved author events. This summer will also feature workshops and, potentially, in-person field trips. More details TBD.

REGISTRATION:
Registration is open to readers ages 13–20. Register for the book club by July 28, 2021.

Lo'Mas Lit Book Club is presented collaboratively by Word Up Community Bookshop and co-curator Angie Cruz, as part of the Uptown Kid Lit program. Uptown Kid Lit is organized by Word Up Community Bookshop and is made possible in part with funding from the Upper Manhattan Empowerment Zone Development Corp. and administered by Lower Manhattan Cultural Council; the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.