Reading is mostly a solitary activity. In many ways, that is its magic—a collection of words on a page (or a screen) enfolds you and takes you to an entirely separate world. We often thus use books as a way to escape, to take time for ourselves.
Almost as good as reading is sharing your love for a book—finding the mutual adoration of a text or title, discovering that someone else interpreted a nuance or aspect to a text in a similar way to you, having someone’s recommendation turn out to be a cracking read.
That’s why this October, the team at LoveOzYA are hosting a book bingo! There are so many amazing Australian titles, and this is a wonderful opportunity to think about how many categories the diverse range of titles fit into, as well as be part of a discussion about what you read.
It’s simple. Here is a list of some titles, pick one, use the hashtag #LoveOzYABookBingo across socials, and note which squares you’ve filled.
The reason why this is particularly exciting is because it’s a new way to foster discussion and appreciation for the variety of talent within the Australian literary landscape. Book clubs and reading groups are marvellous ways to discuss and share books. But they’re often comprised of people who are geographically close, and know each other. What’s wonderful about community movements and organisations that largely exist in online spaces is the fact that discussions and involvement in activities is made possible by people who exist in different timezones, are separated by distance or circumstance. It’s why I’m proud to be a member of the LoveOzYA committee, and why come October 1, I think I’m going to start with The Surprising Power of a Good Dumpling.
More information about LoveOzYABookBingo can be found at LoveOzYA.
