Here at MarieClaire.com, we love a good book just as much as we love a great Meghan Markle outfit. But between busy schedules and the curveballs life throws at us, it's not so easy to make it to book club IRL. That's why we've come up with a way for you to get some much-needed reading done on your own time (but still be held accountable to finish!) and meet some new friends along the way—straight from your couch.
What is #ReadWithMC?
#ReadWithMC is an online monthly book club created by the MarieClaire.com editors. We'll pick a book, you'll read it. Then, we'll curate a collection of honest, authentic reviews and recommendations from you and other #ReadWithMC participants and publish them on the site. Consider it socializing without actually socializing because, really, we all just want to take off our bra and lay down after a long day.
Before the new month begins, we'll reveal our selection right in this article, along with an exclusive excerpt of the book so you can get excited to read.
How do I participate?
Buy the book, then start reading with us on the 1st (or before, if you want to get a little head start). Submit your reviews on Twitter, Instagram, or Goodreads by the 28th with the hashtag #ReadWithMC to potentially have your review featured* on the site.
You can submit your review via your personal Twitter or Instagram account, but your profile must be public for us to see the hashtag and have it considered for the site. Or you can simply leave your review on one of our #ReadWithMC Instagram posts. You can also share your real-time maybe-not-fully-formulated-into-a-review thoughts on the book throughout the month and see how far along other #ReadWithMC readers are by tweeting or posting using the hashtag.
If you're a member of the Goodreads community, follow us below or sign up here and comment on one of our posts with your review. More details will be included on our Goodreads profile.
When will the reviews be posted?
The official reviews are posted on the 1st of the month. (So, the reviews of August's book will be published on September 1.) A nice way to give recommendations to women who are looking to add to their reading list, but may not have joined #ReadWithMC yet.
What book are we reading this month?
Starting August 1, we'll be reading Raven Leilani's highly-anticipated novel, Luster. Read an excerpt from the book here.
What type of books will we read in the future?
We will be reading relatively new books, i.e. books published within the past few months—most will be novels, but some may be memoirs or essay collections. No matter what, we guarantee they'll make you laugh, smile, cry, get angry, want to take down the patriarchy, or all of the above. Last month, we read Brit Bennett's The Vanishing Half. This interactive book club is exclusively composed of women authors.
When will the next book be announced?
Typically the third Monday of the month, but September's book will be announced on August 24. You'll have enough time to purchase the book before the reading begins on the 1st.
Questions? Tweet us @marieclaire. Happy reading!
*Reviews may be condensed and edited for clarity, and will be chosen based on content and volume. If you submit a review with the hashtag #ReadWithMC, you agree to be considered for inclusion in a collection of reviews on the site. Only reviews submitted by the 28th of each month will be considered.
