September Book Club

Song Moon

I find it an interesting lesson in reflection to write these posts for my bookclub. I recognise the shifts in seasons in each chapter, and the familiarity of the year’s calendar. As I re-read, I am also forced to revisit some dark times in my life and also notice how much my children have grown, how much I have changed. In Song Moon, it is the beginning of the new school year, always a tricky time for my family, and my divorce is finalised. Today I am thinking about the challenges I have faced in the three years since I wrote Song Moon, the tribunal, the medical appointments, the battles. And I’m thinking about the many years I spent alone, almost seven, until I opened my heart up once more.

If you haven’t read Twelve Moons, it is structured so that it covers a year in my life, and each chapter is named after the moon I write under. This bookclub has been created as a way to connect with readers and writers and share some special extras and inside information about the writing of my book, as well as further exploring some of the themes within it.

Lots of readers have told me they are reading the book chapter by chapter, under different moons, slowly and intentionally. Others have gobbled it up in less than 48 hours. Many of you are enjoying the audiobook, recorded on two chilly days in a Newcastle basement. Others have written to me to tell me they are going to read it with friends in a book group. So many different ways to absorb one story.

When I really get into a book I want to delve deeper, try to understand where the story came from and consider why it has affected me. What is it about these words that has made me feel this way? This Substack bookclub offers you the opportunity to meet other readers and writers and dive into a different world. Get cosy with a drink and maybe a cat on your knee. Join me every month to think about the big stuff. Ask me questions, tell me your stories. Each monthly bookclub includes the following:

• A video of me reading an extended extract from Twelve Moons

• Written words about themes within the book

• Background information about my creative process during the writing of the book

• Writing prompts

• Q&A opportunities

• Creative recommendations

• Archived book club episodes

A reading for you…

In this video I read to you about escaping to the city - something that plays on my mind frequently at the moment - and remember the days before I was a mother, at parties where the carpets were sticky and I first started to lose myself.