Welcome to J-Sei’s Virtual Book Club
Our next book that we’ll be reading together is
THE BOOK OF FORM AND EMPTINESS by Ruth Ozeki
Book Club members will have a three-month window in which to read the book (it’s about 550 pages long, which comes to roughly 50 pages per week). Along the way, you will be encouraged to add your input to the J-Sei Book Club blog and engage with other readers. At the end of March, we’ll meet as a group to discuss what we’ve read.
ENGAGING IN BOOK CLUB
Join the Club, Buy the Book
JOIN BOOK CLUB – Join the J-Sei Virtual Book Club and connect with others as we delve into a different book each season. For those interested in participating, send inquiry here (please include “Book Club” in your email’s subject line).
BUY THE BOOK – We have arranged with Eastwind Books to handle book sales. Just order the book online at the discounted price of 10% off (type JSEI in the coupon field at cart checkout to get your 10% discount). You can elect to pick up at the store, arrange for shipping, or designate J-Sei for delivery/pick-up in your order (include this in the “Note to Seller” when you place your order).
READING – Read the book at your own pace. While you’re reading, you’ll be notified when a posting has been updated as a check-in and to solicit your feedback.
REFLECTING – As you’re reading, you can access the secure J-Sei Book Club webpage (password-protected) anytime. On this Members-only webpage you’re free to submit observations, opinions, and questions in the Comment area as it strikes you and share your impressions with fellow Book Club members. Check back regularly to read comments submitted by the moderator and by other Book Club members.
CHAT – For a real-time online chat with fellow Book Club members, connect to DISCORD. Instructions to connect to the J-Sei Discord server are provided on the Members-only webpage.
DISCUSS – After allowing time for members to finish reading the book, we will schedule a Zoom meeting to get together and hear everybody’s thoughts about the book. Other special events may occur; members will be notified in advance. Thank you for your interest in J-Sei Book Club. Happy reading!
— Kathy Hashimoto, moderator
The Book of Form and Emptiness, Ruth Ozeki’s latest novel, covers love and loss along with lots of her usual big ideas in telling the story of 14-year-old Benny Oh and his mother, Annabelle, following the death of Benny’s father. The central narrator of the story is the book itself that we are reading, but other voices are in play as well, including excerpts from a Marie Kondo-like book on uncluttering our lives. In all, this book about self-discovery will surely touch us on many levels and inspire much discussion.
[An] ambitious and ingenious novel that presents a stinging exploration of grief, a reflection on our relationship to objects, a potent testament to the importance of reading, writing, and books. — Boston Globe
A meditative tribute to books, libraries, and Zen wisdom. — Kirkus
Ruth Ozeki is a novelist, filmmaker, and Zen Buddhist priest. She is the award-winning author of three novels, My Year of Meats, All Over Creation, and A Tale for the Time Being, which was a finalist for the 2013 Booker Prize. Her nonfiction work includes a memoir, The Face: A Time Code, and the documentary film, Halving the Bones. She is affiliated with the Everyday Zen Foundation and teaches creative writing at Smith College, where she is the Grace Jarcho Ross 1933 Professor of Humanities.
Previous Book Club books
