The ‘Open Book’ diverse book club will have a novel each month that links to our diversity and inclusion calendar. It’s open to everyone to join, including staff, students and their friends! 

The aim of the club is to encourage and establish social connections, introduce participants to new authors and diverse topics, and offer a fun and inclusive space. 

All the books will be accessible through different means, whether that’s online or physical copies from the Murdoch Geoffery Bolton Library or your local library. There are also apps, such as Libby and BorrowBox, where you can borrow books for free – all you need is a West Australian Library Card (it’s free to sign up, if you don’t already have one). 

The Open Book club will begin in Semester 1, with the first meet up scheduled for Wednesday 29 March in the Library foyer from 12:30pm – 1:30pm. There is a total of five books planned – one for each month in the semester – and it’s completely up to you on how often you come along.  

There is no need to sign up, just keep an eye out on the Murdoch University Library Facebook page or their live blog page for the next meet up and come along for a chat. We’ll talk about the theme of the book, what we liked and disliked, and catch up with each other and meet new people – very casual! 

How are the books chosen? 

The book selections fit into certain criteria. This includes: 

• The authors had some personal experience with the cultural theme of the novel. 
• The book needs to be available for free through WA public libraries and through the WA public libraries digital media collection. 
• The book needs to be freely available on audio book. 

What is coming up? 

29 March – Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au 

• Equity Diversity and Inclusion link: Harmony Week 
• Genre: Literary Fiction, Contemporary, Asian Literature, Japanese Literature 

Cold Enough for Snow by Jessica Au ties in with the theme of Harmony Week as it is a story about immigrants, multiculturalism and family. It is about a mother and daughter who travel to Japan together taking in sights and conversing. ‘Cold Enough for Snow is a reckoning and an elegy: with extraordinary skill, Au creates an enveloping atmosphere that expresses both the tenderness between mother and daughter, and the distance between them.’ 

Jessica Au is an Australian author, and this novel won The Readings Prize (2022) and was shortlisted for a number of prestigious awards. It also just recently won a literary prize this month! 

 

26 April – The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang 

• Equity Diversity and Inclusion link: Autism Awareness Month
• Genre: Romance, Contemporary  

The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang ties in with Autism Awareness Month. This is a heart-warming novel about a woman with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) learning to navigate sex and love.  

The author Helen Hoang wrote the novel while going through her own journey of being diagnosed with ASD. 

The next three books will be announced throughout the year, so be sure to follow the Murdoch University Library Facebook page or their live blog page. 

 

We look forward to seeing you there!