As a general rule, Peace Corps Volunteers read a
lot. I would guess that we read, on average, about a book per week. We share
books, we discuss our favorites, we try to get host country nationals to read,
we start and participate in book drives and the international book project, we read to
kids, and so on.
I recently shared about the book club I started in
my village. I am pleased to announce that since our first meeting, the group
has grown to include more PCVs and Batswana. Our book for the month is going to
be Kathryn Stockett's The Help, which I am sure will elicit captivating
conversation and new perspectives as we each share our insights from a variety
of different backgrounds. I couldn't be happier that the book club is growing
in interest and becoming something that people are excited about.
Peace Corps Volunteers around the world have also
issued a challenge to read 100 books during their service. A number of
volunteers, myself included, have decided to take this challenge a step further
and say that the 100 books must be from Dr. Peter Boxall's 1001 Books To
Read Before You Die list. (Thank you to a friend of mine for
providing me with media files of all of these books, which I have transferred
to my Kindle!) This means that we will read an assortment of the books from the
list in addition to the books that we read about Africa and the impact of
HIV/AIDS here (which are invaluable to our understanding of the issues and to
the success of our service). If you feel so inclined (and I hope that you are),
you are invited to join me from your respective corner of the world in this
reading challenge!
Happy reading!
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