Dear readers, I have not lived up to my resolution, made at the end of June, to post on this blog once or twice a week. This begs the question, “So what have you been up to?” The quick answer is that I’ve not been idle.
I have rejoined Rave Reviews Book Club, which is a great literary community that I originally joined in July 2014. After serving on the Governing Board for a few years, I experienced burnout and retired for a couple of years. Bored out of my mind, I rejoined recently and was invited to resume my old Board position as Membership Director. The administration protocols of the club changed while I was away and I’ve been spending a lot of time acclimatizing and catching up.
I chose the words in the title of this post purposely. RRBC is more than a book club and therein lies its greatness. Author, Nonnie Jules, is the founder, President, and the resident visionary of the club. Her vision provides the underlying philosophy of the club – which has transformed an online book club into a literary community. She dreamed of a literary community of authors and readers whose first priority would be to serve others.
Service is at the heart of thriving communities. Through social media, blogging, book purchases, honest reviews (even if they are bad), club events, and socializing on the club site and on WhatsApp, members support each other. For example, a truly supportive RRBC member will post most of their tweets on Twitter in support of other members’ books and blogs, rather than in support of their own. Nonnie’s vision was that of a group of people who cared for each other’s well-being and success – an altruistic philosophy.
You don’t have to be an author to join this community. Many of us are readers who are dedicated to this philosophy and enjoy being supportive of other members’ books and blogs. Throughout the year, RRBC hosts many events and contests where prizes are up for grabs and members get opportunities to interact with each other. Each month, the most supportive members are awarded the club’s Hot Seats and receive online concentrated and powerful support from the community. One example is the designation as Spotlight Author for a month. This person is heavily supported on several social media platforms throughout the month, is the honoured guest on the monthly BlogTalkRadio show, Bring On The Spotlight, receives a free RRBC blog tour, and is featured on Nonnie’s On the Shelf Interview.
Whether you are an author, an aspiring author, or just a lover of books, the community created by Author, Nonnie Jules could be the home you’ve been looking for. I invite you to click on the links provided above to take a look at this great literary community. If you decide to join… I’d have the privilege of officially welcoming you to the hallowed halls of Rave Reviews Book Club!
Fiora Books by John Fioravanti 