At Sonnet, we understand the profound impact literature can have on individuals and communities. Book Lovers Day is more than a mere celebration of books; it is an ode to the transformative power of words. Just as a well-crafted story weaves emotions and meanings together, our mission at Sonnet is to help organisations build, frame and tell their stories of the change about the impact they are making in the world.
Nurturing the Love of Reading
In the spirit of Book Lovers Day, Sonnet encourages you to nurture your love for reading while embracing a deeper sense of purpose. Discovering the magic of books isn’t just an indulgence; it’s an opportunity to broaden horizons and deepen an understanding of the world.
We recognize that literature can be a catalyst for change. Books have the power to inspire, educate, and mobilise communities. They stimulate critical thinking and foster empathy. The discussions which centre around the content of books, become a conduit for understanding, a platform where ideas are exchanged, and where the impact of literature extends far beyond the individual reader.
Our favourite reads
Our team at Sonnet have put together a shortlist of our favourite books, and the reasons these have had such an impact on us. Here are a few to share with you, reader:
- Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell: “Hamnet is a novel inspired by the son of a famous playwright. It is a story of the bond between twins, of life and death, of a love between two misfits, and of a marriage pushed to the brink by grief. I love this book because it took me by complete surprise. I did not think this story, set in the 1500s, with links to the Shakespearean play Hamlet, would excite me, but it absolutely entranced me, it was gripping and emotional and beautifully written”.
- Move! by Caroline Williams: “As an avid ‘mover’ I’m really interested in the how the body works and the connection between physical fitness and your mind. No matter what you want from your mind, there is a way to move that can help – Move! picks apart findings from various scientists and makes it really simple and clear to help you put it into practice”.
- Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson, withstands the test of time (I re-read it almost every year!). Just Mercy is a memoir by Bryan Stevenson that details his own life and experiences with the engrained racism that exists within America and the American judicial system while discussing some of the clients on death row that Stevenson represented. Not only were many of the themes of the book – racism, engrained bias, how seemingly at odds ideals can co-exist (like justice and mercy which is where the title comes from!) – of great interest to me, but the deeply human and personal stories put real people with real struggles at the centre. Stevenson writes with such raw passion, empathy and power and it moves me every single time…. I don’t think I’ve ever gotten through a reading without sobbing hysterically.
- Life Moves Pretty Fast: The lessons we learned from eighties movies (and why we don’t learn them from movies anymore) by Hadley Freeman: In the age of a content glut it’s reassuring to delve into the archives; this offers a very helpful guide to watching 80s films and understanding their cultural significance. When I watch a film from the 80s, I always check back to this book to see what Hadley said about it!
- Of course, my current favourite book is the one my daughter is writing! Aside from that, Rob Wilkins’ Biography of Terry Pratchett (A Life in Footnotes) was a very engaging read, very insightful, and with some very entertaining interjections to highlight the differences in the recollection of events along the way (and some that everyone hopes to be true – it would be a shame to probe for evidence). I’ve since been dipping back into various of Terry Pratchett’s books – picking a favourite would be a challenge. A Life in Footnotes contains a reminder of the importance of having public libraries and librarians who will encourage young readers (and authors of the future)…and so I’m very grateful to the staff of our local library in North Watford who have taken the time to read and provide some encouraging comments on my daughter’s book. GNU Terry[1] (that’s my geek allowance used up for the day).
- The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey: An older, childless couple living in the wilds of early 20th Century Alaska encounter a little girl, flitting through the trees in their snow-covered landscape. She becomes a part of their lives, before disappearing again. However, despite their sadness, the gift that she leaves them is a real treasure. I love the way this story, with its fears and hopes, reminds us that, even in deep sorrow, joy is waiting just out of sight.
- The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks: I love it because it grabs you from the very first line and is beautifully written. Frank, the protagonist, is shocking, fascinating and disturbingly funny all at the same time…
‘I hope you weren’t out killing any of God’s creatures’ said my father. I shrugged at him again. Of course I was out killing things. How the hell am I supposed to get heads and bodies for the Poles and the Bunker if I don’t kill things? There just aren’t enough natural deaths. You can’t explain that sort of thing to people, though.
- The Bookseller of Kabul by Norwegian journalist Åsne Seierstad, seems a very appropriate selection for Book Lovers Day. For more than twenty years Sultan Khan, a bookseller in Kabul, defied the authorities to supply books to the people of Kabul. He was arrested, interrogated, imprisoned and forced to watch Taliban soldiers burn piles of his books in the street. But his passion for books, his insight into the power of literature and knowledge as agents of change and empowerment and his hatred of censorship, kept him going. Although some class this book as highly controversial – I found hope and inspiration in the subjective interpretation of this story – it showcases the resilience and determination of individuals striving to preserve their identities and dreams amid adversity, societal upheaval and the messiness of life.
Read with Purpose: Explore, Engage, Empower
This Book Lovers Day, we urge you to read with a purpose that reaches far beyond the confines of your favourite armchair. Explore the pages of literature that shed light on pressing issues, inspire empathy, and ignite the flames of social change. Engage in conversations that spark dialogue and reflection, cultivating a deeper understanding of the world and the power we hold to shape it.
Share Your Journey: Connect with us and fellow book lovers on social media using the hashtag #BookLoversDay tagging @sonnetimpact to share your experiences on how you have seen books create change.
Kirsten Hopkins, Senior Consultant
[1] An acronym used by Discworld fans to commemorate people who have passed on. The origin is the novel ‘Going Postal’ by Sir Terry Pratchett, in which semaphore operators send the names of their fallen comrades back and forth along the semaphore system. By sending the code and the name, the operators are asking to keep the person’s name cycling the system for ever. Similar to the notion that a person is never gone while others still speak their name.
