This month, BookClub is doing something a little different. We understand that providing three picks each month can feel overwhelming, and ends up meaning less engagement because the number of people reading each book is smaller. For February, we’re switching to a single shared book. The aim is simple: more of us in the same story at the same time, and a discussion that feels easy to step into, even if you’re partway through. This month is all about participation and community, which is why we are also hosting our first-ever live BookClub discussion on World Book Day (5th March).
Our February Pick
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
Narrated by Julie Teal | Playing time: 17 hours 03 minutes
We chose this for a few reasons. It’s well known (so the conversation can be open to more people), and it features a blind protagonist, Marie-Laure, whose perspective shapes how the story is told.
What it’s About
Set in occupied France during the Second World War, the novel follows two young people on different sides of the conflict: Marie-Laure, a blind French girl who must navigate a changing world through touch, sound, memory, and sheer determination, and Werner, a German boy with a talent for radios, drawn into something far larger than himself.
It’s a story about survival, moral choices, and the quiet ways people hold onto humanity when the world is doing its best to crush it.
Our First Live Discussion on World Book Day (March 5th)
To encourage participation, we have also decided to host our first-ever live discussion forum over Zoom. The live BookClub discussion will take place on World Book Day, Thursday 5 March, which gives everyone extra time to listen.
We will use the space to talk about All the Light We Cannot See, but we also want to make the discussion bigger than one title. We’re inviting everyone to talk about one book that has impacted them, whether it helped during your sight loss journey, changed how you saw yourself, or simply kept you company when you needed it.
You don’t need a perfect recommendation. If it mattered to you, it matters to the group.
Register your interest in our live discussion on World Book Day here.
Your turn to join in: What does “community” mean to you?
Before we even get to the live call, we’d love to hear from you in the comments.
When you hear the word “community”, what do you actually want it to feel like inside BookClub?
One sentence is enough. A few words are enough. We just want to hear your feedback.
Join BookClub
If you’re already in, this is your sign to jump into this month’s thread. If you’re not yet in BookClub, click here to join and stay updated about our live discussion.
And, subscribe to our BookClub service here to access over 45,000 accessible titles, including all UK broadsheet newspapers, and a curated selection of podcasts. Your mornings just got easier.
