Let’s Read Deeply, together
A guided reading community rhose who want to encounter great books across traditions with attention, context, and conversation.
Launching November 2026
Much more than a monthly book club.
We will read sometimes challenging and always rewarding texts together over several weeks, with the time and structure necessary to understand them. Each reading cycle combines lectures, independent reading, group discussion, and critical guidance.
Introduction lectures for each text, mini lectures in each meeting, guidance on interpretation, form, history, and criticism.
Discuss
Weekly live conversations in which members develop readings together and then challenge them.
How it works
Read
interpret
A carefully paced syllabus with weekly reading, live group discussion of passages and questions.
Become a member on Patreon.
Receive a complete reading schedule and introductory materials.
Read at a shared pace and respond to weekly questions either ahead of time or in live discussions and according to your comfort level.
Attend weekly live discussions encased by mini-lectures.
Rewatch recordings and revisit the collective reading archive, available in perpetuity.
Live meetings will be offered with international readers in mind. Recordings will be available for those who cannot attend.
The First Read
We’ll begin in November, and our inaugural six-week reading will be announced soon along with the complete schedule and enrollment details.
What Membership Includes
A structured reading syllabus
Introductory and concluding lectures
Weekly interpretive questions
Weekly live discussions
Meeting recordings
Shared reading notes and resources
Access to the growing archive
Led by Gabriela de Mendonça Gomes
Gabriela is the creator of A Life of Reading, a channel and publication devoted to literature, philosophy, translation, and culture. Her approach combines close reading, historical context, and open-ended discussion without treating literature as either a puzzle with one correct answer or mere entertainment.
FAQs
Do I need an academic background?
1
Not at all. The Book Club is open to curious readers at every level of experience. I will provide the historical context, interpretive questions, and critical tools needed to approach each work. All that is required is a willingness to read attentively, think seriously, and engage charitably with other readers.
How much reading will there be each week?
2
The amount will vary according to the length and difficulty of each book, but most weeks will involve approximately 30–100 pages. Every reading cycle will include a clear schedule designed to give us enough time to read closely without rushing through the work. Members are also welcome to attend and watch.
What if I cannot attend live?
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All meetings will be recorded and made available to members. You will also be able to engage asynchronously through the weekly questions, shared notes, and community discussions, so missing a live session will not prevent you from participating fully.
Where will meetings and materials be hosted?
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The Book Club will be hosted through Patreon, which will serve as the central hub for schedules, questions, lectures, recordings, and announcements. Weekly live meetings will take place on Zoom, with direct access links provided to members.
Are Scholarships/financial Aid Available?
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Scholarship requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Email alifeofreading.org@gmail.com with youre request and details.