A note from our founder

Some of us are fortunate to recall a moment when a book stopped us in our tracks—when language pierced through our daily noise, and we had to pause, overcome by awe, wonder, or beauty. Maybe it was a line that felt like it was written just for you, a moment that revealed something about yourself you hadn’t fully known. To be moved by literature changes you. And it is this capacity of books to provoke, connect, and transform that drives everything we do at So Textual.

In graduate school at Harvard Divinity School, I studied how humans create meaning—how we ritualize moments, objects, and practices to make sense of the world. I often turned to novels as sites of transformation, spaces where language becomes a mirror, and readers co-create meaning alongside the text. Reader response theory taught me that a book only truly exists in its relationship to the reader—your thoughts, your life, your history. In this way, reading becomes an act of self-discovery.

But reading doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s not meant to be an escape or a replacement for life—it’s most powerful when it reflects and enriches the life you’re already living. Books are at their best when they invite us to take what we’ve read and carry it back to our realities, transforming the mundane into the meaningful. That’s why I created the So Textual Book Club: to support this alchemy, to help you bring depth and connection to your reading, and to make those solitary moments a shared experience of growth and discovery.

This book club isn’t about racing to finish the latest bestseller or keeping up with trends. It’s about creating a practice of intentional reading—a way to slow down, reflect, and connect with literature and with yourself. It’s about seeing books not just as objects but as companions that illuminate your path forward.

I invite you to reflect on your own reading practice: What books have shaped you? What affinities or obsessions have emerged through the texts you’ve chosen? What might happen if you took the time to sit with a book, with yourself, and let meaning unfold?

Through So Textual, you’ll discover the beauty of reading not just alone, but in community—with tools like Source Material to guide your reflections and conversations that enrich your understanding of every page. Together, we’ll build a practice of reading that stays with you far beyond the last word.

Books can change your life, but only if you let them. The question is: What will you do with what you read?

Sincerely,

Jennie