It’s finally here, our first Bookly Club book! First things first. As you may already know, each book we read is meant to fit the time of year in which we read it. And the theme for this month is “Screenplay.”

Did you spend any time this winter watching the Golden Globes, SAG Awards or Oscars? Well, we just passed awards season, and since we’re stuck in bitterly-cold climates (if you’re not, count yourself lucky) those shows were among the few highlights during this sub-zero season. So in honor of Hollywood’s recent self-congratulations, we’re reading a book that’s been made into a movie.

 

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In fact, this book has been made into an award-winning film which has won a lot of praise during the most recent awards season. Published in 2009, Still Alice is a story of a woman actively fighting her battle with early-onset Alzheimer’s disease. A terrifying illness affecting millions. The first-time author, Lisa Genova, has her Ph.D. in neuroscience from Harvard University and tells the compelling story of 50-year-old Alice Howland’s demise into the frightening world of forgetting. It seems like this will be a really hard story to read, especially for those who’ve been affected by the disease. The book should probably come with a disclaimer as to how many tissue boxes should be purchased before reading. But hopefully Alice’s story will also be an inspiring one.

It must be powerful considering the attention and praise Julianne Moore  has been getting for her portrayal of Alice Howland. The film premiered last month to critical acclaim (90% on Rotten Tomatoes for those of us who obsessively check the “Tomatometer” before going to the movies). In fact, Julianne Moore just won the Oscar for Best Actress for her performance in the film. Hopefully one of us will make it out to the theater during this month’s read to compare the book to the onscreen version. Check out this preview (tissues at the ready)…

We’re very excited to start Still Alice. Not just because it’s the first Bookly Club book (yay!), but because it seems like a great read, one we hope you’ll read with us. And when you curl up in your favorite spot with a hot mug of [insert preferred hot beverage here] and a comfy blanket, here’s the perfect playlist to listen to for this month’s read:

 

Stay tuned for our reviews of Still Alice at the end of the month, and visit Bookly throughout the month for other book-related posts. Also, feel free to reach out, ask questions, or make recommendations for next month’s humorous “Joke’s On You” book. Thanks for reading!

And if you’ve already read this month’s book, here are some suggestions for other great books made into movies (granted, the books are usually better than the movie)…