Reading, which is born silent, gains new life when shared aloud, in the convergence of different perspectives. One sentence can awaken the memory of a sensation, another can bring up a recollection from childhood or the restlessness of a question never asked. be.Reading, the book club of the be.Living community, takes place in this space of exchange, where the experience of reading is no longer merely individual and becomes collective. The proposal is to invite families, teachers, staff, grandparents, friends, and all people who enjoy good stories to gatherings of affection and reflection, led by writer Ruth Manus.
Ruth, who holds a PhD in International Law from the University of Lisbon, is the author of nine books published in Brazil, Portugal, and France. They include Mulheres não são chatas, mulheres estão exaustas (2019), 10 histórias para tentar entender um mundo caótico (2020), and Guia prático antimachismo (2022). She has been a TEDx speaker and a finalist for the Jabuti award. She leads the conversations at be.Living’s gatherings with attentive listening, warmth, and sensitivity.
“I strongly believe in the power of book clubs and the fact that we debate ideas,” says Ruth. “It’s not just about dedicating time to reading, but then devoting time to exchanging impressions about what that meant, what affected each one, according to their own experience. This opens up a very sensitive place, in which we all gain from the experiences of others.”
This collective experience also reverberates inside people’s homes. For Ruth, the habit of reading as a family is an essential mirror for children and teens. “When books and reading are part of a family’s daily life, children feel integrated. It’s very important that books are living parts of our homes.”
As a mediator, Ruth sees herself as a facilitator of diverse dialogue, in which each person brings a different background to the reading. “If I start from the idea that my reading is the only one possible, I miss the opportunity to open space for dialogue and to learn from the testimonies of other people,” she reflects.
The choices of works and guests also play a central role in the richness of the meetings. The curatorship of be.Reading privileges cultural, social, and generational diversity: from a deceased Black American author, to a contemporary French writer, to a young Brazilian author from Piauí. “If we read four books by four white American men, of course we’ll have interesting stories, but we probably won’t move beyond what we already know. The most interesting thing about the book club is that it transports us to realities that we wouldn’t discuss otherwise,” she explains.
In addition to diversity, there is a focus on balancing depth and accessibility, choosing works that fit into people’s routines, but that raise sensitive and provocative issues. “Often, a short book can be much deeper than a 400-pager. What we are looking for are texts that touch on issues that open our eyes to different realities and to perceptions of our own lives,” says the writer.
One of the remarkable moments Ruth remembers came from reading “The Godmother,” a work that addresses a daughter’s relationship with her elderly mother in a nursing home. “We don’t talk much about our experience as children of our elderly mothers and fathers. It was very important to discuss this, especially in a community where many people are living in this stage of aging.”
For Ruth, the most beautiful effect of be.Reading is precisely that. “People are touched not only by the work, but by how enriching it is to talk about books and ideas. I’m sure that this reverberates, that each person spreads reflections and feelings to friends, colleagues, children, spouses, mothers and fathers. It’s like throwing a pebble into the water and watching the waves spread.”
In total, there are four be.Reading gatherings throughout the year, and we’ve already held the third edition of 2025. Those who have not yet participated are very welcome to join this reading circle, which welcomes different perspectives and voices. More than discussing a work, each be.Reading meeting is an invitation to devote time to ideas, stories, and people. What begins in each reader’s solitude shifts into a powerful shared experience, gaining new layers through listening to others, and spreading like waves of affection, sensitivity, and reflection beyond the walls of the school.