I just signed up for a book blog hop celebrating Black History Month, Black History Month Hop: More Details & Interest Survey. This is being run by Reflections of a Bookaholic and Mocha Girls Read. Here’s the stated purpose:

To give black authors, books and those who support them a month in the spotlight.

The survey allows you express interest in one or more of the topics that will be covered in February– the list is in that post. My participation in my local community’s Diversity Book Club gives me plenty of material for several topics. One or two topics could be used as a kind of challenge for anyone who wants to create a bit more diversity in their reading.

Edited to add: I just realized there’s a separate sign up at Reflections of a Bookaholicfor the first event of the Black History Month Hop, a giveaway. Sign up here: Black History Month Giveaway Hop Sign-Ups.

I also plan to participate in the 2012 National African American Read-In, an on-line event being hosted by Vasilly (1330V), Doret (The Happy Nappy Bookseller) and Edi (CrazyQuiltEdi). I went to a session on the African American Read-In at the Missouri Library Association conference last fall and meant to coordinate something between my book club and my library, but didn’t manage to make it happen. Maybe participating in this event will help develop some skills and familiarity with the project that will make it easier for me to pull off some in-person events in my community.

There is currently a poll at 1330V, 2012 National African American Read-In, for which book to read together for the African American Read-In and discuss on February 22. I was going to be lazy and not vote since I haven’t heard of any of the books. But then I decided to be a responsible netizen and find out about the books so that I could vote. Here’s the list with links to Goodreads so that you can learn about them, too, to participate in the voting:

• Good Fortune by Noni Carter
• Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks
• Fences by August Wilson
• Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes
• Pull by B.A. Binns
• A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines

Vasilly will announce the results of the poll tomorrow, so vote today!