What if everyone in Wauwatosa read the same book at the same time? That’s the idea behind Tosa’s All-City Read, a common reading program designed to bring neighbors together and build a sense of camaraderie and community while promoting literacy at all ages. We hope you’ll join in the fun!

“The city that opens the same book closes it in greater harmony.” – Mary McGrory

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The Book
The Authenticity Project

The Authenticity Project by Clare Pooley is the perfect antidote to the pandemic blahs.

This bestseller is the story of a solitary notebook that brings together six strangers and leads to unexpected friendship and even love. It’s a tale of being brave and putting your real self forward—and finding out that it’s not as scary as it seems. It’s about turning isolation and loneliness into life-changing friendships. And at its heart, it’s about the beautiful things that can bloom around you when you do good things for others. 

Please join us in reading The Authenticity Project over the fall and winter, then join us at fun events relating to the story from mid-February through mid-March. 

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Our Authentic Tosa Notebooks

Can a notebook bring neighbors together? We decided to find out by dropping off notebooks, like Julian’s, throughout Wauwatosa. Find out what your neighbors decided to share here.

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The Author
Clare Pooley

Clare Pooley graduated from Newnham College, Cambridge and spent 20 years in the heady world of advertising before becoming a full-time mum. Realizing that her ‘wine o’clock’ habit had spiraled out of control, Clare started writing a blog, Mummy was a Secret Drinker, which has had nearly three million hits. Her memoir, The Sober Diaries was published in 2017 to critical acclaim.

Clare’s debut novel, The Authenticity Project, was inspired by her own experience of exposing the rather grubby truth about her own seemingly perfect life.

Clare’s talks include a TEDx talk – ‘Making Sober Less Shameful’, a talk for Radio 4’s Four Thought, and numerous podcast interviews.

Clare lives in Fulham, London, with her husband, three children, two border terriers and an African pygmy hedgehog. (From ClarePooley.com)

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How to Participate

Copies of our Tosa’s All-City Read selection are available at the Tosa Library and for sale at Little Read Book and other bookstores. Once you’ve read the book, there are lots of ways to participate:

1. Join or start a book discussion in your neighborhood association.

2. Attend one of our public book discussions listed on our Events Page.

3. Take part in our fun events and activities. Come by yourself or bring your friends and neighbors!