Visitation at Maureen's

We were a smallish group on Thursday night.  Too bad everyone couldn't be there as we had a really fruitful evening.  Thank you Maureen for hosting, and particularly for all your work in compiling our archive.

The consensus about Visitation was definitely positive.  It was suggested that Erpenbeck's first book, The Old Child and Other Stories might be worth seeking out.  It's available at the TPL.

We established some dates and locations for the next couple of meetings, skipping over December this year.  On January 5th, 2012 we'll be at Wanda's house and the book will be A World Elsewhere by Wayne Johnston.   In February we're reading Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood.  I hope someone will let me know if we chose a date and location  - I don't have it in my notes (maybe we left it open?).

Also mentioned were a number of interesting books, perhaps for future dates, including:

• Cocktail Hour under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller
• Sanctuary Line by Jane Urquart
• Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan
• The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
• The Free World by David Bezmozgis
• Divisidero by Michael Ondaatje
• The Marriage Plot by Jeffrey Eugenides
• Breath by Tim Winton
• The Water Man's Daughter by Emma Ruby-Sachs
• Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie
  
  

  

Tuesday night in October

As always when we're together the conversation was sparkling and the snacks hit the spot.  Thanks to Susan for hosting.  Should we post the recipe for your sister-in-law's yummy pumpkin bread on this blog?  Just a thought. 

The book for next month at Maureen's will be Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck. The book was published in German in 2008, and translated into English by Susan Bernofsky in 2010.  A reminder that the date is Thursday, November 24th.

After the conversation we had the other night I came across this moving poetry reading: 

Lynda's Veranda

Last evening was perfect in every way.  Thank you to Lynda for hosting our August get-together.  Wonderful!

In September we'll be reading State of Wonder by Ann Patchett.  We'll meet at my place on Tuesday September 20th. 

In October the book will be People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, and we'll be at Susan's on Tuesday October 25. 

We chose Thursday November 24th for our next date.  Maureen offered to host.  But we didn't choose a book.  We can figure that out later.  Some of the choices were Divisidero by Michael Ondaatje and The Tiger's Wife by Téa Obreht. 

Other topics that came up last night included two places to visit across the border.  The first was in Buffalo NY, the Albright-Knox Art Gallery.  And in Rochester NY the George Eastman House appears to be well worth a visit.

The Joy of July

It was lovely to be able to sit out in Jane's garden on a warm summer evening - something to remember fondly in the cold winter months.  We talked about The Plot Against America by Philip Roth.  Here is an interesting interview he gave on NPR.

The topic of anti-semitism is once again current in Canada as the CPCCA made its final report on July 7 provoking some controversy.

Having made a bit of a mess of planning for July we were careful to get it right for August.  The date will be Tuesday, August 30 and Lynda will be hosting.  All good, but the real success was pinning down a novel for August - Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese.  Verghese talks about his book in this video:




Other books mentioned in July:

• Bride of New France by Suzanne Desrochers 
• In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin by Erik Larson
• Still Alice by Lisa Genova
  
• Alone in the Classroom by Elizabeth Hay
  
• The Translator by Leila Aboulela
  
• Outskirts by Sue Goyette (not sure of the title but this is her latest)
• Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

There was also some talk about the famine situation in the Horn of Africa countries.  It's good to see today that our government has stepped forward with aid. 

Jan's screened porch

It was a grand evening on Jan's screened porch with its elegant garden view.  Once again the food was wonderful. 

It seems that we forgot to pin down which Philip Roth book for next month.  Maybe it was American Pastoral or maybe The Plot Against America.  I'll update this if someone can remember which. It'll be July 19th at Jane's house. 
UPDATE: A few of us met and after a little discussion, decided to go with The Plot Against America.

Several books were mentioned the other night.  These are the ones I remember:

• The Outlander by  Gil Adamson
•  Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
•  Alone in the Classroom by Elizabeth Hay
•  Irma Voth by Miriam Toews
•  Sanctuary Line by Jane Urquhart
•  The Translator by Leila Aboulela
•  In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson

More about The Story of Stuff is here. 

And more about Read For the Cure here, scroll down the page.  The event at the Old Mill will be on  November 22nd.  Who's going?

Some of us went to the Luminato event Modern Day Shahrazads.  You can hear the podcast of this event here on the CBC program Writers and Company.
 

Let the Great World Spin

A wonderful evening at Jo's. Thank you Jo! And thanks to the weatherman who arranged for the rain to stop.

Our next meeting will be at Jan's on June 28th. We'll be reading any of Michael Crummey's novels and bringing a contribution to the end-of-season meal. 
We've agreed to direct donations to Kiva.

In July we decided to meet on the 19th at Jane's house.  Talk went back and forth about what to read for July, maybe Light Lifting by Alexander MacLeod, or American Pastoral by Philip Roth. 

Other books mentioned last night were

• Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
• The Outlander by Gil Adamson
• The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht
• Sylvanus Now by Donna Morrissey

After April meeting re Brooklyn

Well done Wanda!  Another great evening.  We found plenty to say about Brooklyn.

A reminder that we'll be together again at Jo's on May 19th to talk about Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann.

Here's a video interview with Colum McCann back home in Ireland and another video reminding us how Philippe Petit looked as he walked between the twin towers.

In June our dinner discussion at Jan's house will be about Newfoundland author Michael Crummey and any of his novels: River Thieves, The Wreckage and Galore.  

Other books mentioned last night were:

• The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
• Midnight at the Dragon Cafe by Judy Fong Bates
• Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood

Other topics of interest:

• TED lecture about neo-evolution
• Luminato festival
• Hot Docs festival
• Alex Pangman - jazz singer
• Humber Cinema

Last night at Maureen's

We had a pleasant evening - great snacks (yummy cake!), excellent wine and lively discussion about Room among other things.  Thank you Maureen!




Three dates and locations were reserved:  April 26th at Wanda's, May 19th at Jo's and June 23rd at Jan's.

The book for April will be Brooklyn by Colm Toibin and in May we'll read by Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann.
I believe we left the book selection for June until later.

Also mentioned last night (if I remember correctly) were:  

• Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden
• The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman
• Cool Water by Dianne Warren
• Midnight at the Dragon Cafe by Judy Fong Bates
• Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong
• Being with Dying  Cultivating Compassion and Fearlessness in the Presence of Death by Joan Halifax    
• The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

Following up on some other topics here are links for Kiva, Le Select Bistro, Al Jazeera English and Twitter accounts for Harper, Ignatieff, Layton and May.

Hot Chocolate!

Just for fun...

A Short History of Women

Thank you Lynda for a super evening. 

Coincidentally the TED lecture this week addresses the issue of being female in the 20th (and 21st) century. 

Other books mentioned last night were :
The Man in the the Wooden Hat,  Old Filth and A Long Way to Verona by Jane Gardam,

Started Early, Took My Dog by KateAtkinson,

Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life by Karen Armstrong,

Eating People is Wrong by Malcolm Bradbury, and  

Chocolate Wars by Deborah Cadbury