Last book of the year

We met at Susan's to talk about Lucy by the Sea. There were mixed reviews in the room, and some of us hadn't finished the book. After our discussion will they be curious enough to explore the controversy that the book provoked? We may find out next month. We were in good hands with Susan, who makes hosting look easy. Thank you for a great afternoon. 

Next month we are starting the year with Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin. We will be at Wanda's house on Thursday January 11th at 1pm. 

A reminder that on Wednesday, February 21st we will be at Lynda's to talk about Foster by Claire Keegan. 

Books:

• Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
  
• Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein
• Burnham Wood by Eleanor Catton
• Chrysalis by Anuja Varghese  
• Profit Song by Paul Lynch

Watching: 

• Leave the World Behind (Netflix)
  
• The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem (Netflix)
  
• Miss Scarlet and the Duke (PBS)
• Shetland (BBC - Britbox)
  
• The Gilded Age (HBO)
  
• Dear Child (Netflix)
   

I found this introduction to Fresh Water for Flowers so interesting:

Best wishes for a wonderful Christmas, my book club friends.

Whatever 2024 brings we can always look forward to the time we spend together, talking and laughing - sharing our thoughts and enjoying the goodwill of dear friends. 

Happy New Year to us all!

November by the Lake

We had a great fall day for book club in November 2023 when we talked about Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue.  The events of the book happened a century ago but the themes were quite relevant today and the characters were well drawn and full of life. Jane made us very comfortable in her front room with a lovely array of nibbles. Thanks, Jane!

A reminder that the next book is Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout and we're meeting at Susan's on Thursday, December 14 - at 1:30 (instead of 1:00) because of an unavoidable appointment. 

I don't remember that we spoke about any other books but we did recommend a few things to watch. 

• The Last Detective (BritBox)
• Annika (Masterpiece PBS)
• Unforgotten (BritBox)
• Lessons in Chemistry (Apple TV+)
  

It's interesting to be reminded of Lucy Barton as Elizabeth Strout first imagined her. Here's a discussion about the first Lucy Barton book.

Second Summer

It is a week of summer temperatures when a sweater is enough warmth to be comfortable outdoors enjoying the fall colour display.

We gathered yesterday at Wanda's with Janice stepping up to do hosting duties - so both get a big thank you for providing such a pleasant afternoon. The orange theme for Halloween was fun and tasty. 

We took the opportunity of being together to spend some time planning for future pleasant afternoons.

Our next book will be Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue by Christine Higdon. We will be at Jane's house on Thursday November 16 to discuss it.

We will meet at Susan's on Thursday December 14 to talk about Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout.

Moving into 2024 we will begin on Thursday January 11 at Wanda's home again.  The book will be Fresh Water for Flowers by Valérie Perrin. 

Lynda will host on Wednesday February 21. Our book that day will be Foster by Claire Keegan.

Books We Noted:

• The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
• The Company We Keep by Frances Itani 
• The Son of the House by Cheluchi Onyemelukwe
• How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz 
• The Adversary by Michael Crummey 
• The Volunteers: How Halifax Women Won the Second World War by Lezlie Lowe
• Putin: His Life and Times by Philip Short
• The Land of Short Sentences by Stine Pilgaard 
• Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng 
• Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry 
• The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright 
• The Book Woman of  Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

September at Saara's

 

First of all - what an amazing piece of art Saara has installed on her balcony! A commissioned work, it was painted by Candice Tatum and designed to withstand the outdoor environment. Besides that, the afternoon was graced with artistically displayed snacks on the artisanal walnut charcuterie boards - and two desserts! The book, All the Colour in the World sparked conversation, and the five of us had plenty to talk about on many subjects. Thank you Saara!

Next month we will be meeting at Wanda's home, and Janice will be the host. The book will be The Librarianist by Patrick DeWitt. See you at 1 pm on Wednesday October 25.

Books of Note: 

• Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
• The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
  
• The Covenant of Water * by Abraham Verghese
• Tom Lake * by Ann Patchett
  
• Milkman * by Anna Burns
• This is Happiness * by Niall Williams  
• The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
• A Ghost in the Throat by Doireann Ní Ghríofa  
• Foster by Clare Keegan
• Small Things Like These by Clare Keegan
• Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall

What to Watch: 

• Bones of Crows
• Unforgotten
• Van der Valk
• Five Bedrooms
• Bad Sisters
• The Whale
• Mary Berry
• Barbie
• Oppenheimer
• Knowledge Network platform
   

Book Sanctuary - Toronto Public Library

 I came across a list from the Toronto Public Library of many books that are or have been banned.

https://account.torontopubliclibrary.ca/shared/the-book-sanctuary-collection/gDNNmd4wrgAMuGUM0hnE3R4AWR8sXZAGmj1cSHkZZzizHU9SAD

I wonder if it would be interesting to discuss this? Are there any books that we, as relatively enlightened people, would consider banning? How many complaints does it take for banning to occur?

Notably, Margaret Atwood has published an unburnable version of the Handmaid's Tale!

All Completely Fine

We met at my place yesterday to talk about Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine and we were all completely fine also. The weather forecast had warnings of storms but they didn't materialize. The book  was enjoyable and relatable with great humour, and the depiction of loneliness was poignant, especially after lockdown. 

We will meet again in September at Saara's house. Our book for the day will be All the Colour in the World by CS Richardson. The date is September 21st at 1 pm. 

In October the book will be The Librarianist by Patrick DeWitt. We will gather at Wanda's house for this occasion, but Janice will be the host. I believe the date for this is October 19 at 1 pm, but I hope someone will correct me if I got it wrong since I was busy with pie, etc. when we talked about it. 

My advance notes showed up with books I intended to mention.  They have been added to the list below, even though they weren't all mentioned when we were together. 

Books of Note: 

• The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
• Unearthing by Kyo Maclear
  
• Trust by Hernan Diaz
• Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Calahan
• Covid 19 and Ethics in Canada by Jon Parsons
• Bootstraps Need Boots by Hugh Segal
  
• Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong
• Tom Lake by Ann Patchett 
• In Love with the World by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoch
  

From cottage country

Reporting from Wasaga Beach:
The photo shows the nesting place of a lively little nuthatch - it is very tricky to capture a photo of the actual bird.

Here are the notes from those who were able to attend the July club meeting at Jo's.

Thank you Jo for hosting book club in such a beautiful setting; your backyard is so welcoming and tranquil. The treats were delicious, especially the cheesecake topped with fresh raspberries. Needless to say, a wonderful time was had by all.
Oh, and yes, we did discuss the book, Run Towards the Danger.

Thank you Jo for hosting in your idyllic oasis backyard.. your treats were delicious and getting together was balm for the soul.

Our next meeting is at Marian’s on August 10. We will be discussing Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.

Here are some books that were recommended for future consideration or just the pleasure of personal reading:

• Scars and Stars by Jesse Thistle
• How You Were Born by Kate Cayley
• All the Colour in the World by C.S. Richardson 
• The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen
   

Welcome Summer

Happy National Indigenous Peoples Day! 

In perfect weather, on the day before the summer solstice we met on Lynda's lovely back porch to talk about Nothing But the Truth by Maria Henein. The view of Lynda's leafy garden, and sharing snacks with friends only encouraged our conversation. Thank you to Lynda for hosting a pleasurable afternoon. 

Next month we will be at Jo's to talk about Run Towards the Danger by Sarah Polley. This will be on  Wednesday, July 12 at 1 pm.

On Thursday afternoon, August 10, we will be at Marian's condo. The book will be Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman.

Books We Mentioned: 

• 48 Clues in the Disappearance of my Sister by Joyce Carol Oates
• Old Babes in the Woods by Margaret Atwood
• The Visitation by Jenny Erpenbeck
• Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck
• On Earth we are Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
• Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan
  

And What We're Watching: 

• Anatomy of a Scandal (Netflix)
• Deadwood (Crave)
• Transatlantic (Netflix)
• Cunk on Earth (Netflix)
• Never Have I Ever (Netflix)
  

Here's a sampling of Philomena Cunk's interviews: 

Afternoon with friends

Those of us who could make it, met yesterday afternoon at Susan's. Top of mind was reminiscing about Maureen, and talking about how to memorialize her. We are looking for old photos if anyone has any, to bring to the celebration of her life. Also we will contribute to the collection for a park bench by the lake. We miss her.

Susan set out a lovely nosh for us, as usual. We talked about Rabbit Foot Bill, made plans for the next three months and shared other books that we have been reading or thinking about reading. 

In June, we will be meeting at Lynda's - Tuesday, the 20th at 1 pm - to talk about Nothing But the Truth: a memoir by Marie Henein. 

We will follow that in July with another Canadian memoir, Run Towards the Danger: confrontations with a body of memory by Sarah Polley. The date in July is Wednesday, the 12th and we will be at Jo's. 

I (Marian) will host on Thursday, August 10 and the book will be Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman - getting back to fiction.

Books we mentioned: 

• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• The Lost Daughter by Gill Paul
• Becoming Mrs. Lewis by Patti Callahan Henry
• Verity by Colleen Hoover
• The Personal Librarian by Marie Benedict
• Old Babes in the Woods by Margaret Atwood
  

Here are some more book suggestions from Jo:

Jasmine Sealy took home the $60,000 prize for The Island of Forgetting. The book, which is loosely inspired by Greek mythology, follows four generations of the family as they grapple with their past and try to shape their future.  The Vancouver-based Sealy was awarded the prize at an event at The Globe and Mail Centre in Toronto on Wednesday evening.

The other shortlisted authors, who each receive $6,000, include Billy-Ray Belcourt A Minor Chorus and André Forget for In The City of Pigs.

Rounding out the short list are Jessica Johns for Bad Cree, William Ping for Hollow Bamboo and Kai Thomas for In the Upper Country.

What we are watching: 

The Fabelmans

Women Talking

May 30 Meeting

Just for continuity let us record our most recent plan:

We will meet on Tuesday, May 30 at 1:00 pm at Susan's house. The book will be Rabbit Foot Bill by Helen Humphreys. 

It will be good to spend the afternoon together.

Missed it again

 I'm sorry that an urgent dental issue kept me from our last book club meeting. The following is taken from Jo's emailed notes.

Jane's place was lovely as always, the dogs were very well behaved and made everyone feel cozy. Food was great - some very lovely little samosas as well as other edibles and Tira Misu for dessert! 

The six of us took the liberty of choosing the book for next session - April 25th at Jan's apartment - Rabbit Foot Bill by Helen Humphries - there are plenty of copies in the library. 

Books 

• Ducks by Kate Beaton
• Moon of the Crusted Snow by Wabgeshig Rice
• The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O'Farrell
• Brown Boy by Omar Aziz
• When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O'Neill
• This Time That Place by Clarke Blaise
• Fayne: A Novel by Ann-Marie MacDonald
• Old Babes in the Woods by Margaret Atwood
• Noopiming: The Cure for White Ladies by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
  

Movies & TV

• A Good Person (movie) with Morgan Freeman and Florence Pugh - written, directed by Zach Braff
• Mr. Corman (series on Apple TV) about a grade 5 teacher written and directed by Joseph Gordon-Levitt
• Maestro in Blue ( series of Netflix). takes place in Corfu

Conversation between Emma Donoghue and Helen Humphreys to watch on YouTube

 

Here in February

Wanda hosted our February gathering yesterday afternoon. It was perfect. Together we found glimmers of hope and personal reasons to celebrate in a troubled world. Our book was Here the Dark by David Bergen. It was thought provoking; we might have spent more time talking about it.
It seems there is never enough time. 

One thing we did accomplish was a tentative plan for the spring months. We have chosen a few dates, and are starting again to host in alphabetical order. That means that Jane will be hosting the next meeting. It will be on April 4th at 1 pm and the book will be Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.

We chose April 25th for Jan to host, but are prepared to make a change because Jan did not actually have a say in this choice, being away yesterday. I believe that we chose May 30th to meet at Jo's place. I was answering a phone call when this was decided so I may have it wrong. There should be plenty of lead time to make a correction if needed. We did not make any further book selections. 

Some webinar lectures were recommended. Possibly lecture series like  Learning Unlimited Etobicoke, Lifelong Learning Mississauga and Thornhill Lifelong Learning are only improving since they have moved to an online format. 

Books we Mentioned

• China Unbound: a new world disorder by Joanna Chiu
• Run Towards the Danger by Sarah Polley
• Snow Falling on Cedars by David Gutterson
  
• Lungfish by Meghan Gilliss
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
  
• Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
• Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel
• The Relatives by Camilla Gibb
• This is Happy by Camilla Gibb
• Lessons In Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

What we are Watching

• Away from Her
• Tar
• Everything Everywhere All at Once
• The Banshees of Inisherin
• The Fabelmans
• Anne with an E
• The Detectorists
• The Undeclared War
• Truth and Lies
• All Creatures Great and Small
• Son of a Critch
  

 

Happy New Year

 

Goodbye to 2022 - welcome 2023!

Burning Questions

• What are we reading this month? 
• Where and when will we meet? 
• Was someone was taking notes at Saara's in December.

A Plan

The current plan is to meet at a restaurant on the lakeshore where we can eat, drink and make plans for our next few months. We will meet on January 17th at 1 pm at Eden Trattoria, on Marine Drive. 

Some Books:

• Here the Dark by David Bergen
• Unseen by Roy Jacobsen
• Women Talking by Miriam Toews
• Run towards the Danger by Sarah Polley

And a Movie:

• Women Talking