What We Can Know (or Corona?)

Next protest on May 30

Yesterday we met at Wanda's to talk about What We Can Know by Ian McEwen. We found the book's title to be a little obscure. But then, the narrative also depended quite often on the readers' piecing together clues. Wanda made us all at home with fancy cheese, lunch and our favorite orange chiffon cake for dessert. Thank you Wanda! The yummy cheese reminded me to mention Formaticum, from France, used to wrap cheese so it will stay fresh. 

We made plans for the next three months. Our next meeting will be at Jane's. We will be discussing The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris on Wednesday June 24th at 12 noon. 

On Wednesday, July 15 at noon we will be at Jo's to talk about London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe. 

In August we will take a drive to visit Jan and Jane, and talk about John of John by Douglas Stewart. This will be on Tuesday, August 10th at noon. 

 Books:

• London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe.
• Atonement by Ian McEwen
• On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwen
• Departures by Julian Barnes 
• The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris
• Book of Lives by Margaret Atwood
• Daughters of the Bamboo Grove by Barbara Demick
• The Romantic by William Boyd
• John of John by Douglas Stewart
• Who Needs Friends by Andrew McCarthy 

The Correspondent

 

We were only four at Saara's yesterday. Too bad the others had to miss a lovely afternoon of conversation and a yummy brunch. Saara always delights our taste buds. By contrast, the day was dark and as wet as April can sometimes be.  

The Correspondent provided several topics to discuss and think about. We enjoyed the epistolary format and the complex character of Sybil Van Antwerp. 

Next month the book will be What We Can Know by Ian McEwan. We will be meeting at Wanda's on Wednesday, May 13 at noon. 

On Saturday, April 25 there will be a province-wide protest against the many unfortunate changes that Doug Ford is bringing to Ontario. Maybe some of our group will join me in standing up for a better way. We mentioned Mark Carney, Jacinda Ardern, Zohran Mamdani (mayor of NYC) and Alexander Stubb of Finland as politicians who inspire respect, and give us hope. 

Books: 

• The Last Doctor by Jean Marmoreo
• Book of Lives by Margaret Atwood
• Departures by Julian Barnes 
• A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern

Video: 

• Big Mistakes  - Netflix 

Two books

What a winter we are having this year! Let's take heart with the first official day of spring this weekend. We were to meet at Saara's in February but had a last minute cancellation due to snow. It actually snowed yesterday again when we met at Susan's but the snow wasn't enough to interfere with our meeting. Susan offered us a cozy soup and sandwich lunch and some special delicacies for dessert - yum!  We discussed the two very different books - Pachinko and Pick a Colour. 

Since we missed going to Saara's in February we will go there next month. Jane will have to choose a later date. On Thursday April 16 we will go to Saara's at noon to talk about The Correspondent by Virginia Evans.

On Wednesday May 13 at noon we will meet at Wanda's. The book will be What We Can Know by Ian McEwan. 

Books:

• A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern
• What We Can Know by Ian McEwan 
• Flesh by David Szalay
• Daughters of the Bamboo Grove by Barbara Demick
• Here Comes the Sun by Bill McKibben
• Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
• Theo of Golden by Allen Levi 
• Night Swimmers by Roisin MaGuire
• One Aladdin Two Lamps by Jeanette Winterson
• The Glass Castle by Jeanette Walls
• Educated by Tara Westover

 Visit: 

• The Beatles and the Toronto Sound - AGO 
• Neilson Park Creative Centre 

Watch: 

• Pachinko  Apple TV
• Hamnet  

Pub Lunch

 It was a remarkably fine day in January to meet for lunch at The Duke of York. After a super meal followed by dessert - photo is sticky toffee pudding with vanilla ice cream on the side - we did some planning for our future meetings. 

Here's what I recorded in my calendar. Let me know if there are any mistakes since our negotiations about time and place became quite confusing. 

We had already decided to meet at Saara's on Wednesday, February 18 at noon. The book is Pachinko by Min Jin Lee.   

On Wednesday, March 18 we decided to meet at Susan's to talk about Pick a Colour by Souvankham Thammavongsa.

We will be at Jane's on Thursday, April 16 to talk about The Correspondent by Virginia Evans.  

And on Wednesday, May 13 we will go to Wanda's. My notes don't include a book title for this date but there's plenty of time to come up with one. 

Books: 

• Greenwood by Michael Christie
• Pick a Colour by Souvankham Thammavongsa
• The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

 Film: 

• Rental Family - in cinemas 
• Heated Rivalry - Crave
• Pachinko - Apple TV 

 

That's a Wrap, 2025

It is December and the weather outside looks like mid-January today. Luckily this snow was just beginning yesterday when we trekked out to Jo's to talk about Fire Weather by John Vaillant. Maybe it was the weightiness of the idea of climate change that set us off but we went on to grapple with other great imponderables like what's so great about Finland, the current state of feminism, race, anxiety, and life itself. Thank you to Jo for making us feel truly welcome and comfortable. It was a wonderful afternoon for the last meeting of the year.

We made tentative plans for the beginning of a new year. What does everyone think about meeting for lunch together at the Duke of York pub near the St. George subway station? How about Friday January 9th? Check your calendar.

The book we chose for February is Pachinko by Min Jin Lee. This book is the basis for the television series on AppleTV+.  Saara will host on February 18th at noon. 

Books:

• There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
• The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
• Pick a Colour by Souvankham Thammavongsa
• Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
• Better Now by Danielle Martin 

What to Watch: 

• Sisu - Netflix 
• Hamnet - in cinemas
• Rental Family - in cinemas
• Pachinko - AppleTV+ 

 

November

Susan Abulhawa wrote a heart-felt saga of a Palestinian family and the tragic legacy of conflict and grief. Mornings in Jenin blended fiction with the actual history of the monumental problem that festers in the Middle East. Though the subject was difficult, just being together in any circumstance is a pleasure that Lynda accented with a beautiful selection of delicacies. A memorable afternoon Lynda. Thank you!

Our next book is Fire Weather by John Vaillant. We will meet at Jo's on Tuesday, December 9th at noon to talk about it.

We talked about food and the idea of having prepared meals delivered fresh by FactorMeals and Summerhill Market. We learned about a remarkable holiday destination, Les Petits Cousins du Quebec in Dordogne France. Because sleep isn't always easy we shared ideas about slowing down our racing thoughts with meditation. Examples of apps for meditation were Plum Village and Insight. 

Notable Books: 

• There are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Safak 
• The Capital of Dreams by Heather O'Neill 
• Flesh by David Szalay 
• An Accidental Villain by Lyndon MacIntyre 
• That They May Face the Rising Sun by John McGahern 
• The Correspondent by Virginia Evans 
• We Will Not Be Saved a memoir of hope and resistance in the Amazon rainforest by Nemonte Nenquimo and Mitch Anderson 

 

The Relatives

 I'm so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.  L.M. Montgomery 

 October trees decorated our drive to Jane's yesterday where we had a cozy afternoon with friends. We enjoyed soup and snacks and Jane outdid herself with a beautiful and decadent gluten-free chocolate cake. The Relatives was a well-chosen book that sparked thoughtful conversation about the unique challenges of modern families. 

We finally got to make some decisions about the next few months. Our next meeting will be at Lynda's on Wednesday, November 12 at 12 pm.  The book will be Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa. 

Then, on Tuesday, December 9 at 12 pm we will be at Jo's to talk about Fire Weather: the making of a beast by John Vaillant.  

Books: 

• Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
• A Truce that is Not Peace by Miriam Toews
• Why Do I Write: You Might Not Like the Answer by Miriam Toews 
• The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
• Will There Ever Be Another You by Patricia Lockwood
• The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller
• The Rest of our Lives by Ben Markovits