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