I came across a list from the Toronto Public Library of many books that are or have been banned.
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!
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.
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:
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.
Here's a sampling of Philomena Cunk's interviews:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
