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: