The August Edition

"Read in order to live." -Gustave Flaubert

Matchbook Book Club presents: The August Edition Dear Members, What a summer this has been so far! I hope that everyone's been having a very exciting month, however, the best is yet to come. August is just around the corner and with that, more events to enjoy and books to read! As well, I'm hoping to see you all this weekend at the Waterfront Night Market- it should be a blast! Enjoy the upcoming weekend, and let's soak up the sun while we can! Cheers, Joanne Thank you to everyone who turned up at this month's meeting! Due to drabby weather conditions, we had to move it indoors at Marche, but it was still a great gathering. This month's pick, Serena by Ron Rash, had quite the feedback, and there were some of us who loved the book and couldn't wait to see the film, while others didn't like it at all! One thing's for sure: while the writing was fantastic, the characters themselves were hard to wrap our heads around (ahem, Serena). I'm curious to see how the film would turn out, but in the meantime, I have found some film stills to amuse us: For you, dear book club members: In the previous meetings, you were able to hear the wonderful news that in light of the book club's third anniversary, Eric has gifted us custom made bookmarks that are spill-proof, which the design was lovingly decided by all of us. It would be ready next month, so I can't wait to see the final results! Stay turned for our custom made canvas book bag! Our August Pick: The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel! Summary:  All aboard for an action-packed escapade from the internationally bestselling author of Airborne and the Silverwing trilogy. The Boundless, the greatest train ever built, is on its maiden voyage across the country, and first-class passenger Will Everett is about to embark on the adventure of his life! When Will ends up in possession of the key to a train car containing priceless treasures, he becomes the target of sinister figures from his past. In order to survive, Will must join a traveling circus, enlisting the aid of Mr. Dorian, the ringmaster and leader of the troupe, and Maren, a girl his age who is an expert escape artist. With villains fast on their heels, can Will and Maren reach Will's father and save The Boundlessbefore someone winds up dead? To learn more about the world of The Boundless, as well as Kenneth Oppel, visit his website! I may have a little treat for us coming up, should it work out: I have extended an invitation to Mr. Oppel to join us at our next meeting (fingers crossed everyone!) If that does not work out, there may possibly be an Author Q & A to which you can submit your questions about the book and the author himself! Stay tuned! FUTURE EVENT Our next meeting will be taking place in the middle of the month next week: vote on the Doodle today! In light of our "Books to Film" theme last month, I was able to find a trailer and a clip to these selections below. We can possibly watch this together for our Movie Nights. Enjoy! Watch the trailer for Hector and the Search for Happiness here! Starring Simon Pegg and Rosamund Pike. Watch The Hundred-Foot Journey trailer here! Starring Helen Mirren.

Our July Edition

Matchbook Book Club presents: The July Edition   “And so with the sunshine and the great bursts of leaves growing on the trees, just as things grow in fast movies, I had that familiar conviction that life was beginning over again with the summer.”  -F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby   Dear Members, This past weekend, we've celebrated a lot of things: first day of summer (hurrah!), my birthday (golly!) and of course: our book club's THIRD anniversary!!!!!! I can't believe it's already been three years. Time sure does fly. Before you know it, we can look back and say we've all been together for TEN years down the road: now wouldn't that be something!! That being said, a big, big thank you to everyone who became a part of what this book club stands for: great company, great food, great books. You are what made this book club so very special. Cheers! Joanne Thank you to everyone who had come out to this month's meeting where we discussed out latest pick,  The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway. It was safe to say, that there was overwhelming praise for the book and one which we'll highly recommend to others.  As promised, here is the  Adagio that the cellist played throughout the book for twenty-two days. A deeply haunting and unforgettable piece, I hope you enjoy! With that being said, thank you to everyone who have voted for our latest "From Books to Film" theme. There were lots of great selections, to which I know we will add them on our "To Be Read" list! This month's pick will soon hit theatres, starring Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper: Summary: The year is 1929, and newlyweds George and Serena Pemberton travel from Boston to the North Carolina mountains where they plan to create a timber empire. Although George has already lived in the camp long enough to father an illegitimate child, Serena is new to the mountains—but she soon shows herself to be the equal of any man, overseeing crews, hunting rattle-snakes, even saving her husband's life in the wilderness. Together this lord and lady of the woodlands ruthlessly kill or vanquish all who fall out of favor. Yet when Serena learns that she will never bear a child, she sets out to murder the son George fathered without her. Mother and child begin a struggle for their lives, and when Serena suspects George is protecting his illegitimate family, the Pembertons' intense, passionate marriage starts to unravel as the story moves toward its shocking reckoning. Rash's masterful balance of violence and beauty yields a riveting novel that, at its core, tells of love both honored and betrayed.

Our June Edition

Matchbook Book Club presents:  The June Edition   Dear Members, I hope that everyone has been doing very well this month! With the coming of June means that summertime weather is here to stay. June has always had a special place in my heart for two reasons: my birthday (eeek!) and our book club's THIRD anniversary!! It seems like it was almost yesterday that we have all met for the first time on a warm afternoon in Yorkville. And since then, you have continued to make this book club a bright haven for all things bookish and full of laughter. We have shared a lot of discussions and happy memories together- not to mention trying interesting restaurants along the way! So I would like to say a warm thank you from the bottom of my heart. I love you all: you have made Matchbook the best book club a bookworm could ever dream of. Here's to more wonderful memories! Cheers, Joanne  From left to right: Eric, Emily, Stephanie, Joanne, Jennifer, Lauren, Shirley Photo taker: JoAnn   A big thanks to all that turned up over the long weekend! We discussed our latest read, Frog Music by Emma Donoghue. From our discussions,  it seemed that this book was a miss. While the writing was good, the characters seem to be forgettable and at times, irritable (Blanche anyone?). We all agreed that  Jenny was a character we would much rather know more of, especially with her mysterious past. However, there were interesting passages in between but overall, would we re-read Frog Music? Probably not! This month's theme was The Book You Pretended To Read- great reaction from all of you! It was very fun playing around with this theme! As per tradition, we threw in everyone's picks in a hat (thanks to Shirley for lending us her cap!) and our selection for this month is: Summary: In a city under siege, four people whose lives have been upended are ultimately reminded of what it is to be human. From his window, a musician sees twenty-two of his friends and neighbors waiting in a breadline. Then, in a flash, they are killed by a mortar attack. In an act of defiance, the man picks up his cello and decides to play at the site of the shelling for twenty-two days, honoring their memory. Elsewhere, a young man leaves home to collect drinking water for his family and, in the face of danger, must weigh the value of generosity against selfish survivalism. A third man, older, sets off in search of bread and distraction and instead runs into a long-ago friend who reminds him of the city he thought he had lost, and the man he once was. As both men are drawn into the orbit of cello music, a fourth character- a young woman, a sniper- holds the fate of the cellist in her hands. As she protects him with her life, her own army prepares to challenge the kind of person she has become. A novel of great intensity and power, and inspired by a true story, The Cellist of Sarajevo poignantly explores how war can change one's definition of humanity, the effect of music on our emotional endurance, and how a romance with the rituals of daily life can itself be a form of resistance. Oh boy, this book seems to be quite promising: I can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts on the book! Happy reading! Saying goodbye to: Maya Angelou "When we decide to be happy we accept the responsibility to bring happiness to someone else."