The December Edition

t's the most magical time of the year!

Matchbook Book Club presents The December Edition Dear Members,  'Tis the season to be jolly! Despite the lack of snow, December still holds a magical presence around us. It's that time of year where we get together with our beloved family and friends, bake lovely sweet goodies, and drink apple cider and mulled wine! The holiday season is also a time of reflection. We should always appreciate the simple things in life, and have gratitude for the positive things that take place in our everyday lives. Lastly, a major thank you to all of you dear members. We have shared a lot of happy, bookish memories and I look forward to many more in the new year. Have a safe and wonderful holiday season! Joanne   Christmas Gift Suggestions   To your enemy, forgiveness. To an opponent, tolerance. To a friend, your heart. To a customer, service. To all, charity. To every child, a good example. To yourself, respect.  'Twas a very festive time indeed with members all happy with their books and treats! A big thank you to everyone who came out to this month's meeting: with Christmas sweaters and gold paper crowns to boot, it reminded us of how lucky we are to be among friends and family. This holiday season, be with the ones you love. Thank you to everyone who voted on this month's pick! I couldn't have chosen a more fitting title to cozy ourselves with this holiday season! Enjoy! Summary: The charming story of the March sisters, Little Women has been adored by generations. Readers have rooted for Laurie in his pursuit of Jo's hand, cried over little Beth's death, and dreamed of travelling through Europe with old Aunt March and Amy. Future writers have found inspiration in Jo's devotion to her writing. In this simple, enthralling tale, both parts of which are included here, Louisa May Alcott has created four of American literature's most beloved women.  Watch: the film trailers for the classic Little Women with Judy Garland and Natalie Wood, as well as the1994 version! “The joy of brightening other lives, bearing each others’ burdens, easing others’ loads and supplanting empty hearts and lives with generous gifts becomes for us the magic of the holidays.” - W. C. Jones Our kind of tree! Future Event A new year dawns: I'll be seeing you all in 2016! A Doodle will has been made so vote for your dates and timeshere.  In the meantime, enjoy the holiday season! A very super touching John Lewis ad for the holiday season. Watch it here.

The November Edition

Second chances...

Matchbook Book Club presents The November Edition Dear Members, Lots of things have been taking place as of late, apologies for the late update! One of the greatest highlights of November was having author Ann Walmsley visit us during our meeting! It was such a wonderful Q & A with great questions and she was so kind to answer them all and give us a deeper insight into the lives of the men in prisons and how books can truly make a difference. In the meantime, the holiday season is fast approaching us, so stay tuned for lots of festivities! Take care! Joanne A big thank you to everyone who came to our meeting with special guest author Ann Walmsley of November's book club pick, The Prison Book Club! We had such a fabulous time listening to her stories and her incredible answers to our questions. She is such a lovely person, and we were happy that she was able to  give us an opportunity to have a "behind-the scenes" look at her book. Some fun questions we asked her: If you could ask anyone dead or living to dinner, who will it be? Winston Churchill. Was the title of your book your pick or the publisher's choices? It was my original title. (Interestingly enough, the Canadian cover edition actually has an image of Chapter One of her actual book!) What books are you currently reading at the moment? Boris Johnson's The Churchill Factor  What book is on your to-read list? Kenneth Oppel's The Nest One thing everyone agreed on was how wonderfully written the book was: poetic at times, it gave us a deeper understanding to how these inmates lived their lives behind bars. The book club gave these men something to look forward to, and it was great to have read how much of a positive impact books have made for these inmates. Well worth the read! November Selection: Mystery Thank you to everyone who submitted their votes! With a draw out of a hat, our current read is ( one that was picked by Kristin! ): Sidenote: there's also a film that is based on the book that you may want to look up (don't know how true to the book it was, but worth noting the contrasts!): watch the trailer here. Summary: On January 15, 1947, the torture-ravished body of a beautiful young woman is found in a Los Angeles vacant lot. The victim makes headlines as the Black Dahlia-and so begins the greatest manhunt in California history.Caught up in the investigation are Bucky Bleichert and Lee Blanchard: Warrants Squad cops, friends, and rivals in love with the same woman. But both are obsessed with the Dahlia-driven by dark needs to know everything about her past, to capture her killer, to possess the woman even in death. Their quest will take them on a hellish journey through the underbelly of postwar Hollywood, to the core of the dead girl's twisted life, past the extremes of their own psyches-into a region of total madness.