The January Edition

Matchbook Book Club presents: The January Edition Dear Members, A new year means a fresh start: new goals are made, plans are fixed, and adventure is right around the corner! Best of all, it's exciting to know that we will be reading so many new books from authors new and old! 2016 also signifies that this book club has been around for five years. Five years! And as we approach our sixth year, it gives me butterflies in my stomach knowing that you, dear members, have made this little love project possible. So let's sit back on our favourite armchair, grab our choice of beverage (whether it be a glass of red or a cup of tea), sit by the fire with our book on our laps, and drink a toast to many more brighter and happier memories in the months to come. Thank you all, Joanne Thank you to everyone who came to this month's meeting! Despite the last minute change of venue (drats to places who do not accept reservations...we were NOT going to be waiting for 45 minutes at Insomnia, thank you very much). We trekked on over to Hey Lucy's for brunch at the Annex! In light of discussing our first read of the year, Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, there were mixed reviews of this classic. Those who watched the films compared and contrasted with what took place in the book. Additionally, fun questions were asked, including whom Jo would be friends with from other books (Hermione Granger and Anne Shirley were top choices!) Summary: Now a major motion picture starring Eddie Redmayne and directed by Tom Hooper, THE DANISH GIRL is a shockingly original novel about one of the most unusual and passionate love stories of the 20th century. Loosely inspired by a true story, this tender portrait of marriage asks: What do you do when the person you love has to change? It starts with a question, a simple favour asked by a wife of her husband while both are painting in their studio, setting off a transformation neither can anticipate. Uniting fact and fiction into an original romantic vision, The Danish Girl eloquently portrays the unique intimacy that defines every marriage and the remarkable story of Lili Elbe, a pioneer in transgender history, and the woman torn between loyalty to her marriage and her own ambitions and desires. The Danish Girl is an evocative and deeply moving novel about one of the most passionate and unusual love stories of the 20th century. I can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts about this book! Read the book, watch the film! Curious about the film? Check out the trailer here - both Eddie Redmayne and Alicia Vikander have both been nominated for the Oscars this year! Love to hear your thoughts! “My Best Friend is a person who will give me a book I have not read.”  - Abraham Lincoln

Copyright © 2016 Matchbook Book Club. All rights reserved. www.matchbookclub.blogspot.com

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 July Edition

“Without words, without writing and without books there would be no history, there could be no concept of humanity.”

Matchbook Book Club presents: The July Edition Theme: How Far We've Come Dear Members, What a glorious weekend we've had! With sunnier days and warmer nights, I hope everyone has been enjoying themselves! This month's pick will look at reads that will further deepen view of the human condition, whether it's about self-discovery, injustice overcome, or being inspired by the unexpected. Thank you to all who have voted for this month's selections! It was safe to say that it was an overwhelming yes for Harper Lee's  "Go Set A Watchman", the much anticipated runner-up to the classic, "To Kill A Mockingbird". "Go Set a Watchman" will debut on July 14th, and as a result, our upcoming meeting will be pushed a little later: regardless, for the ambitious readers among us- there's room for opportunity to read the first book as a refresher, or better yet, watch the film (who doesn't love Gregory Peck, my ultimate dream man?!) I think it's safe to say that this book will definitely lead a hearty round of discussions for our next meeting! I can't wait to hear what you have to say! In the meantime, enjoy the sunshine and stay bookish! Joanne “I wanted you to see what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you're licked before you begin, but you begin anyway and see it through no matter what.”  - Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird Summary: Originally written in the mid-1950s, Go Set a Watchman was the novel Harper Lee first submitted to her publishers before To Kill a Mockingbird. Assumed to have been lost, the manuscript was discovered in late 2014. Go Set a Watchman features many of the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird some twenty years later. Returning home to Maycomb to visit her father, Jean Louise Finch—Scout—struggles with issues both personal and political, involving Atticus, society, and the small Alabama town that shaped her. Exploring how the characters from To Kill a Mockingbird are adjusting to the turbulent events transforming mid-1950s America, Go Set a Watchman casts a fascinating new light on Harper Lee’s enduring classic. Moving, funny and compelling, it stands as a magnificent novel in its own right.  Happy reading!

Future Event In light of the Pan Am Games, we figured it would be best to meet more uptown this month. Location is to be announced- however due to the nature of the book's late release into the month, there is only one day we can call the meeting (the following weekend is a long weekend) here is aDoodle to vote for the times! Bookish love: a personal library shot from a beautiful home in Dallas. Beauty!

April/May Edition

Dear Members,

I hope everyone is doing well!

I am currently in Norway at the moment- so far, Scandinavia has been wonderful and there will be many tales to tell when upon return!!!!!!

Unfortunately, I won't be able to create a newsletter this month- rather, I wanted to touch base with you all:

Thank you to everyone who came out to our last gathering at the AGO for Sunday brunch: we all had tasty picks, and am happy to hear that our recent pick, The Girl With A Pearl Earring by Tracey Chevalier had a positive feedback by all. Definitely a read worth passing on! 

The film adaptation is also worth a watch if you haven't seen it already!

This month's pick: thanks to all who submitted their votes for this month's non-fiction picks! 

H Is For Hawk by Helen MacDonald:

I hope everyone has been enjoying it so far! 

Upcoming events:

Vote for our dates and time on the Doodle here! http://doodle.com/c9y4fh4pi99wcax7

Location is to be determined!

In the meantime, take care and I'll see you all soon!

Have a great weekend,

Joanne

Our February Edition

Matchbook Book Club presents: The February Edition Dear Members, I hope all is well! We're into the second month of the year and already we can't help but feel a bit dapper with the weather that we're having. However, Valentine's Day and Family Day long weekend is right around the corner, so hopefully everyone has the opportunity to unwind a little and enjoy a couple of good reads (or a few rather, for some!) In the meantime, continue to stay warm and I'll see you next month! Joanne Thank you to everyone who have turned up on a cold and snowing Sunday afternoon! I apologize for the slight wait and the lack of items on the menu that we really wanted (the waffles...why?!) I hope that the next time will be a lot better! We discussed our latest read, The Unquiet Dead by Ausma Khan. Overall, it was a fantastic read. Although slow at first, the plot thickened and was a page-turner right to the very end. The subject matter that ranged from the Bosnian War to domestic violence was worth discussing about while also noting that all too often, the world can sometimes be an unjust place. We are very lucky to be able to hold a Q & A with the author herself, thanks to Sonya's offer! Should you have a question or two, send me an e-mail as soon as possible. Otherwise, stay tuned for Ausma's answers! When it came to this month's selection, we encountered for the first time in our book club history, four titles  (Etta and Otto, The Remains of the Day, A Spool of Blue Thread, I Capture The Castle) that were caught in a tie! To be fair, the next fair step was to draw these titles out of a toque- and the winner: Summary: From the beloved Pulitzer Prize-winning author--now in the fiftieth year of her remarkable career--a brilliantly observed, joyful and wrenching, funny and true new novel that reveals, as only she can, the very nature of a family's life.       "It was a beautiful, breezy, yellow-and-green afternoon." This is the way Abby Whitshank always begins the story of how she fell in love with Red that day in July 1959. The whole family--their two daughters and two sons, their grandchildren, even their faithful old dog--is on the porch, listening contentedly as Abby tells the tale they have heard so many times before. And yet this gathering is different too: Abby and Red are growing older, and decisions must be made about how best to look after them, and the fate of the house so lovingly built by Red's father. Brimming with the luminous insight, humor, and compassion that are Anne Tyler's hallmarks, this capacious novel takes us across three generations of the Whitshanks, their shared stories and long-held secrets, all the unguarded and richly lived moments that combine to define who and what they are as a family. Enjoy!!

Our March Selection Already wondering what our next month's theme is? It's definitely one with a twist: The Book You'd Grab If You Could Take Only One Book With You Your house goes on fire and you could only rescue one book out of the many you have in your shelves. What would it be? It could be a classic from your childhood days that you've cherished, or a recent book you've relished and just can't put down. You decide, dear members! "Beware of the person with one book." -Thomas Aquinas Well said! Future Event Our next meeting will be taking place during the middle of March. A Doodle has been created, so check your inbox. Next month's location will possibly be at the wonderful Grapefruit Moon for brunch! I'm still working out reservations with them, so stay tuned!

Our January Edition

Brighter beginnings...

Matchbook Book Club presents: January 2015 Newsletter "With freedom, books, flowers, and the moon, who could not be happy?"- Oscar Wilde Dear Members, Apologies for sending this newsletter on the last day of the month, please forgive me: I've been super crazy busy this past month and as a result, time flew by all too fast!! I hope everyone has been doing well! January certainly carries an air of of renewal, of brightened spirits and new memories. This year, I will be heading out to several destinations in Europe- I want to make 2015 the year of adventure. What does 2015 mean to you? A new year also means one thing: new books! There are some fantastic reads I am looking forward to this year- I can't wait to share and discuss with you all! See you all very soon! Joanne Thank you to everyone who attended last month's meeting, where we had Sunday brunch at the beautiful Cluny restaurant at the heart of the Distillery District! It was a hearty catch-up to see how everyone was over the holidays and to discuss our previous book, The Table of Less Valued Knights by Marie Phillips. Overall, the feedback was positive- a great start to the bookish new year! Not only was it funny, but it was a page-turner and full of good cheer. Everyone enjoyed the ending, and the story was well-written. Highly recommended for all! Many thanks to those who have submitted their titles for this month's Member's Choice! We placed all the titles into a bag and Shirley had the honours of selecting this month's winner, which was Sonya's choice! Enjoy! I can't wait to discuss this book next month! Summary: Despite their many differences, Detective Rachel Getty trusts her boss, Esa Khattak, implicitly. But she’s still uneasy at Khattak’s tight-lipped secrecy when he asks her to look into Christopher Drayton’s death. Drayton’s apparently accidental fall from a cliff doesn’t seem to warrant a police investigation, particularly not from Rachel and Khattak’s team, which handles minority-sensitive cases. But when she learns that Drayton may have been living under an assumed name, Rachel begins to understand why Khattak is tip-toeing around this case. It soon comes to light that Drayton may have been a war criminal with ties to the Srebrenica massacre of 1995. If that’s true, any number of people might have had reason to help Drayton to his death, and a murder investigation could have far-reaching ripples throughout the community. But as Rachel and Khattak dig deeper into the life and death of Christopher Drayton, every question seems to lead only to more questions, with no easy answers. Had the specters of Srebrenica returned to haunt Drayton at the end, or had he been keeping secrets of an entirely different nature? Or, after all, did a man just fall to his death from the Bluffs? In her spellbinding debut, Ausma Zehanat Khan has written a complex and provocative story of loss, redemption, and the cost of justice that will linger with readers long after turning the final page.  Reading Bingo Challenge: The Canadian Edition! This year, I thought it would be super fun to take part in Random House's Bingo Challenge! I have given away copies of this Bingo sheet in the previous meeting, but for those who could not attend, do feel free to print out one for your own here. One rule we have applied is that no member should cross off two squares at the same time- that way it'll be fair for all! Feel free to bring your card to the meetings and we can compare! So far with our latest pick, we can cross off "A Mystery or Thriller by a Canadian Author" and "A Book Set in Toronto". Have fun! Future Event Our next meeting will be taking place in the middle of February. ADoodle has been placed so vote for your dates! Location: a place we haven't gone in awhile, but we have been quite fond of their brunch: Wind Up Bird Cafe. See you there! Member's Recommendations Shirley found a very lovely post to share with you all: 15 Ways To Prove You're A Book Addict: here is the link See how many you've checked off! I also found this very humorous article: 8 Things Only People In Book Clubs Know: read it here February Selections Theme: I Carry It In My Heart Inspired by the words of E.E. Cummings, this month will showcase titles that will inspire and take us to a poignant moment in our lives where we have felt sentiment at its most radiant, a place in time that we have cherished deeply. Stay tuned!