August 2013

Dear Members,

As most of us are looking forward to Fall, there are certainly plenty of memories that have being made this summer- whether it's relaxing with a good read at the cottage, having a good laugh (or shriek) at the drive-in theatre, getting together with fellow members to welcome Canadian best-selling author Ania Szado at our meeting at Balzac's, or simply dancing the night away at the Beaches Jazz Festival: there were laughter and good company.

I want to thank everyone that came to our recent meeting, which took place this past Wednesday evening at Marche Restaurant. While there were a couple of members that were not able to attend (and for that we missed you lots!), I was happy to hear everyone's selections. This month's read, which was:

Pain, Parties, Work: Sylvia Plath in New York, Summer 1953

It was delightful to hear that everyone quite enjoyed the book! It was a light and easy read, with fascinating insight into the Sylvia before The Bell Jar, about society and women in the 1950's, and the ideas, values, and inspirations which Sylvia held. All agreed that this book is one which we would recommend to others.

As well, it was also our seasonal Book Swap! From Agatha Christie to Julia Stuart, there were books for everyone to take home! We also got into the topic of some fantastic places to eat around Toronto, and Sonya had some wonderful places to recommend (which, thankfully I had recorded for all to share- thanks Sonya!):

Libretto (located at Danforth and Logan) - fantastic pizza, I've been told!

Chino Loco (tasty good burritos)

Mercury Cafe (for great coffee)

Ed's Real Scoop (for some scrumptious ice cream before the temperature cools)

There are some upcoming events to check out in and outside the city which I am looking forward to:

Buskerfest

TIFF In The Park (free screening of films outside Roy Thompson Hall on Wednesday nights, the last screening of the season ends next week!)

Shakespeare in High Park (from Macbeth to Taming of the Shrew- there's something for everyone)

Visiting Wychwood Barns

Checking out plays such as Anything Goes (which one of our members Barbara has attended!)

Lastly, came our selections for September- as per tradition, I have carefully handpicked some great Mystery titles (and to that I am grateful for your wonderful feedback about these choices!!) There was an overwhelming majority vote for one particular title, and so our book club pick is:




Summary:
Meet Lucifer Box: Equal parts James Bond and Sherlock Holmes, with a twist of Monty Python and a dash of Austin Powers, Lucifer has a charming countenance and rapier wit that make him the guest all hostesses must have. And most do.
But few of his conquests know that Lucifer is also His Majesty''s most daring secret agent, at home in both London''s Imperial grandeur and in its underworld of despicable vice. So when Britain''s most prominent scientists begin turning up dead, there is only one man his country can turn to for help.

Following a dinnertime assassination, Lucifer is dispatched to uncover the whereabouts of missing agent Jocelyn Poop. Along the way he will give art lessons, be attacked by a poisonous centipede, bed a few choice specimens, and travel to Italy on business and pleasure. Aided by his hench woman Delilah; the beautiful, mysterious, and Dutch Miss Bella Pok; his boss, a dwarf who takes meetings in a lavatory; grizzled vulcanologist Emmanuel Quibble; and the impertinent, delicious, right-hand-boy Charlie Jackpot, Lucifer Box deduces and seduces his way from his elegant town house at Number 9 Downing Street (somebody has to live there) to the ruined city of Pompeii, to infiltrate a highly dangerous secret society that may hold the fate of the world in its claw-like grip--the Vesuvius Club.

Happy reading everyone!





“A book is made from a tree. It is an assemblage of flat, flexible parts (still called "leaves") imprinted with dark pigmented squiggles. One glance at it and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for thousands of years. Across the millennia, the author is speaking, clearly and silently, inside your head, directly to you. Writing is perhaps the greatest of human inventions, binding together people, citizens of distant epochs, who never knew one another. Books break the shackles of time ― proof that humans can work magic.”
-Carl Sagan

Our April Selection

“The love of learning, the sequestered nooks,

And all the sweet serenity of books” 

-Henry Longfellow

Dear Members,

Spring has arrived and this promises greener grass, the blossoming of the trees, and flora appearing from earth's surface. We yearn for warmer weather, but knowing we are one step closer to that fulfilment than where we were before three months ago- that provides much hope indeed.
I want to thank everyone that came to the previous meeting, where author Cathy Buchanan graciously accepted our invitation to join us. She was a very warm and open person, freely expressing aspects about The Painted Girls, where she had the chance to go to the Paris Opera and even watched a class! She announced the good news of the novel being optioned for a television series by the CW! While CW renders shows like Gossip Girl and America's Next Top Model, the CW hopes to lure an older demographic and The Painted Girls look to be promising. Fingers crossed it works out!


Back (from left to right): Barbara, Joanne, Eric
Front (from left to right): Shirley, author Cathy Buchanan, and Lauren
Photo taken by member JoAnneWhen asked about the title, originally it was supposed to be named another title, but with American publishers disagreeing on how the readers would view it, "The Painted Girls" seemed satisfying to both parties. She went in depth as to how they made her change the ending, which they thought was too depressing! Growing up near the Niagara Falls, she used to dance, which partially affected the origins of writing about ballet.
When asked about her favourite books, Ian McEwan appeared. She loved Sweet Tooth (where I observed lots of raised eyebrows ensued from the members!) and told us the one incident where during a Festival of Authors event at the Harbourfront where McEwan was there- all the Toronto authors were gathered around and McEwan was standing in a corner by himself, since everyone was so overwhelmed and seemed to be intimidated by him because-well, he's Ian McEwan! Cathy thought it silly and then went over to talk to him and found out he was a lovely gentleman indeed.
Overall it was a fantastic afternoon of discussion- it turns out that the owner of Balzac's is a close girlfriend of Cathy's! Small world indeed!


Interesting Notes:

I would love to hear everyone's thoughts about some ideas via email on some points:

During the month of May, we can do a Great Gatsby theme, as the movie is being released on the 10th! Interested?

As well, with next month, I was thinking of hosting another book swap- it's been awhile, so let me know if you're all interested!

With Studio Saint-Ex by Ania Szado as a previous selection-if everyone's interested, during the month of June, we will invite Ania to our meeting! Thanks to Cathy, I have her contact information so if all agrees, I'll set up a date right away!

Films to watch:

Renoir:
Official trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BENkbm28gNQ

Summary: The Côte d'Azur. 1915.
In his twilight years, celebrated impressionist Pierre-Auguste Renoir is tormented by
the loss of his wife, the pains of his arthritic old age and the terrible news that his
son Jean has been wounded in action.
But when a young girl miraculously enters his world, the old painter is filled with a
new, wholly unexpected energy. Blazing with life, radiantly beautiful, Andrée will
become his last model and the wellspring of a remarkable rejuvenation. Back at the
family home to convalesce, Jean too falls under the spell of the new, redheaded star
in the Renoir firmament. In their Mediterranean Eden - and in the face of his father's
fierce opposition - he falls in love with this wild, untamable spirit...and as he does so,
within weak-willed, battle-shaken Jean, a filmmaker begins to grow.
To The Wonder: Official trailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOruZ4EcQz8
Summary: After visiting Mont Saint-Michel, Marina and Neil come to Oklahoma, where problems arise. Marina meets a priest and fellow exile, who is struggling with his vocation, while Neil renews his ties with a childhood friend, Jane.

Before Midnight- Official trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IArsr-utUCA

Summary: In BEFORE MIDNIGHT, we meet Celine and Jesse 9 years on. Almost two decades have passed since that first meeting on a train bound for Vienna, and almost a decade since they reunited in Paris, and we now find them in their early 40's in Greece. Before the clock strikes midnight, we will again become part of their story.

Plus: Roman Holiday returns to the big screen for Cineplex's Classic Film Series, featuring Gregory Peck and the lovely Audrey Hepburn!
Opens May 5, 8th, 13th, 19th.at Yonge and Dundas.
Details: http://www.cineplex.com/Movies/MovieDetails/Roman-Holiday-A-Classic-Film-Series-Presentation.aspx?loc_cookie=toronto&tab=cineplex&date=2013-5-4



As it was member's choice, Cathy Buchanan had the honour of picking our next title out of a hat, and sure enough it was:

The Movement of Stars by Amy Brill

Summary:
A love story set in 1845 Nantucket, between a female astronomer and the unusual man who understands her dreams.

It is 1845, and Hannah Gardner Price has lived all twenty-four years of her life according to the principles of the Nantucket Quaker community in which she was raised, where simplicity and restraint are valued above all, and a woman's path is expected to lead to marriage and motherhood. But up on the rooftop each night, Hannah pursues a very different-and elusive-goal: discovering a comet and thereby winning a gold medal awarded by the King of Denmark, something unheard of for a woman.
And then she meets Isaac Martin, a young, dark-skinned whaler from the Azores who, like herself, has ambitions beyond his expected station in life. Drawn to his intellectual curiosity and honest manner, Hannah agrees to take Isaac on as a student. But when their shared interest in the stars develops into something deeper, Hannah's standing in the community begins to unravel, challenging her most fundamental beliefs about work and love, and ultimately changing the course of her life forever.
Inspired by the work of Maria Mitchell, the first professional female astronomer in America,The Movement of Stars is a richly drawn portrait of desire and ambition in the face of adversity.

Happy reading!

Our March Selection

“For to know a man's library is, in some measure, to know his mind.”

- Geraldine Brooks, March

Dear Members,

Despite how it feels outside right now, we can look forward to better days knowing that Spring weather is right around the corner! That means longer days, flowers blossoming, and more outdoor trips.
This month, we have something very special in store for the book club: but first, some fun and interesting events to look forward to next month around the city- I hope to see some of you there!

March 27: Authors at the Harbourfront Centre: Readings with Cathy Buchanan of The Painted Girls, Colin McAdam of A Beautiful Truth, and Taiye Selasi of Ghana Must Go.
April 2nd: Author M.L. Stedman, of "The Light Between Oceans", which was our August 2012 book club pick, will be doing a book signing at Indigo Bay and Bloor at 7pm!
April 11-14: The Toronto Art Expo will be at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre
April 17: The 1939 Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland, will be playing at Silvercity Fairview. Fun for those who love the classics.
April 20: Our meeting!

Special Announcement: 

It is with great pleasure to announce that we have secured yet another author visit in our next meeting! Cathy Buchanan of the best-selling novel, The Painted Girls, will be dropping by. As a result, this month's pick will be her latest book. Feel free to come with questions, and for those who may have already read The Painted Girls, you can give a try at her other novel, The Day the Falls Stood Still. Many thanks to our member JoAnne, who helped make this event possible. 

                                                   
Summary for The Painted Girls: A heart-ending, gripping novel set in belle époque Paris and inspired by the real-life model for Degas’s Little Dancer Aged 14 and by the era's most famous criminal trials. Following their father’s sudden death, the Van Goethem sisters find their lives upended. Without his wages, and with the small amount their laundress mother earns disappearing into the absinthe bottle, eviction seems imminent. With few options for work, Marie is dispatched to the Paris Opéra, where she will be trained to enter the famous Ballet and meet Edgar Degas. Her older sister, Antoinette, finds employment—and the love of a dangerous young man—as an extra in a stage adaptation of Émile Zola’s Naturalist masterpiece L’Assommoir. Set at a moment of profound artistic, cultural, and societal change,The Painted Girls is a tale of two remarkable sisters rendered uniquely vulnerable to the darker impulses of “civilized society.”

For more interesting tidbits, please visit her website!

Happy reading!

Our February Selection

“In a good bookroom you feel in some mysterious way that you are absorbing the wisdom contained in all the books through your skin, without even opening them.” -Mark Twain

Dear Members,

February is a month where, despite the terrible on-and-off encounters with snow storms, does provide the comfort that we are one month closer to Spring. Fantastic bookish events are taking place such as Freedom to Read Week (February 24th- March 2nd) where Canadians heighten their awareness that to read freely should never be taken for granted, discovering interesting titles that used to be banned in many countries.
There are lots of interesting reading pledges to take part of, including Random House of Canada's Reading Bingo Challenge!
I figured that as a book club we can all take part in this fun challenge- it also has a printable card for you to carry around- should be exciting to see which member completes the challenge first! Let's make sure to update one another during each meeting!
As well, HarperCollins Canada has once again, reinstated the 50 Book Pledge- a pledge to read 50 (or more if you dare!) books within the 2013 year. So far I have read five titles- as well, there's lots of interesting tidbits to unlock and contests should you sign up.
Thanks to Lauren who brought this up: those who were fond of our previous read, "The Light Between Oceans" by M.L. Stedman, the author herself will be doing a book signing in Toronto at Indigo on Bay and Bloor on April 2nd at 7pm.

Bookmobiles: If only there are more of these nowadays!
Happy reading everyone, and I'll see you next month!

Joanne

Meeting Update

Our February meeting took place at lovely Hart House at the University of Toronto's St. George campus. We caught up on one another's lives, what films we watched (lots to discuss as many were Oscar nominated!) and more importantly, what books we were reading! We discussed our previous book, 13 Reasons Why by Jay Asher- which proved to be quite the eye-opener, where the subject matter had a serious undertone. Additionally, we were able to vote on our next book club pick- and this one proves to be an interesting read.

Our Selection

Summary:

 Is there any difference between memory and invention? That is the question that fuels this stunning novel, written with the depth of character, the clarifying lyricism and the sly humor that have marked all of John Banville’s extraordinary works. And it is the question that haunts Alexander Cleave, an actor in the twilight of his career and of his life, as he plumbs the memories of his first—and perhaps only—love (he, fifteen years old, the woman more than twice his age, the mother of his best friend; the situation impossible, thrilling, devouring and finally devastating) . . . and of his daughter, lost to a kind of madness of mind and heart that Cleave can only fail to understand. When his dormant acting career is suddenly, inexplicably revived with a movie role portraying a man who may not be who he says he is, his young leading lady—famous and fragile—unwittingly gives him the opportunity to see with aching clarity the “chasm that yawns between the doing of a thing and the recollection of what was done.” Ancient Light is a profoundly moving meditation on love and loss, on the inscrutable immediacy of the past in our present lives, on how invention shapes memory and memory shapes the man. It is a book of spellbinding power and pathos from one of the greatest masters of prose at work today.

Our January Selection

“In a good bookroom you feel in some mysterious way that you are absorbing the wisdom contained in all the books through your skin, without even opening them.” 

-Mark Twain

Dear Members,

We are well under way in 2013! January came and went, and now that we've said our hellos to February, it seems that time is going quite fast!
For those who like to make resolutions, this is the perfect time to reflect and really stick to these goals. I for one, will do my very best to fulfil them all: some include travel plans, be more healthy, learn a new instrument, bike more, paint more, write more, and of course, read more!

I am beyond thrilled to realize that our lovely little book club has stepped into another year with great success. Looking back, we had some very fun and special moments, including a beach trip, a mystery murder event, inviting author C.S. Richardson along for a Q & A, and of course, catching up on everyone's lives and what they're reading! We welcome new faces, and look forward to seeing familiar ones.
I wish everyone a fantastic year- there are lots of things to look forward to! New places to meet, new titles to select, with possibly more authors to visit, and best of all- more picnics as we look forward to warmer weather- won't be long now!

Thank you all.

Joanne


Meeting Update

Our January 2013 meeting took place at Panera Bread on a Saturday. Everyone was catching up on the last films such as Les Mis, Django Unchained, Silver Linings Playbook, and much more. We discussed our previous read, Eowyn Ivey's The Snow Child, which many enjoyed. Characters such as Esther were unforgettable, as well as the love story between Faina and Garrett and the enduring trials and triumphs of Mabel and Jack out in Alaska in the 1920's. Many agree the ending was too much, especially with the disappearance of Faina, but overall the writing was wonderful, and the draw between what's real and what's fantasy about the "Snow Child" leaves us to ponder whether she was indeed, human or mythical.
Lastly, the draw for our January selection came about, and with a draw of a slip of paper picked by Lauren, our January book club pick is:

Summary: Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Note: I want to say that, during that very weekend the group met for our monthly meeting, I was in Montreal shortly after and read this book. Instantaneously, I was hooked, and I highly recommend everyone to follow this read- after the Amanda Todd incidents and many other similar occurrences, this is definitely a book which will raise many interesting questions that will make a fitting discussion in our next meeting. Many thanks to Shirley, who recommended this title in the first place.

See you all very soon in our February meeting!

Our December Selection

There is a privacy about it which no other season gives you.... In spring, summer and fall people sort of have an open season on each other; only in the winter, in the country, can you have longer, quiet stretches when you can savour belonging to yourself. 

 - Ruth Stout

Dear Members,

It's that time of year again:

Winter's here, and although the weather has been cold, we're keeping our fingers crossed for a White Christmas!There is lots to look forward to this month: spending more time with the family in the days to come, holiday dinners, skating around the Harbourfront or City Hall, sipping on hot apple cider and hot cocoa, sitting by the roaring fireplace with a book in one hand, winter lights strewn on the streets, making the city a lot more brighter, and the festive mood which settles on all of us at this time of year- the perfect way to reflect, relax, and prepare for the new year.

Meeting Update

Thank you to everyone who arrived at our December meeting, which took place at Marche Restaurant! We gathered around to discuss our previous read, which was Robin Sloan's Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore. What a refreshing read! All agreed on its wit as well as the humorous setting, where anything's feels possible. Sloan did a fantastic job in capturing our love of books by dedicating unique characters and an unforgettable plot to lighten up our own world.
We were all looking forward to a lot of interesting books made into films: from The Hobbit to Les Mis, there's something for everyone this holiday season on the silver screen!
Finally, we did our lovely Christmas gift exchanges! This year was definitely tea-themed- with combinations of unique gifts for the book lover.
I look forward to seeing new and old faces alike come the new year- may your holiday be merry and bright!

December Selection

Theme: Let It Snow

This month's pick had a lot of very unique choices! However, there was definitely an overwhelming vote for a particular title, which is very fitting for this season- so our December book club pick is:

Summary: Alaska, 1920: a brutal place to homestead, and especially tough for recent arrivals Jack and Mabel. Childless, they are drifting apart--he breaking under the weight of the work of the farm; she crumbling from loneliness and despair. In a moment of levity during the season''s first snowfall, they build a child out of snow. The next morning the snow child is gone--but they glimpse a young, blonde-haired girl running through the trees.

This little girl, who calls herself Faina, seems to be a child of the woods. She hunts with a red fox at her side, skims lightly across the snow, and somehow survives alone in the Alaskan wilderness. As Jack and Mabel struggle to understand this child who could have stepped from the pages of a fairy tale, they come to love her as their own daughter. But in this beautiful, violent place things are rarely as they appear, and what they eventually learn about Faina will transform all of them.

Happy Reading!



I hope everyone has a fantastic New Year's Eve, may 2013 be a wonderful year for all us!

Our November Selection

"I did not know people your age still read books," Penumbra says. He raises an eyebrow. "I was under the impression they read everything on their mobile phones."
"Not everyone. There are plenty of people who, you know—people who still like the smell of books."

-Robin Sloan

Dear Members,

November is a time where we shed the last few days of autumn, turning to the finer comforts of keeping warm by pulling out our favourite scarves and coats, as well as feeling nostalgic for the wonderful things we tend to seek out come Winter.

As the evenings turn colder, we find the perfect opportunity to sink into our armchairs with a cup of either tea, hot cocoa, or cider, and open up to our latest read. This month's theme, A Bookish Life,  is dedicated to a love of books and bookshops, where our selections contains plots which will make our hearts beat a little faster due to the sheer joy of finding ourselves being surrounded by these wonders!

Our Meeting:

We met up on Saturday, November the 17th at Panera Bread down on Yonge and Dundas. Thank you to all who came, we certainly had a wonderful time catching up on each others lives and the films/shows we saw this past month, as well as other reads we have been juggling with!

In terms of discussing our previous selection, which was Ian McEwan's Sweet Tooth- truth be told, despite the wonderful way in which McEwan writes, many were on the fence about liking the book, especially when it came to Serena and the way she handled her life during her days at MI5,and outside of MI5. Certainly, there were many things the book touched upon which were memorable- renderings of Cambridge, clues left behind in secretive places, not to mention the ending, all played an interesting role.

Finally, it came to the voting round, where our winning choice for this month is:

Summary: The Great Recession has shuffled Clay Jannon out of his life as a San Francisco web-design drone, and serendipity, sheer curiosity and the ability to climb a ladder like a monkey have landed him a new gig working the night shift at Mr. Penumbra?s 24-Hour Bookstore. But after just a few days on the job, Clay begins to realize that this store is even more curious than the name suggests. There are only a few customers, but they come in repeatedly and never seem to actually buy anything, instead ?checking out? impossibly obscure volumes from strange corners of the store, all according to some elaborate, long-standing arrangement with gnomic Mr. Penumbra. The store must be a front for something larger, Clay concludes, and soon he has embarked on a complex analysis of the customers?behaviour and roped his friends into helping him figure out just what?s going on. But once they bring their findings to Mr. Penumbra, they discover the secrets extend far beyond the walls of the bookstore.

With irresistible brio and dazzling intelligence, Robin Sloan has crafted a literary adventure story for the 21st century. Evoking both the fairy tale charm of Haruki Murakami and the enthusiastic novel-of-ideas wizardry of Neal Stephenson or a young Umberto Eco, but with a unique and feisty sensibility that?s rare to the world of literary fiction,Mr. Penumbra?s 24-Hour Bookstore is exactly what it sounds like: an establishment you have to enter and will never want to leave, a modern-day cabinet of wonders ready to give a jolt of energy to every curious reader, no matter what the time of day.

Also, make sure to check out the author's very interesting website where there are lots of interesting gems!

Happy reading!

Some bookish inspiration:

Some very interesting things to see and watch, all book-related!

The Biblio-Mat (this takes place right here in our very city!)

Guilty as charged.

Very interesting take on book spines!