Books we read in 2014

• Dec. - The Girl who was Saturday Night by Heather O'Neill
• Nov. - The things they carried by Tim O'Brien
• Oct. - The Vactioners by Emma Straub
• Sept- Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
• Aug - Middlemarch by George Eliot
• July - Middlemarch by George Eliot
• June - The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge
• May - The Flame Thrower by Rachel Kushner
• April - Escape from the Bedside by Sharon Baltman
• March - The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman
• February - The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
• January The Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela

Happy Holidays!

Elva - you did a wonderful job hosting, too bad John Turner didn't show up!  Great food, beautiful tree, love our book buttons and candy canes.  Barb, you were missed even though you tried to join in from afar.

A very fun gift exchange, lots of beautiful bowls and hoe soap!  Jacqueline, just know you will be missed... That's all... and know that we all know this was not an easy decision and appreciate your struggled with this choice.  Remember the door is always open to come back!  January will be hosted by Laura.  Happy Hoidays everyone!

December1st Book Club

Hello Everyone!

I am looking forward to hosting book club at my house and having our special Santa gift exchange!
Ho ho Hope you can all make it.
Still figuring out menu.....

Address;
353 Greer road
Avenue and Lawrence area
416 789 2966
There is parking on my street

Another great evening...

There's nothing quite like an evening spent chatting about books, life, love and family vacations to know how fortunate we really all are!  Carol, thanks for hosting.  Elva, hope you feel better soon.  Barb, you were missed.

Next month's book is Miriana's choice, she selected "The Things They Carried" by Tim O'Brien.  The gift exchange is set at $25 and we are meeting at Elva's house. Have a good month, see you in December!

November Book Club

Hi all.
I am actually going to make it to Book Club this month!   A blessing really, as I am the host.
I am still at 1028 Queen Street East right next door to the most ghetto bar in the east end.  Not to worry the drunk men are loud but harmless.
There is street parking out front and the meters don't need paying after 6pm I believe.
My apartment is still not complete so bear with me and my construction site.
Does everyone eat fish?  Can't remember.  Please remind me of all dietary restrictions.
Can't wait to see you all.
Call if you need to...
416-841-4117

Transported to Italy for a couple of hours...

Thanks Miriana for transporting us to Italy with all of your delicious homemade dishes, amazing you made everything without a real kitchen! Great food, good conversation and a book everyone enjoyed!

Next month's read is "The Vactioners" by Emma Straub.

OCTOBER BOOK CLUB

I am looking forward to hosting October Book Club.  My kitchen is still not renovated but I hope to distract you with some home cooked Italian food and wine while we discuss Beautiful Ruins.   :)

My address is 146 Westminster Ave.  We are one block north of High Park Blvd between Indian Rd and Sunnyside.  Westminster is a one way street traveling east.  You can reach me at 416.575.5714.

Hope to see you all on Monday at 7PM!

A Classic French meal!

If Middlemarch had been set in France they would have perhaps enjoyed a meal like we did this evening... Crystal, silver, fine wines, roast pork, green beans, and so much more.  Even little Parisian take away gifts! Christine you really out did yourself hosting this month!

Next month's book was selected by the table since Laura was unfortunately not able to attend,. Laura, we were all very sorry to hear about your friend.... we bumped you to January's book selector.  The overall consensus for those not present was regardless of whether book was read, listen to or watched it truly is a classic and well worth reading..

Until next month - enjoy Christine's selection which is apparently a light, humorous read!

MIDDLEMARCH BOOK CLUB @ 114 GRACE STREET

I am happy to host our MiddleMarch discussion this Monday September 8.
7pm 114 Grace Street 416 532 4770 (remember to park south of the stop sign on Grace (towards Pierre Eliott Trudeau school) - anywhere near my house they ticket at 8pm)
Pleases RSVP.  Hope to see you!

No August Book Club!

The August date for book club is being cancelled but the book is being moved forward to next month. Elva will host our December book club. Carolyn will facilitate a discussion of Middlemarch in September.

I've lost track of the book selectors and have no idea if the list on the blog is correct. Can someone confirm the next selectors? There have been a number of changes.

I am almost finished the book and I can definitely say that it gets better and way more interesting in the final chapters.

FUN AT THE SIMCOE RETREAT!!

Sun, Fun, Brain Games, Waffles and Book Club

The cottage book club was a great success. Thank you Laura for sharing your place with us. It was a wonderful weekend for all. In typical book club fashion there was excellent food, drink and conversation. Natalie facilitated a discussion of the book and then offered up a brain game that was targeted to those over 12. All of us who played were surprised at how hard the questions were and wondered if we had perhaps, decreased in brain function since age 12. There were several outbreaks of bad behavior that are not worth mentioning on the internet but we can say our club members are lively -- except for the one who fell asleep sitting up.

Day two featured dramatic water activities that included canoeing, swimming, canoe throwing and lots of laughter. We all agreed that Laura has a tippy canoe and that lifejackets are a good thing. This was followed by the waffle-off:  Carolyn and Barb making two different types of Belgian waffles. The men and boys started to arrive just after we cleaned up and the second part of the weekend was underway.

It was a good year. We are all well and lucky to have the company of amazing women! Next month's book is Middlemarch by George Eliot.

Audible.com has a special free audiobook download. You can sign up and get your free download and then cancel the service. I mention this because the amazing Juliet Stevenson is reading Middlemarch.

Cottage Book Club on the Brain

Hey Ladies..I sent you all an email to your personal accounts with the directions to the cottage. Looking forward to hosting all of you. I am missing Marianna and Jackie's email please forward it to me and my email to them. Ladies of the book club on Saturday and Sunday is family and friends. Let me know if you get the email!
Looking forward to it,
Laura

COTTAGE BOOK (June) and book for July....

JUNE:  The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge

I partly chose this book for selfish reasons:

1. It's been sitting on my shelf of books to read for some time
2. I used the author as an expert in one of my cases
3. The theories tie into or overlap the meditation I have recently been (trying) to do
4. I would like to read things that educate me in areas that I know little or nothing about

The book has excellent reviews and the stories are fascinating.  See links for details:

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/570172.The_Brain_That_Changes_Itself

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Brain_That_Changes_Itself

 

JULY:  Middlemarch by George Eliot

This is Carolyn's selection.  Link with details:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlemarch

Summer has arrived!

What a treat to sit outside enjoying the company of friends and good conversations while a top notch chef cooked dinner for us! Carolyn it was a lovely start to summer.

Next month's book is Natalie's choice - something about our brains and July's book is Middlemarch or maybe it was Middlesex.... Both Nat and Carolyn will update this info ASAP.

How fast can you go?

I will be hosting book club this month.  Please bring a jacket because it may a cool evening and I'm determined to be outside.   Bring your stories of first dates and speed.  I look forward to seeing everyone.  Please let me know who is coming.

508 Brunswick Ave. is just south of Dupont between Spadina and Bathurst.
416 899 3271

May's book choice

After much discussion the book selected for May is "The Flame Thrower" by Rachel Kushner.

We are at Caroline's house next and  maybe by the it will be warm, here's hoping!

Come meet the author!

Sharon Baltman will be joining us for book club next Monday so the regular routine will be slightly different... I'm going to try to start prompt @7 so we can get the full value out of having the author joining us.

Here's the plan...
7-730pm Sharon is going to explain her writing process and do a short 10min reading from the book
745pm Over dinner we will begin to discuss the book and finish up over desert
9pm Sharon has to leave

My address is 218 Rusholme Road 416-535-5785 Hope to see everyone!

A Lively discussion...

At one point tonight I realized we truly are a loud group!  Our lively discussions seemed to wander all over tonight which made the evening even more entertaining.  Christine, you picked a good book as it spurred us to discuss many different thing from Joe fresh clothes to masters swim clubs to Barb & Miriana's new boyfriend "Wab"!  Natalie thanks for hosting and for cooking a delicious meal.

Next month's date is May 5th which will seem early as this was late, fortunately our book is short.  "Escape from the Bedside" by Sharon Baltman is our book and the discussion is at my hose with the author joining us for dinner and discussion so bring your author questions!

April 7th Book Club Meeting - 166 Manning

Hey Ladies:

Hope to see you on Monday at 166 Manning Ave.

My place is just south of Dundas, a few blocks west of Bathurst, down the street from 7-11.  Just up the street (one way south) there is public parking.  Free parking on the roads if you can find.

I am buying all the food this weekend so please let me know if you will be attending.

Nat

Last Night in the Tallhouse we discussed the Orenda

Thanks Jacqueline for hosting us in the Tallhouse.You make great use of your small space. During the evening, many of us preferred to use our newly created names: Between Two Places; Cries a Lot; Moon Admirer; Lives near Trees.  Christine I can't remember your name, I can only remember the name your kids gave you: She Vacuums. We missed our absent members, return to us well, rested and full of adventure stories.

I can't remember the last time we started the book discussion during appetizers, continued through dinner and didn't stop, even after the next book was launched. Even then, there were grumblings that we didn't touch on all of the important subjects. Everyone enjoyed reading the book and most agreed that it was a book that could change Canada -- the current question before the panel on Canada Reads. There were differing opinions on whether the re-telling of the Jean de Brebeuf story was original or not and whether Joseph Boyden was aboriginal or not or even if that mattered.

Wab Kinew presented a spectacular spoken poem defending the Orenda on Canada Reads on Day 1. He also wears A Tribe Called Red t-shirt.

Next month's book choice is The Museum of Extraordinary Things by Alice Hoffman. See you all next month.

Feast in the Tallhouse

Don't worry there will not be any kettles at this gathering!

March 3rd @ 7p.m.

2191 Yonge Street
Suite 4201 North Tower
(look for the blue P between the TD bank signs for underground parking)

Home 647 931 9241
Mobile 647 248 3330

I look forward to discussing this fascinating read.

Next month's book

Barb thanks for hosting a terrific book club and cooking such a great meal.  The added complication of being white or black added a real connection to the book!  It looks like you have also chosen a great read for next month... Tonight's book discussion was spirited and thoughtful.... we've already started discussion over next month's author being Métis or not... Always a good sign when there is spirited discussion!

Here's next month's book The Orenda by Joseph Boyden 

The Long Walk to 4 Croft Street

I'm hosting book club at 4 Croft Street on Monday February 3. I am really looking forward to the discussion. I am loving the book, even though I find it long and contains too many names and details. Talk about the value of a good education!

Croft Street is a back alley running one way south. It is 1.5 blocks east of Bathurst and just north of College. Parking is tricky. There is no parking on Croft, try either Lippincott to the west or Borden to the east. You can also park on College Street but you have to pay until 9:00.

For those struggling, there is a great primer aimed at junior high students called Mandela for Young Beginners - kind of a highlights guide. I haven't seen the film, but that might be good too.

Let me know if you are coming, I promise not to cook mealies or prison food.

Mandela Sculpture

A friend of mine sent me this link, it is very timely.

http://www.designrulz.com/design/2013/05/amazing-nelson-mandela-sculpture/

Looks like 2014 will be an interesting year!l

After analysing Barb's stats, listening to Miriana's feedback as our newest member and contemplating Carolyn's vision on what we might read in 2014 I think we've decided to let the book selectors select whatever book they'd like with the goal of "learning something from the book" and attempting to select more diverse authors so we rank better stats next year!

If the first book club meeting of 2014 is any example of the broad discussions that can happen when discussing books and catching up on life we truly are in for an exciting year. We learned this while enjoying AMAZING food… Miriana thanks for hosting, your house is beautiful and I still don't believe you had children and a husband hiding upstairs, it was just too quiet! Your choice in takeout food was outstanding… kinda happy you didn't have a kitchen!

Next month's book is "Long Walk to Feedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela".

List of Books Read in 2013/14

The 100 year old man who climbed out the window and disappeared
Escape from Camp 14	Blaine Harden
Strangle Hold	Robert Rotenberg
The Chaperone	Laura Moriarty
A Paris Wife	Paula McLain
Message from the Masters	Brian Weiss
Interestings	Meg Wolitzer
Lean In	Sheryl Sandberg
Rush Home Road	Lori Lansens
A thousand mornings	Mary Oliver
The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim	Jonathon Coe

Happy New Year!

I hope everyone had a wonderful and relaxing holiday with plenty of time for reading :) Looking forward to seeing you all on Monday night at my place.  Hopefully this storm that is ravaging the east coast will let up and we will  make it back to TO in time!  My address is 146 Westminster Avenue.  It is one block north of High Park Blvd between Roncesvalles and High Park. It is a one way street going west.  I was really looking forward to making you guys a wonderful feast but we just had our floors redone and it doesn't look like the stove will be re -installed in time.  It may have to be take out this time around.  See you all soon and stay warm!!!
xo