First Book Club of 2018

I hope that everyone enjoyed the holidays.  Personally, I'm thrilled Christmas is over.
I will be hosting on Monday January 08, 2018
508 Brunswick Ave. TO ON
416 899 3271
7pm


Who's coming?

DECEMBER BOOK CHOICE

Although I do hope we get to read What Happened at some point during this Difficult Women year, I am not selecting it for this month.  I am feeling fiction for the holidays so I have selected Difficult Women by Roxane Gay.  It is a collection of short stories and seems to be on theme!

Hi ladies,
I am so sad I missed last night.  Work wrapped up at the midnight hour so I truly could not make it.
I had hoped to attend as I enjoyed the book, love our gift exchange and miss you girls so much.
I hope each of you has a fantastic holiday and a great start to the new year.
I sadly will be missing our first book club of 2018 as I will be in India for a month for a bit of relaxation.  I will be back in Feb and can't wait to rejoin the group.
Love to you all.
xoxoxo

Blog with the "What Happened" book club

Hi all. Here is the blog that is looking at "What Happened" in its own once per month book club. I think they are up to chapter 8 right now. Good book choice for last night, even though I hated it. It certainly was topical and generated lots of discussion. I like this "difficult women" theme.
http://www.shakesville.com/

Next Book!

Such a great book club tonight. Thanks for hosting Marney.  I loved everything, the food, the company, the tree, the gifts...   I am sorry I had to race out so quickly.  I will confirm the December book in the next couple of days.

xoxoxo
Miriana

We made the list!

The Power is on the list... yeah Carolyn for choosing so well!

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/books/review/10-best-books-2017.html

Next Monday - December 4th

Just a reminder next Monday’s book club is our holiday celebration to toast the season.  I’m guessing there will also be a heated discussion around Carolyn’s book choice - wow quite the kickstart read to our new theme!

Please let me know if you have any food allergies (outside of what I already know about my own, Christine and Jane food choices) Don’t forget your Secret Santa gift - $25 range.

My address is 218 Rusholme Road, door on right is my place.  Parking on street or you can pull your car in the back if there’s no street parking... only hitch to parking in back is yoi’ll Need to back out of driveway as no where to turn around.

Looking forward to seeing everyone!  Marney

Dec 4th - Gift Swap?

Hi Ladies,

Just wondering if we'll be doing a gift swap at the December meet up like we did last year. I'd like to! If so, what is the spending limit?

Very much looking forward to seeing everyone on the 4th!

Best,

Julia

The next book.....The Power by Naomi Alderman

Book Club Planning for 2017/18

It was a real treat to hear Claire Messud interviewed by Tina Srebotnjak. It was like being an observer at a smart book club discussion. Claire had some interesting observations about the work and opinions on writing. We liked it so much we thought that we should do it again.

The November book club date is moved to Monday October 30 and will be at the Toronto Reference Library. Jennifer Egan (The Goon Squad) has a new book Manhattan Beach.  The plan is to read this and attend the talk.

I  need several volunteers to log in and book tickets for the event. The ticket booking will take place at 9:00am Tuesday October 10^th. Reply on the blog and I will send you a reminder with the link. It is easy to book the ticket from a computer or on your phone using the Eventbrite App.

We also had time to enjoy a nice dinner at Terroni, hear about Jane’s adventures in Italy, decide the theme for next year and arrange the hosting and facilitating plan. We picked the theme Difficult Women. This is intended to be a broad topic where the difficult woman could be the author or a character in the book. You decide how to interpret this and select a literary form: fiction, non-fiction, poetry or ???? We will begin with the theme for the December meeting.

I have posted the dates for hosting and facilitating here on the blog. There may need to be changes. If your dates don’t work see if you can switch with someone or respond here on the blog.

Hi All,

I have an extra ticket and just want to make sure no one needs it before I try to get rid of it online. Does anyone not have a ticket yet?

Thanks and looking forward to tonight!

Julia

October Book Club

We have tickets to see Claire Messud at the Toronto Reference Library on October 2nd at 7:00 pm. Claire will be reading from and speaking about her new book The Burning Girl, a story about a childhood friendship.

I suggest getting to the library anytime after 6:00. They will open the room and the bar where we can find out seats and catch up. The talk should last just over an hour. After the talk, we can walk up the street to Terroni for a bite to eat and for our own discussion of the book.

What We Read 2016-2017

This was the year of the gothic and horror theme.

Dracula by Bram Stoker
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes
Beloved by Toni Morrison
The Monk by Matthew Lewis
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Penance by Kanae Minato
Interview with a Vampire by Anne rice
A Good Man is Hard to Find and other Short Stories by Flannery O'Conner

Laughter truly is the best medicine!

The stories told tonight could not have been made up... Christine's mom charged as a potential murderer... Julia's near fatal yet fortunately only a close call car accident and Carolyn's BBQ / Barb McGeough ashes story... I'm so grateful I came to book club... wow we all certainly have complex lives!

Carol thank you for hosting such a wonderful evening and providing Natalie with her requested birthday ice cream cake!  Everything was so tasty.  Next month is at the reference library with dinner/drinks afterwards at Terroni's.

The theme for the year will be set next month but personally I'm partial to Barb's theme "difficult women"... gives some structure with lots of choice.  I won't be at October's meeting but I give my vote to Jane as I had her vote tonight even though we never voted... too much intrigue and laughter to set a new direction.

When you set the hosting calendar I'm happy to host in December... I'm hopeful book club will motivate me to get into the holiday spirit... I love Christmas I'm just not certain what hosting book club or Christmas looks like without Lester (he always did all the cooking) so I'll jump in with both feet and lean in all of you to help me navigate this new life.

Happy Fall!

Sept 11

Hi ladies.
Happy first day of school to you all.
Next week book club is at my house, 1028 Queen Street East (Queen east and Pape). I will leave the door open as I don't have a doorbell STILL!
I will try to have us outside but no guarantees.
See you soon.

Out There Idea for October

The Toronto Public Library hosts free lectures and talks by excellent authors.  On Monday October 2nd, the same night as our October book club,  Claire Messud will talk about her new book: The Burning Girl. The book sounds interesting: it is a coming of age story about an intimate female friendship. Claire also sounds intriguing as she likes to write about "difficult women." https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/10/magazine/whos-afraid-of-claire-messud.html?mcubz=3

Would the group be interested in reading this book and attending the author lecture for our October book club date? The lecture is 7:00 - 8:00 pm at the Toronto Reference Library. The tickets are free, but we need to sign up for them in advance. For this lecture we need too book  at 9:00 am on Monday morning September 11. A single person can book 2 tickets, so we would need to have 5 people sign up to get the tickets before they run out.

After the event, we could grab a bite to eat in the neighborhood and de-brief.

If we want to do this, we will  need to coordinate this via the blog before our next book club. Let me know.

AUGUST BOOK!

Hello Friends,

I hope you all had a great time at the cottage.  I look forward to hearing all of the stories.

For this month's book, I have selected Flannery O'Conner's A Good Man is Hard to Find and Other Short Stories.  So it is Southern Gothic this time around and short stories for a change.

Unfortunately,  I will not be able to attend the August book club as I will be on the east coast.  I just realized how late in the month we are meeting......

I can send through discussion questions, or I could switch with Christine for book selection duties this month.  Or since we are reading short stories, maybe we can just pick a couple and meet on July 31st instead?  So many options.....

xo
Miriana

Cottage book club who is coming?

Christine did you get the cottage email? I sent it to your hotmail? Give me your address if you didint get it: I have it so far I have coming
Carol
Carolyn
Barb
Natalie
Marney (fingers crossed maybe)
Me
Have yet to hear from:
Julia
Mariana
Christine
Does anyone know if they are coming?

Cottage Book Club

Ladies:
Looking forward to hosting you at the cottage for what I think is the 10th annual retreat! I sent a separate email to all of you so please respond there.
See you at the lake,
Laura

Beautiful Outdoor Evening on College Street

It was a lovely evening on College sitting under the heaters at Sotto Voco where we drank rose and talked about Penance. Thank you Carolyn (and Marc in absentia) for hosting an evening with a backyard kind of feel. Food, drink and discussion were wonderful, as always.

Our next book club will be at Laura's cottage July 8th. The book will be Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice.

Julia is looking for a date to host us in Creemore where she, Carl and Theo are farming and making pizzas this summer. Stay tuned.

Penace is Negotiating With a Loved One

I'm hosting book club this month and we have some light construction happening in the house.

Where: I will use this to my advantage and host at Sotte Voce on 595 College St.

Time: 7pm

Who's coming?

Jane's book is published!

One of the highlights from tonight was also to see Jane open a box full of her hot off the press new book "Writing Menopause"!  Signed copy $25... for book club members that is!

Her book launch is in Kensington Market next month.  Perhaps we can add this to our summer reading list and discuss as a group in September.

June's book is "Penance"

"Penance" by Kanae Minato - can't guarantee it's a true gothic novel but there is a murder and a curse involved plus it's a short read!

Here's hoping everyone makes to June's book club, Carolyn is hosting.  Laura also wanted to remind everyone the cottage weekend is Saturday July 8th so mark your calendars.

May 1st book club!

I'm looking forward to hosting on Monday... dinner is likely salad and pasta but please let me know if you have any food restrictions so I can adapt.

My address is 218 Rusholme Road, south of Bloor, west of Dovercourt.  Parking on the street and if you ride your bike over we can put it in the garage or in the bike room.

See you then, let me know if you can not make it.  Marney.

What a great puppy.... and discussion!

Natalie - thanks for hosting even though you didn't have time to read the book now that you are a new puppy mom!  Scully is the cutest puppy ever!  It was a delicious dinner, thank you.

Next month's book is Jane's choice - she loved the book so hopefully we will as well.  "Lincoln in the Bardo" by George Saunders. Enjoy!


Next month is at my place - looking forward to hosting!  Happy spring!

Time Flyz

Hello Ladies:

I will be hosting you on Monday at 166 Manning Ave, just south of Dundas one way.  Please remind me of dietary restrictions and let me know if you will be making it. 🍅

Natalie

The Monk: A Romance by Matthew Lewis

Ladies: I was sad to miss tonight especially at the last minute. I hope the book I've selected works out. It claims to be one of the best Gothic books of all time. I thought it was fitting, it is reviewed as scary and controversial.  You know I like to bring a bit of Religion to book club. Below is a bit of  a description: 

The Monk: A Romance is a Gothic novel by Matthew Gregory Lewis, published in 1796. A quickly written book from early in Lewis's career (in one letter he claimed to have written it in ten weeks, but other correspondence suggests that he had at least started it, or something similar, a couple of years earlier^[1]), it was published before he turned twenty. Its convoluted and scandalous plot has made it one of the most important Gothic novels of its time, often imitated and adapted for the stage and the screen.

Can't wait to see you all in April.
Laura 

How Is it March Already?

I am looking forward to hosting you all this coming Monday.
Please let me know if you can make it.

146 Westminster Ave @ 7PM!

Even when we don't like the book...

Even when many of us felt the book was "ok" "not scary" "more like a movie of the week" we still managed heated discussions!  There were only six of us but still Christine kept us on task so my thanks to her prep work and guidance.

Barb, thanks for hosting and opening your home to us, the pot pies were super yummy and your poached pears was a desert I've ever had... delicious!

Next month is Carol's choice and she picked  "Beloved" by Toni Morrison.  Enjoy!

Group discussion on what to read come April?

I realize tomorrow's book club may not have full attendance but do you think we can discuss whether after March we continue to read this genre of books?  Carol's choosing March book so this discussion is for what we read in April as I'm guessing Carol already has her book selected for tomorrow.

The reason I've always enjoyed book club is the books we typically read help me read stuff I normally wouldn't read but also stimulates conversation inside and outside book club and keeps me current. Maybe this is just me and if so let's keep to the plan of six months of this gothic horror genre, if not let's discuss what else interests us to read.

If you are not able to be present tomorrow night can you respond here and weigh in on what interests you to read?  Thanks. Marney.

February Book Club at the Loft on Croft

I will be hosting book club on February 6th. Laura's kitchen renovations are still underway and we will have to wait a little longer to see the final result. We just finished getting our house painted. no more paint fumes but somehow the pictures never seem to get re-mounted!

As in the past, parking near 4 Croft is challenging. Try Lippincott (west) or Borden (east) for street parking.

Let me know if you can attend. Also -- Natalie has an ask for a facilitator.

See you soon. Barb

Need Someone to Step in

Hello Ladies!

I was hoping things would change but as I predicted at our last meeting I am not going to make it on Monday.  Would someone who has read the book be willing to step in for me and lead the discussion?  I promise to repay the favour.  Otherwise, I will propose that each person come with one or two discussion questions to get things running.

I will see you next month :)

Next Book is....

Broken Monsters by Lauren Beukes. It promises to be a scary one.

We had a lovely evening at Sotto Voce. Carolyn led the discussion and facilitated a debate between those who thought the ghosts in the book were real and those who did not. The debate led to greater insight but I don't think that anyone changed her mind. :-(

See you all next month.

January Book Club at Sotto Voce

Happy New Year Book Club Members!

I hope everyone had a wonderful restful Christmas holiday. This month book club will be at Sotto Voce 595 College Street (at Clinton). We have a reservation for eight. Please let us know if you will be able to attend.

Looking forward to seeing everyone.