Was it a dream? Still aglow a day later, I can say no, this special event was real …
We made our way through a heavenly bookstore portal (pausing to browse and make some purchases), then down a lush garden path, over a welcoming threshold to absolute silent book club paradise, complete with a chandelier, fairy lights and lovely, chill bookstore dog Scout. The Great Escape Bookstore so generously provided us with a magical space for an unforgettable bookish gathering.
The pleasures of reading silently together as a group all came flooding back, as if the last two years have been some other kind of strange dream. The Great Escape garage was a peaceful balance of the hum of nearby neighbourhood activity, and the comforting sound of pages turning, readers shifting in their chairs or nibbling snacks, a dog slipping gently amongst us from time to time … and oh, those shared happy glances when two readers looked up from their books at the same time …
That first hour went by so quickly, and then we took another hour to chat, to describe what we’d been reading, to share excerpts and other recent reading experiences and challenges. The only thing that could have further intensified the magic was to have even more zoom-to-real-life transformations – more of our reading companions who have been with us before, and with us throughout these challenging times – with us there in that perfect setting.
As we ventured home with replenished book bags and replenished hearts, we know more gatherings like this will be in our future.
Here are the books we read and discussed at The Great Escape:
- Transcription by Kate Atkinson
- Either/Or by Elif Batuman
- Villette by Charlotte Bronte
- Bodies in Trouble by Diane Carley
- The Bottom Billion by Paul Collier
- Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
- Lord of the Flies by William Golding
- The Workshop: Seven Decades of the Iowa Writers Workshop, edited by Tom Grimes
- Indigenous Relations – Insights, Tips & Suggestions to Make Reconciliation a Reality by Bob Joseph with Cynthia F. Joseph
- Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
- I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O’Farrell
- The Beautiful Mystery by Louise Penny
- Run Towards the Danger by Sarah Polley
And now, I’ll just let a few more pictures of our bookish heaven speak for themselves.
