Monthly Archives: May 2023

That Unusual, Quirky, Mysterious, Non Sequitur-ish Title That Sometimes Pulls You Into A Book

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Sometimes unexpected forces draw us into the books we end up reading. Who could resist, as one of our readers mused aloud during our latest silent book club zoom meeting, a title like this: Duck Eats Yeast, Quacks, Explodes; Man Loses Eye? We all thank Gary Barwin and Lillian Necakov for an initial enchantment leading, assuredly, to more delights and revelations we might have missed if that title didn’t reach out to us.

Striking book covers sometimes reach out to us first. As our group discussed earlier this month, sometimes the announcement of an award grabs our attention. Sometimes, those announcements do not impress us at all and in fact, might actively send us in other directions. The combination of kismet and trust when the minds of readers meet, virtually or in person, directly or indirectly, seems to have more and more power and influence over how we discover books and writers, and what we read next.

As I’ve mentioned in silent book club blog posts this year, we now balance our silent book club virtual meetings each month with a mid-month themed discussion. This month, award and reviews were on our minds. The passing reference to that captivating book title has, I think, planted a discussion seed for a future meeting …

Jenn and Sven's books are piled in a sunny, plant-filled window - titles include Post Office by Charles Bukowski, An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim and several more.

Kathryn's books are piled on the back of a chair, in front of a window with the blinds open - titles include God's Children Are Little Broken Things by Arinze Ifeakandu, Limberlost by Robbie Arnott and more.

Catherine holds up the graphic memoir Messy Roots by Laura Gao, with a colourful cover showing a drawing of a rueful young woman in jeans and a red T-shirt

Vicki is on her computer screen, getting ready for a silent book club zoom meeting, with her books piled next to the computer, along with an orange and a bagel - titles include Boat by Lisa Robertson, Mercy Gene by JD Derbyshire and several more.

Here is our group’s latest and always tempting combined book list, gathering up books mentioned and discussed at our end of May meeting, plus some mentioned in passing during our mid-month themed discussion. As you know, each list reflects the reading of many of our members. Many provide their reading lists even when they can’t attend a meeting. The titles (yes, often quirky and captivating!) featured in each of our reports encompass print and digital versions of books, along with audiobooks.

Any title on any of our group’s lists means that at least one (but often more) readers have given that title some consideration. That’s encouragement, I think it’s fair to say, for other readers checking out our reports and lists to consider it, too. Is that a recommendation? It might be, but not exactly or necessarily. It always means that a title has been given thoughtful consideration and attention by our readers, which counts for a lot.

Here are some additional book-related articles, resources, news, recommendations and more. These items and tidbits are often companions to books on the list, or are inspired or offered by our members and/or come up during our discussions and chat.

Our previous reports and book lists are available to spark interest, intrigue, entertain and add to your tbr pile. They’re right here.

You can also check out links to articles, interviews and more here – some with San Francisco-based Silent Book Club founders Guinevere de La Mare and Laura Gluhanich, and some with us here in east end Toronto.

Learn more about silent book clubs via Guinevere and Laura’s Silent Book Club web site. You can find information on meetings happening around the world and close to where you live. Every club is a different size, format (in-person, virtual or combinations) and vibe, so contact a club’s organizers beforehand if you have any questions or preferences. Please feel free to contact me for more information about our club and its offerings.

However books call out to you, we hope you heed those calls, make some great discoveries and continue to relish your reading. We hope our reading lists and discussions here are a help and inspiration!

Peeking over shoulders … of writers, characters and our fellow readers

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Yes, yes, we know April showers bring May flowers, and we’re grateful for that … but while April is doing that dreary thing, how better to pass the time than in the company of a warm gathering of readers?

As one of our readers observed this time round, she enjoys the experience in her reading of peeking over the shoulders of different characters and observing them living their lives, thinking their thoughts and so on. By extension, we get in some respects to peek over the shoulders of writers sharing their craft and of course, groups like ours get to peek over each others’ shoulders as we read and absorb the work before us. And further, you get to peek over our shoulders when we share our discussions and reading lists with you every month.

We now balance our silent book club virtual meetings each month with a mid-month themed discussion, and a month-end round-up of our reading delights, challenges and recommendations – not quite bookends, but just as desirable, sturdy and reliable.

Now that we’ve given ourselves space for exploring themes, more seem to surface every time we gather. In this most recent meeting, interestingly, many readers reported balancing dark reading – different degrees of forbidding, depressing, disturbing, unsettling – with light – entertaining, amusing, diverting, perhaps somewhat less demanding. Maybe that could be expanded into a discussion, along with what The Book of Forgotten Authors by Christopher Fowler might invite: why do popular and/or acclaimed authors slip off readers’ collective radar?

During her trip to Dordrecht, Netherlands, silent book club member Beth encountered this charming little library box, light blue paint a bit faded, a peaked roof, two bookshelves
During her trip to Dordrecht, Netherlands, silent book club member Beth encountered this charming little library box

Silent book club member Anne-Louise acquired a stack of delicious books from the Fairlawn United Church book sale, the event for which is shown on a phone screen next to a stack of books which includes Human Voices by Penelope Fitzgerald and From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle
Silent book club member Anne-Louise acquired a stack of delicious books to replenish her tbr pile from the Fairlawn United Church book sale, celebrating its 60th anniversary

Silent book club member Catherine borrowed a bundle of colourful poetry chapbooks from the New York Public Library, shown here displayed on a black tabletop
Silent book club member Catherine borrowed a bundle of colourful poetry chapbooks from the New York Public Library

Silent book club member Sue R's book pile of recent reading includes Trespasses by Louise Kennedy
Silent book club member Sue R’s book pile of recent reading

Silent book club member Tom's dog Aspen, an affectionate husky, lies on a wooden floor next to an e-book with the title You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith on the screen.
Silent book club member Tom’s dog is an affectionate reading companion

Silent book club member Vicki (me) on a computer laptop screen, starting a zoom session, with books piled next to and on the laptop keyboard, including In the Upper Country by Kai Thomas, with a dog calendar and a cup of coffee in the background.
Me, getting ready for our silent book club’s latest zoom meeting

Here is our group’s latest combined book list, reflecting books mentioned and discussed at our end of April meeting. As you know, each list reflects the reading of many of our members. Many provide their reading lists even when they can’t attend a meeting. The titles featured in each of our reports encompass print and digital versions of books, along with audiobooks.

Any title on any of our group’s lists means that at least one (but often more) readers have given that title some consideration. That is encouragement, I’d say, for other readers checking out our reports and lists to consider it, too. Is that a recommendation? It might be, but not exactly or necessarily. It always means that a title has been given thoughtful consideration and attention by our readers, which counts for a lot.

Here are some additional book-related articles, resources, news, recommendations and more. These items and tidbits are often companions to books on the list, or are inspired or offered by our members and/or come up during our discussions and chat.

Our previous reports and book lists are available to captivate, amuse, intrigue and add to your tbr pile … right here.

You can also check out links to articles, interviews and more here – some with San Francisco-based Silent Book Club founders Guinevere de La Mare and Laura Gluhanich, and some with us here in east end Toronto.

Learn more about silent book clubs via Guinevere and Laura’s Silent Book Club web site. You can find information on meetings happening around the world and close to where you live. Some clubs are on hiatus or modified schedules, many are running virtual meetings in different formats, and many are back to running in-person and hybrid gatherings. Please feel free to contact me for more information about our club and its offerings.

Even when you can’t make it to our book club or your book club, or you don’t currently have a book club to gather with bookloving friends, we hope our readings lists and discussions here providing nourishing, bookish fodder for everyone!