Monthly Archives: July 2024

Literary quests – delightful, twisted, circuitous, comforting and more – all of them splendid!

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Our silent book club readers are a witty and articulate bunch, it probably won’t surprise you to learn. Sometimes as the conversation flows jauntily around one absorbing reading updates after another, the synopses of different books enchants as much as the books themselves. When, for example, one of our readers described a book as being a “twisted spiritual quest”, not only was I captivated, but it sent me off on a wee tangent (not for long, because I didn’t want to miss the next update) on how we’re often on different literary quests with our reading – and hence the title of our latest report. Nuff said!

Our discussion meeting this month revisited a previous topic that was shot through with new and troubling urgency. Can we/should we separate the person from the work? We’ve discussed variations on this subject before, but the shocking Alice Munro news has all of us very sadly contemplating this again.

Much has been written, was published as recently as a couple of days ago, and will still be written on this. We took as our cue this piece by American writer Brandon Taylor. We vented, we grieved, we expressed a range of emotions, we admitted that we didn’t know how to express our feelings, we acknowledged that privilege plays a part in what we should and should not be focusing on …

After the meeting, I was inspired to send this message to the group:

“Thank you” was not nearly sufficient, but I want to thank all of you for taking part in last night’s silent book club discussion pop-up. One of the many joys of assembling with you, virtually and in-person, is that it is literally a joy, a celebration, so uplifting. That we can also gather to take on the thornier aspects of being dedicated readers is, well, maybe not something we want to make a habit of … but when we do, I am so grateful to do that with such thoughtful, insightful, articulate and generous individuals.

Silent book club member Vicki's colourful stack of recent reading, including books by Naomi Klein, Phil Hall, Pamela Mulloy, Cherie Dimaline, Saeed Teebi, Susie Boyt, Colm Toibin, Dale Martin Smith and Alice Oswald

Silent book club meeting at the East Toronto Coffee Co, with the group's book selections spread out on the table along with beverages and pastries. The books in hard cover and digital format include works by Steven Johnson, Dale Martin Smith, Tommy Orange, Saeed Teebi, Joanna Goodman, Colm Toibin, Virginia Woolf, Safiya Sinclair and Ariana Harwicz

Silent book club meeting at the East Toronto Coffee Co, with the group's book selections spread out on the table along with beverages and pastries. The books in hard cover and digital format include works by Steven Johnson, Dale Martin Smith, Tommy Orange, Saeed Teebi, Joanna Goodman, Colm Toibin, Virginia Woolf, Safiya Sinclair and Ariana Harwicz. My white sneaker-shod feet are visible on the bench next to the table.

Silent book club readers with their books open at the table at East Toronto Coffee Co

Every title on our group’s lists means that at least one (but usually more) readers have given that title thoughtful consideration. To be honest, that doesn’t mean that every work on our lists is expressly recommended. However, inclusion on this list always means that our readers have devoted time and attention to a title – and that, dear readers, means a lot.


Need some extra book-related articles, resources, news and recommendations? 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.

Immerse yourself in our group’s previous reports and book lists 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 the worldwide phenomenon of silent book clubs via Guinevere and Laura’s Silent Book Club web site. In fall 2023, they welcomed their 500th chapter … and with breathtaking momentum, they are now boasting over 1,000 chapters!!! (There were around 60 chapters when we joined as the first Toronto chapter in 2017.) 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.

Hoping you succeed in all of your literary quests!

“Then it is time to read alone, together.”

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This month, we’re so pleased to have silent book club member Lori Schuett introduce our latest blog post. Lori joined our group just a few short months ago, but it already feels like she’s been with us as long as our tbr piles are tall!

Silent book club member Lori sits in a slate gray armchair with a book and a handsome teddy bear. Plants on a windowsill are nearby.

After a 30-year career teaching English and Communications at both high school and college level, retirement was a welcome new beginning 24 years ago.

Teaching literature to impressionable minds requires patience and dissection skills, to name a few, along with a sense of humour and openness to some rather unusual opinions at times.

I was not sure reading was an activity at the top of the list for leisure with my new found freedom but books have been a significant part of my life since learning to read at a very early age.

I did not want to join a book club to read and discuss books with subject matter of no appeal to me no matter what the critics said, but I do love to share ideas and be with people. However I wanted to read about themes that spoke to me. There lay the challenge – how to find them! Yes, there are bestseller lists and friend recommendations, author interviews – but not enough personal insights to guide me to find the “perfect” read. I cannot begin to tally how many books I have read to page 30 and closed it at that point as it was just not for me – an exhausting pastime, I must say – and I was also missing meeting up with other readers.

A few months ago I was scrolling, looking for books, of course, and came across a site called the Silent Book Club. So do members sit around and read the same book silently at their meeting and then discuss it, I wondered?

My search led me to the East End Toronto Silent Book Club that I learned is just one of nearly 1000 SBC’s internationally.

To my delight as I live in Peterborough, they meet once monthly on Saturday mornings on Zoom. In person follows at a local Toronto coffee shop for those who can attend (how I wish!)

I contacted the facilitator, who is a delight and makes everyone feel so welcome, listening carefully to each member’s book comments, and decided to give it a go. I look forward to our monthly get-togethers and really enjoy the new friends I have made. Here’s the best part: I don’t have to read a specific book. Each person presents a short insightful summary of a book or books they have read during the past month while our moderator records the titles. There is opportunity to ask a few questions and after the meeting the titles are added to a huge ongoing file of books mentioned from all of the meetings.

Then it is time to read alone, together.

SBC checks all my boxes: a wealth of books to explore, lovely friendly people, and great conversation. Now I just need more time – and years – to delve into all of the books on my ever growing list!

Silent book club member Vicki's stack of recent reading: Tristram Shandy by Laurence Sterne, Denison Avenue by Daniel Innes & Christina Wong, Killdeer by Phil Hall and ink earl by Susan Holbrook

Silent book club member Lisa's beautiful bookshelves, white shelves against a white wall, with a spider plant at one end. Next to the bookshelves are a bright window and a comfy dark leather armchair with cushions with bright floral patterns.

Front of the East Toronto Coffee Co coffee shop, where we hold our Toronto silent book club in-person meetings - The windows are decorated with bright line drawings of flowers and a pink bench is visible near the main door

Every title on our group’s lists means that at least one (but usually more) readers have given that title thoughtful consideration. Does that mean every work on our lists is expressly recommended? Not exactly or necessarily. Inclusion on this list always means that our readers have devoted time and attention to a title – and that, dear readers, means a great good deal.


How about some extra book-related articles, resources, news and recommendations? 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.

You can always find and immerse yourself in our group’s previous reports and book lists 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 the worldwide phenomenon of silent book clubs via Guinevere and Laura’s Silent Book Club web site. Last fall, they welcomed their 500th chapter … and with breathtaking momentum, they are now boasting 1,000 chapters!!! (There were around 60 chapters when we joined as the first Toronto chapter in 2017.) 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.

Wishing y’all alone together silent reading time (plus not-so-silent bookish conversation!) that is endlessly rich and rewarding.