A group knitted together by the wonder of words

Warmest thanks to Toronto silent book club member Mary Schulz for the introduction to our latest sbc meeting report. Mary has also graced this blog with some excellent book reviews, here and here.

Comfort. It is something we all crave from time to time. Perhaps we appreciate comforting pleasures more than ever as we near the anniversary of the start of this pandemic. It is strangely comforting to know that the world keeps behaving as it should at this time of year, bringing us days of blinding sunlight followed by greyer days of snow upon snow. Comfort foods, libations and human connection continue to be vitally important as we return home from walking, walking and more walking.

So, too, our Silent Book Club remains a comforting oasis in the midst of so much uncertainty. Even meeting virtually has become “comfortable” – the new normal. Seeing the familiar faces of friends from across the street and across the globe feels almost as good as sitting around the coffee table at our neighbourhood cafe. Hearing about – and seeing!- one member’s latest canine addition to the family, swapping tidbits of neighbourhood gossip (and wondering how alien or familiar does this sound to our book club member who tunes in from Wales?!) and sharing a laugh at the absurdity of it all make us feel that perhaps everything hasn’t changed, after all.

Falling into the easy routine of going around the circle, listening to what has enthralled our group book-wise (or not!) over the past month, scribbling notes to “check this book out!”, we laugh at the predictability that one member will stretch us to read poetry while others will help us re-think what a “good read” really means. Perhaps we should give that author another try; after all, so many in the group seem to enjoy her books. Or maybe it’s ok just to listen this month, if reading has not been top of mind of late.

Silent book club is a gathering of friends. Sometimes those friends are like-minded, sometimes not so much. But the group is knitted together by the wonder of words. How DOES she do it? How beautifully written was that?! Even if we don’t always understand their full meaning, words move us and make us feel.

And after all, isn’t that what a really great gathering of friends is all about? Feeling. Talking, laughing, sharing. And did we mention, “feeling”? Feeling safe and amongst friends, many of whom are just down the street or around the corner. Who knew that books could do all that? Well, we did, I guess. And thank goodness for that.

 

Here is the latest, positively gorgeous combined reading list from our group. The titles featured in each of our reports combine print and digital versions of books, along with audiobooks (which are indicated separately, with narrator/performer information where possible).

Emily's bookshelves

Lyla's books

Sue R's books

Vicki's books

Beth's books and bookshelves

Kath's book and Squizz watching rugby

The wrap-up discussion and the chat window of today’s zoom meeting also brimmed with book and book-related articles, recommendations and more, including:

Our previous silent book club meeting reports (online and in-person incarnations) and book lists are here.

You can also check out links to articles, CBC Radio 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 currently on haitus, but many are running virtual meetings in different formats. Please feel free to contact me for more information about our club and its offerings.

Let’s continue to light our way and our spirits with reading and continued connections to our fellow readers.

2 thoughts on “A group knitted together by the wonder of words

    1. bookgaga Post author

      The silent book club member who discussed Invisible Women got a lot of us interested in the title. I’m glad you like the rest of our reading list, too – thanks!

      Reply

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *