Busy, but never too busy to pick up a book …

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… or to assemble a list of my and my book club friends’ discerning and eclectic reading!

Stack of books (with more rows and shelves of books in the background) from March 2023 silent book club meeting, including titles by Claire Keegan, Leslie Greentree and more

Here is our group’s latest combined book list, reflecting books mentioned and discussed at our meetings in March. As I’ve mentioned before, each list reflects the reading of many of our members, whether or not they attended the meetings in question. 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 (often more) readers have given that title some consideration. That is encouragement, I’d say, for other readers reading 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.

At mid-month, we enjoyed another meeting focused on themes rather than on our specific books read in the last month. This time, our main topic of discussion focused on authors and lived experience – that is, to what extent must an author have lived the experiences of their characters? As a reader, are you concerned or do you even check first to find out if an author knows firsthand about the socio-economic status, race, functional abilities, credos and so on of their characters? Or can an author achieve convincing authenticity with research, imagination and sympathy?

It was another rich, varied discussion. The overall discussion leaned towards authors having at least some exposure to the subject matter/circumstances/lived experience for believability/authenticity. As a counterpoint, we also explored the notion that any author worth their salt, imagination and research should be able to convincingly depict a character or experience – because, for example, what if it is a sphere in which no one could possibly have experienced it (e.g. science fiction, fantasy, etc.)? What we concluded is that this is a question that provokes much great and interesting debate, and one that cannot be sewed up neatly, can it? I sense this and other such questions will keep our group fueled for lots of future such meetings and discussions.

Even when you miss a meeting, a good book club sustains you (part 2)

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I know I’ve mentioned before that the east end Toronto silent book club is very fortunate to have a sister silent book club group in midtown Toronto. (Here is founder Beth Gordon’s story about how it got started.)

Midtown was always a short subway ride away from east end Toronto pre-pandemic, and they’re still close at hand via zoom. Here is their latest combined reading list, from a meeting just a few days ago. Full disclosure: I had to miss the meeting – and miss it a lot I did – but I volunteered to compile the reading list from all attendees, proving once again that even when you miss a meeting, that good book club and its wise and wonderful readers can sustain you.

Even when you miss a meeting, a good book club sustains you

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Here is an adorable but seemingly unrelated-to-books picture of an Airedale puppy brimming with teenaged attitude.

An adorably scruffy Airedale puppy sits on a gray carpet, gazing with some puppy defiance at the camera - dog toys are in the background

Mavis* has just started attending obedience classes. Those classes are as necessary, if not more, for us two-leggeds as for the four-leggeds. If the class happens to fall at the same time as a silent book club meeting – well, hard choices must be made.

* Yes, her name is in part inspired by Mavis Gallant – so, further proof our puppy is book-related!

But, while Mavis and I were marching studiously around a small gymnasium*, I was also happy that our book club was carrying on and in good hands. Our February meeting was kindly and very ably led by longtime member Sue Reynolds.

* The dog obedience class location is just steps away from one of our group’s favourite bookstores, The Great Escape! Even more proof this is all book-related!

It’s so gratifying to see that our 5 1/2-year-old group need not rely on any one person to thrive. At the same time, while the whole is perhaps more than the sum of its parts, it’s each part, each reader, each unique library of books and authors and genres and subjects, that makes this group (and, I’m guessing, every silent book club group around the world) unique and vital to each of its parts. Each person and their reading choices and insights are essential to the group’s chemistry, vibe and steadfast reliability as a resource and source of comfort. Can the same be said of the more single-book-oriented groups from which many silent book club members have come?

What also made me happy as I was dog-obediencing instead of silent-book-clubbing was that when it came time to compile a list of the books discussed in the meeting, I know I would hear the voices making recommendations and offering brief critiques. I hope everyone enjoying these reports can hear those voices, too.

At mid-month, we again convened a meeting focused on a couple of discussion topics:

  • Influential authors and books – What is the book or who is the author that has been the greatest influence on you as a reader, and has stayed with you over the years? What is the book or author that has inspired some of your fondest or funniest memories?
  • Unpleasant reading – What if a book turns unpleasant and out of your comfort zone? If an author is doing a commendable job of creating a graphic, disturbing or overly suspenseful situation, but it is not a comfortable reading experience, do you carry on or stop?

Surprise, surprise – the discussion was lively and eclectic, once again! The influential authors and books cited ranged from one’s early reading days to the present. We all realized that those significant writers and works that inspire, inform and take our reading in new directions can come to us at any time or age. It’s not just about the compelling Nancy Drew formula that got us into a early reading groove, is it?

How we each face or work around unpleasant reading – be it graphic, troubling, triggering or otherwise problematic – made for a discussion during which, in the safe space that we’ve created with our group, readers could reveal how certain kinds of words and images have troubled and challenged us. If reading is viewed as a comforting diversion, an escape from the world’s cruelties, is one obliged to let those cruelties intrude on the page? As one group member observed, if a writer has gone to the arduous task of putting difficult things on the page, maybe we need to honour that work and look.

After two such meetings, it feels like what we’re learning about each other and ourselves – as readers and as people – means we’ll be tackling some more book-related themes together in the months to come.

Here is our group’s latest combined book list, reflecting books mentioned and discussed at the meeting at the end of February. As I’ve mentioned before, each list reflects the reading of many of our members, whether or not they attended the meetings in question. 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 (often more) readers have given that title some consideration. That is encouragement, I’d say, for other readers reading 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.

Our previous reports and book lists are available to tantalize, entertain, provoke 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 some are carefully 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 help sustain you as a reader.

The many ways books nourish us

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How many ways have we shared and celebrated with our silent book club group members how books feed our minds and spirits? Every time we assemble, virtually or in person, I find myself counting the ways and never stopping … from inspirational subject matter and moving depictions in specific books, to the warm company and often eye-opening insights of fellow readers.

Let me add to those many ways another delicious angle, thank you to one of our readers’ delightful perspective. We all love cookbooks, whether we cook, aspire to cook better or differently, or are cooked for (what a blessing!). Cookbooks vary in terms of the quality of their instructional layout and design, and the beauty of the ingredients, processes and finished products they illustrate. But how about cookbooks as literary experiences, too? That reader mentioned that she was indulging in some time off from work to immerse herself in Mi Cocina by Rick Martinez not only for the culinary inspiration, but to relish (see what I did there?) the storytelling. As the linked article says, “For Martínez, every recipe in the book is connected to a memory.” So, many kinds of nourishment …!

Heading into this new year, our group members pondered and decided to try switching up the format of our meetings to delve into some of the themes we touch on and skim over during our regular meetings. This departs from but does not replace our usual meeting format, where we go round the real or virtual circle and invite everyone to update the group on recent reading delights and challenges.

At mid-month, we convened a meeting focused on the topic of rereading: Do you revisit books, or do you always forge ahead to something new? If you do reread, what kinds of experiences have you had – more or less appreciation for a given work, etc.? Is a revisit more likely if you are rereading with your eyes or ears (relistening to an audiobook)?

The discussion was lively – I know, I know, so surprising with this group! For some, rereading is an exercise in comfort and recapturing another time in one’s life. For others, it’s a challenge or reinvestigation, to give a work a second chance, to seek new insights or clarification. From rereading, we wandered to other lovely topics, such as signing and annotating books and treasuring those books that hold our loved ones’ handwriting. Specific book titles came up during the discussion, as vivid examples and subjects of debate on the merits (or not) of rereading.

That first themed discussion meeting went so well, we’ve decided to try it again next month. Stay tuned for more on the topics we tackle next time.

Silent book club member Emily's lovely corgi Delta, sitting in a chair with the book The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell

Silent book club member Philippa's Blind Date with a Book (wrapped in brown paper) turns out to be Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Silent book club member Philippa's Blind Date with a Book (wrapped in brown paper) turns out to be Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Silent book club member Vicki, on screen, with her pile of reading next to the computer, including books by Ian McEwan, Colin Barrett and Claire Keegan.

Silent book club members Jo and Philippa met in person at the restaurant Budapest on the Danforth in east end Toronto and read silent together. A pastry sits on a plate next to an ebook reader.

[In addition to our virtual meetings this month, two group members had a mini in-person meeting to read quietly together at Budapest, a local restaurant here in east end Toronto.]

Here is our group’s first combined book list of the new year. This list reflects books mentioned and discussed in two meetings in January: our themed discussion at mid-month and our end-of-month go-round with all readers. As I’ve mentioned before, each list reflects the reading of many of our members, whether or not they attended the meetings in question. The titles featured in each of our reports encompass print and digital versions of books, along with audiobooks.

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m regularly asked if our group recommends specific books. I answer that any title on any of our group’s lists means that at least one (often more) readers have given that title some consideration. That is encouragement, I’d say, for other readers reading 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 intrigue, amuse, provoke 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 some are carefully running in-person and hybrid gatherings. Please feel free to contact me for more information about our club and its offerings.

Hoping your new year in reading is off to an amazing and scrumptuous start!

The happy blur of another year (2022) in reading

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Looking back on my years in reading in 2020 and 2021 was challenging because those were uniquely challenging years for all of us, in all ways. Enough said.

Looking back on my year in reading in 2022 is also proving challenging. The third year into whatever-we’re-calling-this-stage-of-yes-it’s-still-a-pandemic, we’re all coping, semi-resuming pre-pandemic activities and practices and forging new versions of normal. Some of the challenges I’m finding are actually not so bad, like, say, this challenge to this bookish household:

Mavis the Airedale puppy sits on a black leather ottoman, surrounded by books

Actually, Mavis (named after Staples, Gallant and Wilton) joined this household late in 2022, so she didn’t so much distract my reading as distract me from assembling my customary “year in reading” post this month. After work, playing with puppy, reading and hanging out virtually with book friends, writing about my reading feels kind of further down the list these days. And in all fairness to Mavis and her mentor, Tilly, our dogs are generally conducive to our reading, not a distraction. I am still feeling sharply the loss of a very dear reading companion, Jake, who was also a silent but influential presence at many of our silent book club zoom meetings.

Vicki's stack of recent reading, with dearly missed Jake the beagle-basset under the desk

Here are the books I read, reread and read aloud in 2022.
For each book on this year’s list, I’ve sought out links to reviews – not my own, but ones with which I concur – author interviews and/or publisher information. Hope this is helpful if you want to learn more about any of these titles.

I’ve remarked on the following in reference to our silent book club combined reading lists. I realize more and more that the same thing applies to me as a reader, one with a penchant for finishing all or most of what I start: Any title on any of our group’s lists means that at least one (often more) readers have given that title some consideration. That is encouragement, I’d say, for other readers reading 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 attention and thought by our readers, which counts for a lot. So, that I have devoted my precious time as a reader to every book from the first page to the last means – at least to me, I hope to you too – that everything on my reading lists every year have been fully considered and overall, at least appreciated, often much more than that.

I’m also incorporating a feature in this year’s list that is perhaps as close as I’ll ever get to a “top x reads of the year” kind of distinction. As I was laying out this list of titles, some of them just glowed with memories of particularly satisfying or striking reads, likely paired with good settings, ideal company (or not), perfect timing and more. So, I’ve bolded those glowing titles. That’s it.

My 2022 year in reading, reflected in a page of my handwritten Book of Books, next to the poetry collection Hell Light Flesh by Klara du Plessis

January 2022

1. Hell Light Flesh by Klara du Plessis
2. Undersong by Kathleen Winter
3. The Art of Falling by Danielle McLaughlin
4. Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz
5. The Storyteller by Dave Grohl

My 2022 year in reading, reflected in a page of my handwritten Book of Books, next to the poetry collection Postcolonial Love Poem by Natalie Diaz

February 2022

6. Strange Things by Margaret Atwood
7. Some Integrity by Padraig Regan
8. Emma by Jane Austen

March 2022

9. Reacher: Killing Floor by Lee Childs
10. Next Time There’s a Pandemic by Vivek Shraya
11. Such Color by Tracy K. Smith
12. Infinity Network by Jim Johnstone
13. Hail, the Invisible Watchman by Alexandra Oliver

April 2022

14. H of H Playbook, Euripides translated by Anne Carson
15. Gabriel by Edward Hirsch
16. Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah
17. Mad Shadows by Marie-Claire Blais, translated by Merloyd Lawrence

May 2022

18. O Cidadan by Erin Moure
19. Suit by Samarth
20. Cluster by Souvankham Thammavongsa
21. A Terrible Kindness by Jo Browning Wroe
22. Shaheen Bagh by Ita Mehrotra
23. Say This by Elise Levine
24. Chhotu by Varud Gupta and Ayushi Rastogi
25. Still Point by E. Martin Nolan

My 2022 year in reading, reflected in a page of my handwritten Book of Books, next to the graphic novel Chhotu by Varud Gupta and Ayushi Rastogi

June 2022

26. Erebus: The Story of a Ship by Michael Palin
27. Almost Visible by Michelle Sinclair
28. Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason
29. The Space a Name Makes by Rosemary Sullivan

July 2022

30. The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk, translated by Jennifer Croft
31. The Worst Truth by John Metcalf
32. Blue Portugal and Other Essays by Theresa Kishkan
33. State of Terror by Louise Penny and Hillary Rodham Clinton, narrated by Joan Allen (audiobook)
34. Poguemahone by Patrick McCabe
35. None of This Belongs to Me by Ellie Sawatzky

My 2022 year in reading, reflected in a page of my handwritten Book of Books, next to the novel-length poem Poguemahone by Patrick McCabe

August 2022

36. Swelles by Sina Queyras
37. Personals by Ian Williams
38. Who is your mercy contact? by Ronna Bloom

My 2022 year in reading, reflected in a page of my handwritten Book of Books, next to the poetry chapbook Who is your mercy contact? by Ronna Bloom

39. Romantic by Mark Callanan
40. Third State of Being by Cassidy McFadzean
41. The Day-Breakers by Michael Fraser
42. The Bannisters by Paul Muldoon
43. Mother Muse by Lorna Goodison
44. Patient Frame by Steven Heighton
45. The Junta of Happenstance by by Tolu Oloruntoba
46. These Are Not the Potatoes of My Youth by Matthew Walsh
47. Starting With the Roof of My Mouth by Claren Grosz
48. Deepfake Serenade by Chris Banks
49. I’ll Fly Away by Rudy Francisco
50. The War Works Hard by Dunya Mikhail, translated by Elizabeth Winslow
51. Skin & Meat Sky by Klara du Plessis & Kadie Salmon
52. Palaces for the People – How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life by Eric Klinenberg
53. Answer to Blue by Russell Thornton
54. DC Poems by Joe Neubert
55. Pebble Swing by Isabella Wang
56. Durable Goods by James Pollock

My 2022 year in reading, reflected in a page of my handwritten Book of Books, next to the poetry collection Durable Goods by James Pollock

57. Paper Radio by Damian Rogers
58. The Lost Time Accidents by Sile Englert
59. Guest 16 [A Journal of Guest Editors], edited by Kirby
60. Letters in a Bruised Cosmos by Liz Howard
61. Pilgrim’s Flower by Rachael Boast
62. The Affirmations by Luke Hathaway
63. The Deleted World by Tomas Transtromer, versions by Robin Robertson
64. Blue Sonoma by Jane Munro
65. Selected Poems [1926-1956] by Dorothy Livesay
66. The Alphabet in the Park by Adelia Prado, translated by Ellen Watson

September 2022

67. Be Ready for the Lightning by Grace O’Connell
68. On the Trail of the Jackalope by Michael P. Branch
69. Not the Apocalypse I Was Hoping For by Leslie Greentree
70. Intruder by Bardia Sinaee
71. Sweet Home by Wendy Erskine
72. Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

My 2022 year in reading, reflected in a page of my handwritten Book of Books, next to the short story collection Not the Apocalypse I Was Hoping For by Leslie Greentree

October 2022

73. The Story by Michael Ondaatje, drawings by David Bolduc
74. Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club by Megan Gail Coles
75. Dubliners by James Joyce
76. The Whole Singing Ocean by Jessica Moore

November 2022

77. Straggle – Adventures in Walking While Female by Tanis MacDonald
78. My Grief, the Sun by Sanna Wani
79. The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li

My 2022 year in reading, reflected in a page of my handwritten Book of Books, next to the essay and poetry collection Straggle by Tanis MacDonald

December 2022

80. But the sun, and the ships, and the fish, and the waves. by Conyer Clayton
81. Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell
82. Shimmer by Alex Pugsley
83. The Year of the Puppy by Alexandra Horowitz
84. Foster by Claire Keegan
85. To float, to drown, to close up, to open by E. Alex Pierce

My 2022 year in reading, reflected in a page of my handwritten Book of Books, next to the short story collection Shimmer by Alex Pugsley

In 2022, I read a total of 85 works. That’s down from the dramatic-for-me total of 102 works in 2021, but it’s still darned good. That total broke out as:

  • 26 works of fiction (novels and short story collections)
  • 49 poetry collections and
  • 10 works of non-fiction.

I reread 13 books. (I’ll blog about it next – our silent book club inaugurated its new themed format meetings with a discussion about delights and pitfalls of rereading.) I read 7 works in translation, read 3 graphic works and read 52 works by Canadian authors. My husband and I read 5 books aloud to each other this year, a lively and intriguing cross section of subjects and authors:

  • The Storyteller by Dave Grohl
  • Erebus: The Story of a Ship by Michael Palin
  • Palaces for the People – How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life by Eric Klinenberg
  • On the Trail of the Jackalope by Michael P. Branch
  • The Year of the Puppy by Alexandra Horowitz

I also kept track again this year of the publication dates of the books I read. In 2022, the oldest book I read was published in 1816 (Emma by Jane Austen), and I read 8 books before 2000, improving on my intention in recent years to read more older books. More than half of the books I read this year were published in 2021 or 2022.

So far in 2022, I’ve read or have in progress:

  • The Descendants by Robert Chursinoff
  • The Thinking Heart: The Etty Drawings (1983-1984) Claire Wilks by Jessica Hiemstra
  • Towards a General Theory of Love by Clare Shaw
  • Walk the Blue Fields by Claire Keegan
  • Lessons by Ian McEwan
  • Young Skins by Colin Barrett

To wrap it up in consistently Groundhog Day-ish fashion (just barely before Groundhog Day, actually), here are my observations from the last couple of years, which are still very applicable again this year:

For yet another year, I’m looking back with quiet satisfaction (and with gratitude to the practices and people who helped and inspired) on my reading during an extraordinarily difficult year, and looking forward with quiet optimism to where my reading this new year will take me. I’m grateful to the writers, publishers, reviewers and fellow readers who have spurred on and broadened my reading. I’m thankful as always for the bounty of beautiful words that came to me via so many conduits, evoking such an array of ideas, trains of thought, memories and associations, providing so much off the page, too.

I’ll simply conclude, once again …

It’s not how many books or works you read (in whatever form) that counts. It’s that you read that counts – and it counts so very much.

And I might add … If you can read in good company, be it a partner, a four-legged reading companion and/or a group of trusted bookish friends, your reading will always be imbued with a special, warm glow.

Blwyddyn newydd dda from the mighty readers of east end Toronto

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Everyone marks the turning from one year to the next differently. Some dedicated readers who do not want to experience book hangovers on January 1st are working diligently as this blog post is being prepared to finish books before midnight … and then they start January 1st with a new tbr pile to tackle, turning to a fresh page in their book journals.

Well, not all readers do that, but all members of the east end Toronto chapter (which stretches east to New Jersey and Wales) of the Silent Book Club worldwide fellowship of readers are dedicated to good reading. We’re looking back on another year of reading discoveries, delights and challenges, and how we celebrated that with bookloving companions near and far. We’re looking ahead to more such celebrations, switching up the format of our virtual meetings to include themed discussions. We’re also planning for safe, comfortable in-person meetings that return us to the founding impetus of the silent book club concept: reading silently together, turning pages and drinking in fine words, with our friends and neighbours, in our neighbourhood.

Follow along with us in 2023. Continue or start your own reading journeys, collectively and individually, and be in touch to let us know about the books that are captivating you.

Silent book club member Philippa's books, including titles about David Hockney and by Shirley Hazzard, are arranged with a decorated plate, a house plant and a worn but handsome rug

Silent book club member Jo's books, including titles by Sadiqa de Meijer and Eve Joseph - poetry collections in print - and Fredrik Backman, a novel in ebook format, are arranged next to a blue, purple and orange crocheted shawl

Squizzey the squirrel, reading companion of silent book club member Kathryn, poses next to the book Animal Life by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir and a picture of Toronto city hall

Silent book club member Lyla's books, including titles by Bill Bryson, Claire Harman and Philip Pullman, are arranged on a lovely gray sofa with attractive cushions and afghan, next to a window with house plants on the ledge

Silent book club member Vicki, on screen, with her pile of reading next to the computer, including Spacing magazine and titles by Robert Chursinoff and Ted Berrigan, among others

Here is our group’s final combined book list of this year. As I’ve mentioned before, each list reflects the reading of many of our members, whether or not they attended the meeting. The titles featured in each of our reports encompass print and digital versions of books, along with audiobooks. This list also combines the group’s reading as discussed over two meetings this month of December, 2022.

I’m regularly asked if our group recommends specific books. My answer? Any title on any of our group’s lists means that at least one (often more) readers have given that title some consideration. That is encouragement, I’d say, for other readers reading 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 attention and thought 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 … and sometimes our conversation meanders from books to interesting topics and nuggets of information, just because!

  • “My favorite part of a Silent Book Club meetup is the not-silent part, where you get to meet nice people, talk about books, and get recommendations for what to read next.” Our group agrees.
  • If you don’t already, you need to know more about natto.
  • Greg Bear’s work “combined a wide-ranging view of future technical developments with political speculation.” Science fiction readers mourn his death at 71.
  • A Novel Spot bookstore is one of the Toronto purveyors of books much beloved by our group members.

Our previous reports and book lists are available year round to intrigue, amuse, provoke 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 currently on hiatus or modified schedules, many are running virtual meetings in different formats, and some are carefully running in-person gatherings again. Please feel free to contact me for more information about our club and its offerings.

Happy new year … in reading and in everything!

Books, booklovers and the delicious questions they pose

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Our latest silent book club meeting once again pushed the boundaries of what we define as “east end Toronto”. We have our splendid bookish stalwarts from Jersey City, New Jersey and Pontypridd, Wales, attendees and contributors throughout the pandemic we now cannot imagine not being part of this group.

Today, they were joined by a first-time visitor from Paris, France. Inspired by the silent book club concept, he was initially disappointed to discover that France was silentbookclubless when he checked the Silent Book Club international chapters map. However, he has hastened to fill that void with not one, but two groups: English-Speaking and en ligne (français). Both groups have already met, and we asked their leader to report back on how it unfolds.

Today’s bookish bounty was generous and diverse, as always, sparking some intriguing questions we need a whole other meeting to explore.

  • When a book features a preternaturally gifted artist, particularly musicians, is it the case that they have always made a deal with the devil?
  • If a book is not speaking to you, the reader, should you stop reading it and move on to something else?
    This question and variations on it come up periodically in our and, I imagine, many book clubs. It’s a complex and agree-to-disagree kind of question, with contentions that “life is too short” as valid as “but what if you miss something?” and so on. I sometimes use the verb “abandon” instead of “stop reading”, but really, I’m not editorializing about my own stance on this question.
  • So, if we agree to disagree on abandoning books, is there a set point at which one gives a book a chance? One of our readers has a 50-page rule, although she admits to applying that rule flexibly at times.
  • And, as we agree to disagree on abandoning books, what is the rule for audiobooks? Some set number of hours of listening?
  • And, are the criteria for abandoning audiobooks different than for print books? One key distinguisher that comes up regularly with our readers who are particular audiobook fans and aficionados is the critical role of the narrator (whether it is the author, an actor or voice professional, or a cast) in making or breaking the book’s readability.
  • We have so many amazing ways to find books, from groups like this and lots of online resources and places to interact, to Little Free Library boxes and more. So, isn’t it even more amazing when … a book finds us, just when we need it most?

Silent book club members Jenn and Sven's books

Silent book club member Catherine from Jersey City shows park installation featuring poems

Silent book club member Sue reads Anne Sexton poetry collection

Silent book club member Vicki, on screen, with her books piled next to her computer

Squizzey the squirrel shows off silent book club member Kathryn's books

East end Toronto silent book club zoom screen

Here is our group’s latest combined book list. As I’ve mentioned before, each list reflects the reading of many of our members, whether or not they attended the meeting. The titles featured in each of our reports encompass print and digital versions of books, along with audiobooks.

I’m regularly asked if our group recommends specific books. My answer? Any title on any of our group’s lists means that at least one (often more) readers have given that title some consideration. That is encouragement, I’d say, for other readers reading our reports and lists to consider it, too. Is that a recommendation? It might be, but not exactly or necessarily. It always means, though, that a title has been given attention and thought 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 always available to inform, delight, inspire 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 currently on hiatus or modified schedules, many are running virtual meetings in different formats, and some are carefully running in-person gatherings again. Please feel free to contact me for more information about our club and its offerings.

Are you asking questions prompted by your books? Or are your books asking you questions? Don’t be afraid to ask, and don’t hesitate to answer.

Preparing for the darker nights with reading that will light our way

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Have I mentioned that the east end Toronto silent book club is very fortunate to have a sister silent book club group in midtown Toronto? Yes I have, but it bears repeating. (Here is founder Beth Gordon’s story about how it got started.

Midtown always was a short subway ride away from east end Toronto pre-pandemic, and they’re still close at hand via zoom. Here is their latest combined reading list, from a meeting just a few days ago.

Diana's trusty reading companion, Carmela

Anne-Louise's reading choice, This Accident of Being Lost by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

Sue R's next pile of reading

Me, on my computer screen, getting ready for the sbc zoom meeting with my books stacked next to the computer

As the midtown and east end Toronto readers would all recommend: find your cozy spot, find your cuddly reading companion, and enjoy your reading or seek out some of ours!

It’s OK to be a mood reader

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… and when you’re in a mood reading patch, a silent book club group is perfect to see you through!

Here’s part of what independent book review web site and podcast Book Riot has to say about what it means to be a mood reader:

“A mood reader is a person who reads according to their mood. This means that their feelings and emotions often dictate what they’ll read. If they’re feeling happy and want to bask in that happiness, they choose a book or genre that will tie in with that feeling. If they’re feeling upset or angry, they may opt for a heart wrenching period drama or a dystopian thriller. The books could serve to expand an emotion or to comfort the reader. Either way, a mood reader selects and reads books based on how they are feeling at any given moment.”

One could argue that mood reading is even more complicated and granular than that. Feeling upset or angry, a mood reader might then opt for the cheery read, and avoid the subject matter or tone that deepens an unhappy feeling. Feeling distracted, not so much tone as simplicity of expression might be the only way to sustain any kind of reading. Perhaps an intense combination of factors might cause the mood reader to abandon reading altogether – we’ve explored the whole loss and regaining of one’s reading mojo throughout the pandemic.

At any rate, one of our readers made this very confession during today’s meeting. She said she had at least four books on the go currently, each differently suited to how focused, energetic, happy (or not) she was at any given time. Of course, characterizing what she said as a confession suggests that saying you’re a mood reader or in a mood reading phase is something to be ashamed of – which it is not! Our group of readers rallied round, more such so-called confessions emerged. The conclusion seemed to be that in fact, mood reading is realistically attuned to our different feelings and energy levels, as well as focus, environment (don’t you read differently on the subway than you do in your favourite reading chair?) and more. Having multiple books on the go, for all those different moods and settings, etc., etc.? Nothing to be worried about at all! And if you need more ideas for more books to fit all those moods? We’re here to help.

Without further ado, here is our latest combined book list. As I’ve mentioned before, each list reflects the reading of many of our members, whether or not they attended the meeting. The titles featured in each of our reports encompass print and digital versions of books, along with audiobooks.

I’m regularly asked if our group recommends specific books. My answer? Any title on any of our group’s lists means that at least one (often more) readers have given that title some consideration. That is encouragement, I’d say, for other readers reading our reports and lists to consider it, too. Is that a recommendation? It might, but not exactly or necessarily. It always means, though, that a title has been given attention and thought 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.

  • If you enjoyed Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz, there is a good chance you will also enjoy the new television series of the same name.
  • The Long Term Care Trilogy recently brought together actors, activists, authors, public figures and caregivers to perform readings of plays by Sophocles and Shakespeare as a catalyst for engaging diverse audiences – both in-person and on Zoom – in conversations about the challenges of caring for those our society has marginalized and left behind, especially elders. Presented by the Toronto Festival of Authors, it featured performances by Margaret Atwood, David Strathairn, The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson, Vanessa Sears, Jani Lauzon, Deena Aziz, Araya Mengesha, Evan Buliung, R.H. Thomson, Daren A. Herbert, Laura Condlln and a Chorus of Caregivers: Dee Hope, Michael Booth and Carol Lemen. It’s now past, but let’s be on the lookout for either a replay of the event, or new such presentations in future.
  • The Pursuit of Love is an excellent 3-part television miniseries based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Nancy Mitford.

Oh, and by the way … Happy 5th anniversary to our silent book club group! Here’s a report from the very first meeting.

Our previous reports and book lists are always available to inform, delight, inspire 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 currently on hiatus or modified schedules, many are running virtual meetings in different formats, and some are carefully running in-person gatherings again. Please feel free to contact me for more information about our club and its offerings.

Sometimes our readers show up at our silent book club meetings to just listen, to gather reading inspiration when the reading energy or focus is flagging, and to be in very good bookish company. If you can’t join us to listen, we still hope these posts and lists help satisfy the many moods in which you might be reading or striving to read.

Love of books, beaming and caroming around the world

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Even the smallest of our zoom gatherings cast an intense glow as we gather from our reading chairs, home offices, bedrooms, cottages, condo balconies and more. Not only do they warm our very close here’s and now’s, but those beams carom around the world, bounce back and connect us in marvellous, often revelatory ways.

Here’s an example of that wonderful caroming effect from our latest meeting:

  1. Silent book club member in Wales describes and recommends The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley, a historical novel set in Peru.
  2. Silent book club member in Canada duly notes, obtains and reads recommended book, falls in love, pursues the author’s other works.
  3. Silent book club member in Canada remarks on amazing book to daughter, who responds “I’ve been telling you to read this!”
  4. Silent book club member in Canada recounts this during zoom meeting while …
  5. Silent book club member’s daughter is texting her from Peru …!
  6. Silent book club member in Wales, also on zoom call, is thoroughly delighted.
  7. Other silent book club members (and now you, reading this blog post, scanning down to the book list) add this book to their tbr lists.

Of course, the fact that the Silent Book Club movement boasts 300+ chapters around the world means that these moments of bookish connection are happening all over the globe. Because many of these clubs have gone from local to hybrid/online events, inviting booklovers to “visit” meetings in other countries, means the effect is blossoming everywhere – and readers, authors and publishers all benefit.

Silent book club member Anne-Louise's book choice

Silent book club member Dawn's book stack

Silent book club member Kathryn's book stack, with Squizzey in attendance

Silent book club member Vicki on screen, getting ready for zoom meeting, with book stack next to the computer

As always, our latest combined book list reflects the reading of many of our members, whether or not they attended the 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 (often more) readers have given that title some consideration. That is encouragement, I’d say, for other readers reading our reports and lists to consider it, too. Is that a recommendation? Not exactly or necessarily, but it means a title has been given attention and thought, 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 always available to inform, delight, inspire and 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 currently on hiatus or modified schedules, many are running virtual meetings in different formats, and some are carefully running in-person gatherings again. Please feel free to contact me for more information about our club and its offerings.

Sending beams of book love your way, as always …