Monthly Archives: July 2021

Silent book club … part of a vast underground network for goodness at work in the world

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Sometimes, our silent book club meetings are “pop-ups” – scheduled with somewhat short notice, often on a weekday evening, to mix up it a bit with our more regularly scheduled Saturday morning gatherings. Regardless of when they happen, we always have a good turn-out and a warm exchange of our latest reading enthusiasms and, er, less-than-enthusiasms, knowing we have a crowd with which we can both celebrate and comisserate.

Sometimes, the revelations pop up at us, too. After a lively and varied go-round of book recommendations and reviews, the meeting evolved wonderfully into an open discussion about the joys of rereading and how – with perhaps some concerns about rereading changing our relationship with books beloved at an earlier age – many agreed that rereading offered a path back to our books from the heartbreak and distractions of the past year and a half. And from there, we shared our gratitude for this group and its comforts and support. And from there, one of our members closed the meeting on the perfect note with this quotation from one of the books discussed earlier in the meeting:

“Over the last ten years I’ve had a chance to give readings and talks all over the world and meet thousands of dedicated readers. Their passion for literature has convinced me that there’s a vast underground network for goodness at work in the world – a web of people who’ve put reading at the center of their lives because they know from experience that reading makes them more expansive, generous people and makes their lives more interesting.”

– George Saunders, from A Swim in a Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Master Class on Writing, Reading, and Life (2021 Random House)

Dawn's books

Vicki's books

Every meeting, the books we share comprise an overflowing cornucopia of subjects, formats, genres, styles, voices, perspectives and so much more. 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).

More book-related articles, resources, news, recommendations and more were offered by our members and/or came up during this meeting’s discussions and chat, including:

  • Thanks to a fortuitous connection between members of our silent book club group, YA author Faith Erin Hicks ended up with a freshly redesigned web site: www.faitherinhicks.com. Just so happens Hicks’ titles have also come up in our YA book recommendations!
  • Audiobooks or Reading? To Our Brains, It Doesn’t Matter … so observes Discover magazine. Our silent book club group feels the same way!
  • Further to that very fine George Saunders quotation, enjoy a conversation between him and fellow author Anne Lamott from earlier this year:

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    George Saunders in conversation with Anne Lamott (January, 2021)

Our fellow readers – all part of that vast underground network for goodness at work in the world – are invited to boost their reading with fodder from our previous silent book club meeting reports (online and in-person incarnations) and book lists – find them all here. Perhaps you’ll come across the unexpected!

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 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.

Stay safe, stay well, stay hopeful, stay utterly engrossed in good books!

The latest installment of our young adult (YA) reading recommendations – the fourth of a series of review round-ups

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Toronto silent book club member Sundus Butt returns with another delicious harvest of young adult (YA) titles and recommendations. Enjoy all the monthly YA installments here.

June 2021 YA book selections by Faith Erin Hicks and Laura Lee Gulledge

Friends with Boys by Faith Erin Hicks (11–16)

It’s easy to lose your soul in high school.

I love everything about this graphic novel. It follows Maggie as she starts high school after being homeschooled with her three brothers all her life. The characters are terrific, the humour is delightful, and the artwork is wonderful (as is always the case with Hicks). I could relate wholeheartedly to Maggie from her nervousness about being around so many people to her love for Alien and Ripley. This is a coming-of-age story focused on family and friends, oh, and being haunted by a ghost.

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate (9–12)

Imaginary friends are like books. We’re created, we’re enjoyed, we’re dog-eared and creased, and then we’re tucked away until we’re needed again.

Jackson’s family has little money for food and rent, and Jackson bears the struggles of a difficult life like an old soul. But when things get even worse and it looks like Jackson and his family may have to live in their minivan again, Jackson’s old imaginary friend, Crenshaw, appears.

This is a lovely story focused on family, friendship, and homelessness. Jackson is a great character; his small kindnesses to his sister and his bravery in trying to be strong for his parents make him endearing and also make his trials that much more painful. His interactions with Crenshaw (an enjoyable character, too) are simple, but reveal so much about what Jackson’s trying to keep buried. The story touches on how important it is to share your burdens and heartache with the people you love.

While I Was Away by Waka T. Brown

While I Was Away by Waka T. Brown

While I Was Away by Waka T. Brown (8–12)

Three people who weren’t here with us, but actually were. Their stories, their relationships, their lives all tied together and echoing across time.

This memoir follows twelve-year-old Waka as she’s sent to Tokyo (from America) for several months by herself to improve her Japanese. Waka stays with her forbidding grandmother and she has to navigate an unfamiliar language, culture, and customs.

This is a sensitive and gentle story about the different experiences the author had in Japan. It clearly left a huge mark on her life and she explores the feeling of being an outsider, being caught between two different cultures, and also learning to love someone who can be both kind and severe.

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness

A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness (12+)

“Stories are important,” the monster said. “They can be more important than anything. If they carry the truth.”

This illustrated story follows 13-year-old Conor as his mom battles cancer. One night, Conor wakes up and finds an ancient force/monster outside his window. The monster tells Conor three stories, but at the end Conor must reveal his own terrifying truth about a recurring dream that haunts him.

This book is so well crafted. Conor’s isolation, pain, and anger are so visceral and your heart breaks for him. And the monster is an excellent character that combines menace, wisdom, and care (and the stories he shares are wonderful dark mini-fairy tales). The balance between raw emotion, imagination, and insight makes this a great story about coping and grief.

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge (12–17)

I suppose all moms have an idea who they hope their daughters will be. Like a connect-the-dots picture where you think you know what shape it will become. But then it’s the daughter who draws the lines, and she might connect the dots you didn’t intend, making a whole different picture. So I’ve gotta trust the dots she’s given me, and she’s gotta trust me to draw the picture myself.

This is a beautifully illustrated graphic novel that follows teenage Paige when she moves to New York City with her parents from Virginia. Paige is painfully shy and finds herself feeling isolated and lost in the big city, and she retreats into her mind and sketchbook for refuge (even though both are difficult places at times). Some of the metaphorical drawings convey Paige’s introversion and insecurity perfectly and you can understand exactly how she is feeling. Overall, the story is about actively changing your life in small ways so you can find your people and your place.