Organized or spontaneous reading, or organizing the spontaneity of our reading – it’s all good

The last time it happened, we wondered if it was a dream. Well, it happened again, so I guess it wasn’t a dream … but it was truly dreamy.

Once again, we made our way through The Great Escape bookstore, out the back door, through the urban oasis of a blooming pollinator garden, through the vine-draped entrance to the charming space where we once again realized absolute silent book club paradise. By the late summer afternoon light angling through the back garage doors, perfectly enhanced with a chandelier and fairy lights, with occasional visits from sweet store dog Scout, we settled into our chairs for an hour of peaceful reading – neighbours’ voices and nearby traffic just a pleasant hum in the background.

We followed that with an hour of just the right depth of discussion about the books we’ve been reading, the ones that have enchanted us and the ones that have perhaps disappointed us. That conversation segued into some reflections on how we all progress from one book to the next – sometimes checking off titles from some kind of list or some kind of organized map of subjects or authors we want to work our way through, and sometimes spontaneously and with no plan or preconceived notions at all.

Those of us who didn’t acquire a few books on the way in made sure to acquire a few on the way out. How many kinds of perfect was our return trip (not the last – the snow is not flying just yet) to bookish heaven?

Chairs set out in The Great Escape garage, awaiting readers. The Great Escape sign over the garage doors is covered with vines.

The vine draped entrance of The Great Escape garage

The silent book club group assembles in The Great Escape garage, with the back garage doors open and a chandelier and fairy lights overhead.

A silent book club member reads at The Great Escape garage.

A silent book club member reads at The Great Escape garage.

A silent book club member reads at The Great Escape garage.

A silent book club member reads at The Great Escape garage.

A silent book club member reads at The Great Escape garage.

Silent book club readers gather in The Great Escape garage to silently read.

The Great Escape bookstore dog Scout looks out the back garage doors as we read.

The poetry collection Intruder by Bardia Sinaee (House of Anansi Press) sits in my lap. My legs in black jeans and my feet in purple Fluevog sneakers are visible.

Silent book club member Catherine sits in a wooden chair reading Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff. Her bicycle is leaned up against the wooden wall of the garage in the background.

The Great Escape bookstore dog Scout sits on the rug amidst a group of silent book club readers in the garage.

Me, holding the book Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, standing in The Great Escape garage. The walls are wooden and rough hewn, decorated with dried flowers and lights. A colourful rug is rolled out on the floor. I have frizzy hair (of course) and am wearing black jeans, a black T-shirt from the Children's Book Bank, and purple Fluevog sneakers.

Here are the books we read and discussed at The Great Escape:

Again, we have 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. Here are the latest:

Our previous reports and book lists are always available for you to enjoy and get some reading inspiration 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.

Organized, spontaneous, organizedly spontaneous, spontaneously organized … however you approach it, keep enjoying your reading.

2 thoughts on “Organized or spontaneous reading, or organizing the spontaneity of our reading – it’s all good

  1. Kath

    The Great Escape certainly looks like a magical and enchanted place to sit and read and meet with friends. How wonderful that you were all able to meet up in such a gorgeous space – and I love the sound of a bookshop dog as a change from the many bookshop cats there are! Thanks for sharing such great photos of the meet up for us stay-at-homes to enjoy your visit vicariously. x

    Reply
    1. bookgaga Post author

      I enjoy sharing this lovely space with our bookish friends. I love that you can share it from afar, and can’t wait for the day you get to experience it firsthand!

      Reply

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