Monthly Archives: April 2024

The best kind of curated newsletter … is made up of book club friends

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Silent book club member Lisa PresnellThis month, we’re delighted to have silent book club member Lisa Presnell introduce our latest blog post. Lisa lives in Tennessee with her husband, two teenage boys, and also a dog, cat, and snake. She is a lifelong reader and book lover who tends to talk about books too much and has an embarrassing amount of books in her tbr pile. [Her silent book club friends do not see these as problems at all …]

Getting the chance to talk books with other book lovers is something that makes my heart happy. I had only recently learned about what a Silent Book Club is, so when I was invited to try the zoom SBC [for the Toronto, Canada chapter] I was excited, but wasn’t entirely sure what to expect. That being said, I was blown away with how much I instantly loved this little group of bookworms. While the idea of a traditional book club is to all read/discuss the same book, the concept of hearing others talk about what they have read over the past month is a different type of delight. I receive a couple of literary-type newsletters, and hearing this group talk feels like the best kind of curated newsletter. Since I am not in-person with these people, participating via zoom is the next best thing and I am so thankful to be a part of it. I only wish I had come across this group sooner, but I look forward to future meetings and maybe one day will get the chance to meet up in person.

Silent book club member Vicki (me) is visible on her computer screen, getting ready for a silent book club zoom meeting. Next to the computer is a dog calendar and some books, including works by Kirby, Matthew Tierney, Sarah Winman, Joan Didion, Anik See, Bradley Peters and Amanda Peters.

At East Toronto Coffee Co with books by Amanda Peters and Bradley Peters on the wooden table, along with lattes, cookie, bright green and purple hats, ready for silent book club meeting

At East Toronto Coffee Co with books by by Daniel Innes & Christina Wong, Maurice Vellekoop, Jennifer Ackerman, Marina Nemat, Amanda Peters, Bradley Peters, Andrey Kurkov and Jenny Erpenbeck on the wooden table

Silent book club member Jess reads at a table at East Toronto Coffee Co

Silent book club member Catherine reads at a table at East Toronto Coffee Co

Our group offers again this month a spectacular and wide-ranging combined book list. This list gathers up books mentioned and discussed by the end of our April 2024 meetings. The list each month reflects the reading of many of our members, so dedicated to the group that they regularly provide their reading lists even when they can’t attend a meeting. The titles featured in each of our reports encompass print and digital versions of books, along with audiobooks.

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, which means a lot.


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 don’t have to finish a whole book in one go. There are no deadlines. And if you don’t like something, you can just drop it off. You can get recommendations from other people and other book lovers.” Silent Book Club London’s co-organizer gives several of the reasons why silent book clubs are so popular.
  • Congratulations to silent book club member Dawn who, starting in 2019, challenged herself to read all of the winners and then all of the shortlists for CBC’s Canada Reads. When she finished reading Denison Avenue by Daniel Innes & Christina Wong at Saturday’s in-person silent book club meeting, she marked the 115th and final title on her list. What a challenge and what a reading accomplishment!

Want to check out our group’s previous reports and book lists? They’re right here, growing every month.

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 last I heard, they’re past 700 chapters now. (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.

Book blurbs, and blurbing our book club

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This year, our silent book club is managing to have three gatherings a month, two virtual and one in-person. Our “go-round” virtual meeting keeps all of us up-to-date on the books delighting and/or challenging members. Our in-person meeting has a quick “go-round” to kick things off, and then we settle in with books and beverages for the bliss that is sharing silent reading together with bookish friends. The hustle and bustle of our lovely neighbourhood coffee shop (thank you, East Toronto Coffee Co!) becomes the warm soundtrack to each of the worlds we slip into …

We continue to devote a second virtual meeting every month to a bookish topic of discussion. The topic of this month’s themed discussion meeting was:

Book recommendations / endorsements on book covers – Do you pay attention to them? Do they influence your decision to read a book (or not)?

As always, the discussion was lively and had a great balance of the ways in which the brief statements or blurbs – sometimes just a word or two – on book covers and opening pages of books do or do not help to convince us to pick up particular books. The celebrity of an endorser might or might as easily not influence us. (Hmm, what’s in it for them, eh?) What if someone endorsing a book also appears in the author’s acknowledgements? What if someone appears to endorse lots and lots and lots of books?

At any rate, the topic inspired me to ask our members how they would blurb our silent book club group. Here’s a selection of their fine, pithy and eminently trustworthy statements:

“Our silent book club is a platform for book lovers to share what they choose about what they read. Our group of readers engages in thoughtful dialogue inspired by thematic elements, aesthetics, and the diverse insights contributed by our members. One activity we share is reading alongside fellow readers, cherishing our books alone, together.”
– Tom

“Silent Book Club: A virtual meeting space where a diverse collection of people share their even more diverse book recommendations.”
– Sven

“Silent Book Club: Quietly expanding your TBR list.”
– Jenn E

“A delightful mix of other worlds made known through the words of fellow bookworms.”
– Lisa

“Silent book club – where you’re guaranteed to find a book to keep you reading past 50 pages! ;)”
– Jenn C

“Bountiful book buddies!”
– Anne-Louise

Silent book club member Amanda's books - including works by Catherine Leroux, Jack Kerouac, Maggie O'Farrell and more [Photo by Amanda]

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

Silent book club member Catherine, wearing a red Dr Pepper sweatshirt, reads at a table at East Toronto Coffee Co - Coffee cups and plates and a bookmark are visible on the table.

Silent book club member Estelle reads at a table at East Toronto Coffee Co - Coffee cups and a sign indicating the table is reserved for the book club are visible on the table.

Silent book club member Tom is engrossed in his reading on a tablet, sitting at a wooden table at East Toronto Coffee Co

At East Toronto Coffee Co with books by Norma Cole, Joan Didion and Elena Ferrante on the wooden table, along with latte and cookie, ready for silent book club meeting

Needless to say, but I’ll say it again because I’m always delighted to say it: you’re going to love our group’s latest combined book list, and titles on it are going to call out to you – guaranteed! This list gathers up books mentioned and discussed by the end of our March to early April 2024 meetings. Each list reflects the reading of many of our members, so dedicated to the group that they regularly provide their reading lists even when they can’t attend a meeting. The titles featured in each of our reports encompass print and digital versions of books, along with audiobooks.

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, which means a lot.


Want 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 our previous reports and book lists right here, growing every month.

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 they’re well past 600 chapters now. (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.

“Beautiful!” “Entrancing!” “Vital!” “Satisfying!” However you would sum it up, wishing you blurb-worthy reading till next we meet!