Food or drink that erases previous tastes and makes a diner ready to receive new ones are known as palate cleansers. This month, one of our silent book club members posited to much agreement that books can do the same thing before one moves on to, well, other books.

Her striking example was the audiobook version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, narrated by actor Michael York. In addition to setting her reading on a new path, she described the process as very calming – something perhaps particularly welcome in our reading nowadays. She had everyone else at the meeting scribbling this title down, ready to test this idea at the earliest opportunity!

What do you think of the notion of books as palate cleansers – maybe something a little outside one’s usual tastes, or something one has not visited for a while and/or something in a different format (audio versus physical page)?

Depending on one’s personal situation and timing, just about any book could be that palate cleanser and calming influence, couldn’t it? What on our latest combined reading list might be that palate cleanser or calming influence for you?

Every title on our group’s generous lists means that at least one (but usually more) readers have given that title considered attention. That doesn’t mean that every work on our lists is expressly recommended, of course. Inclusion on this list always means that our readers have devoted time and thought to a title – and that counts for so very much.

• The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry (audiobook)
• The Unworthy by Agustina Bazterrica
• Dream When You’re Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg
• In a Riptide by Ronna Bloom
• All the Broken Places by John Boyne
• The New Wilderness by Diane Cook
• The Innocents by Michael Crummey
• Love in the Air: Second World War Letters by Joanne Culley
• Claudette on the Keys by Joanne Culley
• Kate and the Composers by Joanne Culley
• The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis, narrated by Karissa Vacker (audiobook)
• Bear by Marian Engel
• The Secret Lives of Booksellers and Librarians by Matt Eversmann and James Patterson
• Finding Flora by Elinor Florence
• Burst Your Bubble: Outsmart the Algorithms and See What You’re Missing by Joyce Grant, illustrated by Jan Dolby
• Mr. Splitfoot by Samantha Hunt
• Rebel with a Clause: Tales and Tips from a Roving Grammarian by Ellen Jovin
• All Fours by Miranda July
• The Shining by Stephen King
• Babel, or the Necessity of Violence by Rebecca Kuang
• The Trees Grew Because I Bled There: Collected Stories by Eric LaRocca
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, narrated by Michael York (audiobook)
• The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis, narrated by Kenneth Branagh (audiobook)
• Dreaming of You by Melissa Lozada-Oliva
• Night Swimmers by Roisin Maguire
• The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, narrated by Jack Hawkins & Louise Brealey (audiobook)
• Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, narrated by Frankie Corzo (audiobook)
• The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, narrated by Gisela Chípe (audiobook)
• Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty
• The Maid’s Secret by Nita Prose
• In Search of Lost Time Volume Volume III – The Guermantes Way by Marcel Proust, translated by C.K. Scott Moncreiff and Terence Kilmartin, revised by D.J. Enright
• The Word of Dog by Mark Rowlands
• Buckeye by Patrick Ryan
• Home Before Dark by Rylie Sagar
• Mona’s Eyes by Thomas Schlesser, narrated by Holly Lucas (audiobook)
• There Are Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak
• Lucky by Marissa Stapley
• Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutanto
• A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews
• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
• NMLCT by Paul Vermeersch
• Murder on Line One by Jeremy Vine

Here are some extra book-related articles, resources, news and recommendations, items and tidbits that 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.

• Live (in New York City) and livestreamed, Cyrus Cassell, winner of the 2025 Jackson Poetry Prize will be in conversation with Pádraig Ó Tuama on September 30, 2025.
• Author Miranda July (All Fours) is also an acclaimed filmmaker. This silent book club member (Vicki) highly recommends July’s first film, Me and You and Everyone We Know.

Our group’s previous reports and book lists are always available 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 the worldwide phenomenon of silent book clubs via Guinevere and Laura’s Silent Book Club web site. In fall 2023, they welcomed their 500th chapter … and with continuing, breathtaking momentum, they now boast closer and closer to 2,000 chapters … (There were around 60 chapters when we joined as the first Toronto chapter in 2017.) The SBC organization will be celebrating its 10th anniversary throughout October … and our chapter will be celebrating its 8th anniversary not long after that, thank you very much!

You can find information on meetings happening around the world and close to where you live. Every club is different in 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.

Whether or not your reading palate needs cleansing, may the books ahead bring you every delight!

A Dark Death by Alice Fitzpatrick (Stonehouse Publishing, 2025)

reviewed by Kim Maxwell

When I was given the opportunity to review the second book in the Meredith Island Mystery series, I admit to being a bit daunted by the request. I hadn’t read the first book of the series, Secrets in the Water, and wondered if I could read this book as a standalone mystery. It can be annoying when you must read a “series” book in sequence in order to get the gist of the characters. I am happy to report that this book does the task as a standalone mystery.

Whenever I am at a loss as to what book to read next, I often turn to mysteries. This genre offers a good exercise for the brain. By questioning “what, why, where, when, who and how”, the reader puts together the clues provided by the author and tries to solve the mystery. I emphasize “tries”.

A Dark Death takes place on a small island off the Welsh coast. The village is charming and the community is tight-knit. Long time residents know the history of the island and their neighbours. Due to its idyllic setting, the community often attracts many visitors from the mainland. This situation can often be an irritant for some of the inhabitants. Kate Galloway has returned to the island where she was raised and plans to spend a quiet summer working on her latest novel. The local pub is presently overrun by students from the mainland who are participating in an architectural dig. Under the direction of their professor, Dr. Simon Penhaligon, they believe that they may have discovered evidence that an ancient Roman temple existed on the island.

A flamboyant visitor arrives at the pub and announces “Drinks for everyone!” thus, initially endearing himself to punters. Later, he invites prominent residents of Meredith Island to the local historical mansion, Faraday Manor, where he will hold a séance and scientifically prove the presence of spirit persons. He plans to clandestinely film the experience and then sell the film to a television network. He is confident that this film will turn into a network series, thus ensuring his fame and fortune. Kate is invited along with a few others including the local vicar, Reverend Imogene Larkin and the grand dame of the island, Sophie Sutherland.

The following day, the students discover a body laid out in their trench in a seemingly ritualistic position. And so, the mystery begins. At first, Kate decides to not get involved in the investigation, even though she has had previous experience in sleuthing (described in the first book, Secrets in the Water). However, when a local island mechanic and an architectural student who is her friend’s son become prime suspects, she is forced to get find evidence to prove their innocence and find the true murderer. Of course, her eccentric lustful artist friend, Siobhan is keen to help in her investigation. More clues are provided as the story unfolds. At this point, I hesitated for fear that there may be too many suspects being introduced with subsequent plot twists. This tactic can often cause confusion and error on the silly side. Thankfully, my fear was unfounded and the mystery proceeded to a surprising and satisfactory conclusion.

Now I am curious to find out more about the main character, Kate Galloway and her intuitive crime solving. I found the islanders to be an interesting and complex bunch of characters and look forward to their past and future experiences. The prose was written in such a way that it is easy to imagine what life could be like in a small picturesque community on an island just off the coast of Wales.

In conclusion, A Dark Death can be read on its own but it has piqued my interest to go back and read Secrets in the Water. I recommend this series for any mystery fans who are intrigued by everyday life that seems idyllic but underneath this desired setting lurks the potential motive for murder and criminal intent.

Secrets in the Water by Alice Fitzpatrick (Stonehouse Publishing, 2020)

reviewed by Joylyn Chai

The best remedy after a bad day, whether it be work-related or personal, is the company of some good friends. We can talk, laugh, and cry. I can only imagine the kind of support I’d need if, for example, my grandmother had just died and I suspected that my aunt had been murdered. Actually, I don’t have to imagine much because this is what happens in Secrets in the Water.

In Alice Fitzpatrick’s debut novel, one woman befriends another to help solve the murders and mysteries happening on Meredith Island.

Truth be told, I don’t normally read murder mysteries. Though I enjoy a whodunit storyline, I am easily overwhelmed by all the facts and details as they become possible clues. I sit in full admiration of authors who dedicate their lives to writing mystery novels. I often wonder what kind of organizational systems they use to keep track of everything. Do the inside of their minds look like colour-coded spreadsheets or like tangled knots of string?

Fitzpatrick’s novel is set in an imaginary island in Wales and has a cast of eccentric characters, all of whom go about their daily lives in a fashion that makes me long to visit the country. The book showcases the appeal of living in a tight-knit community in a stunning location. Take in the fresh air. Go for a walk by the beach. Have a hot cup of tea with a friendly neighbour. Visit a local art studio. Wander down to the pub for a few pints. What else can you do on Meredith Island? Well, you can go to a funeral. More than one.

For me, as a murder mystery “newbie,” Secrets in the Water was fun to read primarily because of one woman whose hair is “reminiscent of a Pre-Raphaelite painting.” Wow. This, by the way, is not our protagonist, despite having a beautiful head of flowing locks. Siobhan Fitzgerald is an artist who befriends Kate Galway. Kate is convinced the death of her aunt, fifty years ago, was in fact an act of cold-blooded murder. Spoiler alert: her hunch is right on the money.

Kate Galway, who is the main character, has got a lot on her plate. Her grandmother just died, her marriage has disintegrated, and now she’s determined to catch a killer. If I was in Kate’s shoes, I would be on the verge of a pretty ugly nervous breakdown. But she’s not. Instead she’s tenacious and focused. She’s got that “keep calm and carry on” vibe about her. Pure boss. As we know, every boss needs a good assistant. Or, every super sleuth needs a sidekick. Who better than Siobhan Fitzgerald, an attractive redhead with a Celtic knot tattoo?

My absolute favourite part of the book happens when Kate is determined to stop Siobhan from snooping around the property of an affluent family, the Sutherlands. Siobhan is literally prepared to do Kate’s “dirty work.” In their search for answers and justice, Siobhan is the one leading the charge to trespass on private property in the middle of the night and upturn a family’s garden looking for evidence. In her words, she’s ready to “break all the rules of decent, civilized behaviour.” Throwing all caution to the wind, she’s willing to lend a helping hand to a friend in need.

By the way, it’s not easy for Siobhan on Meredith Island. She’s an artist, a bit of an outsider — and she’s got a stalker. Yet still, she’ll stand up to the locals, keep her wits about her, and more importantly, she never loses her sense of humour.

For someone who’s not schooled in the genre of murder mysteries, I do know that Sherlock Holmes had an ever-present companion in John H. Watson. From what I gather, Watson is a practical and loyal man. In a similar way, Kate Galway and Siobhan Fitzgerald make a clever and brave investigating duo. But for me, it is Siobhan’s free spirit and passion that are at the heart of Secrets ..in the Water. Truth be told, if I ever had a chance to visit Wales, I’d love to meet Siobhan at the local pub. We’d order a couple of pints, have a good chat, a great laugh – and maybe, solve the next murder on Meredith Island.

On the verge of its sixth anniversary (yes!), our silent book club group does this amazing and wonderful thing more and more, with every meeting. One by one, as readers share updates on their recent reading, almost to a person, that recent reading includes a recommendation from another reader in the group. And that recommendation blossoms into other discoveries. And then the reader that offered that recommendation reveals that the previous reader inspired them with recommendations (backatcha!), and then that recommendation led down other intriguing paths, either deeper into a particular subject or an author’s body of work … and on and on it goes, around our virtual silent book club table. And it’s connected and enmeshed but, importantly, not spinning in on itself (meaning we’d all eventually be reading the same book, like, er, the kinds of book clubs we left to join this group …) It keeps spinning larger and larger concentric circles, drops on a pond that extend further and further out. It’s perpetually in motion in fascinating ways that has this reader looking forward to how it will all keep spinning when next we meet.

In addition to our monthly go-round (spinning!) meetings, we continue to devote a second meeting every month to a bookish topic of discussion. The topic of this month’s themed discussion meeting was:

Looking things up while you’re reading – If you encounter a reference or word or something you don’t recognize while you’re reading – and it’s not explained or discernible from the text – do you stop and look it up or do you keep going with the flow of what you’re reading?

While fairly evenly divided between stopping to look things up (even risking getting distracted by invariable online rabbit holes) and going with the flow, the assembled readers for this discussion learned a lot from those on one or the other side of this dilemma. Thoughts and revelations included:

• One reader who goes with the flow marks pages with scraps of paper that she circles back to later to look things up.
• The group debated whether or not cryptic words that one has to look up could or should be “solved” by the writer by either employing simpler prose or incorporating obvious clues, descriptions or explanations. In other words, should the text be self-contained and explanatory?
• Some readers confessed to being made to feel lazy if they just forged ahead and didn’t either stop at the time or look things up later. Others suggested a bit of mistrust of the author if things weren’t fully explained in context.
• Footnotes … ah, yes … the pros, the cons, even the quirky delights of …

Here is our group’s latest combined book list, gathering up books mentioned and discussed at our end of September 2023 meeting. Each list reflects the reading of many of our members. Many 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.

Any title on any of our group’s lists means that at least one (but usually more) readers have given that title some consideration. That’s encouragement for you and other readers checking out our reports and lists to consider it, too. Is that a recommendation? It might be, but not exactly or necessarily. Inclusion on this list always means that a title has been given thoughtful consideration and attention by our readers, which you can be assured counts for a lot.

• All the Things I Lost in the Flood by Laurie Anderson
• Masala Lab: The Science of Indian Cooking by Krish Ashok
• Hyperfocus: How to Be More Productive in a World of Distraction by Chris Bailey
• Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
• The Age of Hope by David Bergen
• Firekeeper’s Daughter by Angeline Boulley
• The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
• In Such Good Company: Eleven years of laughter, mayhem, and fun in the sandbox by Carol Burnett (audiobook)
• Milkman by Anna Burns
• My Early Life: 1874-1904 by Winston Churchill
• The Librarianist by Patrick de Witt
• The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices by Charles Dickens & Wilkie Collins
• Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue
• Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S. Dwek, narrated by Bernadette Dunne (audiobook)
• The Wren, The Wren by Anne Enright
• A New Season by Terry Fallis
• Breaking and Entering by Don Gillmor
• Truth Telling: Seven Conversations About Indigenous Life in Canada by Michelle Good
• Passionate Mothers, Powerful Sons by Charlotte Gray
• Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths
• The House at Sea’s End by Elly Griffiths
• The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman
• The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks, narrated by Tom Hanks, full cast (audiobook)
• Our Souls at Night by Kent Haruf
• Union Atlantic by Adam Haslett
• Sacred Time by Ursula Hegi
• The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand, narrated by Erin Bennett (audiobook)
• 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph
• Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
• Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
• Crow Lake by Mary Lawson, narrated by Amelia Sargisson (audiobook)
• The Road to Lichfield by Penelope Lively
• Judgment Day by Penelope Lively
• Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke, narrated by JD Jackson (audiobook)
• What We Talk About When We Talk About Dumplings, edited by John Lorinc
• The Unlikely Thru-Hiker: An Appalachian Trail Journey by Derick Lugo
• Dopesick: Dealers, Doctors, and the Drug Company that Addicted America by Beth Macy
• Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel, narrated by Alyssa Bresnahan (audiobook)
• On Writing and Failure by Stephen Marche
• Conversations with People Who Hate Me by Dylan Marron
• Pure Life by Eugene Marten
• Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss
• Hell of a Book: or the Altogether Factual, Wholly Bona Fide Story of a Big Dreams, Hard Luck, American-Made Mad Kid by Jason Mott, narrated by JD Jackson, Ronald Peet (audiobook)
• The Extraordinary Life of an Ordinary Man by Paul Newman, narrated by Paul Newman (previously taped) and 7 others (audiobook)
• The Angel Maker by Alex North
• True Biz by Sara Nović, narrated by Lisa Flanagan, Kaleo Griffith (audiobook) – here and here
• Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell, narrated by Daisy Donovan (audiobook)
• Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor
• The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
• The Godwulf Manuscript (Spenser #1) by Robert B. Parker
• Idgah by Munsi Premchand
• Gutter Child by Jael Ealey Richardson
• The Guncle by Steven Rowley
• Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
• The Editor by Steve Rowley
• A Woman is No Man by Etaf Rum, narrated by Ariana Delawari, Dahlia Salem, Susan Nezami (audiobook)
• The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi
• I Used to Live Here Once by Miranda Seymour
• She and Her Cat: Stories by Makoto Shinkai
• Hollywood Unknowns by Anthony Slide
• Winter by Ali Smith, narrated by Melody Grove (audiobook)
• I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
• Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption by Bryan Stevenson (audiobook)
• The Sacrifice Box by Martin Stewart
• After the Rapture by Nancy Stohlman
• The Wave by Todd Strasser
• On The Plain Of Snakes: A Mexican Journey by Paul Theroux
• Blurb Your Enthusiasm: An A-Z of Literary Persuasion by Louise Willder
• Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear, narrated by Rita Barrington (audiobook)
• Hello Sleep: The science and art of overcoming insomnia without medications by Jade Wu, narrated by Susannah Mars (audiobook)
• Reimagining Chinatown: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction, edited by Linda Zhang

Here are 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.

• Last month, I blended the poetry works I read for the 2023 Sealey Challenge (reading 31 works in 31 days) into our group’s combined reading list. I’ve since created a separate blog post of my Sealey Challenge reading here.
• “Something happened when we shifted to digital formats that created a loss of rights for readers. Pulling back the curtain on the evolution of ebooks offers some clarity to how the shift to digital left ownership behind in the analog world.” Read more in The Anti-Ownership Ebook Economy.
• Did we mention footnotes? Poet Ross Gay praises them!
• The reader who discussed the book Reimagining Chinatown: An Anthology of Speculative Fiction, edited by Linda Zhang at today’s meeting also recommended the documentary Big Fight in Little Chinatown as an interesting complement to the book.
• Another group member strongly recommends the Read the North Podcast. Season 1 is an engaging history of (mostly Toronto focused) CanLit.

Looking back almost six years,here’s a report from the very first meeting of the east end Toronto silent book club group.

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 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. 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.

And if you explore some of the books here or on our other combined lists, our group will help you and your reading friends to keep that perpetual motion great reading machine rolling on and on and on …

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?

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.

• Son of Elsewhere by Elamin Abdelmahmoud
• Littlest Library by Poppy Alexander
• Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki
• Case Histories by Kate Atkinson
• One Good Turn by Kate Atkinson
• Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson
• O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker
• Young Skins by Colin Barrett
• Homesickness by Colin Barrett
• Snap by Belinda Bauer, narrated by Andrew Wincott (audiobook)
• Himawari House by Harmony Becker
• Murder at the Porte de Versailles by Cara Black
• What’s Past is Prologue by Gail Bowen
• The Palace Papers by Tina Brown (audiobook)
• Parable of the Talents by Octavia E Butler (audiobook)
• The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter
• Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath by Heather Clark, narrated by Laura Jennings (audiobook)
• But the sun, and the ships, and the fish, and the waves. by Conyer Clayton
• The Gospel Singer by Harry Crews
• alfabet/alphabet by Sadiqa de Meijer
• The Blood of the Lamb by Peter De Vries
• Some Trick: Thirteen Stories by Helen DeWitt
• Trust by Hernan Diaz
• Diary of a Tuscan Bookshop by Alba Donati
• The Diabetes Code: Prevent and Reverse Type 2 Diabetes Naturally by Jason Fung
• The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day and Extended Fasting by Jason Fung and Jimmy Moore
• Ten Steps to Nanette: A Memoir Situation by Hannah Gadsby (audiobook)
• The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
• Werner Herzog: A Guide for the Perplexed – Conversations with Paul Cronin
• Leonard and Hungry Paul by Ronan Hession (audiobook)
• The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer
• The Year of the Puppy by Alexandra Horowitz
• Nawab Imad-ul-Mulk: (social and cultural activities of Nawab-ul-Mulk Syed Husain Bilgrami in Hyderabad) by Saidul Haq Imadi and M.V.S. Prasada Rau
• Mindful of Murder by Susan Juby
• The Weight of Ink by Rachel Kadish, narrated by Corrie James (audiobook)
• Foster by Claire Keegan
• The Feast by Margaret Kennedy
• Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid
• Call of the Night by Kotoyama
• The Matter of Song in Early Modern England by Katherine R. Larson
• The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li
• African Psycho by Alain Mabanckou
• Straggle – Adventures in Walking While Female by Tanis MacDonald
• Psychoanalysis: the Impossible Profession by Janet Malcolm
• Death in Venice and Other Stories by Thomas Mann
• The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr, narrated by Chris McPherson (audiobook)
• Saturday by Ian McEwan
• Lessons by Ian McEwan, narrated by Simon McBurney (audiobook)
• Murder at Balmoral by Chris McGeorge
• High Kicks, Hot Chocolate, and Homicides by Mary McHugh
• The Lonely Passion of Judith Hearne by Brian Moore
• Alligator by Lisa Moore
• He Drown She in the Sea by Shani Mootoo
• The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell, narrated by Genevieve Grant and author (audiobook)
• Five Invitations: What Death Can Teach Us About Living Fully by Frank Ostaseski
• Such Big Dreams by Reema Patel
• Collected Poems by Sylvia Plath
• Bewilderment by Richard Powers
• Barkskins by Annie Proulx
• We Spread by Iain Reid
• Where the Seals Sing by Susan Richardson
• Fuzz by Mary Roach
• This Is What It Sounds Like: What the Music You Love Says about You by Susan Rogers and Ogi Ogas
• The state of disbelief: a therapist’s story of love, death and mourning by Juliet Rosenfeld
• Seven Empty Houses by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell
• Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris
• Happy-Go-Lucky by David Sedaris (audiobook)
• The Best of Me by David Sedaris (audiobook)
• Let’s Explore Diabetes with Owls by David sedaris (audiobook)
• Live at Carnegie Hall by David Sedaris (audiobook)
• Calypso by David Sedaris (audiobook)
• Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris (audiobook)
• The Complete Poems by Anne Sexton
• The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
• The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows
• Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout, narrated by Kimberly Farr (audiobook)
• Brat Farrar by Josephine Tey
• The Magician by Colm Toibin
• Ragged Company by Richard Wagamese (audiobook)
• Dislocation: Stories from a New Ireland, edited by Caroline Walsh
• My Grief, the Sun by Sanna Wani
• My Oxford Year by Julia Whelan (audiobook)
• The Changeling by Joy Williams
• Now Is Not the Time to Panic: A Novel by Kevin Wilson, narrated by Ginnifer Goodwin (audiobook)
• The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben
• The Storied Life of AJ Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

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.

• I guarantee that all fellow readers will become obsessed with the incredible Literature Clock!
• Bob Jackson read all 315 shortlisted books in the Booker Library in less than four years. He explains how he did it and tells us which titles he loved the most – and which were the most challenging.
• Take a look at The Bond of Live Things Everywhere Youth Poetry Contest winning submissions, composed by kids in elementary, middle, and high school who live or study in New York. The Bond of Live Things Everywhere staged Black poetry and performance in the open air during the fall of 2022 in the New York Botanical Garden.
• The New York Public Library showcases their Best Books of 2022, across genres and for all ages.
• The Academy of American Poets recently offered their annual Gather in Poems program, featuring prominent readers sharing some of their favorite poems in the spirit of community and connection. Here is the collection of readers and poems, and here are the readings.
• The Books and Boba podcast discusses Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki … but hey, it has spoilers!

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.

The Small Machine Talks is a lively and informative podcast about Canadian creators, those who write, publish and perform poetry and other literary and imaginative works. How generous and visionary of podcast creator and host Amanda Earl to consider the perspectives of those of us who read and consume what others create. I was so honoured (and also very nervous) to be invited for a warm chat with Amanda about silent book clubs and the joy of reading, sharing poetry discoveries on social media (with the #todayspoem hashtag) and more. I want to particularly thank my fellow silent book club readers and friends, who are inspirations in fueling the enthusiasm you’ll hear here in my voice.