Long Live Book Clubs...A Waiting Room Chat

I was sitting in a doctor's waiting room yesterday, and reading my current book, The Guts by Roddy Doyle, when the receptionist struck up a conversation with me about books.  She saw that I was reading and we began chatting about our separate book clubs.

Turns out that the receptionist belongs to a book club of a very different format than my monthly group. This is how hers works:

At the beginning of the year, all 15 members of her group pitch in $25 towards a common purchase of new and popular titles. The list is determined by majority rules, and all of the books are put into a "shared library" of sorts. There is a master list drafted of the new titles and each book is fitted with a membership list. The books are then distributed, and as the members read them, their
names are crossed off and they slip their thoughts into the back cover of the book. They then pass them onto the next person on this list who needs a new read. The group meets every 8-10 weeks to catch up with each other and chat about what they have been reading. The receptionist mentioned that her book club was dominated by women from South Africa, and that a few of the novels have been based in South Africa.

I found this concept of a common and travelling library really interesting. Nice to know about other Book Club formats. Anyone else know of different book club formats?

A Giant Haul: Victoria College Annual Book Sale

Fall is my favourite time of year. The weather is more temperate, the leaves change into a beautiful palette of golds and reds, and I get to go downtown to the University of Toronto's Victoria College Annual Used Book Sale.

For those of you that are unfamiliar with this sale, it is like a book bonanza on steroids. All year, the large alumni community at Vic collect used books from their membership and donations, and they diligently sort and store them. Then, in conjunction with the famous book fair, Word on the Street, they hold a huge sale that takes over their central building and sprawls over several huge, old lecture halls. The books are sorted into fiction and non-fiction, and range in topic groups from a-z. 

This year, I invited my friend and co-member of our book club, Karen S. to join me in this pilgrimage. She was happy to explore as it was her first time attending the sale. We took our time with our rummaging, spending about two and a half hours milling around, and I have to admit that we scored many great reads for the upcoming year.

I haven't taken snaps of all of the books (there are a few too many and I don't want to admit that I bought 20+ books in one day!), so here are a few of the ones that I can't wait to read:

Non-fiction about a woman's trip to China to find relatives.

An award winner...we'll see if I agree.

This will be the first read from my purchases.

This one is our December book club read.

Can't wait to read this one.

I want a dog...Still working on it with my husband.

Sounded like a bit of fun.

Nice cover...We'll see about this one.

One of my favorite books ever. Nice cover art.

A Christmas Present for my Mom.  The surprise won't be spoiled...She doesn't read my blog!!!

Total Guilty Pleasure: Boggle to Go! I bring this in the car so I can keep busy waiting at the bus stop for Abi!

The Silent Wife: A How to Guide?

When my husband caught sight of my latest read, I'm sure that it crossed his mind that The Silent Wife might be my latest self-help guide. After all, he might enjoy a demure partner for a change.

Boy, is he lucky I didn't read A.S.A. Harrison's book as a How To guide. I'm not going to spoil the entire plot, so it's safe to continue reading, but let's just say that there are a few great twists and turns in this psychological thriller that kept me reading.

LitLover.com describes the plot line as follows:

A chilling psychological thriller about a marriage, a way of life, and how far one woman will go to keep what is rightfully hers.

 Jodi and Todd are at a bad place in their marriage. Much is at stake, including the affluent life they lead in their beautiful waterfront condo in Chicago, as she, the killer, and he, the victim, rush haplessly toward the main event. 

He is a committed cheater. She lives and breathes denial. He exists in dual worlds. She likes to settle scores. He decides to play for keeps. She has nothing left to lose. Told in alternating voices,The Silent Wife is about a marriage in the throes of dissolution, a couple headed for catastrophe, concessions that can’t be made, and promises that won’t be kept. 

The characters are well drawn in this novel, and Harrison does an excellent job of portraying both wife and husband well. She weaves both perspectives together so that the reader really understands the situation from all angles.

I found the last couple of chapters most interesting, but she lost me a bit in the last 5-7 pages. Harrison gets bogged down with the psychological jargon of Jungian psychotherapy, and left me scratching my head and trying to figure out what she was talking about.

Despite the bump at the end, it was worth reading and I would recommend it as a fun and engaging read.

Funny Video: Don't Interrupt Mom...She's Reading a Book!

If you ever feel like you get interrupted a million times from your book, have a look at this quick video! It might drive the point home with the teenagers!!!

If you have any funny book related videos, please share them with me! Have a great weekend!

September's Easy Read: Puppet

When Toronto appears in a fictional work, I really get a charge out of recognizing the scenery and familiar landmarks. It was clear though out Joy Fielding's Puppet that she is very comfortable in this city and by the end, I was certain that she lived in Toronto.

References to the atrium at the Toronto Reference Library, tea at the Four Seasons (RIP), the predictable decor of the Airport Hilton (it was recently updated) and the grim sight of the Metro West Detention Centre (fittingly, still ugly as hell) all made me smile. I could even picture the house on Palmerston, as I used to walk home from work down that once stately street and marvel at the huge homes that were once single family residences.

Here's what the book is about (courtesy of www.joyfielding.com):

Puppet

Living a no-strings-attached life in glamorous Palm Beach, beautiful, steely-nerved criminal attorney Amanda Travis knows exactly what she likes: spinning classes, the color black, and one-night stands. Here's what she dislikes: the color pink, nicknames...and memories. Which is why she has shut the door on two ex-husbands, her estranged mother, and her hometown of Toronto. Then comes the news that will shatter Amanda's untouchable world: her mother, who has always held a strange power over everyone she encounters, has shot and killed a complete stranger. Forced to return to Toronto, Amanda must confront her demons and unravel the truth behind her mother's violent act -- while the taunting, teasing name from her past dances in her head...Puppet...telling her that someone else is orchestrating her fate.

I loves that Fielding allows her protagonist, Amanda to be significantly flawed. She is a proud, carnivorous woman, who has huge attachment issues. She drinks too much, and frolics with married men without any conscious discord. Amanda is not a woman that I would be friends with, and it's no wonder that she has no female friends to call on for support. She's broken and memorable.

 At the Cottage
Up North in Canada

I have never read Fielding's work before, but I have to admit that I'm a little embarrassed that it's taken me so long to uncover her work. This read was entertaining and easily consumed. I found it engaging...the type of book that calls you from the bedside table, and forces you to jump into bed unreasonably early, so you can find out what happens next.

I bought a two book compilation that includes Mad River Road also, so stay tuned for that review in the next few months. In researching the author, I found her website quite interesting, (www.joyfielding.com) and she writes a monthly open letter to fans...kinda interesting! Thanks Joy! I'll keep an eye out for your next letter, and look forward to reading more of your work!