Lifestyle
Many book clubs are reading The Book of Negroes.
Love to read? Join the club.
VICKI GILHULA
Winter 2010 |
This article appears in the Winter 2009 issue of Sudbury Living. A small indulgence is spending a cold, snowy Sudbury winter night in bed under a warm duvet curled up with a good book. While reading is usually a solitary pursuit, discussing books with other people takes appreciation to the next level. Exchanging ideas, observations and impressions adds to the experience. A study for the Canadian publishing industry found $1.1 billion was spent on books in Canada in 2001, for an average of $95 for each of the 11.9 million households in the country. (An amount greater than spending on tobacco, alcohol and games of chances combined.) However, there are significant differences between households with regards to book spending. Fifty-two percent of households reported no spending on books in 2001. The other 48 percent of households (5.7 million households) spent an average of $196 on books per household. Across Canada, book spending increased by 23 per cent between 1997 and 2001.
Starting a book club is a fun way to keep up on the latest bestsellers and meet people with similar interests.
The Greater Sudbury Public Library encourages book groups and offers The Book Club in a Bag program. Each bag includes five copies of the same book, which can be borrowed for six weeks or longer, and advice on how to organize a discussion group.
There is also lots of advice about how to start a book club available on the internet. Most publishers' websites promote book clubs because it can mean increased sales.
There are several formal book clubs in Greater Sudbury, some of whom have met for many years, and as well as numerous casual groups. Some readers meet at library branches, while others meet in restaurants or in members' homes.
A couple of years ago I joined the Canadian Federation of University Women Club's (CFUW) book group in Sudbury. It is one of the most enjoyable meetings I attend each month. I don't always read all the books on the list, but I always enjoy the discussions and learn so much from them.
Some members buy the books we discuss, while others find what they are looking for at the public library. Librarians will reserve books for readers or put their names on a waiting list, or order a title from other libraries in Ontario if they don't have it on their shelves.
The CFUW book club meets on a monthly basis in members' homes. The list of books, schedules, hosts and leaders of discussions are planned at the final meeting of the season in June.
The CFUW book group will be reading about slavery, Nazis, and true patriot love this winter. Book lovers might enjoy knowing what books will be talking about.
Lady Macbeth
Susan Frasier King
American novelist Susan Frasier King relies on historical research about 11th century Scotland to put a kinder face on Shakespeare's great villianess , who with her husband, ruled for 17 years. The Macbeths reign was relatively peaceful and prosperous. Most of the major events in the novel are based on historical accounts.
The Book of Negroes
Lawrence Hill
An African-American woman, Aminata Diallo, is given her freedom by the British after the War of Independence and sent to Nova Scotia to live. Lawrence Hill's heroine is Aminata Diallo. This book, selected by CBC Radio's Canada Read panel, has been hailed as a masterpiece.
The Time Traveller's Wife
Audrey Niffenegger
Published in 2003, The Time Traveller's Wife is now a feature movie. Part science fiction, part romance, a woman learn to cope with her husband's genetic disorder that causes him to time travel unpredictably.
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Mary Ann Shaffer
Annie Barrows
The story of an unusual book club in Guernsey during the occupation by the Germans in the Second World War is unveiled in a series of letters. The heroine Juliet discovers charming, funny, deeply human cast of characters. Captivated by their stories, her life is changed when she sails for Guernsey.
Mr. Pip
Lloyd Jones
New Zealand journalist Lloyd Jones covered the civil war on the island Bougainville in the early 1990s, and sets his post-modern novel in this time period. (The citizens of the island revolted against the Australian copper, gold, and silver mining company that owned its resources.) Mr. Watts, a New Zealander married to a local woman, offers to replace the departed teacher at the village school. On the second day of class, he begins to read Dickens' Great Expectations to his students with some surprising results. The book won the 2007 Commonwealth Writers' Prize.
Three Cups of Tea
Greg Mortenson
David Oliver Relin
The book describes Greg Mortenson's transition from a mountain-climber to a humanitarian committed to reducing poverty and educating girls in Pakistan and Afghanistan. He is the co-founder of the Central Asia Institute, which has built more than 78 schools in the most remote areas. Three Cups of Tea has sold three million copies and been published in 34 countries.
The Flying Troutmans
Miriam Toews
Miriam Toews is a Winnipeg writer who won the John Hirsch Award for Most Promising Manitoba Writer and made the Stephen Leacock Award for Humour shortlist. In The Flying Troutmans, Hattie escapes her own problems in Paris to return to Winnipeg to look after her niece and nephew when her sister checks into a psychiatric hospital. She takes the kids on a road trip in search of the children’s long-lost father, Cherkis.
True Patriot Love
Michael Ignatieff
Professor turned politician Michael Ignatieff tells the story of his mother's family, the Grants, and their love of Canada.
Three Day Road
Through Black Spruce
Joseph Boyden
This young Canadian writer taught in Moosonee and now lives in New Orleans, where he teaches in the university's master's of fine arts program. Through Black Spuce is a powerful novel of contemporary aboriginal life. Three Day Road, a CBC Canada Reads selection, is a story inspired in part by a real life Ojibwa First World War hero.
The Story of Edward Sawtelle
David Wroblewski
Edgar is the only child of a couple who run a dog-breeding business in northern Wisconsin. Born mute, Edgar uses sign language to communicate with his parents and the dogs. There are many subtle paranormal and spooky elements in this novel which borrows from Shakespeare's Hamlet.
Tips for starting a book club
Get together a core group. It is much easier to start a book club with two or three people who already have some connection.
An ideal size for a book club is eight to 11 people.
Set a regular meeting time. Most groups meet at least once a month.
Ground rules should include how books are chosen, who hosts, who leads discussions, and what kind of commitment is expected.
Keep meeting and inviting people.
Food is not required at meetings, but it helps the discussion roll and makes the book club meetings more fun.
Who's reading?
