Book club reads

by Deborah Rogers Say Nothing, by Patrick Radden Keefe, was a chilling read, depicting the mystery surrounding a murder in Northern Ireland, whilst also illuminating the time period of The Troubles. A journalist and writer for The New Yorker, Radden Keefe dug deep in his mission to uncover secrets and truth. The title is well [...]

by Deborah Rogers – We started our May meeting with a little slide show; making the most of our online capabilities! For a book that is as colourful and evocative as Alice Hoffman’s The Marriage of Opposites, it was an extra gift to be able to look at the paintings of Camille Pissarro whose life

by Deborah Rogers – Richard Wagamese was an incredible writer and speaker, and our book club thoroughly appreciated getting to know some of his words this month. Our book for discussion, Medicine Walk, was published in 2014, and was his last novel. Several of those who joined our meeting had had the good fortune to

by Deborah Rogers – I came away from our March online meeting feeling a little giddy! It was a huge turnout to discuss Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library, and gave us the opportunity to experiment with meeting “breakout rooms” where small groups could chat more easily. It was a high-energy experience and as I jumped

by Deborah Rogers – When we proposed to the group that we would look at Podcasts – instead of a book – this month, I wasn’t sure what the reaction would be. It was a suggestion from one of our long-time members, but because I had never had much inclination to listen to a podcast,

by Deborah Rogers – Welcome to another year of Seaside Book Club! We started our fifth year off with a bang, combining a stunning Canadian read with a discussion with its Vancouver Island writer. The Heaviness of Things That Float was the debut novel by Jennifer Manuel and is wholly influenced by the years she

by Deborah Rogers – Thirteen people “tuned in” to our final book club meeting of the year, held via Zoom. It was the largest turnout we’ve had since in-person meetings had to be put on hold. It felt so good to reconnect with some members we hadn’t seen for many months, and to know that

by Deborah Rogers – Instead of just one book, we tackled an author at our October meeting, encouraging members to read any of the works of Lisa See. She’s an American writer with Chinese heritage and has published 11 books so far in her career: a memoir, three books in a mystery series, and seven

by Deborah Rogers – The selection discussed at our September meeting is a bit of a sleeper success. Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass was originally published in 2013 by an independent publisher; this year it hit the New York Times bestseller list and has seen a surge of interest, reviews and book sales. It seems