Edmonton Lesbian+ Book Club

IMPORTANT! We won't meet in December since the holidays are usually a zoo for everyone! Next meeting at the end of January! I was so happy to discuss Ellis Avery's The Last Nude last night. Such a good book that as soon as I read the last page, I turned to the beginning and started again. Wonderful librarian Lindy showed me some paintings by Lempicka - it's so interesting to read fiction based on real people. Favourite things were how vividly each scene was depicted. In January we're going to read Zoe Whittall's Holding Still for as Long as Possible . Got a few more ideas for future reading last night and from this amazingly informative blog, Casey, the Canadian Lesbraria n. So for February let's go with Riding Fury Home , a memoir by American author and psychotherapist Chana Wilson. March we'll read a Saskatoon author, Beth Goobie's young adult novel, Hello, Groin (reviewed here ). Others that were suggested or caught my eye/ear - let me know i...

Hi all, I missed September's meeting - I was so sick. I'm still not 100% it seems but much better. However, I missed book club! And the discussion of Nalo Hopkinson's The Salt Roads , which I just loved. I hope you all will share your thoughts with me since I missed out. Apparently I missed meeting a new member or two as well. Sorry folks! Next we have to move on to Nina Revoyr's Wingshooters . Can't wait! Just for fun, let me direct you to Toronto author Farzana Doctor's list of favourite books ! There are a few we've already read, and a couple we definitely need to add to our reading list. Take care all!

Lovely discussion (as usual) of Jeanette Winterson's memoir Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? One member pointed out we were discussing Jeanette's childhood on her birthday, how fitting! Members found some accounts of her childhood to be very painful to read, but all agreed this book is very interesting, and a wonderful read. Next month we're on to Canadian author Nalo Hopkinson's novel The Salt Roads . Can't wait!

Book club this week we discussed Maureen Johnson's young adult novel, The Bermudez Triangle . As happens sometimes, discussion is shorter when the group is unanimous in liking the novel. It was a well-written easy read focussed on the friendship between three high-school aged girls. We liked it! We noted the lack of tragedy, suicide and general malaise that befalls so many lesbian stories. Speaking of malaise, next month we read Jeanette Winterson's memoir, Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal . One quick note for book club members, paperback copies will be available at Audrey's bookstore next week. If you can't wait, one member tells me there are several hardcovers available at bookstores throughout the city, including e-versions.

Hi all, thanks for book club last night. I really enjoyed our discussion of Mary McCarthy's The Group . This novel is a little different, almost strange. But it revolves around a group of women, recent graduates from Vassar in the 30s. It seemed everyone found the book at time slow-moving, too detailed, and yet, we all found it fascinating despite any criticisms. The book apparently was rather controversial in its time. No wonder as it actually touches on many subjects that might be considered controversial even today - sexuality, birth control, lesbianism, domestic abuse, sexual assault, mental illness, baby-rearing, and financial struggles. One of our members noted that the author is known for writing short stories and that seems evident in this book. While many novels incorporate multiple protagonists and voices, this book did it chapter by chapter and each story felt very separate. At the end of each chapter we were left wishing for more - what happened to this story about this...

Yo-yo reading is all I could come up with for a title today. Our discussion of Giannina Braschi's Yo-Yo Boing! was ... let's say it was difficult. One couldn't finish the book. One read it but said she couldn't really say she knew what it was about. After reading such glowing reviews, we looked forward to it. But sheesh. The first segment was about pus. But believe it or not, I looked back fondly on that section once I entered the next segment. A conversation that went on and on where the reader has no idea who's speaking, what they're talking about, whether the conversation 10 pages ago is still the same conversation on the current page... Well. We just didn't enjoy it. May's title Rose of No Man's Land promises much more. (I've already read it and loved it up!)

Hey everybody. I have been working on adding titles to our reading list for the rest of the year. We came up with some great ideas and I'm excited about (almost) all of them! April was already set with Yo-Yo Boing! May we're reading Rose of No Man's Land by Michelle Tea. For June, we've added The Group by Mary McCarthy - a story about a bunch of "Vassar girls." July we'll try The Bermudez Triangle , thanks for the idea, Jenn. August we're reading Jeanette Winterson's newest - a memoir called Why Be Happy When You Can Be Normal . For September, we've selected The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson. October's title will be Nina Revoyr's award-winner Wingshooters . (I love loved loved Southland so I'm excited about that.) November we've chosen an Edmonton author, Candas Jane Dorsey; we're reading Black Wine . Finally, in December we'll read Ellis Avery's new one, The Last Nude (reviewed by Lindy here)! Okay! So that ...

Thanks for the discussion last night, book clubbers. We read Malinda Lo's Ash , and while it was a nice light read, we got quite involved in discussion of young adult fiction and gender roles. We were looking forward to a different spin on Cinderella, and this was a different spin in that Ash (aka Cinderella) ended up with a woman instead of a prince, it still felt like the same old story of poor, poor girl with no options is rescued by a man, or lesbian in this case. Where are the stories where women/girls rescue themselves? Next we head into Giannina Braschi's Yo-Yo Boing! Brace yourselves, readers, this one seems a little odd so far!

Who knew the book club was becoming so froofy - we're reading musings on Cinderella and books centred around unicorns! Our March title is Ash by Chinese American author Malinda Lo. It's been described as a lesbian twist on Cinderella. Check out the book's trailer here ! Our February title was Suzette Mayr's Monoceros - monoceros is Greek for unicorn. We enjoyed a terrific phone meeting with Suzette where she gamely answered all of our questions. We quizzed her about whether the unicorns in the book were supposed to be interpreted literally, why one character came out (and outed his partner at the same time) and broke up with his partner all at the same time, how she managed to write characters mostly peripheral to a young boy's life and have them all make sense together. Very enjoyable! Thanks again, Suzette. And thanks to Coach House books for their discussion questions - they helped us look at the book from different angles!

Hey everybody long time no update! Just a quick post to let you know that this month's title (February!) is Monoceros , by Calgary author Suzette Mayr. We read her novel Venous Hum a few years back and it was very interesting, sparked a lot of discussion. Had some wild characters including a vegetarian with vampire tendencies. Monoceros sounds rather different from that, but very interesting nonetheless. Suzette has kindly agreed to chat with us over the phone while we meet this month, so get excited! We love chatting with authors. Send your discussion question ideas, pronto! And please confirm your plan to attend so I know who's coming!