Edmonton Lesbian+ Book Club

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!

Some items for future consideration... Torchlight to Valhalla, a 1938 novel by American author Gale Wilhelm - considered a classic of lesbian fiction, and published only 10 years later than The Well of Loneliness, but (quite rare for lesbian fiction in this time) the ending is actually satisfactory for the lesbian characters. It was also reissued in 1953 by Lion Publishers, but titled The Strange Path . It was re-issued once more in 1985 by Naiad Press under its original title. The Group is a classic from American author Mary McCarthy. Sounds like this 1962 novel is the reason for all those rumours about Vassar! This one is exciting - lesbian fiction from a young Muslim woman from Indonesia. Herlina Tien Suhesti's novel Garis Tepi Seorang Lesbian (The Margin of a Lesbian) was a massive (and unexpected) bestseller in Indonesia. Does anyone know if it's available in English? Y o-Yo Boing! by Giannina Braschi looks fascinating, although apparently it is written in Englis...

Updated reading list! September we're reading Persistence: All Ways Butch and Femme . This anthology is edited by Ivan Coyote and Zena Sharman. They have a blog for the book and all its fans, check it out! Kind of a butch/femme appreciation zone. October is If You Follow Me by Malena Watrous . The book is about a character who moves to Japan to teach English. November we're reading Sing You Home from Jodi Picoult. This blockbuster author is a bit of a departure for us. We're looking forward to trying something new. Since it's being made into a movie, there is lots of hoopla and info on her site . Check it out! And December we're reading a classic, Beyond the Pale , by Elana Dykewomon. It's a Lambda Lit award winner.

Hi everybody, remember, we are meeting on the last Wednesday of the month, that means August 31st! Hope to see you there to talk about Dorothy Allison's Bastard Out of Carolina . A few discussion questions for you to consider between now and then... 1. Bone is nicknamed when, at birth, her "Uncle Earle announced that I was ‘no bigger than a knucklebone.’" In what way does this name come to define her character? Does it reflect on her life in any way other than her size? 2. When Bone is born, Anney is fifteen, dirt poor, and unmarried. With so many obstacles, why is she so focused on Bone’s birth certificate, which no one but her will see? How does she pass this preoccupation on to Bone? 3. Bone’s identity as a female shifts tremendously throughout the book. She worships her uncles and takes pride in being a tomboy. Yet, on page 91 she says, "I liked being one of the women with my aunts, liked being a part of something nasty and strong and separate ...