Monthly Momentum

It’s been a while since I’ve written about the Perspectives Online Book Club but rest assured, we’re still reading books by authors who write about life experiences similar to their own. In fact, we recently decided to switch back to our original format of monthly meetings, instead of every second month. We hope a little more consistency creates momentum for folks. Below are the titles we discussed last fall, and a sneak peek into what we’ll be reading in 2024! You can register for the next three meetings right here! 

In October, we enjoyed Bernardine Evaristo’s Girl, Woman, Other. From a non-binary social media influencer to a 93-year-old woman living on a farm in Northern England, twelve central characters explore the state of contemporary Britain and the legacy of Britain’s colonial history in Africa and the Caribbean. Then in December, we read Selection Day by Aravind Adiga. Manjunath lives in a slum in Mumbai. When he meets his brother’s rival in cricket, everything changes… 

I’m really looking forward to our new lineup of novels. Next Tuesday evening, on February 13^th, we’ll be discussing Catherine Hernandez’s Scarborough. Narrated from multiple perspectives, this novel tells the story of the culturally diverse and tight-knit neighbourhood east of Toronto. It’s a raw yet empathetic look into a community that is struggling with poverty, drugs and crime.  

True Biz, by Sara Nović, is our pick for the March 12^th meeting. This book explores the lives of students and staff at the River Valley School for the Deaf. A series of personal and political crises challenge Charlie, Austin and February, who find their lives inextricably linked and changed forever.  

A book I’ve been meaning to read for ages, Waubgeshig Rice’s Moon of the Crusted Snow, will be our selection for the April 9^th meeting! This novel is about a small northern Anishinaabe community that goes dark. While panic builds, an unexpected visitor arrives, escaping the crumbling society to the South. WPL’s very own Time to Read Podcast is discussing the sequel to this book, Moon of the Turning Leaves. 

I’m really looking forward to discussing these novels with fellow booklovers – I always come away from our meetings with warm feelings, new ideas, and a renewed enthusiasm for reading. I hope you’ll join me at one (or all) of our upcoming meetings! 

– Steph