In Two Bichons book club, we read all kinds of books written by women:
Hammer Head: The Making of a Carpenter by Nina MacLaughlin
We all enjoyed this slim, poetic memoir and we ran out of time before we finished talking about the issues raised, such as: work satisfaction; knowing when to quit your job; trust; clothes and self-image; gender bias in the trades; the different ways we learn and the joy of learning. We also compared our own responses to wooden things versus high tech materials. It's a book brimming with gratitude and interesting facts.
"The poet Jon Cotner pointed me to a Korean proverb 'Knows the way, stops seeing.' It's not an argument for getting oneself lost, but a nudge to stay awake, stay focused, alert even when time and experience have dulled us."
For each YA book club meeting, we choose two titles that appeal to teenage readers (mostly these are in a publisher's Young Adult category, sometimes they are middle grade or adult crossovers):
Bloom by Kevin Panetta and Savanna Ganucheau
Ari wants to leave his small town and his family's struggling bakery, but a handsome new guy who's taking a year off cooking school throws his plans into question. It's a sweet, leisurely gay romance in graphic novel format, and since I'm not a fan of romance in general, it was other attributes that kept me interested. What I loved most is the believable characterization, capturing the uncertainty and confusion of life after high school, and the weight of parental expectations. I also love the beautiful ink wash art and all the yummy baking scenes.
A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena
Other members of my book club liked this debut more than I did. I wasn't enamoured with the writing style, and yet I still consider it a pick and recommend it for its portrayal of gender discrimination and for its rich immersion into the lives of Parsi immigrants from India living in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. I also enjoyed the portrayal of Zarin Wadia, the tempestuous sixteen-year-old at the centre of this gritty, contemporary story. Author Tanaz Bhathena, a Parsi woman who now lives in Canada, was born in India and then lived in Saudi Arabia until she was 15.
"In this world, no one cares if you are starving to death. No one even looks at you. They only care when you start doing things they don't approve of - like dancing with your clothes off."
In Feminist book club, whether we are reading nonfiction or fiction, we always examine it through a feminist lens:
One Day We'll All Be Dead and None of This Will Matter by Scaachi Koul [audiobook]
A collection of personal essays about topics like feminism, rape culture, self-image, racism and being a brown-skinned Canadian born of Kashmiri immigrants. The pieces fit together smoothly so this reads like a frank and witty memoir. It's her relationship with her parents that ties everything together. I like that her father reads the segments between chapters, with Koul narrating the rest of her work in the audiobook.
"Mom talks about moving to Canada as if my father had requested she start wearing fun hats. 'Why not try it?' she thought, instead of, 'This fucking lunatic wants me to go to a country made of ice and casual racism.'"
In Lesbian book club, we read mostly fiction, mostly by lesbian authors:
Bingo Love by Tee Franklin and and Jenn St-Onge (plus others)
They fall in love as schoolgirls in 1963, are separated by their families, and then get back together 49 years later. After that, only death can separate this pair of grandmothers. A charming second chance romance/family saga with a cast of African American characters. The graphic novel format features brightly-coloured art in a cartoony style. I love stories about older lesbians! I look forward to hearing what the other members think of this when we meet tonight.
No comments:
Post a Comment