Get to Know Literary Ontario: Bracebridge Book Club

Sometimes a book affects us so strongly that we can't wait to talk about it with another reader who feels the same way. Then there are the books we come to appreciate whose spines we'd never have cracked without the encouragement of others.

Readers throughout the province share their love of books and ideas in books clubs of all descriptions. Open Book: Ontario will profile these dynamic groups to get a sense of how they work, what they're reading and why they love being a part of the literary community in their city or town.

The long, snowy winters in Muskoka may contribute to the vibrant arts scene that buzzes no matter what the temperature. In the town of Bracebridge, one group of women have been together as a book club since 1973. At their annual holiday gathering this year, they shared some of their stories with Open Book.

Open Book:

Tell us about how and when your book club got started.

Bracebridge Book Club:

We first began meeting together in 1973. There were no other book clubs in Bracebridge at the time. Many of the original members had young children or were just starting their families, and we wanted an evening where we would be able to focus on something other than our babies.

OB:

How has your book club evolved over the years?

BBC:

We began by inviting several women that we thought might be interested in being part of a Book Club but very soon the group became 12 regular members. Over the years, after losing several of our members to cancer we continued to invite other women to join us. Our membership has always remained at 12 consistent members.

OB:

Describe an average meeting for us.

BBC:

We meet one Monday a month and the evening begins at 7:30 with a social time. The hostess provides food and drink. After a bit of informal chatting, we turn our attention to the book we've just read. The discussion about the book is guided by whoever is facilitating that meeting. We take turns hosting and guiding the discussion.

OB:

How do you decide which books to read?

BBC:

We have an organizational meeting in June that takes into account everyone's input. This is a good time of year to decide on our books because it means that we all have a summer reading list. Over a two year period everyone will take a turn organizing the discussion about a book.

OB:

What do you enjoy the most about belonging to your book club?

BBC:

Because we all have different interests, ages and experiences, there is always a great variety of perspectives on any book, and this can really cause us to understand a book in a different way than we might have if we were reading it individually. We also enjoy being introduced to authors whose books we may not have picked up on our own.

OB:

What would you say is one of your book club's unique characteristics?

BBC:

Our longevity is certainly one of our unique features. We are all women from a similar socio-economic background, but currently our ages span from 65 to 86. Many of us had careers as teachers. We like to try different things at some of our meetings — for instance, we have invited guest speakers to come talk about a book or a related issue, or we might have a movie night if there has been a film adaptation of the book. We have even been fortunate enough to have the actual author of the book we have been reading come to our meeting.

OB:

What are some books you've read recently that have stood out for you?

BBC:

Some books that really made an impact on us are Three Day Road by Joseph Boyden, Steven Galloway's The Cellist of Sarajevo and Slow Death By Yellow Duck by Rick Smith and Bruce Lourie.

We always have great discussions on books that deal with pressing issues. One that stimulated a lot of ideas and concern was Jeff Rubin's Why Your World Is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller.

OB:

What advice do you have for someone hoping to start up a book club?

BBC:

It is definitely worth the effort to get involved. We recommend talking to other clubs to find out what works for them, but eventually a system will evolve that you make your own. Go with whatever works best for you.

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Would you like to see your book club profiled on Open Book: Ontario? Send your suggestions to Erin at erin@openbookontario.com.