Posted by Alex Dunn on
Are you part of a book club or are you looking to start one? The Willow Wren by Philipp Schott makes a great book club pick! The Willow Wren is based on the true story of a neurodivergent boy growing up in Nazi Germany, surviving bombing, the Hitler Youth, and Russian occupation before escaping to the west. Book Club Questions Although never spelled out explicitly, it becomes clear that Ludwig is on the autism spectrum. How does this hurt him, or help him, or both? Is Ludwig the willow wren? If so, what positive and negative aspects of his personality does...
Posted by Alex Dunn on
Are you part of a book club or are you looking to start one? Why Birds Sing by Nina Berkhout makes a great book club pick! Why Birds Sing is a charming, deeply felt novel about a disgraced opera singer, her brother-in-law with cancer, a temperamental parrot named Tulip, and a competitive whistling group called the Warblers. Ultimately, it is about human connection and finding music between the notes. Book Club Questions Academic Temple Grandin says animals make us more human. What does Tulip bring out in Dawn? In Tariq? Which Warbler has the greatest impact on Dawn? What do they...
Posted by Alex Dunn on
Are you part of a book club or are you looking to start one? Bad Ideas by Missy Marston makes a great book club pick! Loosely inspired by Ken “the Crazy Canuck” Carter’s attempt to jump the St. Lawrence River in a rocket car, and set in a 1970s hollowed-out town in eastern Ontario, it paints an indelible portrait of people on the forgotten fringes of life. Wildly funny and wonderfully moving, Bad Ideas is about just that — a string of bad ideas — and the absurdity of love. Book Club Questions Each major character gets to narrate a chapter from...
Posted by Alex Dunn on
Are you part of a book club or are you looking to start one? Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice makes a great book club pick! A post-apocalyptic novel set in a remote northern First Nations community. As their tenuous links to the southern world wink out, Evan and his community learn to rely again on the old ways to survive. But a wendigo southerner arrives to threaten everything. TIFA Interview with Waubgeshig Rice Chosen as an Amnesty International Book Club Pick, you can find discussion questions here. Follow the discussion on Reddit. Educational Resource York University has put together a resource for...
Posted by Alex Dunn on
Are you part of a book club or are you looking to start one? Misconduct of the Heart makes a great book club pick! Award-winning author Cordelia Strube returns to her unforgettable terrain of the forgotten inner burbs of east Toronto with this scabrous, infinitely humane story of those who work at a small-chain restaurant. Book Club Questions Strube’s characters in this novel are all damaged in some way, physically or mentally, yet they are all remarkably resilient. In many ways, Misconduct of the Heart is a hymn to the strength of the ordinary person. Who are your favourite...