Comic Book Clubs Toronto

La Promesse de l'aube - Romain Gary

Bonjour à toutes et à tous! Pour le prochain rendez-vous on va commencer une approche un peu différente. On va lire trois livres du même auteur et plonger vraiment dans les détails de chaque roman et de cet auteur. On lira des livres plus longs (plus de 200 pages) et on se retrouvera une fois tous les deux mois. On commence avec un auteur très intéressant et le **seul** à avoir gagné deux Prix Goncourt, ce qui est interdit. Comment a-t-il reussi ça ? À discuter dans notre prochain rdv ! **Premier roman: La promesse de l'aube - Romain Gary** "Roman autobiographique qui met en lumière les rapports intenses entre un fils et sa mère. Cette dernière porte tous ses espoirs et son ambition sur son enfant, qu’elle élève seule et aime d’un amour inconditionnel. A lui de devenir célèbre, de ne pas démériter et de porter le fardeau d’un amour maternel oppressant."

Roncesvalles Bookstore Walk & High Park

July's Book: The Wedding People

It’s a beautiful day in Newport, Rhode Island when Phoebe Stone arrives at the grand Cornwall Inn wearing a green dress and gold heels, without luggage, alone. Everyone in the lobby mistakes her for one of the wedding people at an impending wedding on the site, but she’s actually the only guest at the Cornwall who isn’t there for the big event. Phoebe is there because she’s dreamed of coming for years. She hoped to shuck oysters and take sunset sails with her husband, only now she’s here without him, at rock bottom, and determined to have one last decadent splurge on herself. Meanwhile, the bride has accounted for every detail and every possible disaster the weekend might yield except for, well, Phoebe and Phoebe's plan—which makes it that much more surprising when the two women can’t stop confiding in each other. In turns absurdly funny and devastatingly tender, Alison Espach’s *The Wedding People* is a nuanced and resonant look at the winding paths we can take to places we never imagined—and the chance encounters it sometimes takes to reroute us.

Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol

For July, we'll read Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol 464 pages First published in 1842 About the book: Chichikov, a mysterious stranger, arrives in a provincial town and visits a succession of landowners to make each a strange offer. He proposes to buy the names of dead serfs still registered on the census, saving their owners from paying taxes on them, and to use these 'souls' as collateral to re-invent himself as a gentleman. In this ebullient masterpiece, Gogol created a grotesque gallery of human types, from the bear-like Sobakevich to the insubstantial fool Manilov, and, above all, the devilish con man Chichikov. *Dead Souls* is one of the most unusual works of nineteenth-century fiction and a devastating satire on social hypocrisy.

Toronto Low-Key Speed Dating for Professionals

🌹 Toronto singles, live on Zoom A laid-back community night of speed dating with locals your age. Quick rounds, real chat, all from the couch. Pick your age group to join: Ages 18-32: [sign up](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=533&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Toronto&groupurlname=readers-rendezvous-book-club-circle&ar=18-32&face_v=6.0) Ages 30-46: [sign up](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=533&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Toronto&groupurlname=readers-rendezvous-book-club-circle&ar=30-46&face_v=6.0) Ages 40-58: [sign up](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=533&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Toronto&groupurlname=readers-rendezvous-book-club-circle&ar=40-58&face_v=6.0) Ages 55+: [sign up](https://theliveround.com/product?productId=533&productType=onlineSpeedDating&city=Toronto&groupurlname=readers-rendezvous-book-club-circle&ar=55+&face_v=6.0) RSVPing tells us you're keen, but your seat is only saved once you finish sign-up at your age link. Just bring an open mind. See you there. 💜

Prisoner of Tehran - by Marina Nemat

CANADIAN AUTHOR 🇨🇦 What would you give up to protect your loved ones? Your life? In her heartbreaking, triumphant, and elegantly written memoir, *Prisoner of Tehran*, Marina Nemat tells the heart-pounding story of her life as a young girl in Iran during the early days of Ayatollah Khomeini's brutal Islamic Revolution. In January 1982, Marina Nemat, then just sixteen years old, was arrested, tortured, and sentenced to death for political crimes. Until then, her life in Tehran had centered around school, summer parties at the lake, and her crush on Andre, the young man she had met at church. But when math and history were subordinated to the study of the Koran and political propaganda, Marina protested. Her teacher replied, "If you don't like it, leave." She did, and, to her surprise, other students followed. Soon she was arrested with hundreds of other youths who had dared to speak out, and they were taken to the notorious Evin prison in Tehran. Two guards interrogated her. One beat her into unconsciousness; the other, Ali, fell in love with her. Sentenced to death for refusing to give up the names of her friends, she was minutes from being executed when Ali, using his family connections to Ayatollah Khomeini, plucked her from the firing squad and had her sentence reduced to life in prison. But he exacted a shocking price for saving her life -- with a dizzying combination of terror and tenderness, he asked her to marry him and abandon her Christian faith for Islam. If she didn't, he would see to it that her family was harmed. She spent the next two years as a prisoner of the state, and of the man who held her life, and her family's lives, in his hands. Lyrical, passionate, and suffused throughout with grace and sensitivity, Marina Nemat's memoir is like no other. Her search for emotional redemption envelops her jailers, her husband and his family, and the country of her birth -- each of whom she grants the greatest gift of all: forgiveness. ═════ Discussion questions: TBD Facilitator: Andrii ═════ $$ Refundable deposit: We'd like to make sure everyone on the RSVP actually intends to join us and enjoy the event. Please make a **refundable** deposit of $5 to hold your spot, via Paypal or Interac e-transfer to [toronto.nonfiction@gmail.com](mailto:toronto.nonfiction@gmail.com), when you RSVP or shortly thereafter. If you are waitlisted please wait until a spot opens up for you before making a transfer. You'll get your $5 back in cash if you join us at the event. If you decide to drop out later or not attend, consider this a donation to support our meetup and zoom subscriptions, which aren't cheap. Thank you! ═════ Meeting format: * We meet to discuss the book after having read it beforehand. * A facilitator guides the discussion ensuring that everyone has a chance to speak, one person at a time. * Warning: Participation in a book club is a dangerous activity. You may encounter opinions different from yours. By joining the group you agree to assume all risks.

First book club meeting!

Hello everyone! For the first TBR meeting, I want everyone to bring the book they think we should read for the month and create a short pitch explaining why. I want it to feel like a Shark Tank episode where everyone pitches their book! At the end of the meeting, we will vote for which book we would like to read for the month. I want this first meeting to be social and friendly. Bring your books and your pitches!

Candide by Voltaire

For August, we'll read Candide by Voltaire. 129 pages First published in 1759 About the book: *Candide* is the story of a gentle man who, though pummeled and slapped in every direction by fate, clings desperately to the belief that he lives in "the best of all possible worlds." On the surface a witty, bantering tale, this eighteenth-century classic is actually a savage, satiric thrust at the philosophical optimism that proclaims that all disaster and human suffering is part of a benevolent cosmic plan. Fast, funny, often outrageous, the French philosopher's immortal narrative takes Candide around the world to discover that — contrary to the teachings of his distinguished tutor Dr. Pangloss — all is not always for the best. Alive with wit, brilliance, and graceful storytelling, *Candide* has become Voltaire's most celebrated work.

Where Books Start Conversations

Bring the book you're currently reading (or one you've recently enjoyed) and join us for a relaxed conversation about books, ideas, recommendations, podcasts, and whatever's caught your interest lately. No assigned reading, no pressure, just good books, curious minds, great company, and of course, coffee. Come to socialize, discover new reads, share ideas, and make friends along the way. 📚☕

The Girls Book Club: Fantasy/Romance Book Club Meetup #7

Hi everyone!! 💖 This is now our SIXTH book club meetup! I can’t wait to get to know you all more, hang out and talk books. For this meeting we’ll be STARTING Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross!!! Please read the first 14 chapters (part 1) before coming so that we have lots to discuss! The location MIGHT change. There is a new book bar that opened up in Toronto and I’d love to see if we can get a spot there. So stay tuned!!! Don’t stress if you’re new or didn’t make it to the last meetup! This is a super chill group and we’re mostly here to chat, vibe, and obsess over books together. Can’t wait to see you all!! 📚✨

OSC #4 - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

Welcome to our fourth meetup! The book for August is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. The first thirty minutes of the event is open social time while we allow attendees to arrive. The book discussion will begin at 8:00 PM. At the end of the meetup, we will accept nominations for the next book. We encourage attendees to stay afterwards and chat if they would like to as well. Out of respect for the venue and people on the waitlist, if you do not intend on attending we would appreciate you cancelling at least 48 hours in advance. We would like to keep these events free of charge, and continued last minute cancellations or no-shows may require us to introduce a small fee in the future. "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern "**Two starcrossed magicians engage in a deadly game of cunning in the spellbinding novel that captured the world's imagination.** The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called *Le Cirque des Rêves*, and it is only open at night. But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead. Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart." Results from the vote: [https://app.rankedvote.co/rv/lflwev853sj5nle65d/results](https://app.rankedvote.co/rv/lflwev853sj5nle65d/results)

ABCD Reads AND Watches "Good Omens"

[[RESULTS](https://opavote.com/results/4896565132263424) of the poll for this event] ABCD Reads AND Watches "**Good Omens**", a [book](https://tpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S234C741952) by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman, and a [TV series on Amazon Prime](https://www.primevideo.com/detail?gti=amzn1.dv.gti.2eb57089-fc1c-d3d0-c5f7-cfcb696e66b5&linkCode=xm2&tag=amazon-ca-ro-mac-chr-20). **:: ABOUT THE BOOK ::** "The world will end on Saturday. Next Saturday. Just before dinner, according to The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, the world's only completely accurate book of prophecies written in 1655. The armies of Good and Evil are amassing and everything appears to be going according to Divine Plan. Except that a somewhat fussy angel and a fast-living demon are not actually looking forward to the coming Rapture. And someone seems to have misplaced the Antichrist. Put New York Times bestselling authors Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett together . . . and all Hell breaks loose." (from [Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/12070.Good_Omens)) **:: ABOUT THE MOVIE ::** "The adaptation of Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman's fantasy novel of the same name where the End of the World is fast approaching and after many years of living with mortals, Aziraphale the angel (Michael Sheen) and Crowley the demon (David Tennant) decide they must stop the Apocalypse but first they must find the 11-year-old Antichrist (Sam Taylor Buck)." (from [MetaCritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/good-omens/)) **:: ABOUT THE EVENT ::** Instead of just reading the book as usual, this time we're asking that you also watch the TV-series adaptation (or, at least, the first episode thereof). During our discussion, we'll explore the strengths of both the book and the movie, evaluate the adaptation's effectiveness, and touch on any other topics that arise. You are welcome to arrive 30 minutes before the event and stay 30 minutes or longer afterward to connect with other attendees outside the book talk. Please ensure you have read the book and watched the movie before attending (though finishing either is not a barrier to participating, as long as you don't mind spoilers). First-time attendees can join for free. If the event is full, we maintain an unofficial waitlist. Please send [Michael](https://www.meetup.com/members/55295192/) a direct message for more information, in either case. We request a $3 contribution from regular attendees to help cover our monthly meetup costs. **:: ABOUT OUR NEXT READ&WATCH ::** At the end of each event, we will ask for nominees for our next Read & Watch (date TBA). If you have a good pairing in mind, please ensure that the book is between 200-400 pages long, available from the Toronto Public Library, and counts as contemporary literary fiction (though these are not hard and fast rules), and that the movie or TV-series is readily available. When enough nominees are collected, Michael will send the members a direct message with a link where you can vote.