What do you read when you are not feeling well?
   I am dealing with a case of shingles and haven't been able to find anything to read that interests me.  It has been difficult to concentrate and so I tried listening to my favourite book ("Poisonwood Bible" by Barbara Kingsolver) on tape.  Unfortunately, the reader was very brisk and clipped, with no expression in her voice.  I gave up on that.

Barbara Kingsolver

  Then I realized that I had Barbara Kingsolver's newest novel on my bookshelf.  I have read four of Kingsolver's books and enjoyed every one.  Her writing is exquisite!
  I wrote a blog about "Flight Behaviour "in 2013, my first year of blogging.  That book was very detailed about the environment- butterflies in particular.  It had a great deal of science in the book.

   Well, her new book, "Unsheltered" has even more science.  It was not the best book for me in my situation.  However, I finally finished it and can say that it has great merit!
  There are two storylines with alternating chapters.  That was too complicated for my state of health, so I read one storyline at a time.
   The stories were 100 years apart but in the same area of Vineland, New Jersey and focussed on science (mostly botany)- especially Darwinism.  And it does get into a court case.  There were references to many things in the past, but also the present.  

   One chapter started with: "He said he could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody, and people would still vote for him.  Am I dreaming this, Willa asked."
  Well, I was shocked that Barbara Kingsolver dropped this statement into the novel so casually, with no mention of the real person who used these words.  I was also surprised at some of the crude dialogue.  But perhaps she thought that it made the character more true to the times.
  However, her sentences were, once again, beautifully crafted.  She is the master of metaphor.

A new kind of book club

Have you heard of a silent book club?

   The first silent book club was started in San Francisco in 2012 by Guinevere de la Mare and Laura Gluhanich.   
   There are now more that 60 chapters- some in Toronto.
   Silent book clubs choose public places- mostly coffee shops.  Each person brings a book along.  They begin by giving each person a chance to briefly describe what they are reading and what they plan to read.  Then there is an hour of SILENCE.  They read uninterrupted and undistracted.  When the time is up, some leave, others hang around and talk.

Quote: "To have a silent place to read for a whole uninterrupted hour, you really get into the book you're reading and that encourages you to finish the book".

  Silent book clubs are felt to be a stress-free alternative to traditional book clubs because you don't have a deadline to finish a book, no need to answer questions and enter into discussion, and no one needs to host the group.

Quote: "I love seeing the same faces month after month.  I've met so many people and made lasting friendships with people who have been coming to SBC for years, which is funny to think that you can become such good friends with people who get together once a month not to talk." (Guinevere de la Mare).

   Jo Nelson, one of the organizers in Toronto, had been a part of a book club where the members complained about the book choices.
   She describes her SBC group this way: "Members sit around conjoined tables at a coffee shop, in the area of Danforth Avenue and Main Street, in a spot marked with a sign that reads "Reserved for Book Club", on a Saturday morning every month and share what they brought to read before the silent reading hour.  We've got a pact.  You have permission to read for an hour with no other interruptions.  So far, readers have brought upwards of 300 different books to the meetings."

"The Last Resort" by Marissa Stapley

  What is more exciting than author visits for readers?
  Before her latest book was on the library shelves, Marissa Stapley was visiting the Kitchener Public Library.  I went with my daughter.  Here we are with Marissa.

Wendy, guest blogger

  My daughter's friend, Wendy, accompanied us to the author reading.  When I discovered that Wendy enjoys writing, I asked her to be my 'guest blogger'. 
                                                   Thank you Wendy for this excellent review!

   I didn’t like any of the characters when I began my reading journey. It was not until I learned their individual stories and troubles that I began to sympathize with each of them. It wasn’t until later that I began rooting for them. Every good story requires tension and conflict. One character carries that responsibility to the fullest, building in intensity from page one right to the end. But I won’t tell you more than that, you’ll have to discover that on your own.

 The tag line for the novel is “We all have thirteen secrets. Five stay buried forever, but the rest will be revealed.” As you can imagine even before opening the book you have all the ingredients for a great story; an exotic secluded resort, twelve couples, intense therapy sessions and secrets. The author does not disappoint. 

   The story is centered on the secrets of four women; Grace, Johanna, Shell and Ruth. The setting is paradise, somewhere on the Mayan peninsula. A couples therapy resort lead by Miles and Grace Markel, counselling experts that have built an empire fixing broken couples - or your money fully refunded.

   Two couples are in the spotlight; Shell and Colin, Johanna and Ben. Consider making note of who is with whom and what their main issue is. I found it a bit difficult to remember each character, spouse and issue as the story went along. Each chapter is told in a different point of view, not that there are too many, but it may help to keep a roadmap handy. 

   The story arc is like one of those really sharp green covered mountains. The climb may take some dedicated effort, but the peak pulls you over to the downward side which you’ll find is the can’t-put-it down part of this fascinating psychological thriller. 

   It has a great ending. That’s all I’ll tell you and perhaps that is giving away too much.

Marissa Stapley is the Globe and Mail bestselling author of the novels Mating for Life, Things to Do When It's Raining and The Last Resort. Her fiction has been published around the world and her journalism has appeared in magazines and newspapers across North America. She has taught creative writing and editing at the University of Toronto and Centennial College, and still mentors/teaches a small group of writing students every year. She lives in Toronto with her family. Goodreads Author