The Authors Book Club

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  • Monthly Archives: June 2020

    • I still get it wrong: judging a book by its cover

      Posted at 9:30 am by TheAuthorsBookClub
      Jun 18th

      Post by Fiona Ross

      One of the biggest benefits of a book club (book clubs) is that you don’t get to always pick the books, other people do.  Now, let me tell you, as a teacher and librarian it’s not easy giving up that control or the power, but if you do, when you do, you may discover some happy surprises.

      The books I have read because I have had to as a reviewer, or as a book club member, are too many to list.  As a reader, my tastes lean to historical fiction, literary fiction, Canadian fiction and memoir. I tend to really favour female protagonists.  As a secondary school librarian, I read social justice (diverse literature) and YA.  For my beloved SUCCESS program at school I also include picture books.  I read widely.  And here is the rub, even after all these books and all this time, I still get it wrong.

      For example, when I joined The Authors’ Book Club, David Albertyn, our co-founder, sent me a copy of his novel Undercard as a thank you. He even wrote a lovely dedication inside.  I read the blurb and the synopsis, thought, “that’s nice” and filed it on my book shelf.  To be fair, I did think I would show it to my husband or middle son, because it might appeal to them.  I mean boxing? Vegas? A thriller?  Not exactly my cup of tea.

      And here we are. Six months later, a global pandemic, David’s U.S. release and an Authors’ Book Club event where I am moderating.  I can’t exactly show up when I haven’t read the book.  And you know what?  I love it. It is a story of friendship, intrigue, passion, history, boxing, racism, policing, military and so many other issues all woven in.  Mostly though, it is a well-paced story with likeable characters who you want to follow on their journey.  And really, isn’t that it?  Characters we care about, on a journey we can relate to.  Isn’t  that the essence of good storytelling and what readers want in a book? 

      I don’t like boxing.  I have never been to Las Vegas.  I am not a supporter of the police, or the military, and on the surface that is what this book is about.  But dig beneath the surface and it is a fast paced, rewarding read with relatable, interesting characters, and that is what readers want.

      So, if someone in your book club picks a book that doesn’t appeal.  Or, if you get a book as a gift that you would never pick for yourself, take a chance, dive in and actually read it.  Take it from me, a seasoned reader, it could be worth the chance. Just read.


      Fiona Ross is teacher librarian and book club consultant with The Authors’ Book Club. From the time she read her first novel, Bimbo and Topsy by Enid Blyton at age 6, she was hooked on fiction.  Fiona is an avid reader, a teacher librarian, a current member of two book clubs and past chair of the Secondary Fiction Review Committee at the Peel District School Board.  She also serves on the planning committee at the Festival of Literary Diversity, (FOLD). Although her job demands lots of YA she occasionally tries to read a book aimed at adult readers. 

      Follow Fiona on Twitter.

      Posted in Recommended Books | Tagged ann y.k. choi, canadian authors, Canadian books, CanLit, david albertyn, Fiona Ross, The Authors' Book Club, Undercard
    • Plots & Pandemic: Virtual Meet & Greet with David Albertyn

      Posted at 9:51 pm by TheAuthorsBookClub
      Jun 13th

      We’re delighted to kick off our Plots & Pandemic Series with our co-founder David Albertyn. Join us on Saturday, June 20, 2020 to engage in a virtual face-to-face event where guests can interact with David and each other. We will begin with a short reading followed by a group discussion and Q & A.

      Register for this exclusive free event by emailing us at info@theauthorsbookclub.ca. Spacing is limited to 12 guests.

      Born in Durban, South Africa in 1983, David immigrated to Toronto, Canada in 1993. A graduate of Queen’s University and the Humber School for Writers – where he received a Letter of Distinction – he has been writing stories since the age of six. A tennis coach who has competed extensively in both tennis and track and field, David’s goal is to write visceral novels that are both thrilling and meaningful. The result of all David’s interests, influences and efforts is Undercard (2019), which is infused with scrupulous research and the pulse of the times we live in. It immediately resonated with David’s Canadian publisher, House of Anansi, and went on to resonate with his international publishers, HarperCollins Germany and HarperCollins France, his World English audiobook publisher, Dreamscape Media, and the award-winning production company that optioned the film/TV rights, Shaftesbury. 

      Visit David’s website and the Reader’s Guide for Undercard.

      Contact David. Follow him on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

      Posted in Recommended Books | Tagged book clubs, Canadian author, david albertyn, The Authors' Book Club, Undercard
    • Seeing advantage in every opportunity, good or bad

      Posted at 10:00 pm by TheAuthorsBookClub
      Jun 1st

      Post by Ann Y.K. Choi

      The vision behind The Authors’ Book Club is to bring authors and readers together. Our initiative, launched on January 1, 2020, started out strong. By our third month, the three of us – author David Albertyn, who co-founded this initiative, and Fiona Ross, our book club representative and I – had our goal and objectives firmly established. Fifty emerging and established writers from across Canada, from big, mid, and multinational publishers had joined us. We couldn’t be happier.

      Then COVID-19 happened. While having a good book to talk about is very important, most book clubs served another function: the opportunity for like-minded people to get together in a social setting, often over food and drinks. Readers typically wanted to invite authors to their book clubs to meet them face-to-face, get their books signed, and to take photos with them. But none of that was suddenly possible.

      My mother taught me early on the value of seeing advantage in every opportunity, good or bad. To that end, we encouraged virtual book club meetings. But we wanted to do more. A conversation with Tali Voron from The Soap Box Press and Coach House Books led to the virtual book launch of Patti M. Hall’s debut novel, Loving Large, published by Dundurn Press. Patti’s book launch was supposed to have been at Ben McNally Books in Toronto. We were thrilled when Patti enthusiastically accepted our invitation to hold the event online.

      After considering several virtual platforms, we settled on Zoom. Learning to navigate it proved to be an adventure. Unfortunately on the night of the event, we ran into technical problems with the closed captioning third-party. My heart sank knowing that we were unable to provide that for our attendees. Luckily, my daughter, who at 20-years old is able to figure out most tech-related challenges, told me to hit the ‘record’ button minutes into the event otherwise that too would have been lost.

      Thanks to Tali, we were also able to partner with an incredible Canadian publisher, Coach House Press. For the entire month of May 2020, we featured one of their books and its author in what became The Authors’ Book Club Spotlight Series. As a result, we have a wonderful collection of twenty blog posts!

      Looking ahead, we want to continue The Authors’ Book Club Spotlight Series into the summer with different programming. Fiona suggested we call it “The Spotlight Series: Plots & Pandemic”. We’re thinking of hosting an interactive Author and Reader “meet & greet”. All participants would be in a virtual space with their cameras and mics on so that they could interact with each other and the author. The number of participants would be kept low to encourage engagement. More details on this to come.

      In the meanwhile, thanks to my daughter, I’ve just learned to create a YouTube channel for The Authors’ Book Club. Yay! But after four hours, the file finally uploaded, more time is needed to process it. The video of Patti’s book launch will be available in a day or two. The transcribed notes will also be available to accompany it.

      Three months ago, I had never even heard of Zoom; nor had I imagined the number of days I’d be spending in front of a computer learning new programs and relying on online communities and YouTube videos to problem-solve. Yet, here I am at 52-years old, learning new skills. I’m confident that my experience mirrors that of many others during these uncertain times. While none of this is extraordinary, it still feels damn good.


      Ann Y.K. Choi‘s debut novel, Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety, was a Toronto Book Awards finalist and One of CBC Books 12 Best Canadian Debut Novels of 2016. Most recently, the Korean Canadian Heritage Awards committee recognized her for promoting Korean culture within Canada. Ann is the co-founder of The Authors’ Book Club.

      Visit Ann’s website. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

      Posted in Recommended Books | Tagged ann y.k. choi, author, Canadian author, Coach House Books, Dundurn Press, Fiona Ross, Loving Large, Patti M Hall, Tali Voron, The Authors' Book Club, virtual book launch
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      • The Quotable Dennis Bock
      • Plots & Pandemic: Virtual Meet & Greet with Lee Gowan
      • Catching up with David Albertyn
      • An Interview With Ami Sands Brodoff
      • An Interview With Cathrin Bradbury
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