PETER SCOWEN
Globe and Mail Update Published on Thursday, Jan. 08, 2009 4:18PM EST Last updated on Thursday, Apr. 09, 2009 9:46PM EDT
This is the first instalment in a new series in which Globe Books will shine a light on Canada's legion of book clubs.
Each month over the course of four Saturdays, we will introduce you to a new club, the book they are reading, their history and traditions, and their verdict about the book.
January's club
An all-male ensemble based in Montreal. Its members are: Jim Armour, Georges Beaubien, Bill Brown, Robert Fisher, Barry Gallant, Bruce Gill, Peter McGilton, Keith Morris, Scott Taylor, Geoff Wagner, Norman Webster and Steve Weir.
Who they are
A mixed bag: executives, entrepreneurs, financial analysts, a retired minister, a retired schoolteacher, a CBC broadcaster and writer, a cheese importer, an inventor and guitar-maker, and a former editor of the Globe and Mail (see essay this page).
This month's book
This Island in Time: Remarkable Tales from Montreal's Past, by John Kalbfleisch, a long-time Montreal Gazette journalist who now lives in Perth, Ont.
The club's history
Members say the club is close to 30 years old, a remarkable run. Most have been there at least 10 years, and a few for more than 25 years. Stephen Weir, who serves as the main organizer, joined in 2002 and says only three members have a shorter history.
The club once went by the name "The Study Group" but now is just called "the book club."
The club's MO
The club meets in one of the member's homes about 10 times a year (no meetings in July or August). Selections are generally non-fiction, with a focus on biography and history, but novels aren't excluded. Recent titles include Heaven and Hell: My Life in the Eagles (1974-2001) by Don Felder, Our Life with the Rocket: The Maurice Richard Story by Roch Carrier, and The Innocent Man, John Grisham's non-fiction account of a wrongfully convicted man who spent 12 years on death row in the United States.
About every third book is a Canadian title, including Doug: The Doug Harvey Story, club member Bill Brown's biography of Montreal Canadiens legend Doug Harvey.
Next week
First impressions of the book.
What's your book club reading this month? Tell us in an e-mail sent to webbooks@globeandmail.com; we might just select your club to be profiled in an upcoming month.
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