more options for the spring

we are absolutely delighted with the response to the book club. it has been overwhelming. now we have the "problem" of determining the best way to accommodate that demand. 

in the spring, we will offer two meetings about a month apart and featuring different authors. the books will be quite different: in a bit of a departure from the model we have been using, the first book is non-fiction by a well-known author. the second choice will be more like what we have been hosting in the past: an evening with an emerging author of fiction. 

the books will be announced at the same time and tickets will go on sale at the same time. the choice is yours: come to one or the other or come to both. but do come. and bring some new friends for us to meet. 

watch for more on the blog about the authors, the dates and ticket sales next month. 

two more great nights!

thanks everyone who was part of the last two nights of book club. the food was delicious as were the cocktails (thanks everyone from public). Carrie gave two terrific and very different talks each night. and, as always, the group was engaged and the questions were thoughtful and thought provoking. 

watch the website for news of our upcoming events in the spring. 

Not sure which date in January for book club?

a few people have been asking us to confirm the dates for the January meeting. There are two dates: January 19 and January 20.

Ironically, the "first" date we sold tickets for is January 20 and the "second" date is January 19. But there is an easier way to figure out which date is yours: if your confirmation email says simply "january book club", your ticket is for january 20. Only the January 19 event confirmation says january 19. 

clear? we hope so. but as a last resort, you can email us and ask. 

and remember. doors open at 6:00. cocktails and mixing it up for about an hour then dinner is served sometime around 7. see you on the 20th! or the 19th!

january 19 a sell out

thanks for all the support. we have now sold out two nights at public kitchen. there is a wait list so, if you are interested in being added to that list (or if you want to be among the first to hear about the spring event), sign up for the email list on the join us page. 

thanks everyone for your enthusiasm. looking forward to two great nights of great food, great literature and great friends. 

wow! just one ticket left

We cannot believe the response to the book club. Just one ticket left for monday january 19th!

we are especially pleased to announce that, because demand was greater than expected, we have been able to make a donation to wild writers literary festival in waterloo on november 7 - 9. check out their website and head out to the festival.

And. because of Dave's generosity, your ticket price also includes an honorarium for the author. 

we have a second night!!!

due to overwhelming demand for the event on january 20th, we have persuaded Carly to open the public kitchen on monday january 19th and carrie snyder has agreed to join us for a second night. 

so head on over to the "join us" tab and buy some tickets. then go down to wordsworth in waterloo, grab your readers, snuggle into a comfy chair and get reading. january isn't too far away now. 

tickets for the January meeting are now on sale!

the tickets are now on sale. just go to the "join us" tab on the website. 

Once you have purchased your ticket, head on down to wordsworth books in waterloo and pick up your copy of Carrie's book, "girl runner". remember to take a copy of your confirmation email to show that you have paid. 

then get reading. and have fun. it is a terrific book. 

we have a date for January

pencil this date into your calendar: Tuesday January 20 2015 at public kitchen. that's the evening when we will gather for the second meeting of the appetite for reading book club to talk with Carrie Snyder about her book, "girl runner". 

watch this blog for information about ticket sales . and, if you want to be sure not to miss the notice of tickets going on sale, sign up for the mailing list by going to the "join us" tab of the website. 

see you in January!

more about girl runner

“Ultimately, Girl Runner is a beautiful, thoughtful homage to those forgotten women who stepped outside the boundaries of what was allotted to them, and a testament to the struggles and sacrifices that paved the way for the female athletes who followed.”

— Quill & Quire

“What defines the novel is the depth and breadth of Aggie herself; she’s a rare heroine whose rich internal life is matched only by the abundance of her external living.”

— The National Post

Girl Runner is the story of Aganetha Smart, a former Olympic athlete who was famous in the 1920s, but now, at age 104, lives in a nursing home, alone and forgotten by history. For Aganetha, a competitive and ambitious woman, her life remains present and unfinished in her mind.

When her quiet life is disturbed by the unexpected arrival of two young strangers, Aganetha begins to reflect on her childhood in rural Ontario and her struggles to make an independent life for herself in the city.

Without revealing who they are, or what they may want from her, the visitors take Aganetha on an outing from the nursing home. As ready as ever for an adventure, Aganetha's memories are stirred when the pair return her to the family farm where she was raised. The devastation of WW1 and the Spanish flu epidemic, the optimism of the 1920s and the sacrifices of the 1930s play out it Aganetha's mind, as she wrestles with the confusion and displacement of the present.

Part historical page-turner, part contemporary mystery, Girl Runner is an engaging and endearing story about family, ambition, athletics and the dedicated pursuit of one's passions. It is also, ultimately, about a woman who follows the singular, heart-breaking and inspiring course of her life until the very end.

thanks for a great evening

thanks to all the friends who came out to our inaugural meeting. just as we'd hoped, the evening was full of great food, great literature and great people. thanks to everyone for the insightful questions and special thanks to tasneem for her thoughtful answers and remarks on the book. 

we had some really positive feedback about the venue and the concept. thanks so much for that.

now watch for details of the next meeting in late January. our guest author will be Carrie Snyder, author of "girl runner". we will post the details on the website as well as on facebook and, of course, we will send an email to anyone who has signed up on our mailing list. 

looking forward to seeing everyone again in january for another fun evening!