Book Swaps Toronto

OSC #1 - Anxious People by Fredrik Backman

Welcome to the inaugural meetup of the Open Shelf Collective! Our first three books have been selected to set the tone, and following the end of each meetup we will begin with the nominations for the next meetups. 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 and have our book swap. We encourage attendees to stay afterwards and chat if they would like to as well. If the event is full, please DM us and we can put you on a waitlist. Our first book is "Anxious People" by Fredrik Backman. **"#1 *New York Times* bestseller** **From the #1 *New York Times* bestselling author of *A Man Called Ove* and “writer of astonishing depth” (*The Washington Times*) comes a poignant comedy about a crime that never took place, a would-be bank robber who disappears into thin air, and eight extremely anxious strangers who find they have more in common than they ever imagined.** Viewing an apartment normally doesn’t turn into a life-or-death situation, but this particular open house becomes just that when a failed bank robber bursts in and takes everyone in the apartment hostage. As the pressure mounts, the eight strangers begin slowly opening up to one another and reveal long-hidden truths. First is Zara, a wealthy bank director who has been too busy to care about anyone else until tragedy changed her life. Now, she’s obsessed with visiting open houses to see how ordinary people live—and, perhaps, to set an old wrong to right. Then there’s Roger and Anna-Lena, an Ikea-addicted retired couple who are on a never-ending hunt for fixer-uppers to hide the fact that they don’t know how to fix their own failing marriage. Julia and Ro are a young lesbian couple and soon-to-be parents who are nervous about their chances for a successful life together since they can’t agree on anything. And there’s Estelle\*\*,\*\* an eighty-year-old woman who has lived long enough to be unimpressed by a masked bank robber waving a gun in her face. And despite the story she tells them all, Estelle hasn’t really come to the apartment to view it for her daughter, and her husband really isn’t outside parking the car. As police surround the premises and television channels broadcast the hostage situation live, the tension mounts and even deeper secrets are slowly revealed. Before long, the robber must decide which is the more terrifying prospect: going out to face the police, or staying in the apartment with this group of impossible people. Rich with Fredrik Backman’s “pitch-perfect dialogue and an unparalleled understanding of human nature” (*Shelf Awareness*), *Anxious People*’s whimsical plot serves up unforgettable insights into the human condition and a gentle reminder to be compassionate to all the anxious people we encounter every day."

OSC #2 - Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Welcome to the second meetup of the Open Shelf Collective! Our first three books have been selected to set the tone, and following the end of each meetup we will begin with the nominations for the next meetups. 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 and have our book swap. We encourage attendees to stay afterwards and chat if they would like to as well. If the event is full, please DM us and we can put you on a waitlist. "Before the Coffee Gets Cold" by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. "In a small back alley of Tokyo, there is a café that has been serving carefully brewed coffee for more than one hundred years. Local legend says that this shop offers something else besides coffee—the chance to travel back in time. Over the course of one summer, four customers visit the café in the hopes of making that journey. But time travel isn’t so simple, and there are rules that must be followed. Most important, the trip can last only as long as it takes for the coffee to get cold. Prepare to meet four visitors, each of whom is hoping to make use of the cafe’s time-travelling offer in order to: confront the man who left them; receive a letter from their husband whose memory has been taken by Alzheimer's; see their sister one last time, and meet the daughter they never got the chance to know. Heartwarming, wistful, mysterious and delightfully quirky, Toshikazu Kawaguchi’s internationally bestselling novel explores the age-old question: What would you change if you could travel back in time?"

ABCD Reads "What We Can Know" by Ian McEwan

ABCD Reads "**[What We Can Know](https://tpl.bibliocommons.com/v2/record/S234C4683360)**" by Ian McEwan. [[RESULTS](https://opavote.com/results/6276009911648256) of the poll for this event] **:: ABOUT THE BOOK ::** "A quest, a literary thriller and a love story, *What We Can Know* spans the past, present and future to ask profound questions about who we are and where we are going. 2014: A great poem is read aloud and never heard again. For generations, people speculate about its message, but no copy has yet been found. 2119: The lowlands of the UK have been submerged by rising seas. Those who survive are haunted by the richness of the world that has been lost. Tom Metcalfe, a scholar at the University of the South Downs, part of Britain's remaining archipelagos, pores over the archives of the early twenty-first century, captivated by the freedoms and possibilities of human life at its zenith. When he stumbles across a clue that may lead to the great lost poem, revelations of entangled love and a brutal crime emerge, destroying his assumptions about a story he thought he knew intimately. *What We Can Know* is a masterpiece that reclaims the present from our sense of looming catastrophe, and imagines a future world where all is not quite lost." (from [Goodreads](https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/223854881-what-we-can-know)) "A love story about both people and the words they leave behind, a literary detective story which reclaims the present from our sense of looming catastrophe and imagines a future world where all is not quite lost." (from [Bookmarks.reviews](https://bookmarks.reviews/reviews/what-we-can-know/)) **:: ABOUT THE EVENT ::** 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 before attending (though finishing any book 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 BOOK ::** At the end of each event, we will ask for nominees for our next book. If you have a good one in mind, please ensure it 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). When enough nominees are collected, Michael will send the members a direct message with a link where you can vote.

May's Book: Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit

A woman’s coming-of-age through a toxic relationship, isolation, and betrayal―set against the stark landscape of the far north. Millicent is a shy, 24-year-old reporter who moves to Whitehorse to work for a failing daily newspaper. With winter looming and the Yukon descending into darkness, Millicent begins a relationship with Pascal, an eccentric and charming middle-aged filmmaker who lives on a converted school bus in a Walmart parking lot. What begins as a romantic adventure soon turns toxic, and Millicent finds herself struggling not to lose herself and her voice. Events come to a head at Thaw di Gras, a celebration in faraway Dawson City marking the return of light to the north. It’s here, in a frontier mining town filled with drunken tourists, eclectic locals, and sparkling burlesque dancers, that Millicent must choose between staying with Pascal or finally standing up to her abuser. In the style of Ottessa Moshfegh’s honest exploration of dysfunctional relationships, and with the warmth and energy of Heather O’Neill, *Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit* illuminates what it’s like to be young, impulsive, and in love in one of the harshest environments in the world.

The Girls Book Club: Fantasy/Romance Book Club Meetup #4

Hi everyone!! 💖 This is now our FOURTH 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 FINISHING Born, Darkly (Book 1 of the Darkly Madly Duet) by Trisha Wolfe. ALSO!!!!!! We are STARTING a new book called The Book of Azrael by Amber Nicole!!! Please read the first 17 chapters before coming so we have lots to discuss!!! If you are new, you don’t have to read Born Darkly and could just start the new book (it’s up to you! We’ll still spend a bit of time discussing it!) 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!! 📚✨

Bookish Bi Reading Club

Let's Discuss "My Dark Vanessa" by Kate Elizabeth Russell

*My Dark Vanessa* by Kate Elizabeth Russell is an all-consuming, explosive debut that explores the psychological dynamics of the relationship between a precocious yet naïve teenage girl and her magnetic and manipulative teacher. We will start our discussion at 7:30. Food and drink are available for purchase.

Fifty-Four Pigs by Phillip Schott (Moreen)

9 books, 45 ebooks. 9 audio

Language Exchange & Social Event @ Madison Ave Pub by Toronto Babel

We’re back for another night of great conversation, community, and global connections. Whether you want to practice English, learn a new language, or simply make new friends from around the world, this is the place to be! ✨ **What to Expect:** ✅ Language Exchange 💬 – chat in French, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, and more! ✅ Live Music & Resident DJ 🎵 – groove while you mingle ✅ Fun Board Games 🎲 – challenge a new friend ✅ Arts & Crafts 🎨 – get creative ✅ Make New Friends 🗣️ – the more, the merrier! 📍 14 Madison Ave, Toronto, ON M5R 2S1 🕖 7:00 PM – 11:00 PM Come solo or bring a friend—either way, you’ll leave with new connections, good laughs, and even better vibes 💬✨🫶 💵 $5 Entry Fee at the Door This helps cover meetup essentials like games, name tags, stickers, and all the little things that make our events magical ✨ **CONTACT:** Terry (Organizer) 📲 E-transfer also available: tmg8@wealthsimple.me 🔗 Meetup: [https://www.meetup.com/TorontoBabel](https://www.meetup.com/TorontoBabel) 📘 Facebook: [https://www.facebook.com/groups/torontobabel](https://www.facebook.com/groups/torontobabel) 💬 WhatsApp: [https://chat.whatsapp.com/EYMdUw8XaxE5irFSNg5bt7](https://chat.whatsapp.com/EYMdUw8XaxE5irFSNg5bt7) 📸 Instagram: [https://www.instagram.com/t.o.babel](https://www.instagram.com/t.o.babel) 👉 Check out our calendar to see what other events we have coming up and to RSVP: [https://www.meetup.com/TorontoBabel/#calendar](https://www.meetup.com/TorontoBabel/#calendar) **Note:** Toronto Babel is a friendly, welcoming, and safe space for all attendees. This is a language-focused event and not a dating or matchmaking event. Any form of harassment or inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated. If you experience or witness any issues, please inform one of the organizers. #TorontoBabel #LanguageExchange #TorontoEvents #ToDoToronto #LearnEnglish

🇨🇦Japanese and English Language Exchange (Page for everyone)

IN-PERSON Saturday Meeting!

Join us for our in-person Saturday critique session! We'll be meeting in the basement of **The Blake House**, which is located near Wellesley and Jarvis, about a 10-minute walk from Wellesley Station or Sherbourne Station. **In respect to the Blake House for hosting us, we humbly request that attendees purchase a meal, dessert, or drink if you are able to do so.** Feel free to bring in a piece of writing up to **2000 words** for reading and critique. Please bring paper copies so that listeners can easily follow and make notes. Dedicated listeners are equally welcome. In larger groups, please be mindful of giving everyone a fair chance to speak. Our group values and meeting structure can be found here: [https://www.torontosffwriters.com/sff-writer-rules-and-guidelines](https://www.torontosffwriters.com/sff-writer-rules-and-guidelines) We ask that writers provide content warnings when necessary. To limit the spread of diseases, we kindly ask that you stay home if you're feeling sick. We will be here every week! **\*\*We support the hard work and effort that goes into writing fiction, and do not condone the use of AI to replace the creative process.\*\*** And, that's everything! See you there!

[In-person] BYOB: Bring Your Own Book

Instead of everyone agreeing to read one book for a meeting, we each read whatever we want, then share it with the rest of the group every alternate meeting. Our discussions are always fresh and interesting! Those who don't have a book to share but want a recommendation for their next read are also welcome to join. Then we vote on the discussed books and the book with highest votes gets discussed further in the subsequent meeting. Books we talk about cover just about anything. Some example topics include: the history of salt, a man lost at sea, why some technological developments should make us optimistic about the future, creativity at Pixar, neuroplasticity, biotechnology, American sub-cultures, biographies, the economics, geography and biology underpinning the development of the New World, the politics of mental illness, harnessing a positive mental attitude, law, the changing role of the policies in US & Canada, walking the trail, communication in the workplace, and much much much much more. The aim here is to establish a group of independent readers in the GTA who are curious about everything. Have you read an interesting book lately? Come and tell us about it! This relaxed and friendly book group is for those who enjoy reading books, asking questions, and having thought provoking, fun discussions on a wide variety of topics. Read whatever you want, then come and spend a few minutes discussing it with us. No formal book reports required, promise :). Paper books, e-books and audio books are all considered books for the purposes of this group. \*\*\* **Books discussed in previous "Bring your own book" events are here:** [GTA Book Club BYOB log Google Spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1em0ZTWtxNbXPp5Rt5Tegp8Kj4gM8Kc54_8CAgtjfB_Q/edit?usp=sharing) During the event, a poll will be opened for everyone to vote on the book we should all read in the subsequent event. At the end of the event, the subsequent event will be updated with the book that had the most votes from this event. Bring a book to share or observe (find your next read) and bring an open mind! I hope to see you there.