Three Good Books for a Lazy Sunday

I don’t know when the last Sunday was that I didn’t set foot outside, but yesterday I stayed inside all day. It was cold—near -18 C or 0 F when we got up—but the sun was shining and usually I relish getting out on brilliant winter days. But for whatever reason, once the usual Sunday laundry and chores were done I sat and read.

My excuse was the four book discussions I’m leading this week. While I read the books on the agenda long ago, I wanted to look them over again and to prepare some background information and leading questions. But the books are so good—Margaret Atwood’s Moral Disorder, Lise Tremblay’s La soeur de Judith and Kurban Said’s Ali and Nino—that I found myself reading large sections of them all over again. A great way to spend a Sunday. I’m looking forward to hearing what the book discussions groups think about them.

The Pierrefond public library and the Atwater Library groups will be discussing the Atwood short story collection, Outremont is reading the Tremblay coming-of-age story (alas! not translated into English yet) while the Kirkland library group has the enigmatic story of love and life in early 20th century Abjerbaijan on its plate. All three, I see now, contain interesting reflections on young love, education and the role of women. I hadn't realized that when I made up the schedules late last summer: sometimes serendipity gives you food for thought.