Posted by: Jessica Scott - Marketing Assistant, Digital Specialist

I’d like you to meet my mom, Barb. I asked her to write a quick blog post for us about her recent book club pick because I couldn’t have said it better myself.

What to do when it’s your turn to pick the book for Book Club and you haven’t a clue? You call your daughter who’s in publishing. She, in turn, polls her colleagues for recommendations. The result….The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society With trepidation I present my choice to the group. “Oh,” say several of the members, “I’ve heard about that book. It’s supposed to be good”.

After thirteen years of being in this Book Club, I’ve heard that before. It usually leads to the hardship of trying to finish a novel that’s “supposed to be” good. Well, this book was a problem for the group…because everyone loved it! Why is that a problem? If everyone loves the book there’s not much room for controversy and lively debate which is the essence of our book club. Luckily Jessica sent me a link to the Reading Group Guide - lots of interesting questions and extra content in there. Thus we dug deep to keep the discussion going.

We agreed the writing style was breezy and gentle. We thought we could actually imagine the author’s voice. The story contained fascinating historical information which leads to a tangent of discussions. Who knew the people on the Island of Guernsey were prisoners of war in their homes during WWII? There were so many colourful characters that each member could find at least one character with whom they could travel through the book.

Read this book when you want an engaging read. It’s great for a rainy day or a day at the beach. Recommend this book and you’ll be the darling of your friends/book club.

-Barb

I hope you all like Guernsey as much as my Mom did! If you want a taste you can read from the book here.

Posted by: Heather Rosen - Booklounge VIP Member

I arrived extra-early for the Marie Phillips book launch, almost wanting to make up for the unexpected rescheduling of the event. As a veteran BookLounger, I received the warmest of greetings (as always) from Random House Canada and BookLounge staff as I flashed my copy of Gods Behaving Badly and signed the guestbook before entering The Room.

The Room, as I call it, is the elegant boardroom where many of the VIP events take place. The Room is a sacred place, a genteel literary grotto ensconced in a smallish office building not far from the cold glass-and-steel bank towers of Bay Street. The walls are lined with shelves proudly displaying dozens of Random House publishing successes. The soft lighting made the room all the more inviting. (Of course, the large table also played a key role, as Daniel et Daniel catering had brought in some exquisite hors d’oeuvres. The shrimp were to die for.)

While mingling and chatting with a few VIP guests, I suddenly caught sight of Marie Phillips just beyond the doorway; an interviewer and cameraman from Book Television were filming her for an upcoming television segment. As she made her way into The Room, her great pleasure at being celebrated with wine, Perrier, fine food and a throng of adoring fans was clearly palpable. After a glowing preamble by Anne Collins, VP, Publisher, Random House Canada, Marie Phillips spoke briefly, with charm and wit, about the exciting launch of the book in Canada. She said she wished they would hold similar receptions, replete with booze and food, in her native England. Afterwards, she signed my book, and I engaged her in a delightful but all too brief conversation. What a wonderful evening!