Jeanette Bruce crossed paths with Nadine White, public services librarian at the Whistler Public Library, about a decade ago. They began chatting about what was a novel idea at the time: a recurring local book club. White felt that there'd be interest in such a group, but also felt that she wasn't the right person to host.
Bruce, who was employed by Armchair Books at the time, leaped at the opportunity.
Whistler's first Community Book Club meeting took place in summer 2014, with roughly eight people gathering at Florence Petersen Park. Their novel of choice was Gone Girl: a crime thriller by Gillian Flynn that was adapted into a film starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck.
Fast forward to this August and you would've found over two dozen individuals celebrating the Club's 10th anniversary by discussing All The Light We Cannot See, a Pulitzer Prize-winning work of historical fiction by Anthony Doerr. It wasn't just locals showing up either: Ohio native Abi Kaszar joined the party from down south.
"[The Book Club] has been an incredible social phenomenon for a lot of people, I would say," remarks Bruce, now the Library's program and communications coordinator. "Some have been coming for the last 10 years, and some have just joined us recently. You're not pressured to read 12 books a year unless you are really keen to do so.
"Knowing that there's this fun, social, focused and well-honed discussion waiting for you at the end of each month appeals to a lot of readers in our town."
Broadening horizons
Many book clubs are run by like-minded friends who take turns hosting and collaborating to make their reading list. These activities can be fulfilling, but they can also suffer from weaknesses inherent to informal gatherings—like a tendency for people to shoot the breeze and get distracted instead of unpacking their books.
Whistler's Club offers a potential solution. The Library is a set venue, with Zoom meetings available for those who can't attend in person. Bruce chooses each month's book and facilitates discussions. The group is meant for an adult demographic, but teens willing to engage with mature themes are welcome.
Though she admits to being a "big sci-fi and fantasy nerd", Bruce endeavours to select a healthy range of genres penned by authors of varying backgrounds. Over time, the Club has read everything from Andy Weir's famous debut novel The Martian (also made into a Hollywood science-fiction blockbuster) to Half-Bads in White Regalia by 2023 Whistler Writer-in-Residence Cody Caetano.
"We don't read as much nonfiction as fiction—maybe one a year, I would say—and that's usually a memoir," elaborates Bruce. "I have tried my best to diversify the types of authors that we are reading, and I think it has really benefited the club. It makes our discussions cultured. We're not stuck in a box…we're trying our best to broaden our minds and horizons."
Accessibility is also a factor. Bruce picks paperbacks whenever she can, and Armchair Books offers a 15 per cent discount on her chosen read every month. B.C. libraries can only start lending items to one another after they've been published for a year, meaning the Club prioritizes older works.
Not everyone will appreciate every book. In fact, some may outright despise a given title—and that's just how Bruce wants it.
"A book that everybody loved is not interesting to discuss," she says. "Nine times out of 10 [in that situation], there's no disagreement, and to me disagreement is crucial to a good discussion. The really interesting conversations happen when some people in the room love the book and some people in the room hate it—but they are willing to hear each other.
"That's something we've also improved upon over the years, especially with folks who attend regularly: understanding that somebody is going to disagree with you, and it's actually going to make our conversation richer."
'We're here for you'
Some of you might be asking: "that all sounds fine and dandy, but why would a person from Ohio get involved with a book club in Whistler?"
In September 2020, Bruce and her gang read Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng. That particular novel takes place in Shaker Heights, Ohio: Kaszar's hometown. She joined that month's Zoom session, initially unaware that it was based in Canada, and simply kept attending.
As a travel nurse, Kaszar remains a consistent presence at the Club despite all her frequent-flier miles across the United States. On Aug. 19, she and her partner Eric flew from Los Angeles to Vancouver before driving up the Sea to Sky Highway to meet their Canadian friends.
"Abi completely blew our minds," Bruce says. "She and Eric were in Whistler for just over 24 hours. There's no denying that they came specifically for the Book Club meeting, which kind of boggles my mind. That's probably the craziest story that we have about somebody coming."
Kaszar's unorthodox visit is emblematic of the Club's continued growth. Demographics have evolved over time from a predominantly-senior crowd to one that includes millennials and baby boomers alike. Sometimes, attendance numbers border on "too many", which is no doubt a good problem to have.
The group could use more men, however.
"We still skew very female, but we do have some very brave male participants," Bruce notes with a laugh. "If there are bookish guys out there who are hesitating, please come to Book Club. We'd love to have you there, and we certainly do try to read books from a male perspective or male authors. We're here for you."
The Whistler Community Book Club meets in-person on the last Monday of each month (except for December) in the Library at 7 p.m., and on Zoom during the last Wednesday of every month. Find out more at https://www.whistlerlibrary.ca/event/in-person-community-book-club/.
