Hey Toronto – How about a veg/animal rights book club?

I’ve been inspired by a recent post on Our Hen House (as I often am) but this time it’s made me really want to take things offline. Recently they posted about the Animal Defense Fund’s online book club, which I think is an awesome fantastic idea – but – I’d like to see if there is any interest in making that happen in real life in Toronto.

I know we’re all busy people, with conflicting schedules, but we could meet once a month on the third Tuesday evening (for example) or another mutually agreeable time/date of the month.

So Toronto – are you interested? Let’s make this happen. Send me an email, send me a tweet (@mdgee), add yourself to the group on facebook, give me your thoughts, and most of all join in.

Some initial goals for this book club: 

• A positive respectful space to share, read, learn, and talk about animal friendly literature and non-fiction. This could/would include:
  • Advocacy writings and exploring animal ethics through reading
  • The history of animal activism and movements
  • Memoirs of important figures
  • Sharing animal friendly children’s literature (like sharing our favourite short books one month, etc.)
  • This could also include reading books that are not pro-vegetarian/vegan, but ones that really challenge us. We can take it in whatever direction we want it to go.
• A place to learn from our readings and from each other.
• A place to potentially see things in a new way.
• A place to meet other people interested in animal rights and welfare in a relaxed social, non-academic, atmosphere.

Just a few potential book suggestions:

From current works to classics, to anti-veg works, books exploring captivity, vivisection, and animal liberation movements, There is a lot out there, but here are just a couple possibilities, in no particular order, and linked to the Toronto Public Library (where available):

• Animals and Why They Matter –  Mary Midgley
• Eating Animals – Jonathan Safran Foer
• The Sexual Politics of Meat: A Feminist-Vegetarian Critical Theory – Carol J. Adams
• Animal Liberation – Peter Singer
• Brute Science: Dilemmas of Animal Experimentation – Hugh LaFollette & Niall Shanks
• What the Animals Taught Me: Stories of Love and Healing from a Farm Animal Sanctuary – Stephanie Marohn
• Death at Seaworld: Shamu and The Dark Side of Whales in Captivity by David Kirby (website for book)
• Laika – Nick Abadzis (a graphic novel)
• Behind the Dolphin Smile – Rick O’Barry
• Any of the books on Vegbooks Kids book list
• Books from Rob Laidlaw’s Suggested Reading List
• David Sztybel’s top twelve animal activist books

Does that sound good? This is just the beginning, but I’d love to meet and talk books with interested Torontonians, let’s do it!