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Background Information
In 2001, we were a group of six women who innocently started a book club, completely unaware of the impact it would have on our own personal lives, much less the fodder it would eventually provide for writing this book.
Within the first year, we started to refer to ourselves as The Giller Girls or GGs for short. We don't know exactly how this evolved, but it was loosely based on the Giller Prize and coincidently matched the short form for the Governor General's Award (The GGs), both of which are preeminent Canadian literary awards. We reasoned that this lent a somewhat academic credibility to our group, but in truth it was simply one of those names that sounded great and just stuck!
In the beginning, our goal for starting a book club was to have regular meetings with other women to discuss books, a forum to get us out of our daily routine. The occasion was an opportunity to take time for ourselves, to enjoy the company and conversations of others without the intrusion of work, family or outside responsibilities. We had only envisioned traveling through the pages of the books we read. But, over time, our book club became more than a club about books. Subsequent new friendships and the fun we had together prompted us to take our club to new heights and add travel to the mix. We wanted to experience new places and emotions, laugh till our sides hurt and our hearts lifted.
Now, the three of us want to share that experience and formula with you. Reading Between the Wines: The Story of a Traveling Book Club was inspired by the exploits of the GGs, from our monthly book club meetings to our ultimate annual getaways. We started what we thought would simply be a book club, but quickly discovered that we had created a nurturing, safe and sound environment where we could explore new horizons. It wasn't just about the books or the opinions of the books; it was the great time we experienced together.
And people have taken notice, wherever we go. We are continually amazed at the reaction we receive when we tell strangers we meet on our getaways about our club and how it came to be. Never was this more apparent than during our New York getaway, where we felt the collective appreciation for what we had created in our book club, further inspiring us to write this book - a sort of journal, guidebook and roadmap.
So what you have is our attempt to share with you, the reader, and all the joys we've experienced with our beloved book club. We've come a long way since our first meeting. It's our hope that our book will give you the same inspiration to create your own book club journey with your own collection of adventures.
Biographic Information
Perry Jongsma - The Magic Meister
Perry brings to the table the ultimate in magical imagination that allows you to indulge in the opportunity to travel along with her anywhere, anytime, in mind, spirit and body. Whether in the moment of hosting a book club meeting or dreaming of adventures to come, she taps into her own personal wealth of knowledge. With the terminal diagnosis of FOMO "Fear of Missing Out", she works tirelessly and with great enthusiasm to ensure a memorable experience is shared by all. Being a self professed list maker is admittedly her "Not So Secret" Weapon. Her contribution to this book speaks for itself by way of a giant smile. Perry resides in Sarnia with her husband, and has three children, who much like their mother are adventurers in their own right.
Pat Maaten - The Pilot of Precision
Pat clears the table to provide the necessary canvas on which to work without chaos. She possesses the innate ability to assess any situation. It can be one of simple mass confusion or a brainstorming session that is abundantly overflowing. Regardless, with minimal effort she can visualize and execute a plan with the utmost precision. All the while she is performing what most of us refer to as "Mental Gymnastics". She does it in such an inconspicuous manner that those of us around her are drawn into a fantasy world of believing we actually had something to do with the plan. Her contribution to this book whispers volumes about the woman she is. Pat resides in Sarnia with her husband and has two children, who much like their mother are building a sturdy foundation to call their own.
Kathleen Mundy - The Unstoppable Force
Kathleen assembles the table that will stand the test of time. Simply stated in the gospel according to Kathleen, "Any and all things are possible." I can't, I don't know how, I don't have time, are all responses that never quite register. She unselfishly shares her knowledge, ideas and encouragement, even when her cup overflows more rapidly than Niagara Falls. She more often than not is shooting those rapids, placing demands and expectations upon herself as most of us observe from the stands, becoming more weary as we watch. Her contribution to this book proclaims "Mission Accomplished". Kathleen resides in Bright's Grove with her spouse and has four children, who much like their mother are independent pillars of strength and strong will.
This fearless threesome chose to embark on this journey for the sole purpose of encouraging other women to nurture existing friendships and to embrace new ones. To teach them to provide each other with the gift of prioritizing time together, without ever having to justify it or give themselves permission. And to look forward to each gathering, even more so than the last. Most importantly though, when you are a part of something as great as the GG Book Club, it becomes essential to "Pay it Forward".
Fact Sheet
- Tagline - It's not just about the book, it's about the fun!
- Founding Members:
- Mary Margaret Gannon
- Perry Jongsma
- Pat Maaten
- Kathleen Mundy
- Eileen Philips
- Michele Vannatter
- Founding City: Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
- Year GG Book Club Started: September, 2001
- Inaugural GG Getaway: May, 2003: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
- GG Getaway Destinations:
- June, 2004: Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada
- June, 2005: Pelee Island, Ontario, Canada
- May, 2006: New York City, New York, USA
- July, 2007: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- June, 2008: Washington, D.C., USA
- May, 2009: Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
- September, 2010:?
- GG Favorites:
- Favorite Book - The Book of Negroes, Lawrence Hill
- Favorite Wine - Whatever wine our GGs are serving.
- Favorite Booktini - Bitch Slap
Photos
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The Authors 4228 pixels x 2848 pixels RGB » Download or Right-Click and choose "Save As.." From left to right: Pat Maaten, Perry Jongsma, Kathleen Mundy |
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Perry Jongsma 2848 pixels x 4228 pixels RGB |
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Pat Maaten 2848 pixels x 4228 pixels RGB |
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Kathleen Mundy 2848 pixels x 4228 pixels RGB |
Media / Press Releases
December, 2010
MP3 » Reading Between the Wines - myFM » Part 1 (2.9 MB) and Part 2 (1,9 MB)
June, 2010
PDF » Reading Between the Wines - ZOOMER Magazine, Summer 2010 pp116-117 371KB
April 8, 2010
MP3 » Reading Between the Wines - FOX FM - Interview with Sarah Woodley.mp3 10,347KB
April 6, 2010
PDF » Reading Between the Wines - April 6 2010 - Press Release.pdf 123KB
Reviews
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Vintage Success StoryVintage success story: Reading Between the Wines, by Sarnians Pat Maaten, Kathleen Mundy and Perry Jongsma, encourages women to stay in touch through books Read online » www.lfpress.com |
Book Review - Reading Between the Wines by Perry Jongsma, Pat Maaten and Kathleen Mundy
From the Sarnia Book Keeper: Reading Between The Wines
These three local ladies have taken their experiences from their unique book club and put it into a book. Full of recipes, travel itineraries, and a section to help you get started on your own fantastic book club, you will be eager to get your own club started. The pictures are fabulous and you will want to invite this group on your next literary travel excursion.
