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Be a superhero! Join the Mod and her guests in a thoughtful discussion about hearty topics, through a lens of flourishing.

Brew a cup of tea or pour a glass of your favourite drink, and snuggle in with a good book. Oh, and you can discuss the book with at least two friends—the Right Rev. Dr. Carmen Lansdowne, Moderator of The United Church of Canada, and her guest—in one of Canada’s biggest book clubs.  

Starting Sept. 21, 2023, and ending in June 2025, these (mostly) monthly book club sessions will feature fiction, non-fiction and poetry written by (mostly) Canadian authors. Through a lens of flourishing, the books explore:

  • Dreaming, utopias, and dystopias
  • The environment and resource extraction
  • Urban/rural difference of experience
  • Reconciliation
  • Poverty
  • The theology of The United Church of Canada

There will be bold ideas. There will be daring connections. There will be content you can dig your teeth into. And guaranteed, there will be laughter. Because the Mod is like that.

Get reading and join the discussion!

  1. Visit your local library or purchase the books from United Church Bookstore!
    • Get 15% off your purchase of two or more books featured in The Mod’s Book Squad at the United Church Bookstore with the discount code MODSQUAD (applied at checkout). Visit the collection to see all available featured books.
  2. Register for the monthly discussions on CHURCHx (create or log into your account to register). All sessions run 6:30-8:00 p.m. EST.
  3. Read whichever books strike your fancy. Tune in to one session, some, or all of them.

The List

  • The Marrow Thieves: Cheri Dimaline       
    • Discussion: September 21, 2023
    • Guest: John Thatamanil        
  • Doughnut Economics: Kate Raworth
    • Discussion: October 19, 2023
    • Guest: John Havens
  • The Wall Between: Raja Khouri & Jeffrey Wilkinson
    • Discussion: November 30, 2023
    • Guest: Raja Khouri & Jeffrey Wilkinson
  • The Long Road Home: Debra Thompson
    • Discussion: January 25, 2024
    • Guest: Debra Thompson
  • Net Positive: Andrew Winston & Paul Polman
    • Discussion: February 22, 2024
    • Guest: Andrew Winston
  • Act/Fast: Alydia Smith
    • Discussion: March 5, 2024
    • Guest: Rev. Christine Boyle
  • A Psalm for the Wild Built: Becky Chambers
  • Bramah and the Beggar Boy: Renée Saklikar
  • The Other Side of the River: Alf Dumont
  • A Ministry for the Future: Kim Stanley Robinson
  • Cobalt: Charlie Angus
  • Heartland: Sarah Smarsh
  • The Perfection of the Morning: Sharon Butala
  • Washington Black: Esi Edugyan
  • Maximum Canada: Doug Saunders
  • True Reconciliation: Jody Wilson Raybould
  • Faith as Protest: Karen Hamilton
  • The Undertaking of Billy Buffone: David Giuliano
  • Undivided Love: Janet Gear

To find out more, email  flourishing@united-church.ca