April's Book Club Review

Book reviewed this month

Everything, Everthing by Nicola Yoon

Margaret was our hostess this month, nibbles provided by Frances.

This novel can be found in bookshops in the young adult section. This was a new genere as reading material.
The book was enjoyed by the group, who appreciated its subject matter, everyone was in agreement that Maddy's mother was a real piece of work.
Lively debate ensued as different aspects, twists and turns were discussed.
As this book has now been made into a film , the group are considering viewing to compare notes on how the book has translated to the big screen.

As always members of the group brought in a large number of swops  these are all books they have read during the month. So far Gill holds the record for the most books read.
Any books not swapped, with the donators permission are taken to a local charity shop, so other like minded readers can benefit


Our next book is


Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes,  this is currently on show in the cinema

Also readers may wish to read

27th Kingdom by Alice Thomas Ellis, unfortunately this is out of print, so it may be your local library for a copy or second hand book sellars

Our next meeting is on the 31st May.

Yes, here is a picture of most of the book group doing what we do so well - eating! And before anyone reports identification problems, apologies for the picture quality. Blame the lighting, camera phone, photographer, a long thin table so we couldn't get everyone in, or whatever. There was a better one, but Frances looked as though she was handing down a pretty stiff sentence in court, and we don't want to upset our friends......

After all that, our pre-pre-Christmas bash was on 4th November at Miller & Carter - the old Dick Turpin. We met in the bar, which was just as well as that long thin table made communication a bit difficult but it was a happy evening, the food was good, our waitress was lovely and conversation was entertaining and (as always!) enlightening. We don't know what the other end of the table talked about, but our 'half' discussed anything from dog training to what sort of bath we would fit when really decrepit; manipulative children to gardening; Christmas to WI; local, national and international politics to books, and more.

So to books. Our book-to-read was 'Exposure' by Helen Dunmore. Those of us old enough to remember the Cold War found it quite chilling, but a rattling good tale and highly recommended - a war refugee, a family fighting to stay together, the psychological and physical shenanigans of the country's spymasters and an unexpected twist at the end. We found ourselves discussing it over the phone, at the WI film group on the 1st and the WI meeting on the 2nd as well as at the bar on the 4th.

At the end of the meal the Secret Santa books were distributed - to be read and reported on at our next meeting. The books were the result of Gill and Margaret spending a happy and dusty evening trying to reduce Margaret's 'library'. They managed to remove 120 books and what Santa didn't use went to Richard House. Gill is quite a ruthless organiser!

It's a bit early, but best wishes to all readers for a very happy Christmas and New Year.

WHAT WE DID ON SEPTEMBER 20th

1. Met
2. Ate
3. Discussed chosen book
4. Listened to 3 offering on the world of work (see last blog)
5. Discussed all the other books we had read other than 3 above
6. Talked a lot more
7. Arranged a meal to beat the general Christmas eating
8. Sorted the 'Secret Santa' reads for January's meeting (date to be fixed)
9. Went home after more of 2 and 6

Better expand, I suppose, now I've actually accessed the blog....

1. Ten of us met.

2. Thanks, Victoria, for providing a great selection of eats.

3. Book was 'The Illusionists' by Rosie Thomas. As usual, comments were mixed. some couldn't put it down, others found it hard going, too long, felt the ending was weak or the main character wasn't developed strongly. All of us found the depth of research into Victorian theatre and the production of illusions fascinating. Some of the descriptions of late C19th London were almost Dickensian. Not sure what the score was, but there's a sequel, so look out for it!

4. A new venture for us, suggested on the spur of the moment - no more than 500 words on our introduction to the world of work. Victoria wrote about her determination to teach and her first experiences. Jo wrote about her time as a care assistant in a haunted house. Margaret wrote about her first Saturday job at the Co-op in Romford in 1962. It was all good humoured and well received and good material for the archive, so don't throw them away ladies! Hopefully we'll do something similar in the future.

5. Included 'The reader on the 6.27', 'The girl who saved the king of Sweden', 'Black Country', 'I see you', 'The Herring in the library', 'A hologram for the king', 'The crimson petal and the white', 'The rogue lawyer', 'Liar, liar', 'Orphan X' etc. So many books, and for those who use the library and can't remember which ones they've read, we heard that Carole's mother puts a small pencil mark in them before she takes them back.

7 and 8. Pre Christmas meal is Friday 4th November at Miller & Carter. Gill is going to help with a much needed cull of Margaret's book collection for the traditional 'Secret Santa'.

And that's about it for this meeting. A warm (if a bit noisy) welcome to any readers who would like to join us in January - contact Margaret via WI.

Book Club July 2016 - Cross Sticks and Spoonerisms (you had to be there)

Nine of us met on a hot and damp July evening to discuss our latest book, Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes. As usual we were fed and watered very well - thank you very much to Eirlys. 

We agreed that we will be reading one book each time, and also that there is no pressure to read it if that is not possible sometimes. Members are still very welcome to come along if they haven't managed to read the book. We also agreed that we would be careful not to reveal the ending of a book to those who may not have finished it yet. 

Most of us enjoyed the book, though to varying degrees from 'quite enjoyed' to 'couldn't put it down'. Several people said they knew what was going to happen, though many were also hoping for a different ending, right up until the inevitable conclusion. It was felt that the subject matter was portrayed sensitively and with humour and that the lighthearted, funny female lead Lou balanced the more melancholy character of Will very well. We found the story moving, in particular the part about the tattoo and the wedding dance were mentioned. 

The sequel, After You, which some had read, was felt to be disappointing. The character of Lou, who had become independent and purposeful with the encouragement of Will, lost this in the second book, where she was not as proactive. We also felt there too many characters in the sequel.

Some of us had seen the film and felt that although not every single thing in the book had been put into the film, it was an accurate representation, when often films are considerably different. We felt this was because Jojo Moyes herself was responsible for the screenplay. 

At some point during the hilarity of the evening, a little creative writing was suggested! We heard some hilarious stories about our experiences of work, and for those who would like to, we thought it might be fun to write 300-500 words on the subject of 'The World of Work (or How I Started)'. There is no pressure to take part, nothing will go any further than between the members of the book club and nothing will be published on the blog! If tonight's stories are anything to go by, we can look forward to some entertainment next time!

Our next book was chosen and this will be The Illusionists by Rosie Thomas, the author who wrote the Kashmir Shawl which we read as a group a few years ago. We'll be meeting on a Tuesday next time, the 20th September, at Margaret's house. 

Happy Reading!

This is a bit late - sorry all! Eleven of us met on 8th June and it was good to welcome Jenny back after all her eventful travels, and to welcome new member Maureen.

Our 'book under review' was 'The Little Paris Bookshop' by Nina George and the discussion was very animated. All agreed that the descriptions of France and the countryside as the barge progressed south from Paris were excellent. After that, about half of us really enjoyed the story and characterisation and the rest of us were a bit 'iffy' (comments such as 'I got bored half way through'...). If you've read the book or not, here are a few questions! What did you think of the characters? Some of us were frustrated by Jean and Cuneo, who didn't seem to be able to get over their lost loves. Some wondered why Manon had just left a letter for Jean and not talked to him about her reason for going. and why on earth didn't he open the letter - leaving it for Catherine to do years later (general answer - men!!)? Why did Luc put up with Manon having a lover? What about the strange author of 'Southern Lights'? And then there were all the references to the books on the barge and how they were suited by Jean to the needs of various readers. Some of us found so many literary references just a little pretentious.

So.... having had a good chew of the rag, the book group went on to do what it excels at, discussing the usual eclectic mix of other books we had read since our last meeting. The Excellence of the Hedgehog. The Secret Keeper. Life after Life. In the Unlikely Event. The Butcher's Hook. The Cake Shop in the Garden. The Reader on the 6.27. Icons of England. Return to the Little Coffee Shop of Kabul. And so on. Lots of reviews, laughter, gossip (sorry - news exchange), refreshments and everything else that makes for an enjoyable book group meeting.

Next meeting is on Wednesday 27th July at Eirlys's home. Details will be sent nearer the time. We'll be discussing 'Me before You' by Jojo Moyes. Until then, happy reading!

Book Club April 2016

Many thanks to Alison for sending me her notes from the last  meeting, as I couldn't be there. 

Book Club met in April, hosted by Eirlys. As always this popular group was well attended by its membership. 
At the last gathering we agreed that we would have one must read, with a possible two extra reads.  
"All the light we cannot see" author Anthony Doerr, was read by 7 of the group. The style of writing was an interesting concept, each main characters story was told in individual chapters, linked by a thriller type mystery running alongside. The book was well written and very descriptive in content, in fact one of the members knew the book location. References to the Hitler Youth and the WW2 were very harrowing, whilst this was in context with the story, some of the ladies found the book difficult to read.

 "Tight Rope" author Simon Mawer was read by 4 of the group. This was a sequel to the "Girl who fell from the Sky". As with many sequels the group felt that this book was not as good a read Again the torture descriptions experienced by the heroine were very gritty. At times its was difficult to follow were in the story you were. 

 "Rose of Tibet" author Lionel Davidson was read by 3 of the group. A re release of a book which is very much if it's time. A brilliant travelogue for Tibet, where apparently the author had never been.

In addition the book group members between them read a further 26 books, some from new authors, along with well established writers. It great to see that the group have a wide literary taste.  

 A discussion on what we wanted from the Book Club took place, decisions made were

 One book to be read and reviewed at each meeting 

A brief narrative to be submitted to the chair if you are not able to attend in person 

Each member will bring a book recommendation with brief description, a poll will be taken and the winner is the next book group read. 

 Date of next meeting 8th June, read "Little Paris Bookshop" author Nina George.

Book Club February 2016

We were almost a full house at Margaret's for our February meeting. There were 11 of us - two members were missed but we had three lovely new members, and we were very pleased to welcome them.

We discussed our Secret Santa books and many others that we had read over the past few weeks - my little notepad and I struggled to keep up! Here are some brief notes on some of the books:

The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year by Sue Townsend - funny, thoughtful, brilliant, loved it.

I Do Not Sleep by Judy Finnegan - an easy read, well written.

The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta - well written, unusual, thought-provoking, interesting.

Four Meals For Fourpence by Grave Noakes - interesting social history memoir.

The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul by Deborah Rodriguez - intriguing. Highlights the unfair treatment of women in Afghanistan. The author had a cake shop in Kabul, so could write from experience of living there.

Daughter by Jane Shemilt - liked it, but felt 'enjoyed' wasn't the right word. A daughter is missing, and the events in the book peel off layers of the family relationships.

Moving by Jenny Eclair - too complex, like several books in one. Not as good as Life, Death and Vanilla Slices by the same author.

Emma by Alexander McCall-Smith - good read, well written. Like a modern Jane Austen novel.

Kate Morton books - Distant Hours, The Lake House and The Secret Keeper were all mentioned, several people like these.

The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan - about a man who inherits an elephant. Very funny.

The Glass Painter's Daughter by Rachel Hore - very interesting to learn some of the history of glass painting.

The Year I Met You by Cecelia Ahern - refreshingly light. Enjoyable to read about a voyage of discovery.

These are by no means all the books we talked about - it was a very busy evening!

We will be meeting next on 20th April, details will be emailed to members nearer the time. The books we will be discussing (amongst others, no doubt!) are:

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr (this is our main choice, so please try to read this one if you can. The others are extras)

The Rose of Tibet by Lionel Davidson

Tightrope by Simon Mawer (this is the sequel to The Girl Who Fell to Earth, which we read for Book Club some time ago)

Happy Reading!

Book Club January 2016: late Christmas meal

We chose to go to Cristina's steak house in Barking for a change. Seven of us made it and enjoyed the meal, conversation and exchanging Secret Santa books.

When we arranged the date, we talked about discussing The Lady in the Van by Alan Bennett, but the writer has no recollection of anybody mentioning it! There was a wide-ranging discussion on all other topics (as there usually is at book group) and when we meet in February we'll go back to our original purpose of reading and discussing books.

Sorry there are no pictures ladies, obviously talk was more important than cameras and we'll try harder next time.

Next meeting will be on Wednesday February 24th at 7.30, details will be emailed nearer the time. We'll be discussing our Secret Santa books and The Lady in the Van (if anyone has read it!!).

Look forward to seeing you.

Book Club October 2015

I wasn't at Book Club this time but Eirlys has kindly updated me as follows:

There were only five of us there but as usual there was no break in the chat! Three of us had read Queenie and thought it was on the whole more humorous than the Harold Fry book and it has an unexpected twist at the end that none of us had seen coming. None of us had read 44 Scotland Street but one of us had read one of the Sunday Philosophy Club series and thought it was good. Some other books mentioned were - Witness by Kath Staincliffe, Glass Blower of Verona (didn't get the author!), The Return by Victoria Hislop (which I enjoyed a lot more than The Sunrise!). also books by Ken Follet were mentioned.
Chat wasn't only about books of course and subjects ranged from cats, Strictly and Great British Bake Off. We decided that since our next meeting was the Christmas meal that we would catch up on books that we haven't managed to read throughout the year and of course bring a wrapped book for the Secret Santa book!
Big thank you to Frances for the lovely spread and hospitality.

Book Club August 2015: terrapins, grubby library books, beginnings and endings and a unique cake topping

This month we convened at Margaret's house to discuss our two books. We were few in number this time, though two members sent some comments by email. Of those of us who were there just over half had read a book this month, let alone one of the books we were supposed to read. One of us had read numerous books and couldn't remember most of them. Another said she had read two beginnings, two ends and no middles, I'm not sure how many books the beginnings and ends involved. Were they from the same books or were they from four different books? These are the questions that keep me awake at night. 

Regardless of who did and didn't read what, it was nice as always to see each other and catch up. We enjoyed a lovely cake made by one of our members with a unique but very tasty topping. We learned that there is apparently an adult version (by which I mean grown up, not x-rated) version of 'Janet and John' and we thought we would look into that.  We universally agreed that grubby library books are disgusting. We discovered that there are terrapins in Barking Park lake - well there is at least one, as Margaret saw it. When I was at school, some of the boys used to skinny dip in that lake at lunchtime (yes I was in the audience). I wonder if the terrapins were there then. I also wonder if they bite! 

The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop had mixed reviews. One loved it, one enjoyed it and found it an easy read and most other people didn't enjoy it though there were positive comments about the social history and that it made us aware of what went on in Cyprus at that time. Some people found the book overly descriptive and the characters not very sympathetic, one person said it was depressing. We felt it was historically very well researched and there was a lot of attention to  historical detail. We also appreciated the fact that although there was some violence, it was not too graphic and so not too uncomfortable reading. The two people who did enjoy the book made it sound really fascinating, and at least one person might have another go at reading it (that would be me!)

Now for the J D Salinger books. The voice of the author was found to be annoying in Catcher in the Rye and it was felt that the book wouldn't  be interesting to young people today. One person read Franny and Zooey and said it was interesting to re-read it having read it before as a teenager, and that there was practically a cult of J D Salinger and she didn't understand why anymore!

Our book choices for next time are The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey by Rachel Joyce and 44 Scotland Street by Alexander McCall Smith. We also would like to read the adult version of Janet and John that we heard about but I can't find anything on the internet, so we need more information about that one!

We will be meeting again on Wednesday 14th October, details by email nearer the time. We also set the date for our Christmas meal, Friday 11th December. 

Happy Reading!

Book Club June 2015: grandbabies, new homes, the continuing story of the travelling book and how to get to Southend for half price

We met this time at Margaret's, where as usual we discussed lots of things other than books. Sandra is smitten with her gorgeous new grandchild and Sue is sadly (well, happily for her, just not for us) moving out of the area. Two of our number had recently been on a trip and it was brought to our attention how cheaply you can travel to Southend with a Freedom Pass (by someone who doesn't qualify yet and had to pay double, to her chagrin! However apparently the fish and chips were lovely).

The Girl on the Train had mixed reviews. Some enjoyed it, though several of us didn't really like the main character and found the things she did rather odd and disturbing. We identified with watching people from the train though, and I think we all enjoy looking at people's houses and gardens as we go past. One person felt the story was too pedestrian, similar to many other books around at the moment and rather boring.  

The Captain's Daughter had also been read by several people. Although the book is fiction, it gave us an insight into the aftermath of the Titanic disaster and how the survivors and families were affected in the immediate aftermath and longer term. It was interesting to see how society was changing around that time. We felt that the book was well written and the story flowed well. 

We enjoyed Still Alice. Mostly we found this book to be written well although it was also said that the timeline was strange and the story progressed oddly. We found the story was moving. 

We chatted generally about books we've been reading or would like to read and ones that were particularly mentioned were A Man called Ove by Fredrik Bachman, The Heroes' Welcome by Louisa Young, which is the sequel to a book we read previously called My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You and Life, Death and Vanilla Slices by Jenny Eclair. Also The Humans by Matt Haig and When We Were Friends by Tina Heskis.

Sandra's copy of The Runaway Goat by Lucy Mather is still doing the rounds, you may remember that I have mentioned it on the blog before. It is written by a woman who set up a charity with the aim of eliminating cataracts in one part of India. The charity has no overheads at all, everyone works for free and a £20 donation pays for one cataract operation. We've been passing the book around between us. Some of us have donated and also Margaret was talking to someone at Winchester Lions Club about another subject, mentioned the charity and they have now made a donation of £1000. If you'd like to read the book, please see Sandra.  You can read more about the work of the charity at www.secondsight.org  

We decided to take a different approach this time and read just two books - a modern one and an older one. 

We will be reading The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop and then also one of the following books by J D Salinger (your choice):

Catcher in the Rye

Frankie and Zooey

Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenter

Our next meeting will be on the 19th August.

Happy Reading!

Book Club Meeting 15th April 2015: Life, the Universe and Everything and whatever happened to the Devil in Marshalsea?

The April meeting took place at Sue's house, I wasn't there but the lovely Margaret has kindly passed me some notes, so these are mostly her words, just jigged around a bit by me. 

There was food, laughter, discussion about books both book club and otherwise, and the usual talk about 'life, the universe and everything' - Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference there (Maybe we should read that sometime, if everyone hasn't done before?)

The Miniaturist - this was read with varying degrees of interest/sympathy/'it was a bit odd', though everyone felt they had learned something about 17th century Holland. 

Nella Last's War/Peace/In the 1950s (there are 3 books, based on the Mass Observation Wartime Diaries of a middle aged British housewife) - Nella was a remarkable woman who obviously felt very deeply about the state of of the country, her community and family and what was all that about her husband and the car! 

The Devil in Marshalsea - we don't have any notes on this - did anyone read it? 

The next meeting is at Margaret's house on Wednesday 17th June at 7.30pm, when we will be discussing the following books, eating no doubt and generally putting the world to rights.

'The Girl on the Train' by Paula Hawkins (our main book)

'Still Alice' by Lisa Genoa

'The Captain's Daughter' by Leah Fleming.

When we meet we can discuss the trips to the Fashion on the Ration and Dolls House exhibitions, if people are interested in these.

As always please come with suggestions for new books to read, and bring any books you want to for swapping.

Happy Reading! 

Debbie 

Book Club Meeting 18th February 2015: Secret Santa, lovely cakes and a bit of singing

A belated Happy New Year!

Our first meeting of 2015 was on Wednesday 18th February,  kindly hosted by Alison who also made some very delicious cakes. 

We had an enjoyable evening, with much chatting as always, and a spontaneous bout of singing at one point! We compared notes on our Secret Santa books - as always opinions were mixed, which makes for an interesting discussion. We also talked about other books we'd read recently and swapped them around between us. Ones that I particularly remember being mentioned (or rather, the ones I happened to write down before I got distracted by the cake) were:

The Book of You by Claire Kendal
The Last Runaway and also Remarkable Creatures, both written by Tracy Chevalier who wrote Girl with a Pearl Earring 
Peaches for Monsieur le Curé  by Joanna Harris, the sequel to Chocolat
A Song for Issy Bradley by Carys Bray
A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

I thought I'd note them down here for everyone's future reference, if you're looking for a recommendation for something to read sometime. 

It was brought up that now the group is quite large, we are a bit of a crowd for people to host in their homes, and perhaps we would be better to meet at other premises. If anyone knows of anywhere suitable, please mention it at the next meeting. 

We discussed having a couple of trips to tie in with our books (however tenuously...it's a good excuse for a day out!) There was interest in visiting the Dolls House exhibition at the Museum of Childhood at Bethnal Green, and the Fashion on the Ration exhibition at the Imperial War Museum. We will discuss the trips in more detail next time we meet. 

Our new book choices: 

:: The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton. This is our main book, so if you are only going to read one, please try and make it this one if possible

:: The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson

:: The Last Days of Rabbit Hayes by Anna McPartlin

:: Nella Last's War, the Second World War Diaries of Housewife, 49, edited by Richard Broad and Suzie Fleming

Our next meeting will be on Wednesday 15th April.

Happy Reading!

Book Club meeting 15th October 2014: vanished husbands, silk, Mrs Bennett and jam tarts (my favourite)

We met this month at Frances' house where we were met with very tasty refreshments as always.

We thought The Gallery of Vanished Husbands started well, but petered out somewhat and had some threads that didn't seem to follow through. We would have liked to read more about the Jewish issues which came up in the book as we found that very interesting.

Little Lies jumped around a lot, which was a little off putting at first but we agreed the book was a good psychological thriller and we were kept guessing. It was thought that the love interest part of the book was contrived and a bit twee, but overall we really liked the book.

The Last Telegram was enjoyed, it was good to read learn more about the history of women prior to and during wartime. The history of silk was interesting and the descriptions of London in the war were very good.

Pride and Prejudice was liked too, and we thought it was very funny. Some people had read it before so it was an old favourite.

Our next book choices are (links go to Amazon, where you can read more about them)

The Runaway Woman by Josephine Cox (this is our main choice. If you are only going to read one of our book choices please try to make it this one)
Alphabetical: How Every Letter Tells a Story by Michael Rosen
The Girl With All The Gifts by M R Carey
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessey by Rachel Joyce

You may remember that a few months ago Sandra told us about a lady she is in touch with, a doctor who has set up a charity to perform cataract operations on people in India. Lucy Mathen, the charity's founder, wrote a book called 'A Runaway Goat' about her experiences in India with the charity. The book is available from the website at a cost of £20, which goes direct to the charity and funds a cataract operation for one person. Some of us thought we would like to read Sandra's copy and then perhaps make a small donation  which Sandra will then pass on to the charity. If you are interested in reading the book, please mention it to Sandra. 

You can read more about the work of the charity at www.secondsight.org.uk

Our next meeting will be on Friday 12th December, which will be our Christmas meal. The venue is a different one from our usual and details will be sent out by email.

As always we will be doing our 'Secret Santa'. Please wrap up a book that you have read and enjoyed. We will swap the books randomly between us, and when we next meet in January, each pair who have read the same book can discuss it.

Happy Reading!

Book Club September 2014

September's meeting took place at Sue's house. I was away on holiday and Jo kindly took notes of the proceedings and passed them to me for inclusion here. 


The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks
One person said it nearly broke her heart, how black people were treated in the USA. She felt it was a thoughtful and remarkable book. Another said she didn't know whether to continue reading it or not. It made her cross about the injustice and poverty. She felt the book was a bit long winded.


Unreliable Memoirs.
It was agreed that the book was hard work and very Australian. 


The Last Dance
This was enjoyed, and one person had read others by the same author. 


La's Orchestra Saves The World
This was thought to be very much of a time and an era, it was interesting to read about the problems with sociability in World War Two and there was emotional turmoil. 


The books that have been chosen for next time are:

The Gallery of Vanished Husbands by Natasha Solomons
Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Last Telegram by Liz Trenow

The group discussed a trip to a silk museum/factory, which would tie in with The Last Telegram. There are silk museums in Dartford and Braintree, I will look into these and be in touch by email to arrange a trip. 

Our Christmas meal will be on Friday 12th December at 7.30pm, usual venue. We will be doing our usual Secret Santa - please wrap up a book that you have read and enjoyed, and we will swap them. When we reconvene in January the giver and receiver can discuss each book. 

The next book club meeting will be on Wednesday 15th October at 7.30pm at Frances' house. Further details by email nearer the time. 

Happy Reading!

Book Club July 2014: Feeling hot, hot, hot

We convened at Margaret's for our July meeting in the middle of a heatwave. Thankfully Margaret had a fan switched on and we managed to complete our meeting without melting.

Several of us had read the Flavours of Love. Overall, we found it repetitive and with too much suspense, also the plot seemed to be going in too many different directions at once. Liz recommended her earlier books as being better, in particular Marshmallows for Breakfast or Goodnight Beautiful.

We mostly felt that Life After Life  was cleverly done, and in fact quite believable despite the 'repeating life' aspect. One person felt that the part where the main character shoots Hitler was a step too far, and made it silly. One member recommended the book Replay by Ken Grimwood, which has a similar subject matter.

The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden was found to be believable, funny, bizarre and surprisingly different to the author's previous book. One person recommended the Unexpected Vacation of George Thring by Alastair Puddick.

There were mixed reviews from the two people who had read Silvertown. One person thoroughly enjoyed it, especially the historical parts, while the other thought those were a bit incongruous, and also that it was strange how the author went into great detail about some thing and barely skimmed over others.

Other books that were mentioned or swapped during the evening were The Last Foundling by Tom MacKenzie, Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey and The Last Dance by Victoria Hislop.

The new books we have chosen are as follows: (links go to Amazon)

The Immortal life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot  This was our main choice. If you're only going to read one of the books, please try to make it this one

Unreliable Memoirs by Clive James

La's Orchestra Saves the World by Alexander McCall-Smith

It was suggested that we read more classics. Please think about this for the next meeting and come armed with suggestions as usual,  classic or otherwise!

We will be meeting again on Wednesday 27th August at Sue's house. Email to follow with more details nearer the time.

Happy reading!

Book Club May 2014: ooh, jelly babies!

There was a houseful again on Wednesday at Frances's, where we just about squeezed around the dining table - in order to be closer to the nibbles. Personally I was sat right by the jelly babies. Always a good place to be. In between the jelly babies, but still able to reach Frances's lovely rock cakes....

We had apologies from a couple of members, but almost everyone was there and it was a lively meeting as always, with lots of different conversations going on around the table, about books, life and everything else.

We started by discussing My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You. There were mixed feelings about it. The graphic sex and bad language was commented on, and also the violence of war is not always an easy thing to read about. Some people found the book difficult to get into.

The Light Between Oceans was universally liked by those of us who managed to read it. We felt it was a lovely, moving story and very well written. It was obvious how much research the author must have done in order to give the reader such a comprehensive insight into the life of the people working on lighthouses at that time. Some of us felt this was a book that they would definitely read again in the future.

The Shock of the Fall was also very moving, and gave us a picture of a young man with bipolar disorder. It was funny as well as moving, and also gave us a window into the mind of a person with mental health issues. We felt it was revealing both from the young man's point of view and that of the staff dealing with his care.

Those who had read the memoir Hackney Child were appalled and found it a horrific indictment on society that such terrible things had happened in recent times.

Sandra told us about a lady she is touch with, a doctor who has set up a charity to perform cataract operations on people in India. Sandra has a copy of 'A Runaway Goat', the book written by Lucy Mathen, the charity's founder, about her experiences in India with the charity. The book is available from the website at a cost of £20, which funds a cataract operation for one person in India. Some of us thought we would like to read Sandra's copy and then perhaps make a small donation, which Sandra will then pass on to the charity. if you are interested in reading the book, please speak to Sandra.

You can read more about the work of the charity at www.secondsight.org.uk

We discussed the possibility of starting a kitty to pay for nibbles at our book club meetings. The people who host meetings said they were happy to provide refreshments out of their own pocket, although those of us who aren't able to host felt they would like to contribute. It was decided that for the time being we will continue as we are, and if some people want to contribute, they can bring something along to meetings if they would like to. 

We chose our new books. They are:

1. The Flavours of Love by Dorothy Koomson (our main choice, try and read this one if you can). 

Optional extras:

2. Silvertown by Melanie McGrath

3. The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden by Jonas Jonasson (who also wrote the Hundred Year Old Man who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, which we read before)

4. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson

I noticed there is a short ebook 'Recipes from the Flavours of Love' which is available free on Kindle, if anyone is interested in that.

Our next meeting is on Wednesday 16th July at Margaret's house, as usual details will be emailed nearer the time. 

Happy reading!

Book Club March 2014: how many ladies (plus a baby) can you fit into one living room?

We were at almost full capacity when we met at Eirlys' house on 19th March. It was great to have two new members present, and also our youngest member who isn't able to let us know her opinions just yet, but had brought her own book along to read. It was also good to see that last month's new member actually came back, which is always encouraging!! 

Eirlys provided refreshments, including the most divine home made fairy cakes, yum. My house needs an Eirlys of our own I think, as the last cake I baked was in 1994 and that was from a ready made mix. It was in the shape of an octopus though, so I get brownie points for creativity if not for edibility (which is a word I just made up). 

Back to books. The Husband's Secret was liked by most, though one or two people found it a bit slushy and predictable. Several people thought that it was obvious what the 'secret' would be. 

The Detective's Daughter was unpopular. We felt it was poorly written and had various threads we just couldn't see the point of and several coincidences that were implausible. 

Although one member loved it, it was generally felt that The Little Old Lady Who Broke All The Rules didn't live up to expectations, especially compared to The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window and Disappeared, which most of us have read and enjoyed. It was thought to be unrealistic in the portrayal of care homes, though the book was funny in parts. This book is on the bestseller lists: one member said it would be interesting to know how many of the people who bought it actually finished it!

We enjoyed Private Peaceful and thought the two stories within the book were woven together well. 

As always, tea and coffee (and wine!) were drunk, nibbles were nibbled and numerous conversations went on, both book-related and otherwise. The author Dorothy Koomson was recommended (perhaps we could read one of her books next time?), as was Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty, which two of us had read and thoroughly enjoyed.  Some of the members are hoping to go to Cheltenham Literary Festival, so one member said she would look into that, as it's probably time to try and book soon.  

We chose four new books. As always, there is no pressure on anyone to read them all, it's just to give some choice and plenty to read for the more voracious readers. 

These are our new book choices (the links go to Amazon, where you can read about the books)

My Dear, I Wanted to Tell You - Louise Young (Our main choice. If you only read one of the books, please try to make it this one)
The Light Between Oceans - M L Steadman
Hackney Child - Hope Daniels and Morag Livingstone
The Shock of the Fall - Nathan Filer

Also, those who are coming to see the Little Mermaid ballet, don't forget to read the story (online here) if you would like to. 

Our next meeting will be on the 14th May, when we will be meeting at Frances' house (to be confirmed).

Happy Reading!

Book Club January 2014: Secret Santa, Narnia, World War One, ballet, the chocolate factory that wasn't, and a very cute baby

Our read it and swap it pile!

2014 already! How did that happen?

We were almost a  full house at Alison's last night, apologies from three people who couldn't make it and we hope to see them soon. We had a new member, woo hoo!, hope she enjoyed it,  and it was also lovely to meet a very gorgeous baby who came along with her Mum. 

The secret Santa books. It was  amusing to discover that the person who insisted that we all wait until Christmas morning to open our books, put hers in such a safe place she lost it for weeks and couldn't even buy another copy as  of course she didn't know what it was. 

We enjoyed our Santa books to some degree, some people really liked them, and others found theirs were different to what they would usually choose to read. Sometimes reading someone else's choice can be surprising, and you can end up enjoying a new genre. Other times the experience just confirms why you don't like that genre in the first place, but it's all good fun! We will continue to discuss the Santa books at the next meeting when people who were missing this time will hopefully be there. 

As it is the centenary of World War One this year, it was suggested that we read a book or books on that theme. Books put forward in an email to me were 

The Lie - Helen Dunmore 

The Moonfield - Judith Allnatt 

Wake - Ann Hope

None of them appear to be out in paperback yet, so hopefully we might be able to get back to that later in the year. I am listing them here as the hardbacks will be in the library and of course they are on Kindle, if anyone wants to read them now. Someone also suggested war poetry, which wasn't taken up by the group, but I do have a book if anyone wanted to borrow it. 

We discussed 'Instructions for a Heatwave'. It was mostly enjoyed, people felt it would be a good holiday read. We thought it was interesting the way the book seemed as though as it was going to be about the man who goes missing, but in fact most of the story was about the rest of the family and their issues and relationships. 

We also  had chosen to read one of the Narnia books. There were mixed reactions on these, though it was agreed they were very well written. The Horse and his Boy was very much enjoyed. Someone said that it would be better to read them in order than just choose a random volume. It was also mentioned that in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, the idea that it is 'not very sensible to hide in wardrobes' is reiterated so often, it is almost as though it was added in more modern times as a warning. 

We discussed doing things a bit differently sometimes. It was suggested that we listen to Book at Bedtime together - I rather liked the idea of all turning up at someone's house in our onesies every evening, but sadly that wasn't the plan. What we could do is listen to the whole week's worth in one go, or split into two occasions, and then discuss. Watching a DVD of a book together was also discussed, but opinions were mixed about both ideas. 

Going out to see a film or play together was quite popular - we need to keep an  eye out for upcoming events that have a book tie-in. It was suggested that we could visit the Menier Chocolate Factory sometime, at which I became very excited until I found out it's not a chocolate factory any longer, but a theatre -which is still interesting to me, but not as interesting as chocolate.....

One idea that we did decide on is a visit to the ballet. Barking Broadway Theatre are putting on The Little Mermaid on Saturday 12th April at 3pm, tickets £18 or £16 concessions. I am keen to get it booked as soon as possible, so if anyone is interested please let me know asap. I'll also send out an email to this effect. The original Hans Christian Andersen tale of the Little Mermaid is available to read online here 

These are the books that we chose to read next. The links go to Amazon, where you can read more about each book, and buy them if you want to, in print or on Kindle. I get mine from the library, their online ordering service is very good.  

The Husband's Secret - Liane Moriarty

The Detective's Daughter - Lesley Thomson

The Little Old Lady Who Broke All the Rules - Catharina Ingelman-Sundberg

Private Peaceful - Michael Morpurgo 

As always, it's not obligatory to read all the books, we just choose a few as it's a couple of months between meetings, and also to give a choice. 

The next meeting will be on Wednesday 19th March, and Eirlys has agreed to hold it at her house. 

Happy reading! 

Book Club November 2013: So here it is, Merry Christmas, everybody's having fun......

On a cold and grotty evening in November several members convened on our second home The Bengal Lancer for our official Book Club Christmas meal. 

The food was yummy as always and I tucked into mine, looking up when I finished to realise everyone else was only halfway through theirs. What can I say? I must've been very hungry. 

There was much chat and hilarity as always, and eventually we remembered to discuss the books. Some of us had read them all, others one or two of them and some people hadn't remembered that there were three books at all.....  

The Reason I Jump - it was interesting to the have the perspective of a person with autism, though being written by a child and also translated from Japanese meant it read a bit strangely at times, and we found there was a lot of repetition too. 

The Crossing Places - This was enjoyed, some people have gone on to read the next one in the series. 

The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul - largely liked, except for the person who is always opposite to everyone else and couldn't get into it (innocent face) and one person said she found the story a bit twee and Mills and Boon-ish as it went on. 

We exchanged our Secret Santa books, which we will be waiting until CHRISTMAS MORNING to open (they made me promise). We will discuss them at our next meeting on 22nd January, which will be at Alison's.  I will send an email nearer the time with further details.  

Our books for next time in addition to the Secret Santa ones are:

Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O'Farrell
Any one of C.S. Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia books (your own choice) 

Merry Christmas to all, see you in the New Year!