April Books

Next Meeting Tuesday 7th May from 5.30pm at Costa Coffee, Longfield Centre

Our Books for April

 

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese - We are continuing to read this book

 

Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome

The classic tale of three men and a boat…and a dog. Not much more to say other than it will make you laugh……a lot. What could be more relaxing than a refreshing holiday on the river with your two best friends and faithful canine companion, Montmorency? However, as J. discovers, there is more to life on the waves than meets the eye – including navigational challenges, culinary disasters, and heroic battles with swans, kettles and tins of pineapple.

Review of the Mayor of Casterbridge By Thomas Hardy

The group enjoyed the book, which is especially good news since at least one member did not have enjoyable memories of having to read Hardy at school. It was agreed that Hardy had created some engaging characters and scenes, with a story full of twists and emotional turmoil resulting from the actions and secrets they kept from one another. We don’t know if this is the case but we like the idea of the title of Mayor of Caster bridge being interchangeable between Henchard and Farfrae.

Henchard’s out of control bullying left little sympathy from the group when his fall from Mayor came about by conspiracy, as it considered to be his own fault. He didn’t learn from his mistakes to become a nicer person or more sympathetic.

We also explored the issues of the lack of status for women at this time and what was the cause of Elizabeth not asking questions of about her father, was conditioning of her upbringing, the lack of status or just innocence of the times?

February Books

Next Meeting Tuesday 2nd April from 5.30pm at Costa Coffee, Longfield Centre

Our Books for February 

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

Marion and Shiva Stone, born in a mission hospital in Ethiopia in the 1950s, are twin sons of an illicit union between an Indian nun and British doctor. Bound by birth but with widely different temperaments they grow up together, in a country on the brink of revolution, until a betrayal splits them apart. But fate has not finished with them - they will be brought together once more, in the sterile surroundings of a hospital theatre. From the 1940s to the present, from a convent in India to a cargo ship bound for the Yemen, from a tiny operating theatre in Ethiopia to a hospital in the Bronx, this is both a richly visceral epic and a riveting family story.

The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy

Though he achieved more popular success for works such as Far From the Madding Crowd and Tess of the d'Urbervilles, most critics now see The Mayor of Casterbridge as Harding's crowning accomplishment. This novel traces the ascension of Michael Henchard from a hardscrabble manual labourer to a pillar of his community. But will the shameful secret that haunts him come to light and undermine his new-found prominence?

Review of The Woman Who Stayed in Bed for a Year by Sue Townsend

The group has a polarised view of the book, finding the central character Eva quite irritating but wanting to finish the book. Overall there was agreement that the book was good but Eva wasn't likable, she treated those who tried to help (her mother and mother in law and several others) very badly. Some sympathy was given for the mental breakdown Eva was experiencing as a result of being badly treated by her husband and children, but this diminished as the character became increasingly irrational only crossing the room by walking on a white sheet and having the windows boarded up. Thought provoking, it reminded some readers of the film Forrest Gump, who like Eva, ended up with several followers, that appeared for no real reason, in the street outside her home. Perhaps they were looking for answers to the twists and turns of life too?

Review of Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Considered a very enjoyable book by the group, which are keen to read other works from the author. We saw Rebecca as the young lady's companion was seemingly experiencing many awkward situations in which she struggled to managed, having no adviser to guide and confide in. This was all set within society and environment where keeping up appearances is the 'done thing' and structure and formality is considered to be the only way of life. Wonderful story telling, it was refreshing to read a book where we were not sure of how it would end.

Book group additional reading links

The following links and resouces may be of interest...

Prestwich has it very book festival and it takes place from 12th May to 16th June 2013. There are many events taking place, tickets are on sale now. 

www.prestwichbookfestival.net

It is world book night on April 23rd 2013, this link will take you to all the details and the list of this years books.

http://www.worldbooknight.org/books/2013

http://www.greenmetropolis.com/

This is an online charity bookstore, with a great range of books to choose from, this might be useful when the library does stock our choosen book club read.

 

January Books

Next Meeting: Tuesday 19th February 2013, from 5.30pm at Costa Coffee, Longfield Centre 

 

Our Books For January

The Woman Who Stayed in Bed for a Year by Sue Townsend

The day her children leave home, Eva climbs into bed and stays there. She's had enough - of her kids' carelessness, her husband's thoughtlessness and of the world's general indifference. Brian can't believe his wife is doing this. Who is going to make dinner? Taking it badly, he rings Eva's mother - but she's busy having her hair done. So he rings his mother - she isn't surprised. Eva, she says, is probably drunk. Let her sleep it off. But Eva won't budge. She makes new friends - Mark the window cleaner and Alexander, a very sexy handyman. She discovers Brian's been having an affair. And Eva realises to her horror that everyone has been taking her for granted - including herself. Though Eva's refusal to behave like a dutiful wife and mother soon upsets everyone from medical authorities to her neighbours she insists on staying in bed. And from this odd but comforting place she begins to see both the world and herself very, very differently...

 

Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again…
Working as a lady's companion, the heroine of Rebecca learns her place. Her future looks bleak until, on a trip to the South of France, she meets Max de Winter, a handsome widower whose sudden proposal of marriage takes her by surprise. She accepts, but whisked from glamorous Monte Carlo to the ominous and brooding Manderley, the new Mrs de Winter finds Max a changed man. And the memory of his dead wife Rebecca is forever kept alive by the forbidding housekeeper, Mrs Danvers…
Not since Jane Eyre has a heroine faced such difficulty with the Other Woman. An international bestseller that has never gone out of print, Rebecca is the haunting story of a young girl consumed by love and the struggle to find her identity.

 

Review of Toast by Nigel Slater

Overall we enjoyed this book, although it was felt that there was an overall sadness throughout, that was not just associated with the death of his mother when the author was very young. Although Nigel Slater has siblings, they are not often mentioned in the book, as we realised with at least a 15 year age gap, his brothers would have not shared the same experiences or memories. With this in mind its seemed like a lonely childhood with food becoming a comfort and focus in life.

It was thought that although his TV programmes are enjoyable there is an air of melancholy about him, which is also felt about the book. We do like that fact that he appears not as a larger than life 'celebrity chef' but rather describes himself as a cook, with a love of food that clearly stems from his childhood experiences. On TV there are scenes of him pottering around in the garden, we wondered if this has resulted from the influence of his father and his own love of the greenhouse and garden, which is often referred to in the story.

As an autobiography, we liked the idea of using specific food stuffs to prompt the story telling, a format not seen by readers before and it did provide a nice thread to the story. Although there was an element of nostalgia, which we all associated with (and enjoyed), it did drive the story which felt genuine. There was a consensus that perhaps he may have been prompted by editors or publishers to spice things up, leading to some references to sexual experiences but only inferences to sexuality, which we agreed was wholly reasonable.

December Books

Next Meeting: Tuesday 8th January, 5.30-5.45pm at Costa Coffee, Longfield centre

All information is taken from http://www.lovereading.co.uk

Our Book for December

Toast by Nigel Slater

The Sunday Times Bestseller and the biggest memoir of the year from Britain's best loved food writer.TOAST is Nigel Slater's truly extraordinary story of a childhood remembered through food. Whether relating his mother's ritual burning of the toast, his father's dreaded Boxing Day stew or such culinary highlights of the day as Arctic Roll and Grilled Grapefruit (then considered something of a status symbol in Wolverhampton) this remarkable memoir vividly recreates daily life in sixties suburban England.

His mother was a chops-and-peas sort of cook, exasperated by the highs and lows of a temperamental AGA, a finicky little son and the asthma that was to prove fatal. His father was a honey-and-crumpets man who could occasionally go off 'crack' like a gun. When Nigel's widowed father takes on a housekeeper with social aspirations and a talent in the kitchen, the following years become a heart breaking cooking contest for his father's affections.

But as he slowly loses the battle, Nigel finds a new outlet for his culinary talents, and we witness the birth of what was to become a lifelong passion for food. Nigel's likes and dislikes, aversions and sweet-toothed weaknesses form a fascinating and amusing backdrop to this incredibly moving and deliciously evocative memoir of childhood, adolescence and sexual awakening

Our choosen classic is Emma by Jane Austen

Review of Starter for Ten by David Nicholls

Our readers liked the easy reading, although it was not griping, the book proved to be an enjoyable read. Although those who had read One Day by the same author, felt there was no comparison as that is by far the better book. Although having made the connection that David Nicholls was the writer of the TV series Cold Feet, we did think the dialogue was well written.

We discussed leaving home in the absence of the internet and the mobile phone and perhaps this gave cause to the need for clean underwear that was given Brian (the main character) by his mother before his departure to university, which seemed odd to Brian as this was not going to help him achieve the intellectual prowess he thinks will come to him. Still it did bring to life those family values that we hold dear even today!

We drew comparison with Educating Rita, where her outlook and attitude changed as she became more educated but some self-doubt remained.

We also saw a flip-side to Catcher in the Rye (see September blog) in terms of communication and indecision, here the main character was confused and isolated. Although Brian was confused and trying to find his identity, he did have some support from his family. Although Brian made some mistakes he was able to make a fresh start and still had family to rely on.