Hope you’ll find some books to enjoy and will join us in the very informal discussions.

The next book is The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey. I’ll kick off the discussion on Saturday 9th October.

This is by Monique Roffey. It gets good reviews and I have read this author before and enjoyed her, so am hopeful!

Discussion will commence on 9th October.

Could you remind me please- what is the next book?

I’ll start with apologies.
Am afraid that I just haven’t got anywhere with this book. I did try. I had two attempts at reading it and both times gave up as I just couldn’t engage with it…too young for me I think and I can’t be doing with deathshrieks and their ilk. Found it all very off putting. Sorry, it’s just not my cup of tea. Very unlike me to give up. How did the rest of you get on?

This is Ray’s suggestion and discussion will begin on Saturday 21st August.

After that we will read The Mermaid of Black Conch by Monique Roffey.

I’m just wondering whether you’d like to read this as our next book? ‘The Mermaid of Black Conch’ by Monique Roffey. It was strongly recommended by a friend who said everyone in her book group had loved it. This book is the ‘Winner of the Costa Prize for Best Book and for Best Novel, Goldsmiths Prize shortlisted, shortlisted for the Rathbones Folio Prize, shortlisted for the Novel section of the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature, shortlisted for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, longlisted for the RSL Ondaatje Prize and longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Fiction’ It’s a bit more magical realism but hey ho maybe I can be converted.

I’ve read another book by her which was very enjoyable.

I also wondered how much of the blame ( assuming you didnt like the book!) and the length could be layed at the feet of the translator- Does anyone know anything about them? are they an author in their own right?

This was a novel that felt to me as if it needed a good editor. Just a bit too long.

I don’t really know what I thought - I’m on the fence - I’m not a great fan of magical realism so couldn’t quite get my head around those bees and their affinity with Simonopio. My other concern was ‘time’ - I felt as though it was all wrong. I felt Simonopio grew up too quickly, one minute being suckled at the breast, then he was a youth, but at the same time the daughter’s wedding preparations were still ongoing. Am I alone in thinking the author messed up her timelines a bit, and I’m not referring to the zigzagging backwards and forwards?

Having been negative so far, I did actually quite enjoy the book. The bits about the Spanish Flu were horribly relevant to today! I enjoyed the Mexican historical setting and quite liked the style of writing.

I’ll be very interested in what others think. Maybe I’ll be swayed off the fence.

Hope you’re all buzzing having read ‘The Murmur of Bees’. I’ll be kicking off the discussion on Saturday 3rd July.

I will kick off the discussion on Saturday 3rd July. It’s quite a long book so best not to leave it until the last minute.

Happy reading!

Has anyone got any suggestions for our next read? Preferably something new to us all.

Crow Lake held my interest throughout. I thought it was written ‘quietly’ but powerfully - a proper family saga which brings out all the characters very clearly and realistically. I could really feel their individual struggles and they all rang true.

I thought the role education plays as both an enabler and a divider was very well portrayed. It’s something that I can relate to quite strongly in my own family.

I liked the remote setting and could feel the atmosphere, mosquitoes and all. I liked this book a lot. It’s her first novel. I wonder whether her later ones are as good - has anyone read her work before?

Hi! I'm new to this forum! I am a postgraduate student at Glasgow School of Art. This semester I am participating in an elective on creative entrepreneurship, and I have developed a fictitious product and business idea for reading enthusiasts called 'Stamp'd'. As a life-long bookworm, of course, I had to centre my project around reading!

Please spare 5 minutes of your time to contribute to my research project by filling out the following survey:

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Thanks!

Welcome to our latest members. The next book we’re going to read is Crow Lake by Mary Lawson. I’ll kick off the discussion on Saturday 15th May. Hope you’re able to join in with this month’s choice or future ones.

For anyone who loves science or is simply curious this is by far the best book - according to me ;)

It's mostly a collection of some challenging paradoxes and theories written for non-academics. Read it cover to cover some time ago I think in one or two days just because it was so captivating.

Anyone wants to share their favourite book?

This is a novel, set in Canada, by Mary Lawson. It has won prizes so fingers crossed for a good read. Discussion from Saturday 14th May. EDIT- Should read Sat 15th May!

Ideas please. What would you like to read next?

Came across this only because there was an obituary for NORTON JUSTER in the weekend press.
I'd never heard of him or this book before, but it has been a consistent top seller [for children of all ages!] since 1961.
Have you read it?
Just started and it is wonderful.
Hope you'll be tempted...either in stock, or free to order at your local library [probably].

Well, where to start? That was something of a whirlwind of a novel! I really enjoyed it - liked the structure, found it amusing, fast paced, intriguing, and very different. A bit far-fetched in places but that’s okay -it’s just a yarn. I’m not going to say too much more now as I’m interested to know what others think.

So get your skates on if you haven’t finished it yet or marshall your thoughts if you have read it already. Edit - I said elsewhere it was the 19th - that was a mistake!

Ok - seems as though there are still enough people keen on keeping the book club going. I have just had this book recommended to me.

‘Where’d you go, Bernadette? ’ by Maria Semple. It’s supposed to be amusing ‘with heart’. We can only hope! I feel I need something a bit lighter in these dark days.

Assuming people are okay with that suggestion discussion would start on 19th March.

Please everyone give it a go.

I am thinking that this group has run out of steam - only a couple of people are joining in on a regular basis. Perhaps it’s time to call a halt?

As a child there was a whole collection of my deceased grandfather's books in the house, including one called "A Century of Short Stories".

Re-reading these now, and here is a great favourite, Tobermory, by H.H.Munro.
https://doyleandmacdonald.com/l_tober.htm

Hope you enjoy!

Mmm, not sure what to make of this book. I’m always glad to read a new author and I’ve heard Fante compared to John Steinbeck whose work I really love- can’t say I’d agree. Found this novel very slow, particularly at the beginning and rather depressing. That doesn’t normally bother me if it’s because the author has taken you fully into the reality of someone with depression. I might not enjoy the experience but it’s enlightening and you can empathise. But here I was never quite captured by any of the characters and the story itself wasn’t particularly powerful. I never really empathised. There were good bits and sometimes I thought I’m really enjoying this but that thought usually faded after a page or two. I did find the antagonism towards poorer Italians interesting - in my ignorance, not something I’d been aware of.

I don’t think I’ll be buying another Fante work, but still glad I gave it a try.

Hope some of you have read it - I’ve got to get my skates on.

Wishing 2021 is a happy and healthy year for you all, and - especially if we do have lots more lockdown - there’ll be plenty of time for reading.

Thank you for all your contributions during 2020.

Hope this is a good read. Was recommended on Radio 4 but only time will tell! Discussion will start on 30th January.

Apologies if I missed it, but what's the next book we read?

Something about us :) I thought I'd share.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, though 'enjoyed' isn't perhaps the most appropriate word, given the themes. I thought it was very well written and the flash forwards and backwards didn’t get confusing at all.

It opened my eyes to the stark realities of the Syrian Conflict, the losses incurred, and the dreadful decisions people face. I liked the focus on the journey, it embodied hope alongside grief.

I thought the characters were well drawn and think the author has listened carefully to the stories of the people she has worked with. For me, it had a real ring of authenticity.

I felt quite inspired by this book, thanks for suggesting it. How did others find it?

Hello everyone, old and new. Just to remind you that we will be discussing The Bee Keeper of Aleppo from 5th December. Hope we can have a lively discussion.

The Plague by Albert Camus I have just finished this book that I waited for four months from Amazon. Based in 1940's and detailing the lockdown of a city due to the pestilence. Good book, the narrator's observations on the conditions, the people and how they react to their situation I found interesting. Some similarities to our own times but also different and harsher, no one allowed out, sick people carted off to the quarantine centre, surprisingly cafes and cinemas were open!.
If anyone would like to read it I can send it to you if u pm your address

By Christy Lefteri as suggested by Min. It gets good reviews so hopefully all 20 members will read it. Discussion will start 5th December.

Lets have a few suggestions or reminders of previous suggestions. Haven't forgotten that we plan to read Richard Osman's novel when out in paperback.

Just finished this. Ian McEwan can certainly write beautiful prose. It is a very original concept (for those of you who haven't read it it's a crime novel written entirely from the perspective of a foetus). I understand it's loosely based on Hamlet. I think McEwan just about nails it but I found myself being sidetracked by thoughts like 'how could a foetus know that big word?' I'm not great at suspending disbelief so I was sidetracked quite a bit. I felt only irritation with all the characters so didn't empathise with any of them, but I suppose my irritation suggests they were fairly well drawn. So, for me, McEwan gets 10/10 for his prose and originality but only 4/10 for how much enjoyment I got from the book. Enough from me! What did others think?

Clare wanted something a bit more challenging so I googled ‘challenging novels’ and this came up. So let’s see if it is! Discussion will start 17 October.

Phew, just finished this book, which wasn’t difficult as it was a page turner. I liked the fact that it didn’t turn out as I thought it was going to. She’s a good writer and I especially like the way she keeps things simple - she just builds her story, section by section, gradually revealing layers of complexity. Her characters seemed very relatable. Lots of themes there too. Don’t want to say more as I want to hear what others think.

Hope some of you have read it. I’m on page 119.

Next book to be discussed on 29th August is The Carer by Deborah Moggach. Hope there’s time to read this but if not the next book.

Our next book is The Carer by Deborah Moggach to be discussed on 29th August.

Seems ages ago that I read this but I really enjoyed this novel - a proper family saga. I found it engaging, well written and the story intrigued me so I kept the pages turning.

I found the characters pretty easy to relate to and enjoyed the way the relationships between them ebbed and flowed over time. Thought the jealousies were well observed.

So on the whole I rated the book quite highly. My criticisms are that I found the switches in time not particularly well done. Could be confusing. And I think the story was captured less well after the mother reappeared. It felt as though it drifted a bit then. Perhaps the author was getting bored or under pressure from her publisher to get on with it!

What about the rest of you? How did you get on?

The current book is The Dutch House by Ann Patchett - still time to read it, if you get your skates on! Discussion starts 19 July.

And for eager souls the following book is The Carer by Deborah Moggach. That will be discussed in late August.

Hope to get a few more of you joining in this time. I will kick off the discussion on Saturday, 19th July. (Edit: It’s a Sunday). That gives us 2 weeks to acquire the book and 4 weeks to read it.

For those who like to buy their books in advance we will be reading The Carer by Deborah Moggach after that.

It’s a little time since we read a book together. Perhaps it’s time to choose a new book. Are people interested and willing to give it a go?

We’ve had a few suggestions of titles in recent posts. Any other ideas for a good read?

Lets breathe some life back into the group.

I've just read this book by the author of Gone Girl. It's about a woman in her 30s who decides to try and find out the truth about the murder of her mother and sisters when she was 7 (not a spoiler, you know that from the start). Her testimony at the time helped to convict her brother. I found it quite intriguing, and it certainly helped to take my mind off other things for while. I'm definitely going to try one of her other books. Has anyone else read anything by her?

Just finished reading this book, I would highly recommend...........

3 strangers, two secrets, one terrifying evening.

C.L. Taylor is a Sunday Times bestselling Author, I have read all her books to date.

Albert Camus The Plague can pre order on Amazon for 14 May £7.03. Book for our times?

Oh dear forgot to kick off discussion.

I absolutely loved this book. Very different. Amusing, poignant, and telling. Lots of themes packed in there. Reduced me to tears at the end. Won’t hog the discussion - looking forward to hearing what others think. !

Do hope you’ve read ‘The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen...’ - looking forward to the discussion.

Chosen by Charlotte and recommended by Joss - discussion to start on 14th March. Happy reading folks.