Our book club

Lello bookshop, Porto, Portugal
This is so stunning, it looks like it belongs in Hogwarts!!

As I know many of you are avid readers like myself,  I thought I'd tell you a bit about our book club & how we choose our books.

We're a group of friends roughly the same age & we all either live in the village or have children at the village school.  It was started up about 4 years ago I think but I've only been going for about 3 years after talking to a mum at nursery one day about reading & she mentioned about coming along to their next BC which was to be held the following evening.

There are about 10 of us who go regularly & other members who come along as & when they can.  We meet once a month at each other's houses, each taking turns & the host house provides the all important snacks, wine & cake!

In January when the meeting was at my house, we decided to change the way we chose our books as a lot of people felt that their choices were never being picked due to the more vociferous members of our group getting theirs chosen all the time.  So we decided that for each month, we would have a genre & we would all bring along a suggestion for that specific genre.  These are anonymous suggestions that are written on a piece of paper & put into a 'hat' & one is pulled at random - this is the book we then read.  By doing it this way, everyone gets an equal chance of having their book chosen & we get to read some brilliant books - books we'd otherwise never have chosen!

This is our genre list for this year & what we've read so far:

January - Pot Luck
  The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

February - Romance
Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey

March - Fantasy
Kingdom of shadows by Barbara Erskine

April - Pot luck
Room by Emma Donoghue

May - Auto/biography
Do No Harm by Dr Henry Marsh

June - Classic
The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde

July - Crime/thriller
Along Came a Spider by James Patterson

August - Pot luck
The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë

September - History/historical fiction
 Outlander by Diana Gabaldon

October - Sci-fi
 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

November - Travel
 A Time of Gifts by Patrick Leigh Fermor

December - Pot luck
tbc but is usually a 'lighter' Christmassy read!

I really enjoy my BC nights & have discovered some fabulous reads that I'd never have chosen myself in a million years as I tend to stick to psychological/crime thrillers, so it pushes me waaayyy out of my comfort zone.  And let's face it, it's also a great excuse for a catch-up with my friends!!

Is anyone else in a book club?  What are your favourite books, I'm always looking for new suggestions?!

Book Club January 2015

I haven't posted my Book Club reviews for a few months so I must get back into it!  I'll start with the first one of 2015, The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton.  This was chosen by myself & another friend as it was Waterstones' Book of the Year for 2014 & it really piqued my interest!

Set in 17th century Amsterdam, it tells the story of 18 year-old Nella Oortman as she starts her new marriage with the wealthy merchant trader Johannes Brandt.  She arrives at his grand house to be received by his less-than-welcoming sister Marin, as Johannes is away on business.  On his return, he seems very cold towards her but she is appeased when he gives her a magnificent cabinet-sized replica of their home as a wedding gift.  Nella then employs the services of a talented, yet elusive  miniaturist to furnish the house with eerily accurate creations.

As Nella discovers the secrets of the miniaturist's replicas, she begins to understand what fate awaits all who live within the house.  It's very hard to talk about the story without giving away spoilers so I won't go in to too much detail in case anybody wants to read it but I really enjoyed this book.  It engaged me from the start with great characters, especially Marin & it's fair to say that there were a few shockers along the way!

However, there were a couple of bits in the book that annoyed me slightly.  I found the ending rather disappointing as it finished so abruptly, I felt like someone had removed the last chapter of the book as, in my opinion, there was more to tell.  Also, I was expecting this book to centre around The Miniaturist when in actual fact, she is mentioned very little.  This I found really frustrating as I needed to know her story too!!

Having said that, this book is still enchanting & full of suspense & I would highly recommend reading it.

March book club review

The book for this month was Island Wife by Judy Fairbairns, a true story told by the author about her life living on a remote Scottish island.

The story tells how Judy moved with her new husband to this wild island & how she raised their five children whilst learning to be a hotelier, looking after livestock, running a recording studio & dealing with her husband's whale-watching business.

I loved the romantic vision of the island & how the kids had an old-fashioned childhood with no tv or computer games, just themselves & the surrounding nature to amuse them - all very Famous Five in fact!  But I quickly became very frustrated at how she seemed to not be appreciated by her husband of family & was always being put-upon.  But equally, I was annoyed at how much of a push-over she seemed to be - I wanted to scream at her "just tell him to sod off & do it himself!"

Eventually she does breakdown & she runs away from the island & her husband but after he realises how unhappy she's been & they begin to talk again, she moves back but this time the kids are grown up & she has her own life to start living.

It certainly wasn't the best book I've ever read but I really enjoyed it nonetheless , well worth a read.  Next month we have King Lear lined up, which I have no inclination to read whatsoever but I will persevere!!

February book club review

A member of our book club mentioned at January's meeting that during the month of February, there was going to be a literary festival at Pitlochry Festival Theatre.  After looking at the dates & finding out which would be a suitable day for everyone to attend, we chose Saturday 22nd February & one of the guest speakers was to be the tv broadcaster & writer,  Sally Magnusson.  She was going to be talking about her new book Where Memories Go, her story of her beloved mother's demise due to dementia.

Unfortunately, I never got to read the book before we went as the library didn't get it in time but the talk she gave was thoroughly moving, heartbreaking at some times, uplifting & humourous at others & we all really enjoyed it.  She's understandably really passionate about the research into dementia & the care given to sufferers, mentioning how important music can be to them, how it can ground them.  She went on to set up her own charity Playlist for Life which encourages families & caregivers of a person with dementia to create a playlist of meaningful music on an iPod which can be listened to any time, day or night whether in the first or later stages of the disease.

I will read the book at some point even though I'll find it an extremely difficult read due to the fact my own grandmother passed away with dementia but I do want to have a better understanding of this horrid disease that robs loved ones of their memories.

January book club review

We'd not covered an autobiography in over a year so after rounding them down to between this one & Barack Obama, we chose this, Losing my Virginity by Richard Branson.

I have to admit to being a longtime fan of Richard Branson so was looking forward to this read.  I absolutely loved reading about his childhood & school/university days, which of course led to the opening of the first Virgin Records store above a shoe shop!

It's amazing the pure gumption he had in those days (& I strongly suspect nowadays too!) & I loved finding out what key elements of his career were named after - who knew an antique tin sign would become synonymous with an yearly bestselling album?

The first three quarters of this book really gripped my attention but I'm afraid it began to wane towards the end when it became too much about money & the business side of things.  Here I found myself speed-reading & just skimming over the pages as it's a realllly long book but overall, a great read.  I think it just backed up my initial thoughts that he just seems like a really nice bloke!

December book club review

It's a bit lot late I'm afraid but we thought that for December, we'd have a nice, light read so someone suggested This Year It Will Be Different by Maeve Binchy.  

My heart sank a little as I'm not really a fan of Maeve Binchy & then it sank even more when I realised it was a book of short stories.  I just don't like short stories - I like to sink my teeth into a lengthy tale, not for one to end just as it starts picking up!

This was also supposed to be a lighthearted read with some Christmassy tales in it but oh my god, I was getting so depressed reading these!  I'm afraid this book really didn't float my boat but unfortunately I didn't get to rant about it as I was in bed with flu when we had our book club meeting!!

January's read was much better, I'll post about it very soon!

Recent reads #3

 

 

 

 

It's a sure sign that the nights are drawing in when I suddenly up my reading game again - cosy nights in front of the fire in my pjs with a great book & a glass of wine....perfect!  Here's a few of my most recent reads....

 

 

 

 

 

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes

 

There's a fabulous teashop I go to nearby that always has books to borrow or take for free & last time I was there, this particular one caught my eye as I'd seen it on the bestseller lists since its release in April 2013. 

 

This is a really, really great book & the best way to describe it without giving the story away too much is that it's a time-travelling murder mystery set in Depression-era Chicago.  If follows the story of serial killer Harper Curtis who has to kill the Shining Girls, 'bright young women who burn with potential'.  It's so clever & it gripped my attention right from the off, I think I finished this one in 2 nights - cue bleary eyes the following morning on the school run after staying up until 2am!!

 

I absolutely loved this & if you like thriller/crime/murder/grisly stories, you'll love it too I'm sure!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Passion by Louise Bagshawe

 

When I'm after a bit of girlie escapism from a book, Louise Bagshawe just doesn't disappoint & I've been reading her books for years.  Yes, they kind of follow the same story in that you can pretty much guess who will end up together within the first couple of chapters but it doesn't make them any less enjoyable.  However, this one took a slightly new direction in that it's part chick-lit, part thriller!

 

The story follows Melissa Elmet, an Oxford academic & Will Hyde, billionaire banker.  This couple fell madly in love in their teens & swiftly married but Melissa's parents guilt-tripped her into having the marriage immediately annulled.  Heartbroken Will fled Oxford & their paths never crossed again until many years later when he becomes the only one who can save her from an assassin out to get her....kind of James Bond for girls if you like!!

 

Again, you know pretty early on what the outcome will be but I still loved it, as I have all of her books that I've read.  Definitely worth a read if you're after something a bit lighter.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

'Kathleen Turner' series by Tiffany Snow

 

I actually downloaded these books after receiving a daily Kindle offer email from Amazon as I thought they were crime thrillers.  Well, they are I suppose but in a racy, girlie, dare I say it, Fifty Shades kind of way!  They were definitely not was I was expecting.......but I loved them!!

 

The protagonist is Kathleen Turner, a runner for a top law firm in Indianapolis & follows her story of getting closer to her boss, the inevitably gorgeous, rich & clever Blane Kirk.  She accidentally becomes involved when her friend & neighbour is brutally murdered & finds herself fearing for her life.  Predictably, Blane vows to protect her & at one point, someone who she initially fears is trying to kill her, turns out to also be gorgeous, rich & clever........& Blane's younger brother Kade.

 

The three stories all centre around these three main characters & how the brothers battle over who will protect.......& love......Kathleen the most, mixed in with some crime-fighting & sex scenes of course!  From that point of view, it's hard not to compare them to the Fifty Shades books but whereas I couldn't stand the main female character in those books, this one I do like!  I read all three books in four days & then went straight onto Amazon to download the fourth in the series only to find out it doesn't come out until December, wahhhhh!!!

 

So yes, these are such typical girlie storylines but I really got sucked into the story of the Blane v. Kade.....ooooh, it's just like Team Edward v. Team Jacob all over again, heh heh!!!  But enough with the chick-lits (jeez, I still despise that term!!) I'm just about to start The Grapes of Wrath for my October Book Club read!!  That should bring me back to earth with a bump.....

 

Toodles!!

 

 

 



September book club review

 

 

 

 

Our book club choice for September was The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga.

 

This book follows the story of village boy Balram Halwai & his attempts to free himself of India's class struggles.  It details his journey to Delhi to become a chauffeur for a rich landlord & then onto Bangalore when his life takes a drastic turn.

 

The story is told in a darkly humorous way & it examines issues such as poverty, caste, loyalty, religion & corruption in India & I thoroughly enjoyed it.  The novel made the New York Times bestseller list as well as winning the Man Booker Prize & according to the author, he wanted to capture the unspoken voice of the people from The Darkness - the impoverished areas of rural India.

 

I'm afraid there's no review for August book club because I never got around to reading it with going away & then having family here.  I will read it at some point (it was A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens) but I'm still working my way through a ginormous stack of books at the minute!

 

 

 



July Book Club review

I'm a bit late in posting this one due to being away but our Book Club choice for July was The Shipping News by E Annie Proulx.

 

 

 

 

After his cruel wife's death, Quoyle & his 2 young daughters Sunshine & Bunny, up sticks & move from New York to Newfoundland to live in the ancient family home with his aunt.  It tells the tale of living through the bleak winters & settling into his new job reporting for the local paper, the Gammy Bird.

 

Hmmm, it's quite a strange book in that I neither liked nor disliked it....I found it quite meh.  I didn't feel that the story really went anywhere & found myself thinking "is that it?" at the end.  I just didn't 'bond' with any of the characters apart from the aunt & found them all a bit strange!  Also, it took me ages to work out what year the book was set in due to language spoken.  It's set in much more modern times than I initially thought. 

 

 

 

 

The blurb states "The Shipping News is an irresistible comedy of human life & possibility".  I'm afraid the comedy aspect of this book must've passed me by...maybe that's because it just wasn't my cup of tea!!

 

Our read for August is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens, this one I am looking forward to!

 

 



Recent reads #2

 

 

I've read quite a few books in the last 4 or 5 weeks & here's a little peek at some of them.  First up, The Potter's Field by Andrea Camilleri.

 

 

This is the 13th novel in the Inspector Montalbano series that I've previously talked about on another book review & after a shaky start with the first book, I've really grown to love this grumpy Italian character.  In this story,  he is called to a field of clay (hence The Potter's Field!) where the grisly remains of a dismembered body have been found.

 

On first inspection, it would seem that this has been an execution, the work of the local mafia but putting all the clues together just doesn't add up to Montalbano.  He also has to contend with his friend & colleague Mimi's odd behaviour....is he somehow mixed up in this latest gruesome discovery?

 

The book features the same characters as in the other novels & the author uses his favourite descriptions of mouth-watering Italian cuisine!  I really enjoyed this book & whenever I see others in the series in the library, I always get them out.  I'm looking forward to working my way through them, albeit out of order!

 

 

My next book is (deep breath!) Tony Hogan Bought Me An Ice Cream Float Before He Stole My Ma by Kerry Hudson.  I must admit, this was a last minute grab in the library as I liked the look of the cover but it's actually quite a harrowing story.

 

It's the story of Janie Ryan, told in the first person & starting from the moment she was born.  It's details her childhood living with her family & how she is expected to become the next in a long line of brash Aberdeen fishwives but rebels against this to do her own thing.

 

It follows her throughout her life, sometimes happy but mostly a living hell after escaping one abusive relationship after another.  I have to admit, I found this a quite distressing read, not at all what I was expecting - that'll teach me not to read the blurb before I borrow a book again!!  You really can't judge a book by it's cover!!

 

My final book this time is the acclaimed psychological thriller Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn.

 

 

I've had this book on my Kindle for months but was holding out on reading it because I was hoping the book club would cover it but they chose others instead.

 

This tells the tale of Nick & Amy Dunne's difficult marriage & her sudden disappearance on their 5th wedding anniversary.  Nick becomes prime suspect, not helped by the fact the police discover that he recently increased Amy's life insurance, borrowed the remains of her trust fund to buy a business & seems devoid of any emotions about his wife's disappearance.

 

It's hard to tell any more about this story without giving away what happens but all I'll say is that I was really looking forward to this book & although I did think it was great, I don't actually think it's lived up to it's hype.  But maybe if I'd read it before all the rave reviews everywhere, I'd have enjoyed it more!  I'll still be going to see the film when it's released though!

 

So that's all for today.  I need to clear more space on my bookshelves as I went a bit mad in the library book sale the other day......

 

 

.........this doesn't include the 18 books I have lined up on my Kindle either, whoops!!!

 

What books have you really enjoyed lately?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



June Book Club review

 

So this month's Book Club read was The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey, a story roughly based on an old Russian fairytale character named Snegurochka, or The Snow Maiden.

 

 

 

 

It tells the story of Mabel & Jack who, following a tragic event in their lives, decide to leave their comfortable lives to run a homestead in Alaska.  Facing the long, dark winters with only each other for company & living a frugal existance, can they survive......& will they even want to?

 

One winter as the first snowfall arrives thick & fast, in a moment of brief happiness they build a child out of the snow.  The following morning, it would seem that the snowchild had been destroyed by a wild animal but then the sudden appearance of a girl close to their home makes Mabel start to remember the stories of her childhood, the stories of Snegurochka.

 

After contacting her sister back home to send the old book to her, she starts to believe that the child they made of snow is actually the child who now visits their home & lives in the woods.  Could this be the case or is it just a child who lives rough in amongst the trees, with only a red fox for company?

 

I was totally gripped by this beautiful tale right from the beginning & although it is essentially a sad tale, I found parts of it strangely uplifting.  I'm so glad this was chosen as our June Book Club read as it's not a book I'd have chosen for myself in a million years but I really loved it.  It's beautifully written & you feel so much empathy for all of the characters, I urge you to read it even if it doesn't seem like your usual style of book!

 

Now to make a start on my stack of library books I have out at the minute....& then the 18 books I have waiting on my Kindle.......!

 

What have you been reading lately that you can recommend?

 

 

 

 



Recent reads #1

After reading some 'heavier' books lately I decided I wanted something fun & frivolous to read, whilst sitting in the garden....in the sunshine (yes folks, that yellow thing in the sky has finally made an appearance!)

 

 

 

I picked up 8 books from the library although I'm not quite sure why I chose that many at once as I'll never find the time to read them as I also have 2 Book Club reads too in June!

 

Now, it's very rare that I dislike a book that much or just can't get in to the story that I decide to not finish it, but the first book I chose was unfortunately one of those few. 

 

 

 

 

The Diary of a Social Butterfly by Moni Mohsin tells the tale of a socialite/party-goer/It-girl sort of character but I just couldn't get into the style of writing & the character's use of broken English, it drove me mad!  I got about 3 chapters in thought, "nope, this isn't for me" so just gave up & started on the next one!

 

 

 

 

I love Jane Green & her latest book, The Accidental Husband (released as Family Pictures in the US) didn't disappoint.  It follows the stories of Maggie & Sylvie, strangers who believe they both have pretty perfect lives, each living on opposite sides of America.  Their lives are changed drastically when a secret both devastates them & throws them together.  The book follows their stories both before & after the fall-out of the secret being uncovered. 

 

I love her style of writing & they way she describes lives, homes & places in so much detail that I have such a clear image of them all in my head!  I've read most of her books but my favourite by far is The Beach House, I could read that time & time again!

 

My final book here is Fame by Tilly Bagshawe.  This is the first time I've read any of her books but I've been a fan of her sister's (Louise Bagshawe) books for many years.  This was a brilliant read with great characters & settings, a real holiday-lazing-by-the-pool-with-a-cocktail-in-hand book.....or in my case, sitting-in-the-back-garden-on-an-ever-so-slightly-broken-sun-lounger-and-a-can-of-Irn-Bru!!

 

 

 

 

This follows the story of Dorian Rasmirez, a former hot-shot Hollywood movie director who is falling out of favour with the big-wigs & needs to make his newest project, a remake of Wuthering Heights, a huge success to re-establish himself in his field.

 

Factor in the hottest actress Sabrina, freshly out of rehab & the gorgeous leading actor Viorel, hoping that this movie will finally propel him into the A-list stardom he so wants & you get a cracking, light-hearted read.  The story is somewhat predictable but reassuringly so, I think I'd have been disappointed had the book ended differently!  I'll now be hunting out more of her books, they're just the sort of escapist reads I enjoy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



May Book Club review

So this month was a 'classic read' month & as a group, we decided on Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez.

 

 

 

 

 

This is the story of Florentina Ariza, a hopeless romantic who falls in love with Fermina Daza when they are both in their teens.  He is left heart-broken when she rejects him & goes on to marry the distinguished Dr Juvenal Urbino.

 

Florentina can never forget his first true love & when 51 years, 9 months & 4 days after she marries Dr Urbino, he dies, he appears to declare his love for her once more.

 

I have really mixed feelings for this book.  The story had me gripped at the beginning & the end but I have to say, I began to lose interest in the middle.  It's a true love story but personally, I found a lot of it repetitive & it began to drag on a bit which really annoyed me as I really wanted to love it!

 

We've yet to decide on the book choice for June but after 2 quite heavy reads, we're all hoping for something a little lighter next!

 

Have you read this book, I'd love to hear your thoughts on it?

 

 



Book Club newbie

I've been a bit of a bookworm for as long as I can remember reading.  I just love that feeling of getting really wrapped up in a story & I have the whole scenarios painted vivdly in my over-active imagination!  One of the worst feelings for me has to be reaching the end of a brilliant book, I just want the story to go on & on......

 

Joining a book club has been on my list of things to do for a couple of years but it was only through a chance discussion at the school gates one day that I realised quite a few of the mums had formed a reading group & the next meeting was to be held the next evening.  I asked about the type of books they read as being totally honest, I don't want to read heavy, lengthy tomes - I read for total enjoyment.  Admittedly, I do want to break out of my literary comfort zone of my usual & much loved crime thrillers though.  I also love to read light-hearted, fun chick-lits (not my favourite term in the world!) too.  But I hoped by joining a book club, it would push me to read & hopefully enjoy, something I wouldn't usually choose.

 

The first meeting I attended, the group had read Tout Sweet by Karen Wheeler, a story of a city girl who upped sticks & moved to rural France.  Although I didn't have time to read this before the meeting, I have been urged to by the other ladies to give my thoughts on it, mainly as I lived in rural France myself for 7 years!  So I'll read it at some point & get back to it.

 

 

 

So the read for March was The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri.  This was volume 7 of a series about an Italian detective, that a couple of members of the group were raving about.  I decided to download the first book of the series to begin with as I wanted to get a feel for the character beforehand.  I have to say, it took me about 6 chapters before I could really get in to the first book but I really enjoyed the actual book club choice.  Although it's a detective series, therefore solving crimes & murders, it's not quite as grisly as my usual crime reads.  The main character, Inspector Montalbano is getting older & wants to retire but he just can't seem to cut the ties from his police force.  He's a really likeable character, although grumpy as hell....almost like an Italian Rebus!!  He's a total foodie & I love the way the author describes in great detail his 3-course meals & the ambiance of the restaurants.  I could almost be sitting on the restaurant terrace smelling the garlic & fresh seafood, feeling the warm air on my skin & listening to the waves gently lapping in the distance....ahhhhh!!!  I will definitely be working my way through the rest of the series & trust me, you will want to be booking a trip to Italy after reading them!

 

 

 

 

 

This brings me to this month's read *silently groaning*.  The group have decided, so that they don't always stick to one genre of book, that every 3 months, they will alternate between a light-hearted read, a heavier story & then a classic.  This month we have the' heavy', which is Exodus by Leon Uris.  As soon as I realised it wasn't available on Kindle, alarm bells started ringing!  I ordered it from my local library & could've cried when I collected it.  Not only is it 636 pages long, the writing is miniscule so I just know I'm going to get horrible eye strain reading it.  And to add insult to injury, there are 10 pages missing smack bang in the middle of the book!!  It's really not making me want to read it but I finally started it late last night.  I will persevere & try & get through it but I'm not entirely sure I will finish this one, plus the fact that during the school holidays, I get very little time to myself.  I usually try to snaffle an hour during the daytime for a sneaky read but not for the next 2 weeks!!  The story was made into a film starring Paul Newman & just by total coincidence, I noticed it was on one of the Sky movie channels last weekend.....so I recorded it as a back-up plan!!  I will really try not to cheat though (although I know a couple other BC members have also got the film to watch too, mentioning no names!!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Anyhoo, I'll let you know when, or even if, I finish it.  But if you're looking for a totally brilliant read, take a look at this.  I only bought it because it was on a daily Kindle offer & it really was fantastic.  Think of a really clever Forrest Gump type character that keeps flitting between present day & his past, & you'll get the gist of it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm next on the list to host Book Club on 20th April so I'll be back after then with a review & to let you know what May's book will be.  Now, what wine, nibbles & cake shall I lay on?  That is, afterall, the most important part of Book Club!!

 

À tout à l'heure!!