Date: Monday 17th December 2018
Present: Gill
C, Gill F, Nic, Sabine, (Jen, Alex, Cloddagh, Conn)
Also discussed at our Christmas gathering and, generally, the more popular choice. A rollicking good read filled with fascinating characters.
Nic: I raced through Little Fires.
Gill F: I raced through it too.
Friends, book discussions, food matching and food sharing. A private book group. Warning: may contain spoilers.
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Monday, 17 December 2018
#119 Holding - Graham Norton (Choice: Jen) (Venue: The 10 Cases, Endell Street) Gill C, Gill F, Nic, Sabine, (Jen, Alex, Cloddagh, Conn)
Date: Monday 17th December 2018
Present: Gill C, Gill F, Nic, Sabine, (Jen, Alex, Cloddagh, Conn)
This most festive of gatherings began at the rehearsal of Jen's choir - where highlights included Labi Siffre's So Strong as well as a selection of both well and lesser know carols - and moved on to The 10 Cases for pre-Christmas chat and Xmas Book exchange. Sadly, our singing superstar was unable to stay because children are not allowed however, the convivial staff looked the other way while we had a quick Christmas drink.
Doris summed up the book when she said: I enjoyed it, quick read but better than expected.
Present: Gill C, Gill F, Nic, Sabine, (Jen, Alex, Cloddagh, Conn)
This most festive of gatherings began at the rehearsal of Jen's choir - where highlights included Labi Siffre's So Strong as well as a selection of both well and lesser know carols - and moved on to The 10 Cases for pre-Christmas chat and Xmas Book exchange. Sadly, our singing superstar was unable to stay because children are not allowed however, the convivial staff looked the other way while we had a quick Christmas drink.
Doris summed up the book when she said: I enjoyed it, quick read but better than expected.
Wednesday, 10 October 2018
#118 They Were Sisters - Dorothy Whipple (Choice Gill C) (Venue: Foxlow, Clerkenwell)
Date: Wednesday 10 October 2018
Present: Gill C, Sabine, Nic
Praise for They were Sisters:
Doris: I enjoyed the book – worth persevering
Nat: Yes, I’m really enjoying it too
Gill F: I’m enjoying too
Sabine: 445 pages is quite a big book – it certainly seemed quite a long read
Doris: I kept hoping Geoffrey would meet a painful death.
Sabine: that hope kept me reading too.
Present: Gill C, Sabine, Nic
Praise for They were Sisters:
Doris: I enjoyed the book – worth persevering
Nat: Yes, I’m really enjoying it too
Gill F: I’m enjoying too
Sabine: 445 pages is quite a big book – it certainly seemed quite a long read
Doris: I kept hoping Geoffrey would meet a painful death.
Sabine: that hope kept me reading too.
Wednesday, 4 July 2018
#117 The Story of Lucy Gault - William Trevor (Choice: Doris) (Venue: Mele e Pere, Brewer Street)
Date: Wednesday 4 July 2018
Present: Gill F, Doris, Jen
A slow, poignant book that took time to warm-up. Hopefully, dinner came out hot from the start (unless it was salad!) but I don't know because I wasn't there.
Nic: I didn’t like the book to begin with – I didn’t enjoy the language / style. But I did like the story and want to know how it resolved. I definitely got more into it. It was a bit Captain Corelli-ish in its futility but I quite like a sad ending
Sabine: agree with Nic – I was waiting for the story to start for about 100 pages! Ending was melancholic but a happy one would not have worked. Liked the description of the minutiae of Irish provincial life. And the (always scary) reminder that small things can have a big impact.
Gill C: I liked the book.
Jen: I felt that it was a very English book, for all that it was written by an Irishman. It didn’t have the lyricism of Irish English. The characters were very flat; events happened to them, rather than they driving or having any influence other than the original action by the child Lucy. I enjoyed parts of it, but overall, disappointing.
Present: Gill F, Doris, Jen
A slow, poignant book that took time to warm-up. Hopefully, dinner came out hot from the start (unless it was salad!) but I don't know because I wasn't there.
Nic: I didn’t like the book to begin with – I didn’t enjoy the language / style. But I did like the story and want to know how it resolved. I definitely got more into it. It was a bit Captain Corelli-ish in its futility but I quite like a sad ending
Sabine: agree with Nic – I was waiting for the story to start for about 100 pages! Ending was melancholic but a happy one would not have worked. Liked the description of the minutiae of Irish provincial life. And the (always scary) reminder that small things can have a big impact.
Gill C: I liked the book.
Jen: I felt that it was a very English book, for all that it was written by an Irishman. It didn’t have the lyricism of Irish English. The characters were very flat; events happened to them, rather than they driving or having any influence other than the original action by the child Lucy. I enjoyed parts of it, but overall, disappointing.
Wednesday, 16 May 2018
#116 High Rise - J G Ballard (Choice: Nic) (Venue: OTE)
Date: Wednesday 16 May 2018
Present: Nic, Gill C, Gill F, Sabine, Doris
People seemed to get nervous and picky about their food for this one!
Sabine: Do not want dog on the menu.
But we were all agreed on the book.
Sabine: The general consensus seemed “deeply disturbing”
And all agreed on the most appropriate drink for the night.
Nic: Thanks for not tossing the empty champagne bottles off the top floor.
Present: Nic, Gill C, Gill F, Sabine, Doris
People seemed to get nervous and picky about their food for this one!
Sabine: Do not want dog on the menu.
But we were all agreed on the book.
Sabine: The general consensus seemed “deeply disturbing”
And all agreed on the most appropriate drink for the night.
Nic: Thanks for not tossing the empty champagne bottles off the top floor.
Wednesday, 11 April 2018
#115 Cast in order of Disappearance - Simon Brett (Choice: Mark) (Venue: Brasserie Zedel)
Date: Wednesday 11 April 2018
Present: Nic, Nathalie, Doris, Sabine, Gill C, Gill F, Jen, Mark
Our best turnout in a long time and a thoroughly enjoyable meal in wonderful company. Surely we are the best book group in the world?! Except tonight's photo didn't won us the competition, so not everyone agrees with us. The book was very enjoyable to those who read it and those who heard it on the radio.
Nathalie Closs: Andouilles stinks of dog breath, Steer clear.
Gill F: Choucroute is another abomination in my opinion.
Present: Nic, Nathalie, Doris, Sabine, Gill C, Gill F, Jen, Mark
Our best turnout in a long time and a thoroughly enjoyable meal in wonderful company. Surely we are the best book group in the world?! Except tonight's photo didn't won us the competition, so not everyone agrees with us. The book was very enjoyable to those who read it and those who heard it on the radio.
Nathalie Closs: Andouilles stinks of dog breath, Steer clear.
Gill F: Choucroute is another abomination in my opinion.
Thursday, 8 March 2018
#114 Bird Cage Walk - Helen Dunmore (Choice: Gill F) (Venue: Prix Fixe, Dean Street, Soho)
Date: Thursday 8 March 2018
Present: Nic, Jen, Gill F, Sabine
Reasonable book, good champagne, terrible foie gras, excellent night.
Gill F: I have a bit of a headache this morning. Did someone spike my wine?
Nic: Do you think it was the first bottle that got spiked or the second?
Gill C: Never blame champagne, champagne can do no wrong.
Present: Nic, Jen, Gill F, Sabine
Reasonable book, good champagne, terrible foie gras, excellent night.
Gill F: I have a bit of a headache this morning. Did someone spike my wine?
Nic: Do you think it was the first bottle that got spiked or the second?
Gill C: Never blame champagne, champagne can do no wrong.
Thursday, 25 January 2018
#113 Ashes of London - Andrew Taylor (Choice: Jen) (Venue: Paternoster Chop House, St. Pauls)
Date:Thursday 25 January 2018
Present: Jen, Nic, Sabine
A beautiful moonlit night, with St Paul's looking resplendent - the perfect venue from which to reflect on the book. And I am sure we did talk about the book ... although I am sure we talked more about other things, as is our way.
A very enjoyable, though expensive, dinner in great company to mark a book which provided a thoroughly enjoyable romp through the Great Fire of London.
Gill C: Loved the book.
Present: Jen, Nic, Sabine
A beautiful moonlit night, with St Paul's looking resplendent - the perfect venue from which to reflect on the book. And I am sure we did talk about the book ... although I am sure we talked more about other things, as is our way.
A very enjoyable, though expensive, dinner in great company to mark a book which provided a thoroughly enjoyable romp through the Great Fire of London.
Gill C: Loved the book.