#136 - Your House Will Pay - Steph Cha (Choice: Sabine) (Venue: Zoom)

Date: ? Did we even talk about it? Ah, yes but when, exactly, I couldn’t say. 

Present: ?

The trouble with Kindle is one only sees the title and the author once! Hence, albeit, that I initially couldn’t remember (writing in September 2021) this book, I then saw a What’s App saying I was ready to talk about it and it came flooding back. We all found this a powerful and uncomfortable and challenging read - not challenging to read, that is, but thought-provoking. 

#135 - Hamnett- Maggie O’Farrell (Choice: Mark) (Venue: Zoom)

Wednesday October 26th, 2020

Present: Mark, Nic, Sabine, Gill C, Suza, Nathalie

A generally well received book, save by Jen who never got past the present tense narration. I struggled with that at the start too but found the story so interesting I had completely overlooked it by the end. 

The passage about the journey of the flea was called out for special mention by several attendees.

#134 - Wakenhyrst - Michelle Paver (Choice: Jen)(Venue: Zoom)

Wednesday September 9th, 2020

Present: Jen, Nic, Nathalie, Gill C

Sabine was in Munich after her mega drive and Gill F was in the pub. 

The rest of us were as one on how interesting, atmospheric and compelling the book was, and how frightful were the times depicted for young women. 

Another success for Jen, I think we will have to stop lambasting her choices now! She finally lives down Daniel Deronda! 

#133 - The Restraint of Beasts - Magnus Mills (Choice: Gill F) (Venue: Zoom)

Wednesday August 19th, 2020

Present: Gill C, Gill F, Nic, Suza

Suza’s WiFi struggled like a book group reading The Restraint of Beasts. Why didn’t they just come clean about the first accident?  We were fairly baffled by the whole thing but especially the ending. Were they building their own prison? Were they going to be sausages? 

We didn’t know and I am not sure we cared. 

Edit: Except Nathalie, who said, “I loved this one!”, “I thought it was so funny and could really conjure up the characters vividly” and “Ending was a bit weird though.” We can all agree with the last bit! 

#132 - My Sister The Serial Killer - Oyinkan Braithwaite (Choice: Gill C)(Venue: Zoom)

Wednesday July 15th, 2020

Present: Gill F, Gill C, Jen, Sabine, Nic

A quick, easy, fun read and a frustrating tale of moral ambiguity. 

#131 - Bel Canto - Ann Patchett (Choice: Doris)(Venue: Zoom)

Wednesday 10 June 2020

Present: Doris, Sabine, Gill F, Gill C, Nathalie, Jen, Suza, Nic

A favourite of Doris, who allegedly read it first on my recommendation. I think that must have been a false memory: nothing about the book rang a bell with me. 

I did enjoy it. Most of us did, except for the ending, which was declared “not credible” by Gill F and “too movie like” by Gill C. The relationship was clearly destined to failure and, although perhaps that was the point, it left us dissatisfied. 

#130 - My Dark Vanessa - Kate Elizabeth Russell (Nathalie’s choice) (Venue: Zoom)

Wednesday 6 May 2020

Present: Nic; Doris; Jen; Gill F; Gill C; Vanessa; Sabine; Nathalie

A strong turnout for this one.

The book was universally praised despite the tough subject matter, which everyone agreed felt very real. We were simultaneously dismayed for and frustrated by Vanessa, prompting some discussion of what makes a victim a victim and the extent to which society can create a victim by telling someone they’ve been a victim. We debated Jacob Strane: was he appalled by himself? What did “I’ll ruin you.” mean? Did he try to restrain himself? Did the vasectomy mean she wasn’t the first? Was there anything different in his treatment of Vanessa versus the others? And the big question - was it a happy ending?

And as we continued to discuss in What’s App, Gill C summed it up:
“Definitely one that stays with you for a while whether you want it to or not.”

#129 - The Sirens of Titan - Kurt Vonnegut (Suza’s Choice) (Venue: Zoom)

Wednesday 15 April 2020

Present: Suza, Sabine, Jen, Gill C, Gill F, Nathalie,

Well, that was a divisive book. Some didn’t finish, some hated it, some just couldn’t care about it. I rather enjoyed it.

Perhaps the whole pointless, awfulness of it all just rather chimed with how I was feeling about the current political climate and the pompous smug sense of superiority unpinning Brexit and MAGA movements. I loved the idea that our greatest achievements on earth were merely intergalactic communications that we unwittingly built for superior beings. The immense harm Rumfoord was willing to inflict and the sacrifices he was willing to make (of other people) to break away from the old religions that are used by men (and it does tend to be men) to justify sacrifice (of other people) was horrifying but a world where it isn’t worth trying to please an apathetic god does seem desirable; it does seem to hold the promise of a less judgmental and kinder future.

Our inaugural Covid 19 Lockdown Virtual Meeting

Wednesday 8 April 2020

Present: Gill F, Gill C, Jen, Sabine, Nic

Ostensibly our first lockdown book group was to discuss The Sirens of Titan but, as Suza was down with the dastardly virus, we just chatted over a glass of wine or bottle of beer. And what a tonic that turned out to be. So much so that this, in retrospect, was the first of our weekly Lockdown Support group meetings, which would be punctuated by occasional conventional book group meetings!

Nothing is out-of-bounds; we talk about wine, food, family, anxieties, political frustrations, anger, bread and sometimes books and we always finish smiling and happier than when we started.

#128 - Amateur: a Reckoning with Gender, Identity and Masculinity (Choice: Nic)

Tuesday 3 March 2020

Present: Vanessa, Sabine, Gill F, Gill C, Nic

Discussed at the same time and place as The Leopard, but very lightly as a couple of attendees hadn't finished (or started, as the case may be).

Gill C, as a white-collar boxer herself, had an obvious interest in this book. But it was Vanessa, half way through it, who encouraged Gill F to buy it and give it a go. 

So, will add to this review when all the results are in!

#127 - The Leopard - Giuseppe di Lampedusa (Choice: Vanessa)(Venue: Tasting Sicily Enzo's Kitchen, Panton St.)

Tuesday 3 March 2020

Present: Vanessa, Gill F, Gill C, Sabine, Nic

Slow and comically inept but friendly service, left us gathering, over a period of about 30 minutes, with no offer of drinks. However the food was really rather good: arancini; prawns with Pernod risotto; crab cakes; calamari; pumpkin; fennel and orange salad; mushroom risotto; a variety of patsas with pig cheeks, with prawns, with something else I can't remember ... all served "family style" (Corvid 19 be damned - we may have done elbow bump greetings but this book group still shares food!).

The family slide show of scenes from Sicily projected on to the back wall made this a great venue for the book discussion and, while everyone thought this was a tough read, most persevered and it wasn't universally loathed. We agreed that, with lots of atmosphere and not a lot of action, a more detailed knowledge of the place and time may have been useful to get the most out of "one of the most important novels in modern Italian literature" (Wikipedia) and "the 10 best historical novels" (The Observer). "I didn't finish it." (Nic)

I might try again. On the other hand, apparently, it is a superb movie ...