The Quasi-Booky Book Group (Venue, by consensus, Star and Garter followed by Franco Manca)

Tuesday October 10, 2023

Present: Gill F (S&G only); Gill C, Carl, Nic

Dr Ruth Galloway progress: Carl 0; Gill F 2; Nic 11, Gill C 15

Thursday Murder Clubs: Carl 0 (must try harder!); Nic 3; Gill C 4

Our conclusions on the night: Gill C is the reading champ. Sarah Lancashire is a national treasure. The Tory party is a national disgrace. Book group is fun. We should do this more often.

We may still be readers

August 22nd, 2023

Sabine recommends the Dr Ruth Galloway series by Ely Griffiths generally and selects the first - The Crossing Places - as a book group choice. Before we even meet to discuss that, Gill C has finished all 15 in the series. I lag behind on 11. Jen's done at least 2.

The Crossing Places may be a Turning Point. 

The No-Book Book Group (Venue, Nic's choice: Oka, Kingly Court)

 July 19th, 2023

Present: Sabine, Gill C, Jen, Nic

No official books to discuss but we do love Joyce and Elizabeth et al. Are we a book group any more? Who knows? Who cares with food like this!

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.

The no-book Book Group (Venue, Nic's choice: Bibigo)

Date: 31 August 2017
Present: Nic, Jen, Gill C, Sabine

My first book group as Mrs. Berry and Gill C insisted on champagne. Well, who was I to say no? What followed as a lovely evening, fuelled by bubbles, books (read and unread), friendship and love.

In tragic news, Bibigo has subsequently closed and the adorable staff have disappeared. They treated us like royalty on this night and gave us free desserts.

The no-book book group (Venue, Sabine's choice: Adulis, Oval)

Date: October 10, 2016
Present: Nic, Gill C, Jen, Sabine

With no book to discuss, we discussed all the books! So, if you wonder where the comments in past reviews come from, this evening was the source of those partial memories and gut feelings that remain even when the detail of the books has been lost in the mists of time and wine.

At Adulis, we ate lamb, beef, chicken, lentils, chickpeas, spinach, sour flat bread (injera); drank sweet beer, honey wine and lemon water; and caught up on a summer of unofficial reading (for those who weren't put off reading for life by The Golden Notebook!).

Roll on, book group. 10 years and counting.  The intention is to reinvigorate, pick up momentum and start eating and drinking together regularly, possibly with books to review over aperitifs. So we've given Jen first pick ...

What could possibly go wrong?

Books we are not reading

A few photos carried over from Facebook to remind us why we're here.  Copyright Mark and Carl (unless Waterstones and Smiths have other ideas).