Book Choices to take us out of Lockdown!

The Second Sleep by Robert Harris

April 1468: The arrogant, newly ordained Christopher Fairfax is journeying to the remote Wessex village of Addicott St. George to perform a burial service, that of the village’s priest, Father Lacy. Dusk is gathering.

It's a crime to be out after dark, and Fairfax knows he must arrive at his destination - a remote village in the wilds of Exmoor - before night falls and curfew is imposed.

He's lost and he's becoming anxious as he slowly picks his way across a countryside strewn with the ancient artefacts of a civilisation that seems to have ended in cataclysm. 

What Fairfax cannot know is that, in the days and weeks to come, everything he believes in will be tested to destruction, as he uncovers a secret that is as dangerous as it is terrifying. 

The Librarian by Sally Vickers

Sylvia Blackwell, a young woman in her twenties, moves to East Mole, a quaint market town in middle England, to start a new job as a children's librarian. But the apparently pleasant town is not all it seems. Sylvia falls in love with an older man - but it's her connection to his precocious young daughter and her neighbours' son which will change her life and put them, the library and her job under threat.

How does the library alter the young children's lives and how do the children fare as a result of the books Sylvia introduces them to? 

Longbourn by Jo Baker

If Elizabeth Bennet had the washing of her own petticoats, Sarah often thought, she’d most likely be a sight more careful with them.

In this irresistibly imagined belowstairs answer to Pride and Prejudice, the servants take centre stage. Sarah, the orphaned housemaid, spends her days scrubbing the laundry, polishing the floors, and emptying the chamber pots for the Bennet household. But there is just as much romance, heartbreak, and intrigue downstairs at Longbourn as there is upstairs. When a mysterious new footman arrives, the orderly realm of the servants’ hall threatens to be completely, perhaps irrevocably, upended.

Jo Baker dares to take us beyond the drawing rooms of Jane Austen’s classic—into the often overlooked domain of the stern housekeeper and the starry-eyed kitchen maid, into the gritty daily particulars faced by the lower classes in Regency England during the Napoleonic Wars—and, in doing so, creates a vivid, fascinating, fully realized world that is wholly her own. 

We will choose our next read from these books on Thursday 25th March when we meet to review our current book, and meet the author: Cows Can't Jump by Philip Bowne on Zoom at 8pm

The Pants of Perspective by Anna McNuff

Twelve of us met to discuss this book, including 2 new ladies.

The initial response was mixed and initially the disgruntled group voice spoke loudest. Anna's seemingly disorganised and scatty approach to her running adventure annoyed and irritated members of our group. This prompted discussion about why she gave that impression? and that, in turn, led to consideration of how such an undertaking might feel and how that could lead one to appear somewhat flippant with regard to the enormity of the challenge. Perhaps, it was concluded, she didn't take the reality in, or she didn't want to take it all in?

Without any intention to pun, it seems what the reader takes from this book depends on their perspective. Some of us felt the risks that Anna took were irresponsible, others tried to understand her approach and process. The quality of the book can be judged by the quality of the writing or the qualities of an adventurer. Are we reading about why she was doing it, or what kept her going? There are so many angles to this story that, if nothing else, this is a book to talk about with friends. 

'I struggle to understand why she put herself through it' was countered by 'I learnt a lot from her and how she dealt with anxiety and physical problems.'

'How could she put herself through the pain?' - 'She is so totally focussed, has utter determination.'

'I was finally really annoyed - she didn't start running until 5 one day, eating cake in a coffee shop' vs. 'I liked that she wasn't pushing it - it made it more real.'

'She got on my nerves - I persevered but gave the book away.' - 'I deeply admired this woman, she was incredible. The sports psychology tips were really useful.'

'I was really anxious for this young, naive woman who had not thought it through.' - 'The Pants of Perspective are a great technique, and she had the foresight to plan new running shoes before she set off.'

So it seems, if you can see beyond the poor editing (and the resultant numerous 'inhalations' of food) and recognise that this is a better book than The Island by Victoria Heslop! then Anna shines through as an inspirational woman. She wasn't afraid to try, wants to achieve, is not an over-confident 'alpha' and is simply prepared to do seemingly impossible/stupid/ridiculous things. 

So did we enjoy this book? 9 of us did and 7 of us would read it (or another by Anna McNuff) again. 

Would we recommend this book? 10 would and 2 wouldn't.

As our conversation moved on to other things, one little voice said 'I'm so far from understanding it...'.

Our next read is Cows Can't Dance by Philip Bowne and Philip will join us on Thursday 25th March at 8pm when we will discuss our experience of reading his first novel and put our questions to him.