Early One Morning by Virginia Baily

A lovely turn out for the start of the year with nine of us sat around the big table in our local pub, enjoying a drink and chatting about our latest reading experience.

Our discussion started like this: "I LOVED IT".

That was almost, but not quite, unanimous and those that didn't 'Love It' were just a tiny, tiny bit less enthusiastic. We all agreed it's a lovely story and a very enjoyable read.

Some of us know Rome well enough to visualise the area where much of the story takes place. One of our group even has a cousin who was brought up in Rome during WW2 and who had her own stories to tell. Others, having never been to Rome (or Italy), didn't feel at a disadvantage because the descriptions were so good - one of our group said she felt as if she had already been!

So was there anything not to like? just that it wrapped up too quickly and we wanted more detail. Let's hope Virginia decides to write a sequel, as there is so much more story to tell.

When we chose this book there was some concern that it could be a gruesome story of WW2 horrors in Rome. But that worry did not bear out. This book is mostly about relationships, and offers a very different take on the war. The story evolves around 3 key characters (Chiara, Daniele and Maria), each bringing their own relationships, and issues. It begins with a incident - early one morning - during 1943 and we left them at sometime in the 1970's.

Our favourite characters:

• Gabriel - a silent gentle hero
• Assunta - brings an element of comedy
• Nonna - a lovely old lady - just how a grandmother should be
• Simone - a rock 

The many underpinning themes such as: 'sense of duty', 'gut feeling', 'morals', 'mothers', 'faith' 'trust' and 'love' all make for great group discussions.

Would we read another Virginia Baily? most of us would, and especially a sequel to this book. We think the book would make a brilliant film too.

Would we recommend this book - definitely.

Our next read is Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall which we will discuss at 8pm on Thursday 26th March at The Hundred of Ashendon.

Reading Choices to Kick Start the New Decade

Happy New Year and Happy New Decade - here's to a continuation of friendship, convivial chatter and our reading adventures. We will meet at 8pm on Thursday 16th January in The Hundred of Ashendon to discuss Early One Morning by Virginia Baily and then choose our next book from the below.

At Home by Bill Bryson

In At Home, Bill Bryson applies the same irrepressible curiosity, irresistible wit, stylish prose and masterful storytelling that made A Short History of Nearly Everything one of the most lauded books of the last decade, and delivers one of the most entertaining and illuminating books ever written about the history of the way we live.

Bill Bryson was struck one day by the thought that we devote a lot more time to studying the battles and wars of history than to considering what history really consists of: centuries of people quietly going about their daily business - eating, sleeping and merely endeavouring to get more comfortable. And that most of the key discoveries for humankind can be found in the very fabric of the houses in which we live.This inspired him to start a journey around his own house, an old rectory in Norfolk, wandering from room to room considering how the ordinary things in life came to be.

Along the way he did a prodigious amount of research on the history of anything and everything, from architecture to electricity, from food preservation to epidemics, from the spice trade to the Eiffel Tower, from crinolines to toilets; and on the brilliant, creative and often eccentric minds behind them. And he discovered that, although there may seem to be nothing as unremarkable as our domestic lives, there is a huge amount of history, interest and excitement - and even a little danger - lurking in the corners of every home.

Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall 

All leaders are constrained by geography. Their choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas and concrete. Yes, to follow world events you need to understand people, ideas and movements - but if you don't know geography, you'll never have the full picture.

If you've ever wondered why Putin is so obsessed with Crimea, why the USA was destined to become a global superpower, or why China's power base continues to expand ever outwards, the answers are all here.

In ten chapters (covering Russia; China; the USA; Latin America; the Middle East; Africa; India and Pakistan; Europe; Japan and Korea; and the Arctic), using maps, essays and occasionally the personal experiences of the widely travelled author, Prisoners of Geography looks at the past, present and future to offer an essential insight into one of the major factors that determines world history.

It's time to put the 'geo' back into geopolitics.

Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Intuition is not some magical property that arises unbidden from the depths of our mind. It is a product of long hours and intelligent design, of meaningful work environments and particular rules and principles. This book shows us how we can hone our instinctive ability to know in an instant, helping us to bring out the best in our thinking and become better decision-makers in our homes, offices and in everyday life. Just as he did with his revolutionary theory of the tipping point, Gladwell reveals how the power of ‘blink’ could fundamentally transform our relationships, the way we consume, create and communicate, how we run our businesses and even our societies. You’ll never think about thinking in the same way again.