Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall

A dynamic book group meeting was had this week. I reckon that's the best word to describe how our little group stood up to COVID-19: by being positive in attitude and full of energy and new ideas. The new idea turned out to be a complete success and we held our first ever 'virtual' book group meeting.

Sorry Sue - we know you were there.

Following the national clap for our NHS, 7 of us logged into Zoom and had a lively discussion about our most recent read 'Prisoners of Geography'.

And thanks to Zoom giving us a special gift of unlimited time we were able to natter on for more than our allocated 40 minutes!

Everyone agreed that this book is brilliant. We thought it might be heavy going, we expected it to be a challenging read and perhaps a bit technical. It was none of those things, it is a very well written, thoroughly enjoyable book full of facts and clear explanation of world history and geopolitics.

Our conversation started with Russian Politics and ended with homelessness in Aylesbury! In between we explored the Middle East, Africa, Europe, America, Iran, Pakistan, India, China, Japan and Korea.

There is so much information between the two covers that, we agreed, it is impossible to take it all in. This is a book to dip in and out of and one to read more than once.

Do we recommend it? yes, of course, and we hope that Tim Marshall updates it too because we need his take on the world after Trump.

Our next book is A Month in the Country by J.L Carr and we will review our read in April. I have set up a Zoom meeting for 8.10pm on Thursday 23rd April. If you haven't received an invite and would like to join in please let me (Sian) know.

Reading Choices to Combat Corona Virus Boredom

We will meet this month but not in the usual manner - please check details at the end of this post and get in touch with me (Sian) if you want any help setting up for our meeting.

Our book choices for quarantine and self-isolation are as follows:

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

For years, rumours of the "Marsh Girl" have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say.

Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life - until the unthinkable happens.

Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were, and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps.

A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr

First published in 1980 and nominated for the Booker Prize. The book won the Guardian Fiction Prize in 1980.

A sensitive portrayal of the healing process that took place in the aftermath of the First World War.

A damaged survivor of the First World War, Tom Birkin finds refuge in the quiet village church of Oxgodby where he is to spend the summer uncovering a huge medieval wall-painting. Immersed in the peace and beauty of the countryside and the unchanging rhythms of village life he experiences a sense of renewal and belief in the future. Now an old man, Birkin looks back on the idyllic summer of 1920, remembering a vanished place of blissful calm, untouched by change, a precious moment he has carried with him through the disappointments of the years.

Adapted into a 1987 film starring Colin Firth, Natasha Richardson and Kenneth Branagh, A Month in the Country traces the slow revival of the primeval rhythms of life so cruelly disorientated by the Great War.

On the Beach by Nevil Shute

After the war is over, a radioactive cloud begins to sweep southwards on the winds, gradually poisoning everything in its path. An American submarine captain is among the survivors left sheltering in Australia, preparing with the locals for the inevitable. Despite his memories of his wife, he becomes close to a young woman struggling to accept the harsh realities of their situation. Then a faint Morse code signal is picked up, transmitting from the United States and the submarine must set sail through the bleak ocean to search for signs of life.

On the Beach is Nevil Shute's most powerful novel. Both gripping and intensely moving, its impact is unforgettable.

Here's to happy reading and to staying as fit and well and as positive as we can be.

We will meet to discuss our current read: Prisoners of Geography by Tim Marshall at 8pm on Thursday 26th March, by ZOOM. OK so this is an experiment and I hope everyone can get the software downloaded and sign in before the meeting - join by voice only or if you have video then turn it on. The meeting will only last 40 minutes, limited by the software licence so please try to join 5 minutes before, with choice of beverage to hand, so we can make a prompt start.

I have emailed the invite to our ZOOM meeting - if you have't received one, I'm sorry, please let me know: sian@impetus.co.uk

Zoom is a cloud-based video conferencing service you can use to virtually meet with others - either by video or audio-only or both, all while conducting live chats.You can join these meetings via computer audio with, or without, webcam or using your pad or smart phone.

To download and install the Zoom Application: Go to https://zoom.us/download and from the Download Center, click on the Download button under “Zoom Client For Meetings”. This application will automatically download when you start your first Zoom Meeting.