Book Choices to Close 2025

We will meet on Thursday, 20th November, 8pm at The Ash Tree, Ashendon, to discuss 'The Art of The Lie' by Laura Shepherd-Robinson.

Here are the choices for our next read: 

Femina by Janina Ramirez

Giving voice to the influential women of the Middle Ages who have been silenced by male gatekeepers, Ramirez's sweeping account not only highlights unjustly forgotten pioneers but also demonstrates how easily historical narratives can be manipulated.

The Middle Ages are seen as a bloodthirsty time of Vikings, saints and kings: a patriarchal society which oppressed and excluded women. But when we dig a little deeper into the truth, we can see that the 'dark' ages were anything but. 

Oxford and BBC historian Janina Ramirez has uncovered countless influential women's names struck out of historical records, with the word FEMINA annotated beside them. As gatekeepers of the past ordered books to be burnt, artworks to be destroyed, and new versions of myths, legends and historical documents to be produced, our view of history has been manipulated.

Only now, through a careful examination of the artefacts, writings and possessions they left behind, are the influential and multifaceted lives of women emerging. Femina goes beyond the official records to uncover the true impact of women like Jadwiga, the only female King in Europe, Margery Kempe, who exploited her image and story to ensure her notoriety, and the Loftus Princess, whose existence gives us clues about the beginnings of Christianity in England. See the medieval world with fresh eyes and discover why these remarkable women were removed from our collective memories.                               

In All Day Long by Joanna Biggs

The average person spends 100,000 hours of their life at work, but how much do we really know about what we do with it? What is it really like to work in advertising, to be a train driver, a sex worker or an orthodox rabbi? What do we do in our working hours, and how does that colour our life, beliefs and happiness? And what happens to how we feel about work in a recession?

Joanna Biggs finds the answers to these questions and more by talking to the interns and bosses, professionals and entrepreneurs, and thinkers and doers who make up the workforce. Her journey takes us from Parliament to the long grassed fields of the Outer Hebrides, from a hospital in Wales to the wings of the Royal Opera House, introducing us to the different worlds of work and the people who inhabit them.

Full of human detail and street-level observation, Joanna Biggs' writing combines genuine empathy with social, cultural and political awareness. Like Studs Terkel's classic book 'Working' did several decades ago in America, her book paints a portrait of the UK right now, showing us who we are through what we do.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

In 1922, Count Alexander Rostov — an aristocrat who has never worked a day in his life — is sentenced by a Bolshevik tribunal to house arrest in Moscow’s grand Metropol Hotel. Instead of being executed or exiled like many of his peers, he must live out his days in a tiny attic room, forbidden ever to step outside.

What follows is a beautifully written, warm, and often humorous story about how a man stripped of his freedom learns to build a full and meaningful life within 4 walls. Over the decades, the Count forms deep friendships with the hotel staff, a precocious young girl, and unexpected companions who challenge and enrich him. Through dinners, conversations, small adventures and changing political tides, he discovers that purpose and joy can be found even in confinement.

The novel is elegant, charming and full of wit — but also explores big themes: dignity, resilience, history, friendship, love, and what it means to live a good life amid upheaval.

A Chip Shop in Poznan by Ben Aitken

Seven of us gathered to discuss A Chip Shop in Poznań, and the short verdict was that this was not a well-liked read. For a renowned travel writer, Aitken’s approach felt surprisingly low-effort - more like a diary with footnotes than a fully developed travel narrative. Many of us were disappointed by its lack of depth and structure.

A particular sticking point was the book’s tone, which often came across as laddish and immature. While we appreciated, thanks to two members with first-hand experience of Poland, that alcohol is genuinely woven into aspects of Polish social life, we didn’t feel we needed to read our way through what seemed like a year of drinking and drunkenness. 

However, the evening’s conversation proved much richer than the book itself. Our “insiders” were able to confirm many incidental details. One of us had enjoyed the family wedding where food, vodka, food, games, more drink, more food, dancing (and so on) flowed throughout. Another visited Poland and shared a menu that, again, illustrated the importance of food and vodka! Most notably, we were assured that the Polish language is indeed notoriously difficult to learn, breaking the spirits of even the most enthusiastic linguists! Their insights brought humour and authenticity to our discussion, helping us appreciate the cultural fragments Aitken touched on.

Our chat then broadened into a lively and imaginative debate about where we might choose to live and work for a year. Poland didn’t make the list, but Italy gathered three votes, France one, and India one. We concluded that the idea of immersing oneself in a new place, with the intention of challenging one’s mindset and engaging wholeheartedly with local people, was very appealing. From there, we wandered into conversations about experiences in Russia and the Baltics, and somehow, in true book group fashion, this led us on to a lively chat about travel, languages, and even plastic!

As for whether we’d recommend A Chip Shop in Poznań: sorry, Ben, not really. It simply didn’t resonate with most of us. However, in the interest of balance, having read your other books, one of our group spoke highly of them and recommended we give The Marmalade Diaries and The Gran Tour a try.

That said, there were elements we admired. We were genuinely impressed by Aitken’s ability to be warmly welcomed into situations and homes by people he had never met before. His use of football as an icebreaker was spot-on and a reminder of how shared passions can transcend language barriers. And we found it interesting to learn how Poland had effectively been “put on the moon” for many years, and must have had a huge influence on the cultural and historical context encountered.

In the end, while the book may not have won us over, it certainly prompted a thoughtful, entertaining, and wide-ranging discussion. And sometimes, that’s the unexpected gift of a less-than-perfect read.