Next book

Sorry I didn't get the last group review done and I don't have notes with me. The next book is Bill Bryson Road to Little Dribbling - I'll sort the rest when I'm back from my holidays w.c 25th July 

Book Choices - July 2016

I totally admit it has crept up on me and it's tomorrow that we will be meeting to discuss Clochemerle AND (if you have manged it) Clochemerle Babylon, by Gabriel Chevallier. We are meeting at 8pm in Sue's garden (or conservatory) to discuss these books and celebrate the Summer.

Our book choices for the next great read are below:

The Road to Little Dribbling by Bill Bryson

Twenty years ago, Bill Bryson went on a trip around Britain to celebrate the green and kindly island that had become his adopted country. The hilarious book that resulted: Notes from a Small Island, was taken to the nation's heart and became the bestselling travel book ever, and was also voted in a BBC poll the book that best represents Britain. 

To mark the twentieth anniversary of that modern classic, Bryson makes a brand-new journey round Britain to see what has changed. Following (but not too closely) a route he dubs the Bryson Line, from Bognor Regis to Cape Wrath, by way of places that many people never get to at all, Bryson sets out to rediscover the wondrously beautiful, magnificently eccentric, endearingly unique country that he thought he knew but doesn't altogether recognize any more. Yet, despite Britain's occasional failings and more or less eternal bewilderments, Bill Bryson is still pleased to call our rainy island - Home. And not just because of the cream teas, a noble history, and an extra day off at Christmas. Once again, with his matchless homing instinct for the funniest and quirkiest, his unerring eye for the idiotic, the endearing, the ridiculous and the scandalous, Bryson gives us an acute and perceptive insight into all that is best and worst about Britain today.

Look Who's Back by Timur Vermes and Jamie Bulloch

Berlin, Summer 2011. Adolf Hitler wakes up on a patch of open ground, alive and well. Things have changed - no Eva Braun, no Nazi party, no war. Hitler barely recognises his beloved Fatherland, filled with immigrants and run by a woman.

People certainly recognise him, albeit as a flawless impersonator who refuses to break character. The unthinkable, the inevitable happens, and the ranting Hitler goes viral, becomes a YouTube star, gets his own T.V. show, and people begin to listen. But the Führer has another programme with even greater ambition - to set the country he finds a shambles back to rights.

Look Who's Back stunned and then thrilled 1.5 million German readers with its fearless approach to the most taboo of subjects. Naive yet insightful, repellent yet strangely sympathetic, the revived Hitler unquestionably has a spring in his step.

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

The Victorian language of flowers was used to express emotions: honeysuckle for devotion, azaleas for passion, and red roses for love. But for Victoria Jones, it has been more useful in communicating feelings like grief, mistrust and solitude. After a childhood spent in the foster care system, she is unable to get close to anybody, and her only connection to the world is through flowers and their meanings.

Now eighteen, Victoria has nowhere to go, and sleeps in a public park, where she plants a small garden of her own. When her talent is discovered by a local florist, she discovers her gift for helping others through the flowers she chooses for them. But it takes meeting a mysterious vendor at the flower market for her to realise what's been missing in her own life, and as she starts to fall for him, she's forced to confront a painful secret from her past, and decide whether it's worth risking everything for a second chance at happiness.

The Language of Flowers is a heartbreaking and redemptive novel from author Vanessa Diffenbaugh, about the meaning of flowers, the meaning of family, and the meaning of love.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Six of us enjoyed a surprisingly extended chat about a novel that tells the story of African-American maids in white households during the 1960's. Day to day these ladies went about their work with a professional pride. By night they took the opportunity to quietly tell their stories in a book crafted by a young white journalist who had herself known and loved her childhood maid. The book is set at the time of Civil Rights activism that helped to shape a different future for women like Aibileen, Minny, Yule Mae and their families. 

The book had to work hard for our affections. Not everyone found it an easy read, some of us were able to put it down, we hadn't all got to the end in time for book group. For others it was a page turner. So the comments bounced around between us. 

"I loved the different voices" "I felt like an outsider" "I read for hours and hours, I couldn't put it down" "I wasn't absorbed by it" and so on. All that said, everyone found this a very good book and an exceptional story. 

The white women were pretty awful, but times were changing and characters like Skeeter (the determined young white journalist) and Celia (a troubled, innocent,  'white trash' social misfit) were able to make things a little bit different. We loved them for it. 

Of the characters, we thought Hilly was particularly despicable whereas Jonny and Celia were lovely. Skeeter was before her time and definately her father's daughter. 

Our conversation moved on to the real names that feature in the book - Emmett Till and Medgar Evers - who were part of the story of the Civil Rights journey in Mississippi. Oh and today was Malcolm X day so he got a mention too.

Inevitably one of our other recent reads - Fried Green Tomatoes - was compared to The Help (they both focus on Civil Rights). The Help we thought was more political and reflected on 'the time' rather than being 'in the time.'

We enjoyed being able to 'hear' the accents as we read. We loved the relationship between Aibileen and Minny who were women of different ages and mutually supportive of each others' hard circumstances. We disliked the small mindedness and snobbery of the middle classed women. 

The most memorable line in the book simultaneously recalled by two of us "I know how to stop the teapot lid from rattling". 

As we continued deep into the evening picking up on bits of the story, lines, characters, occurrences it became clear that this book had left its mark on us all. We did all enjoy it, we do all recommend it. So, despite the mixed response this was in fact an enjoyable, thought provoking, read that we all liked very much. 

For the next couple of months we will be reading Clochemerle AND Clochemerle Babylon, both by Gabriel Chevallier and we will meet on MONDAY 11th July at 8pm in Sue's garden (or conservatory) to discuss these books and celebrate the Summer. Let's hope its a sunny evening and a date we can all make. 

Book Choices - May 2016

Our next meeting will be on Thursday 19^th May 2016 at 8pm in The Hundred of Ashendon when we will be discussing The Help by Kathryn Stockett. 

Life and Death in Shanghai by Nien Chang

A first-hand account of China's cultural revolution. Nien Cheng, an anglophile and fluent English-speaker who worked for Shell in Shanghai under Mao, was put under house arrest by Red Guards in 1966 and subsequently jailed. All attempts to make her confess to the charges of being a British spy failed; all efforts to indoctrinate her were met by a steadfast and fearless refusal to accept the terms offered by her interrogators. When she was released from prison she was told that her daughter had committed suicide. In fact Meiping had been beaten to death by Maoist revolutionaries

Clochemerle by Gabriel Chevallier 

Gabriel Chevallier's delightful novel Clochemerle satirizes the titanic confrontation of secular and religious forces in a small wine-growing village in Beaujolais. The eruption begins when the socialist mayor decides that he wants to leave behind a monument to his administration's achievements. He takes as his model the ancient Romans, who were famous for two things: hygiene and noble edifices. Thus, he decides to unite the two concepts...by constructing a public urinal in the centre of town. There is one problem, however. The chosen locale is next to the village church, and this outrages the ecclesiastical party.

Alternative/Optional Follow on: Clochemerle-Babylon

Ignorant of the outside world, the Clochemerlins had only one wish, to sell their wine and to sell it at a fair price. Was that an unreasonable demand? The thing to do was to find out what the big shots, those in power, had to say about it. Not being in office, the Opposition parties were ready to promise you the earth. They could offer to share out the moon in slices, it cost them nothing. The Socialist theory, founded on equal shares in all wealth, attracted numerous Clochemerlins. Not that they were disposed to share what they had. On the contrary they hoped, when the great share-out took place, to receive more from those who had more than themselves.

 

The Ghost Road by Pat Barker

1918, the closing months of the war. Army psychiatrist William Rivers is increasingly concerned for the men who have been in his care - particularly Billy Prior, who is about to return to combat in France with young poet Wilfred Owen. As Rivers tries to make sense of what, if anything, he has done to help these injured men, Prior and Owen await the final battles in a war that has decimated a generation ... The Ghost Road is the Booker Prize-winning account of the devastating final months of the First World War.

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

10 members or our group met to discuss this book and the conversation flowed as we unwrapped layer after layer of this wonderful story. 

For the first time in a long time we were unanimous - we loved this book. It was easy to read with short chapters and it was brought up to date at the end which gave us a kind of 'closure'. This is a beautifully written GOOD BOOK with an atmosphere that draws in the reader.

The story is a cleverly presented account of the German occupation of France in WW2. It is told through the parallel lives of two young people: Marie-Laure and Werner whose lives were connected despite their being on opposing sides.

Werner: In Nazi Germany, a young orphan boy who lives in a sparse children’s home with his young sister. He is exceptionally bright and curious with a knack for fixing radios. He fixes one old radio and becomes spellbound by a nightly science program broadcast from France. His talents in maths and science win him a coveted spot in a Hitler Youth Academy. This is his only chance of escape from a grim life working in the same deadly coal mines that killed his father.

Marie-Laure: In Paris, France,  a shy, freckled redhead. She is intuitive, clever and sensitive. She lives with her locksmith father who works at a museum. When she goes blind from a degenerative disease at the age of six, her father builds a detailed miniature model of their neighbourhood, so she can memorise every street, building and corner by tracing the model with her nimble fingers. When the Germans attack Paris she and her father must flee to the coastal town of Saint-Malo to live with a great-uncle who lives in a tall house next to a sea wall.

There were some surprising turns in terms of timing and outcomes. Things you expect to happen do so, but not when you most expect them to.

The obvious brain-washing of the Hitler Youth was well described and we felt the book could be set anywhere at any time as the same things are still going on today. The plight of the ordinary German people during WW2 was also well represented and we imagine it was probably worse for them than for the UK as they were suppressed and controlled by their own leaders as well as coming under the attack by their enemies. 

We warmed to most of the characters including Marie-Laure's father Daniel, her uncle Etienne, the museum porters and academics, the people of Saint-Malo, Frederick, Frederick's mother and so on. It was Marie-Laure we loved most and she was also loved by those around her in her life. She was gentle, often frightened yet determined enough to make the right decisions. 

Werner was the other favourite. He was a lovely lad in a situation where he had no real option but to comply (as the fate of his academy friend, Frederick, proved). Werner did try to stand up to orders but this led to his early departure from the academy. Eventually though, at the point where he could finally take control, he made a right decision thanks to his gentle giant friend and colleague Frank Volkheimer who quietly turned a blind eye. Jutta, Werner's sister, was a strong character who may well have challenged the 'status quo' had she been in Werner's shoes (probably to her own detriment). 

Frau Elena the German housekeeper and Madame Manec the French housekeeper were both strong characters who cared deeply for the people they looked after. Both went far beyond expectations to keep their 'charges' safe. 

We most disliked Sargeant Major Von Rumpel who stood out as an individual seemingly operating for his own interest.

Would we recommend this book? Yes, highly!

As an end note, we are lucky enough to have a Parisienne in our group who took the time to illustrate and share her very local knowledge of the area in and around the Jardin des Plantes. This is where Marie-Laure and her father lived  and where he worked at the Natural History museum. The botanical garden looks exceptionally beautiful and has been added to our list of Book Group places to visit when in Paris.

Our next meeting will be on Thursday 19^th May 2016 at 8pm in The Hundred of Ashendon when we will be discussing The Help by Kathryn Stockett. 

Free Online Course - Gabriel Garcia Marquez

For anyone who is not aware, there is an organisation called Future Learn who offer a diverse selection of online courses to anyone who registers, and they are free.

I have completed a number of these courses, which are authored by leading academic institutions throughout the world. Thanks to Future Learn my knowledge now spans an eclectic mix of subjects including World Food Poverty, Hadrian's Wall, Renewable Energy and World War 1 Heroism.

Imagine my delight when one of the authors we have recently enjoyed popped up on the list of courses available. I have signed up for the course, which starts on 30th May, and thought I would share, and encourage, my fellow Book Group members to join up if interested.

Click Here to find out more about the Gabriel Garcia Marquez online learning opportunity.

Book Choices - March 2016

Our next meeting is THURSDAY 24th March 8pm at The Hundred of Ashendon. We will be discussing All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr.

Book choices for our next read are as follows - please email me (Sian) if you can't make the meeting and have a preference.

The Art of Being Brilliant by Andy Cope and Andy Whittaker

This short, small, highly illustrated book will fill you to the brim with happiness, positivity, wellbeing and, most importantly, success! Andy Cope and Andy Whittaker are experts in the art of happiness and positive psychology and The Art of Being Brilliant is crammed full of good advice, instructive case studies, inspiring quotes, some funny stuff and important questions to make you think about your work, relationships and life.

You see being brilliant, successful and happy isn t about dramatic change, it s about finding out what really works for you and doing more of it! The authors lay down their six common–sense principles that will ensure you focus on what you re good at and become super brilliant both at work and at home.

A richly illustrated, 2 colour, small book full of humour, inspiring quotes and solid advice.

A great read with a serious underlying message how to foster positivity and bring about success in every aspect of your life

Outlines six common–sense principles that will help you ensure you are the best you can be.

Friday's Child by Georgette Heyer

Rejected by the incomparable Miss Milborne for his unsteadiness of character, wild Lord Sheringham is bent on avenging Fate and coming into his fortune. But the very first woman he should see is Hero Wantage, the young and charmingly unsophisticated chit, who has loved him since childhood ...

Friday's Child is a typically sweeping historical romance by the queen of the genre, who for fifty years won the hearts of readers worldwide and has found a new devoted readership in the twenty-first century.

The Help by Kathryn Stockett

A phenomenal international bestseller (that inspired the Oscar nominated film) by Kathryn Stockett.

Enter a vanished and unjust world: Jackson, Mississippi, 1962. Where black maids raise white children, but aren't trusted not to steal the silver . . .

There's Aibileen, raising her seventeenth white child and nursing the hurt caused by her own son's tragic death; Minny, whose cooking is nearly as sassy as her tongue; and white Miss Skeeter, home from College, who wants to know why her beloved maid has disappeared.

Skeeter, Aibileen and Minny. No one would believe they'd be friends; fewer still would tolerate it. But as each woman finds the courage to cross boundaries, they come to depend and rely upon one another. Each is in a search of a truth. And together they have an extraordinary story to tell...