Reading Choices to Lighten Up Unprecedented Times

We will meet for the second time by Zoom on Thursday 23rd April, for our virtual meeting. Our book choices are the result of Sue's research into 'uplifting' books for a period of lockdown. Here they are:

What Ho!: The Best of Wodehouse: The Best of P.G.Wodehouse 

We all know Jeeves and Wooster, but which is the best Jeeves story?
We all know Blandings, but which is the funniest tale about Lord Emsworth and his adored prize-winning pig? And would the best of Ukridge, or the yarns of the Oldest Member, or Wodehouse's Hollywood stories outdo them? This bumper anthology allows you to choose, bringing you the cream of the crop of stories by the twentieth century's greatest humorous writer.

There are favourites aplenty in this selection, which has been compiled with enthusiastic support from P.G. Wodehouse societies around the world. With additional material including novel extracts, working drafts, articles, letters and poems, this anthology provides the best overall celebration of side-splitting humour and sheer good nature available in the pages of any book.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

On 21 June 1922 Count Alexander Rostov – recipient of the Order of Saint Andrew, member of the Jockey Club, Master of the Hunt – is escorted out of the Kremlin, across Red Square and through the elegant revolving doors of the Hotel Metropol.

But instead of being taken to his usual suite, he is led to an attic room with a window the size of a chessboard. Deemed an unrepentant aristocrat by a Bolshevik tribunal, the Count has been sentenced to house arrest indefinitely.

While Russia undergoes decades of tumultuous upheaval, the Count, stripped of the trappings that defined his life, is forced to question what makes us who we are. And with the assistance of a glamorous actress, a cantankerous chef and a very serious child, Rostov unexpectedly discovers a new understanding of both pleasure and purpose.

The Switch by Beth O'Leary

Leena is too young to feel stuck.
Eileen is too old to start over.
Maybe it's time for The Switch...

Ordered to take a two-month sabbatical after blowing a big presentation at work, Leena escapes to her grandmother Eileen's house for some overdue rest. Newly single and about to turn eighty, Eileen would like a second chance at love. But her tiny Yorkshire village doesn't offer many eligible gentlemen... So Leena proposes a solution: a two-month swap. Eileen can live in London and look for love, and Leena will look after everything in rural Yorkshire.

But with a rabble of unruly OAPs to contend with, as well as the annoyingly perfect - and distractingly handsome - local schoolteacher, Leena learns that switching lives isn't straightforward. Back in London, Eileen is a huge hit with her new neighbours, and with the online dating scene. But is her perfect match nearer to home than she first thought?


We will meet to discuss our current read: A Month in the Country by JL Carr at 8pm on Thursday 23rd April, by ZOOM.  Jitsi was also suggested as an alternative to Zoom because it offers unlimited time, but having sent details out to various members of our group by various methods I was concerned someone would get missed if we changed tack this time. So, 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. We can always take a quick break and start another session if we need/want to. And let's discuss the Jitsi option if we have time, hopefully I will have managed to test it between now and then.

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.

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.

The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison

Just 4 of our group met to discuss this book.

One of our 4 had been unable to get a copy of the book from the local library service and had not read it. So the other 3 of us had a lovely time recounting the story and reading short extracts to illustrate our commentary and to highlight the superb way in which Toni Morrison writes.

The story focuses on the lives of black Americans living in Ohio in the 1940's. The story of each character is told and then pieced together, with the other stories, into a haunting tale of lives in a time, and place, where prejudice and poverty led to tragedy and guilt. Indeed one of our absent members declared her own feelings of guilt for "something our own country is partly responsible for".

The characters (white, black, mixed race, poor, comfortable, rich) were all, in some way, part of the life of a young black girl, Percola, who lives in the poorest of circumstances. Despite her grim life, all Percola wants is to have blue eyes.

It is hard to say whether our discussion is really representative of our group. I came home to an email from a member of our group who said: I started but got bored, disliked the style of writing and generally felt that life was too short to persevere with a book I’m not enjoying! So, not everyone enjoyed it and I suspect some other members of our group didn't come along because it was dismal weather and the enthusiasm to discuss this book was just not there.

So, would we recommend it? I don't really know. It's quite a personal read. I think it's one to try and probably not an ideal book for group discussion.

Here's hoping for a more invigorating discussion when we all meet again after Christmas having read our next choice, and final book of the decade: Early one Morning by Virginia Baily which we will discuss at 8pm in The Hundred of Ashendon on Thursday 16th January 2020.

Reading Choices for the Festive Season

So, we need a good read for the Christmas period, in readiness for a nice long session at our local pub in cold and Frosty January.  The choices are here.

We will meet at 8pm on Thursday 21st November in The Hundred of Ashendon to discuss The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison and then choose our next book from the below.

I am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes

"Pilgrim" is an American former intelligence agent known as the "Rider of the Blue" who later writes a book on forensic pathology. Pilgrim becomes involved in a case in New York City where a mysterious woman uses his book to commit untraceable murders in the aftermath of 9/11.

The "Saracen" is a Saudi who becomes radicalised by watching his father's beheading. He later trains as a doctor and fights in the Soviet–Afghan War. Pilgrim is recalled to the intelligence community who have detected a threat involving the Saracen, who has created a vaccine-resistant strain of the variola major virus.

Early One Morning by Virginia Baily

Two women's decision to save a child during WWII will have powerful reverberations over the years.

Chiara Ravello is about to flee occupied Rome when she locks eyes with a woman being herded on to a truck with her family.

Claiming the woman's son, Daniele, as her own nephew, Chiara demands his return; only as the trucks depart does she realize what she has done. She is twenty-seven, with a sister who needs her constant care, a hazardous journey ahead, and now a child in her charge.

Several decades later, Chiara lives alone in Rome, a self-contained woman working as a translator. Always in the background is the shadow of Daniele, whose absence and the havoc he wrought on Chiara's world haunt her. Then she receives a phone call from a teenager claiming to be his daughter, and Chiara knows it is time to face up to the past.

A Passage to India by E.M. Forster

When Adela Quested and her elderly companion Mrs Moore arrive in the Indian town of Chandrapore, they quickly feel trapped by its insular and prejudiced 'Anglo-Indian' community. Determined to escape the parochial English enclave and explore the 'real India', they seek the guidance of the charming and mercurial Dr Aziz, a cultivated Indian Muslim. But a mysterious incident occurs while they are exploring the Marabar caves with Aziz, and the well-respected doctor soon finds himself at the centre of a scandal that rouses violent passions among both the British and their Indian subjects. A masterful portrait of a society in the grip of imperialism, A Passage to India compellingly depicts the fate of individuals caught between the great political and cultural conflicts of the modern world.