2022
November 2022 - Little Fires Everywhere - Celeste Ng
Synopsis
In Shaker Heights, a placid, progressive suburb of Cleveland, everything is meticulously planned - from the layout of the winding roads, to the colours of the houses, to the successful lives its residents will go on to lead. And no one embodies this spirit more than Elena Richardson, whose guiding principle is playing by the rules. 
Enter Mia Warren - an enigmatic artist and single mother- who arrives in this idyllic bubble with her teenage daughter Pearl, and rents a house from the Richardsons. Soon Mia and Pearl become more than just tenants: all four Richardson children are drawn to the mother-daughter pair. But Mia carries with her a mysterious past, and a disregard for the rules that threatens to upend this carefully ordered community.
When old family friends attempt to adopt a Chinese-American baby, a custody battle erupts that dramatically divides the town - and puts Mia and Elena on opposing sides. Suspicious of Mia and her motives, Elena is determined to uncover the secrets in Mia's past. But her obsession will come at an unexpected and devastating cost . . .

Discussion
Enjoyed by all. Easy read, Lots of discussion surrounding the different lifestyles of the families, motherhood, relationships, teenage angst, how the characters gave support to each other in their own ways.
This is the second book we have read by this author and we were agreeable to reading her next novel (our missing hearts) at a later date


October 2022 - Antigona and Me - Kate Clanchy
Synopsis
Kate Clanchy is a writer, privileged and sheltered, Antigona is a refugee from Kosovo. On instinct, Kate offers Antigona a job as a nanny, and Antigona, equally shrewdly, accepts. Over the next five years and a thousand cups of coffee Antigona's extraordinary story slowly emerges. This book is the product of that friendship.

Discussion
Antigona was mostly liked by everyone, some found the reading matter difficult as well as eye opening, we discussed the difficult living conditions of so many different cultures and the rules people have to live with.


September 2022 - My Name Is Leon -  Kit De Waal
Synopsis
It's 1981, a year of riots and royal weddings. The Dukes of Hazzard is on TV. Curly Wurlys are in the shops. And trying to find a place in it all is nine-year-old Leon. He and his little brother Jake have gone to live with Maureen. They've lost one home, but have they found another?
Maureen feeds and looks after them. She has wild red hair and mutters swearwords under her breath when she thinks they can't hear. She claims everything will be okay. But will they ever see their mother again? Who are the couple who secretly visit Jake? Between the street violence and the street parties, Leon must find a way to reunite his family . . .

Discussion
A sad but an enjoyable and uplifting easy read was the general consensus
The believable characters were a motley crew but all came up trumps for Leon.
We thought it had been a good debut novel for the author who had clearly drew on her own experiences
We discussed the difficulties surrounding placing children for adoption especially sibling groups.
Lots of general discussion on parenthood, racism, behaviour and other related subjects


2021

No reviews, due to Covid

2020

May 2020 - The Count Of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas


April 2020 - The Cellist of Sarajevo - Steven Galloway
Synopsis
Snipers in the hills overlook the shattered streets of Sarajevo. Knowing that the next bullet could strike at any moment, the ordinary men and women below strive to go about their daily lives as best they can. Kenan faces the agonizing dilemma of crossing the city to get water for his family. Dragan, gripped by fear, does not know who among his friends he can trust. And Arrow, a young woman counter-sniper must push herself to the limits - of body and soul, fear and humanity.
Told with immediacy, grace and harrowing emotional accuracy, The Cellist of Sarajevo shows how, when the everyday act of crossing the street can risk lives, the human spirit is revealed in all its fortitude - and frailty.

Discussion
No meeting due to Covid-19 - Reviews shared online between group members


March 2020 - A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
Synopsis (From Amazon)
Set in the mid-1970s in India, A Fine Balance tells the story of four unlikely people whose lives come together during a time of political turmoil soon after the government declares a 'State of Internal Emergency'. Through days of bleakness and hope, their circumstances - and their fates - become inextricably linked in ways no one could have foreseen.

Discussions
Not all present had finished the book, though were intending to do so. Reviews had been sent and were read out.
We discussed the characters in the book and how they coped with their lives amongst the poverty and class system in India.
We compared the situation at the time of the book with the situation now, had things changed much?
Agreed to spend some time at the next meeting to discuss this book further to give others a chance to share their views.


February 2020 - Iris And Ruby - Rosie Thomas
Synopsis (From Amazon)
The unexpected arrival of her wilful teenage granddaughter, Ruby, brings life and disorder to 82-year-old Iris Black's old house in Cairo. Ruby, driven away from England by her fraught relationship with her own mother, is seeking refuge with the grandmother she hasn't seen for years.
An unlikely bond develops as Ruby helps Iris document her fading memories of the glittering, cosmopolitan Cairo of World War Two, and of her one true love the enigmatic Captain Xan Molyneux whom she lost to the ravages of war.
This lost love shaped Iris's past and will affect Ruby's future in ways they could not have imagined...

Discussion
Iris and Ruby had been a fairly easy read so we had all managed to finish the book. A few of us really enjoyed the story and the rest thought it was just ok, no one disliked it.
The story was fairly predictable,
The descriptions of Cairo past and present were lifelike enjoyable, we thought the author had done a lot of research to achieve this.
Some of us didn't really like the characters.
Going back and forth between war time and present day worked well
We had a discussion regarding the contrast between the life of British officers in Egypt and that of the local people.
There was some discussion on the relationships between the female characters in the book


January 2020 - A Man Called Ove - Fredrik Backman
Synopsis (from Amazon)
At first sight, Ove is almost certainly the grumpiest man you will ever meet. He thinks himself surrounded by idiots - neighbours who can't reverse a trailer properly, joggers, shop assistants who talk in code, and the perpetrators of the vicious coup d'etat that ousted him as Chairman of the Residents' Association. He will persist in making his daily inspection rounds of the local streets.
But isn't it rare, these days, to find such old-fashioned clarity of belief and deed? Such unswerving conviction about what the world should be, and a lifelong dedication to making it just so?
In the end, you will see, there is something about Ove that is quite irresistible...

Discussion
This was a popular read, nearly all of us enjoyed it and would consider reading other novels by this author
We discussed the main character, there had been some initial dislike to Ove but we did warm to him.
We enjoyed the personality of the cat.
There was some discussion on grumpiness, does it come with age?
We went through the suggested reading group questions at the back of the book.
A Man called Ove has been made into a film, the current one is Swedish with English (or Farsi) subtitles, we were pleased to discover a new English version is being produced starring Tom Hanks, it was suggested we could have a group outing to see this.

2019
December 2019 - The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
Synopsis from Amazon
It's 1946 and author Juliet Ashton can't think what to write next. Out of the blue, she receives a letter from Dawsey Adams of Guernsey - by chance, he's acquired a book that once belonged to her - and, spurred on by their mutual love of reading, they begin a correspondence. When Dawsey reveals that he is a member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, her curiosity is piqued and it's not long before she begins to hear from other members. As letters fly back and forth with stories of life in Guernsey under the German Occupation, Juliet soon realizes that the society is every bit as extraordinary as its name.

Discussion
The book was well received, most of us had managed to finish and enjoy it. We were spilt on the style of writing, there was some dislike of the story being in letter form, it was not always easy to work out who the letters were from and to without referring back as they were in a similar style.
Lack of depth with the story led to some of us not feeling we had got to know and like the characters
We discussed;
Wartime poverty and how resourceful people were
The German occupation of the Channel Isles
Were all the Germans bad?
Elizabeth's relationship with the German soldier, in reality would the islanders be so accepting of Elizabeth and her child?
Would we send our children away if war was to break out today? can we really say what we would do when under pressure and orders from the government?


November 2019 - The 2½  Pillars of Wisdom - Alexander McCall Smith
Synopsis
Von Igelfeld inhabits the rarefied world of the Institute of Romance Philology at Regensburg, a world he shares with his equally tall and equally ridiculous colleagues, Professors Florianus Prinzel and Detlev Amadeus Unterholzer. Their unlikely adventures are described in three deliciously funny instalments: Portuguese Irregular Verbs, The Finer Points of Sausage Dogs and At the Villa of Reduced Circumstances.

Discussion
Not a popular choice unfortunately, one of us loved it, a couple of us thought it good in parts and rest did not think much of it at all.
We discussed the main character Von Igelfeld, not very socially apt, got himself into difficult situations, was he on the spectrum? there was some discussion on academics, comparing modern day university professors to the three portrayed in the novel
Some of us had previously enjoyed reading other works of the author, e.g. the 44 Scotland Street series and the Number One ladies Detective Agency so had been disappointed by this book.
After finding out about the good work the author does for others, we wished we could have been more charitable about his book!


October 2019 - The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho
Synopsis (From Amazon)
Paulo Coelho's masterpiece tells the mystical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure. His quest will lead him to riches far different—and far more satisfying—than he ever imagined. Santiago's journey teaches us about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, of recognizing opportunity and learning to read the omens strewn along life's path, and, most importantly, to follow our dreams.

Discussion
Most of us managed to finished the book, it was a short easy read. There were mixed reviews, some felt it was to "preachy" did not live up to the hype about it. There was much in the book relating to the meaning of life so relative to us all. Despite being preachy we agreed parts of the story were enjoyable for example Santiago's early life as a shepherd and his time working for the crystal merchant.
We discussed how the story reflected a lot of the author's life, he had a difficult childhood, parents committed him to a mental institution, he suffered torture and imprisonment took drugs and led a hippy style life in the sixties, later made a good living but on 500 mile pilgrimage walk realised he needed to follow his dream of being a writer.
We went on to discuss is it right to follow your dreams at any cost or is it selfish?


September 2019 - The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Synopsis (From Amazon)
Shocking and controversial when it was first published in 1939, Steinbeck's Pulitzer prize-winning epic remains his undisputed masterpiece. Set against the background of dust bowl Oklahoma and Californian migrant life, it tells of the Joad family, who, like thousands of others, are forced to travel West in search of the promised land. Their story is one of false hopes, thwarted desires and broken dreams, yet out of their suffering Steinbeck created a drama that is intensely human, yet majestic in its scale and moral vision; an eloquent tribute to the endurance and dignity of the human spirit.

Discussion
We hadn't all managed to finish the book, it had taken some us longer than anticipated due to the language making it necessary to take it slowly. We all enjoyed the read and had been amazed at the resilience of the Joad family in keeping going and staying positive despite their extreme hardships.
We looked at the role of Ma and how she was key in keeping the family together.
Despite having very little, the characters in the book were usually more than happy to share what they had and to help others out. More so than the better off. This generated some discussion.
We had a discussion on migration and made comparisons with the Joads and families of today, was it really very different?


August 2019 - The Water Babies - Charles Kingsley
This was our summer lunch get together with book groups one and two, the Classic choice was The Water Babies


July 2019 - Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman
Synopsis - From Amazon
Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend.
Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything.
One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted – while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she’s avoided all her life.
Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than… fine?

Discussion
Good read, enjoyed by all. Likable characters especially Raymond. The story showed the power of kindness and human interaction. Sad and funny, lovely to see Eleanor emerging from her solitary repetitive life. Can people change with the right influences in their lives? This led to a discussion on Asperger's Syndrome and Autism, was Eleanor on the spectrum?


June 2019 - Toast - Nigel Slater
Synopsis (from Amazon)
Toast is Nigel Slater’s award-winning biography of a childhood remembered through food. Whether recalling his mother’s surprisingly good rice pudding, his father’s bold foray into spaghetti and his dreaded Boxing Day stew, or such culinary highlights as Arctic Roll and Grilled Grapefruit (then considered something of a status symbol in Wolverhampton), this remarkable memoir vividly recreates daily life in 1960s suburban England.
Likes and dislikes, aversions and sweet-toothed weaknesses form a fascinating backdrop to Nigel Slater’s incredibly moving and deliciously evocative portrait of childhood, adolescence and sexual awakening.

Discussion
A popular choice with the majority. Brought back lots of memories of food from our childhood.
Nigel was quite harsh about his stepmother in the book and we discussed whether she was really this bad or was she doing her best.
The story stops when the author reaches 18 years, we had some discussion re what happened next.
Also discussed issues re sexuality and the author's relationship with his father.


May 2019 - The Rivers Of London - Ben Aaronovitch
Synopsis (From Wikipedia)
The novel centres around the adventures of Peter Grant, a young officer in the Metropolitan Police; who, following an unexpected encounter with a ghost, is recruited into the small branch of the Met that deals with magic and the supernatural.
Peter Grant, having become the first English apprentice wizard in over seventy years, must immediately deal with two different but ultimately inter-related cases. In one he must find what is possessing ordinary people and turning them into vicious killers, and in the second he must broker a peace between the two warring gods of the River Thames and their respective families.

Discussion
This unfortunately was not a popular read with our group, only a few of us managed to finish it, Therefore not much to discuss. Comments included;"boring" "tedious" "much better things I could be reading". However the book has had very good reviews so possibly a hit with lovers of Science Fiction and fantasy novels,
The author himself proved to be more interesting to us and on hearing about his difficult childhood, his struggles with his weight and a poor relationship with his mother we felt sorry for him and wished we had like the book!
Ben Aaronovitch has written a book about his parents called Party Animals: My Family and Other Communists. We thought this might be an interesting read.


April 2019 - Hearts and Minds - Amanda Craig
Synopsis (from Amazon)
Rich or poor, five people, seemingly very different, find their lives in the capital connected in undreamed-of ways. There is Job, the illegal mini-cab driver whose wife in Zimbabwe no longer answers his letters; Ian, the idealistic supply teacher in exile from South Africa; Katie from New York, jilted and miserable as a dogsbody at a political magazine, and fifteen-year-old Anna, trafficked into sexual slavery. Polly Noble, an overworked human rights lawyer, knows better than most how easy it is to fall through the cracks into the abyss. Yet when her au pair, Iryna, disappears, Polly's own needs and beliefs drag her family into a world of danger, deceit and terror.
Riveting, humane, engaging, HEARTS AND MINDS is a novel that is both entertaining and prepared to ask the most serious questions about the way we live.

Discussion
Well received, enjoyed by the majority. Most of us finished the book. We agreed it was hard to read at times especially in relation to the teenagers sold into the sex trade. There was much discussion on human trafficking and slavery. We looked at how the seeming moralistic middle classes can turn a blind eye when employing cheap labour is to their advantage as in the case of Polly the human rights lawyer who employed an illegal worker.
We felt we got to know the characters, there was much respect for Job the minicab driver, who strived to do his best and remained positive about his life despite his hardships
We went on to talk about how big companies used to exploit workers yet indulge the senior managers and ignore their peccadilloes. personal experiences were shared and there was some discussion whether "The Rambler" publication and the goings on in it offices was meant to draw a parallel with "The Spectator"


March 2019 - Everything I Never Told You - Celeste Ng
Synopsis (From Amazon)
Lydia is the favourite child of Marilyn and James Lee; a girl who inherited her mother's bright blue eyes and her father's jet-black hair. Her parents are determined that Lydia will fulfil the dreams they were unable to pursue - in Marilyn's case that her daughter become a doctor rather than a homemaker, in James's case that Lydia be popular at school, a girl with a busy social life and the centre of every party. But Lydia is under pressures that have nothing to do with growing up in 1970s small town Ohio. Her father is an American born of first-generation Chinese immigrants, and his ethnicity, and hers, make them conspicuous in any setting.
When Lydia's body is found in the local lake, James is consumed by guilt and sets out on a reckless path that may destroy his marriage. Marilyn, devastated and vengeful, is determined to make someone accountable, no matter what the cost. Lydia's older brother, Nathan, is convinced that local bad boy Jack is somehow involved. But it's the youngest in the family - Hannah - who observes far more than anyone realises and who may be the only one who knows what really happened.

Discussion
This book was popular with group, most of us managed to finish it.
We looked at how childhood experiences affected James and Marilyn's parenting of their three children. This led to much discussion regarding parenting, there was some sharing of our own experiences.
There was much hiding of feelings and misunderstanding of situations in the story, we wondered how different the outcome for the characters could have been if there had been more sharing and honesty.
The story was set in 1977, the characters experienced racism and sexism, we looked at how this affected their lives. Would this still happen 40 years on?


February 2019 - Reservoir 13 - Jon McGregor
Synopsis - (From Amazon)
Midwinter in the early years of this century. A teenage girl on holiday has gone missing in the hills at the heart of England. The villagers are called up to join the search, fanning out across the moors as the police set up roadblocks and a crowd of news reporters descends on their usually quiet home.
Meanwhile, there is work that must still be done: cows milked, fences repaired, stone cut, pints poured, beds made, sermons written, a pantomime rehearsed.
The search for the missing girl goes on, but so does everyday life. As it must.

Discussion
As usual there were mixed views from "couldn't get into it despite trying a few times" to " I loved it"
There was much disappointment about not finding out what had happened to the missing girl and where she was buried.
The repetitive nature of the book was disliked by some of us and enjoyed by others.
There was much agreement re trying to keep track of who was who, there were many characters but we struggled to get to know them. But did it matter to the story?

2018
November 2018 - The Glass Palace - Amitav Ghosh
Synopsis
Set in Burma during the British invasion of 1885, this masterly novel by Amitav Ghosh tells the story of Rajkumar, a poor boy lifted on the tides of political and social chaos, who goes on to create an empire in the Burmese teak forest. When soldiers force the royal family out of the Glass Palace and into exile, Rajkumar befriends Dolly, a young woman in the court of the Burmese Queen, whose love will shape his life. He cannot forget her, and years later, as a rich man, he goes in search of her. The struggles that have made Burma, India, and Malaya the places they are today are illuminated in this wonderful novel.

Discussion
A mixed response to this read, some loved it and did not want to put it down, others not so keen, not all of us managed to finish it.
Chris was unable to attend but said she had enjoyed learning about the culture and history of Burma, she said she loved the descriptions of the lives of the people and what they went through and found this type of book fascinating.
We agreed it was at times difficult to keep track of people and places, the paperback copies had a useful map. A family tree would have been helpful.
There were lots of lovely descriptions in the book for example re the logging processes and the elephants but not so much about the characters, some of us felt we did not get to know them enough to feel empathy for them.
There was some disappointment regarding the ending, (for the group members who had finished the book) it seemed to finish abruptly with everyone dying off.
We went on to have a discussion regarding Britain's colonization of many parts of the world, looking at positives and negatives.


October 2018 - Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
Synopsis (from Amazon)
Jane Eyre ranks as one of the greatest and most perennially popular works of English fiction. Although the poor but plucky heroine is outwardly of plain appearance, she possesses an indomitable spirit, a sharp wit and great courage.
She is forced to battle against the exigencies of a cruel guardian, a harsh employer and a rigid social order. All of which circumscribe her life and position when she becomes governess to the daughter of the mysterious, sardonic and attractive Mr Rochester.
However, there is great kindness and warmth in this epic love story, which is set against the magnificent backdrop of the Yorkshire moors. Ultimately the grand passion of Jane and Rochester is called upon to survive cruel revelation, loss and reunion, only to be confronted with tragedy.

Discussion
The book proved to be a great success, it was enjoyed by all, Chris was unable to attend the meeting but sent a message saying how she had been captivated by the by the book and with the descriptions and drama found it difficult to put down.
We discussed the style of writing and how it differed to the style of many modern authors. We could imagine we were there by the descriptions
We looked at how hard life would have been in Jane Eyre's time and how people more readily accepted their station in life, we found Jane to be feisty but still submissive, perhaps not typical of the time.
We discussed the characters, the kindness of Mrs Temple and how this made Jane's life more bearable but we were divided on Mr Rochester, some of us could see his charm and attraction other thought he was just a rogue.


September 2018 - The Sixth Man - David Baldacci
Synopsis (from Amazon)
When alleged serial killer Edgar Roy is locked away in Cutter's Rock psychiatric unit, private investigators Sean King and Michelle Maxwell are called in by Roy's lawyer, Ted Bergin, to examine the case further. But the investigation is derailed before it begins when Bergin is found murdered in his car on the highway.
A sinister trail of terrifying events begins to unfold as King and Maxwell attempt to determine Roy's guilt or innocence. When the FBI becomes involved, it fast becomes apparent that there's much more to this case than meets the eye. As they dig deeper into Roy's past and learn about his phenomenal ability, they are bombarded with obstacles, half-truths, and dead ends which make filtering the facts all the more difficult.

Discussion
There were mixed views on the book, some of us loved it, others did not enjoy it at all and the rest of us sat in the middle.
Unlike many of our previous reads, this book did not create the usual volume of interesting discussion. We looked how the use of Americanisms made the story somewhat confusing. We also looked at the style of writing, quite simplistic, not wordy and at times unclear who was speaking.
The book had lots of twists and turns and kept the reader guessing.
The sixth man is number 5 of a series of 6 books about detectives King and Maxwell, reading the previous books was not necessary to follow the plot but we wondered if we had read them we may have got to know the main characters and perhaps got more from the book.


July 2018 - A Little Life - Hanya Yanagihara
Synopsis - (From Amazon)
When four classmates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they're broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their centre of gravity. Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he'll not only be unable to overcome--but that will define his life forever.

Discussion
Not our most successful read, only two of us managed to finish it, the book was lengthy with over 700 pages and had small print this combined with the harrowing contents made it a difficult read.
Despite this we were able to have a good discussion around it. We looked at Jude's life, it was truly terrible, going from one abusive relationship to another. Yet he seemed unable to accept there were good people around him who cared.
We discussed how true to life this was, were there people experiencing this?
We had a discussion on self harm, why do people do this? and are we forever shaped by our early experiences or can we move on.


June 2018 - The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly - Su-Mi Hwang
Synopsis - From Penguin Random House
This is the story of a hen named Sprout. No longer content to lay eggs on command, only to have them carted off to the market, she glimpses her future every morning through the barn doors, where the other animals roam free, and comes up with a plan to escape into the wild—and to hatch an egg of her own.
An anthem for freedom, individuality and motherhood featuring a plucky, spirited heroine who rebels against the tradition-bound world of the barnyard, The Hen Who Dreamed She Could Fly is a novel of universal resonance that also opens a window on Korea, where it has captivated millions of readers. And with its array of animal characters—the hen, the duck, the rooster, the dog, the weasel—it calls to mind such classics in English as Animal Farm and Charlotte’s Web.

Discussion
The book was generally enjoyed by us all. It was very short and simplistic, we thought it would appeal to the younger reader on a different level. Sprout's life was very much a reflection of our own. Sprout's desire and determination to raise a child and protect it to the end led to much discussion on subjects such parenthood, altruism prejudice and adoption. We even felt some sympathy for Sprout's enemy the weasel who we discovered was a mother just trying to feed and protect her own family.


May 2018 - Americanah - Chimanada Ngozi Adichie
Synopsis (from BookBrowse)
As teenagers in a Lagos secondary school, Ifemelu and Obinze fall in love. Their Nigeria is under military dictatorship, and people are leaving the country if they can. Ifemelu - beautiful, self-assured - departs for America to study. She suffers defeats and triumphs, finds and loses relationships and friendships, all the while feeling the weight of something she never thought of back home: race. Obinze - the quiet, thoughtful son of a professor - had hoped to join her, but post-9/11 America will not let him in, and he plunges into a dangerous, undocumented life in London.
Years later, Obinze is a wealthy man in a newly democratic Nigeria, while Ifemelu has achieved success as a writer of an eye-opening blog about race in America. But when Ifemelu returns to Nigeria, and she and Obinze reignite their shared passion - for their homeland and for each other - they will face the toughest decisions of their lives.

Discussion
This was a lengthy read not helped by the very small print so not all of us had managed to finish the book, views varied from a very good read to anger provoking
We discussed the two main characters Ifemelu and Obinze and how their lives changed when they left Nigeria, we looked at their struggles to survive in England and America and the lengths they were prepared to go to pay the rent or get a visa for example. We had much discussion on race issues and wondered how true to life the experiences of the characters in the book were.
We shared some of our own experiences in relation to race issues and inequalities.


April 2018 - On Chesil Beach - Ian McEwan
Synopsis
Ian McEwan's emotionally charged novel follows an inexperienced young couple through their disastrous wedding night at a Dorset hotel in 1962. Very much in love, Edward and Florence are predictably nervous, but for different reasons.
He longs to consummate the marriage; she is repelled by the very idea. Locked in their inhibitions and utterly unable to discuss their fears and needs, they are victims not only of personal experience but of a distinctively British brand of repression destined to crumble in the sexual revolution.

Discussion
There were varying opinions about the book, from very sad to a load of rubbish but we all managed to read it.
We looked at the relationship between Florence and Edward, were they really in love? or just needing to be married for their own reasons?
The disastrous wedding night was set in 1962, we discussed whether a couple could have been so naive about sex, we agreed it was possible but would have been more realistic if it had been a few decades earlier. Would they have still married if the incident had taken place before they wed?
We looked at the couple's upbringings, how much did this play a part in what happened. Why were Florence and Edward unable to communicate?
Did we really get to know the characters? was Florence asexual? was her music the only way she could express herself. Were Edward's feelings for Florence just based on lust?


March 2018 - The Lovely Bones By Alice Sebold
Synopsis (from e-bay)
"My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973"
In heaven, Susie Salmon can have whatever she wishes for - except what she most wants, which is to be back with the people she loved on earth. In the wake of her murder, Susie watches as her happy suburban family is torn apart by grief; as her friends grow up, fall in love, and do all the things she never had the chance to do herself. But as Susie will come to realize, even in death, life is not quite out of reach . . .

Discussion
Review from Judith
"I sort of enjoyed the book .I thought she took a very good approach to write about what happens to a family after the loss of a young daughter. It was well done, well researched and compassionately written. I really didn't like the ending of the main protagonist getting inside Ruth's body, nor did I like the icicles landing on the murderers head! But overall worth reading I thought."
Review from Chris
"I thought it was an amazing book. Shocking and sad but also in a way reassuring as it tackled life after death and gave me lots to think about. I loved it"
Most of us had managed to read and enjoy the book, one of our members did not like the style of writing, we had some discussion on this, we found some of us decide whether we want to read a book by just reading the first two lines! we all agreed this book was one you would want to continue with.
We discussed the author's concept of heaven, a place where earthly wishes are fulfilled, without the bad bits e.g. school with no teachers, this led on to further discussion about the afterlife and religious beliefs.
Whilst we enjoyed reading about Susie watching over her family and seeing them getting on with their lives, some of us found the part where Susie fleetingly comes to earth in her friend Ruth body and has sex with Ray (a boy she had kissed before she died) was a bit unbelievable and unnecessary and thus spoilt the story.


February 2018 - The Final Reckoning - Sam Bourne
Synopsis
Tom Byrne has fallen from grace since his days as an idealistic young lawyer in New York, now he'll work for anyone – as long as the money's right.
So when the United Nations call him in to do their dirty work, he accepts the job without hesitation. A suspected suicide bomber shot by UN security staff has turned out to be a harmless old man: Tom must placate the family and limit their claims for compensation.
In London, Tom meets the dead man’s alluring daughter, Rebecca, and learns that her father was not quite the innocent he seemed. He unravels details of a unique, hidden brotherhood, united in a mission that has spanned the world and caused hundreds of unexplained deaths.
Pursued by those ready to kill to uncover the truth, Tom has to unlock a secret that has lain buried for more than 60 years – the last great secret of the Second World War.

Discussion
Jenny was unable to attend but sent in a review as followed;
"For me it was a page turner! I really enjoyed it and in a way was surprised as I probably wouldn’t have chosen it for myself. Once more not the happiest of reads but totally gripping. I hadn’t known anything about the schemes of the holocaust survivors to avenge the actions of the Nazis, but found it all fascinating - and thanks to Andrea for the info re the TV programme. I was very involved with the characters of Tom and Rebecca and the unravelling mystery. I was horrified by the description of their abduction - found it very sinister. (How often do similar things happen??) The denouement was a surprise for me - I won’t say more in case you, or others, have not finished the book".
The book proved to be a page turner for most of us.
The book brought out the horrors of the Holocaust which made for sad but compelling reading.
Some of us had not been aware of the post war Jewish "Avengers" we wondered how the Jews would have been regarded by the rest of the world if Plan A had been carried out (poisoning the water supply thus killing innocent Germans) Plan B (the one carried out) had just targeted Nazi war criminals. Would they have lost the moral high ground?
We discussed treatment of the Jews and man's inhumanity to others, we looked at how this is still happening in the world today.
Sam Bourne (pseudonym of Jonathon Freedland) had obviously done his research, he had wide knowledge of the Holocaust which was portrayed well.
We were less impressed with the romance between Tom and Rebecca and of the "Abduction" of them, we felt these had been put in to spice up the story and were thus unnecessary or at least could have been more plausible.
But generally this was felt to have been a good read and some us would consider reading other books by this author.


January 2018 - Fingers In The Sparkles Jar By Chris Packham
Synopsis - (from Goodreads)
An introverted, unusual young boy, isolated by his obsessions and a loner at school, Chris Packham was only at home in the fields and woods around his suburban home. But when he stole a young kestrel from its nest, he was about to embark on a friendship that would teach him what it meant to love, and that would change him forever. In his rich, lyrical and emotionally exposing memoir, Chris brings to life his childhood in the 70s, from his bedroom bursting with fox skulls, birds' eggs and sweaty jam jars, to his feral adventures. But pervading his story is the search for freedom, meaning and acceptance in a world that didn’t understand him.

Discussion
Chris was unable to join us but emailed her thoughts on the book.
"I'm afraid I couldn't take to it at all !! I had a go but found it very tedious and difficult to get interested in. It maybe because I'd seen his programme on the television, and the book covered the same ground, or maybe, because I know a bit about Asperger Syndrome I found it a bit boring and self-centred, which are the characteristics of Asperger Syndrome !! "
The book was described by one member of the group as a "Marmite " book, that is you love it or hated it and this was true of our group.
The author Chris Packham was brought up in Southampton and now lives in the New Forest, so some of the group had knowledge of him and had attended local events he had held. Knowing the places Chris Packham spoke about in his memoirs added an extra dimension to the book.
Many of us felt sorry for the author who spoke of being different and how this negatively impacted on his childhood, he spoke of being bullied at school and being unable to fit in.
Others found him to be self centred and uncaring.
There was some discussion whether his recollection of his childhood was accurate in light of him having Asperger's Syndrome.
We all agreed the author was very knowledgeable in his field. We were impressed with his attention to detail when describing his encounters with the wildlife.
We had further generalised discussion re living with Asperger's Syndrome

2017
December 2017 - All The Light You Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
Synopsis (from the publisher)
A beautiful, stunningly ambitious novel about a blind French girl and a German boy whose paths collide in occupied France as both try to survive the devastation of World War II.
'Open your eyes and see what you can with them before they close forever.’
For Marie-Laure, blind since the age of six, the world is full of mazes. The miniature of a Paris neighbourhood, made by her father to teach her the way home. The microscopic layers within the invaluable diamond that her father guards in the Museum of Natural History. The walled city by the sea, where father and daughter take refuge when the Nazis invade Paris. And a future which draws her ever closer to Werner, a German orphan, destined to labour in the mines until a broken radio fills his life with possibility and brings him to the notice of the Hitler Youth.
In this magnificent, deeply moving novel, the stories of Marie-Laure and Werner illuminate the ways, against all odds, people try to be good to one another.

Discussion
Andrea was unable to join us but said "I found the book a very 'slow' read. I quite liked it (surprisingly for me). It wasn't a book I couldn't wait to get back to and felt it had to be read in long chunks to get into the atmosphere".
The book was enjoyed by us all, though at time we found the jumping back and forth in time was confusing. We have previously noted lots of modern day authors use this format.
We loved the relationship between Marie-Laurie and her father, he was determined to help his daughter's independent with his intricate models of their surroundings and his insistence she keeps trying to find her own way around. We also liked Etienne the uncle, who was able support and care for Marie-Laure despite his mental health problems.
We discussed how the war affected the characters in the book, bringing out the best and worse in them, there were many acts of kindness, bravery and humanity amongst the atrocities, was this the "light"?
There was much in the book about the senses especially touch for example the intricate models, the Braille book, the molluscs,
We had a discussion on communication, comparing the radio communication during the war with the social media of today and how they influence us.
The book had much sadness towards the end. We talked about how people suffered during times of war, the brainwashing and ill treatment of the Hitler youth, the futility of war the loss of young lives etc. We also looked how we can later reunite with people we have been at war with, this led to further discussion on racism.


November 2017 - The Sea The Sea - Iris Murdoch
Synopsis (from Wikipedia)
The Sea, the Sea is a tale of the strange obsessions that haunt a self-satisfied playwright and director as he begins to write his memoirs Murdoch's novel exposes the motivations that drive her characters – the vanity, jealousy, and lack of compassion behind the disguises they present to the world. Charles Arrowby, its central figure, decides to withdraw from the world and live in seclusion in a house by the sea. While there, he encounters his first love, Mary Hartley Fitch, whom he has not seen since his love affair with her as an adolescent. Although she is almost unrecognisable in old age, and outside his theatrical world, he becomes obsessed by her, idealizing his former relationship with her and attempting to persuade her to elope with him. His inability to recognise the egotism and selfishness of his own romantic ideals is at the heart of the novel. After the farcical and abortive kidnapping of Mrs. Fitch by Arrowby, he is left to mull over her rejection in a self-obsessional and self-aggrandising manner over the space of several chapters.

Discussion
Mixed feelings about this book, some of the group loved it but others could not get into it and consequently did not finish it. The book was lengthy and had very small writing so this did not help those of us who struggled with it. However we were informed by those who had read and loved the book that it gets better and starts to come together midway so it may be worth having another go.
The descriptions of the sea and of the narrator's odd lunches were a highlight of the book.
Charles Arrowby's rambling initially appeared to just be a muddle and it was hard to decide what type of book this was, was it a mystery novel, possibly a romance? we agreed it was a reflection of life, an assortment of things, people and events linked together.
We had a discussion on the style of writing, the author was very descriptive, was this too much or part of the charm of the book? is this something we see more in older book especially the classics


October 2017 - Mourning Ruby - Helen Dunmore
Synopsis ( from Amazon)
As Mourning Ruby begins, Ruby, the only child of Rebecca and Adam, has been dead a few years. Adam is a neonatologist who works with dying babies, but Rebecca, abandoned in a shoebox as a baby, seems to live a life of separation. Rebecca is unable to deal with her loss, feeling left alone in the world again. Her best friend, Joe, a writer, is thousands of miles away in Russia researching a book on Stalin. Helen Dunmore treats us to the story of Adam and Rebecca's life, the richness and bliss brought to it by Ruby, and their struggle to find meaning after her death. Mourning Ruby also contains the stories of loss and redemption of the other people that move through Rebecca's life.

Discussion
Most of us struggled with this read, finding it "bitty" and hard to understand what the author was trying to portray, we thought there were too many stories within the story and struggled to see how they related to each other. However, one of our members who had loved the book, very cleverly had worked out that the book was all about flight and its different forms; with this we were able to make more sense of the book, well done Moira!
Some of us found it hard to get into the characters, we agreed it was more interesting to read a book whose characters we liked and cared about. There was some discussion on, whether Rebecca was a real person, we looked at her relationship with Joe and also with her boss Mr Damiano, we had liked this relationship.
There was a brief discussion on grief and how it can cause couples to drift apart or bring them closer together.
Group members had read other works by Helen Dunmore and felt this was not her best novel.
Jenny was unable to attend the meeting but did send in a review as follows:-
"I did not enjoy reading this book - the only one so far in the list we have read in this group. The title was full of foreboding and the inevitability of the outcome. I thought it was a poignant illustration of using work to deal with bereavement - Adam lost himself in work and dealing with other peoples' babies. I did plough on to the end but was frustrated by the relationship with Joe and the story within a story.
Not a happy read"


September 2017 - Half Of The Human Race - Anthony Quinn
Synopsis
Summer of 1911. English society is on the brink of change. The streets of London ring with cheers for a new king's coronation and the cries of increasingly violent suffragette protests. Connie Callaway, fired up by the possibilities of independence, wants more than the conventional comforts of marriage. Spirited and courageous, she is determined to fight for 'the greatest cause the world has ever known'. Will Maitland, the rising star of county cricket, is a man of traditional opinions. He is both intrigued and appalled by Connie's outspokenness and her quest for self-fulfilment. Their lives become inextricably entangled just as the outbreak of war drives them further apart. Buffeted and spun by choice and chance, Connie and Will struggle against the aftershocks of war and the changes it wreaks. This is a deeply affecting story of love against all the odds.

Discussion
The book was generally enjoyed by most of us, though some of us took a while to get into it, possibly due to the cricket detail.
We discussed how the author had successfully managed to interweave the main topics love, war, cricket and the suffragette movement.
We looked at the relationship between Connie and Will, were they suited? he was a traditional male and she a feisty independent woman, their will they won't they relationship kept us guessing.
There was some doubt about Connie was she really devoted to the cause of suffrage or just swept along? was she happy as a middleclass law abiding protester but feeing pressurised to become a militant? Some of the group felt they had not really got a sense of who she was.
We all like the character Tam who had been secretly in love with Connie, Tam had been well respected in the cricketing world but his prowess was failing and his career coming to an end, Tam finally committed suicide. The author had made reference to the high number of suicides in cricketers at this time, we had been surprised at this.
Brigstock the raffish artist was a popular character with us, he accepted Connie as she was, we felt he was one person Connie could just be herself with.
We looked at the suffragette movement, the role of women in society, then and now and how much have things changed.
The portrayal of the war was quite gritty, especially life in the trenches and the loss of young lives


August 2017 - Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
Synopsis
Rebecca is the story of a young woman who marries a fascinating widower only to find out that she must live in the shadow of his former wife, Rebecca, who died mysteriously several years earlier. The young wife must come to grips with the terrible secret of her handsome, cold husband, Max De Winter. She must also deal with the jealous, obsessed Mrs. Danvers, the housekeeper, who will not accept her as the mistress of the house.

Discussion
We initially took it in turns to give our views before an open lively discussion. Some of the topics covered were;
Why did the author choose to keep the main character anonymous?
Why did our heroine stay with Maxim (her husband)?
Is it ever ok to murder someone?
Rebecca proved to be a popular choice and enjoyed by us all.


July 2017 - The Road Home - Rose Tremain
Synopsis
Lev is a middle-aged immigrant and widowed. He leaves Auror, a village in an unspecified eastern European country, when the sawmill closes. Soon after, he travels to London to find work so he can make money that he can send to his mother, his 5-year-old daughter, and his best friend. He finds his first job at a Muslim kebab-shop, before washing dishes at a five-star restaurant named GK Ashe. Lev also meets a translator from his home country named Lydia, a divorced Irish plumber named Christy, a young chef named Sophie, and a rich old woman named Ruby.

Discussion
We all generally enjoyed this read though some of us thought it was a slow starter. We discussed whether Lev's experiences of British people were typical, were we welcoming to fellow Europeans? In the book Lev appears to get much of his support from other immigrants.
There was some frustration with Lev, a likeable character who often messed things up for himself. His relationship with his friend Rudi seemed destructive.
We wondered if the author had any experience of immigration, where did she get her material from?
We acknowledged how difficult it must be to leave your home and family and start a new life in another country, would we cope?
We were impressed with the positive changes Lev made to the elderly residents in the care home but thought the author's portrayal of elderly care was not realistic.
We had a discussion on elderly care (seems to be a recurrent theme in our books!) there was some differing views regarding paying for care.
In all we had a lively discussion regarding this book.


June 2017 - A Life Like Other People's - Alan Bennett
Synopsis
Alan Bennett's A Life Like Other People's is a poignant family memoir offering a portrait of his parents' marriage and recalling his Leeds childhood, Christmases with Grandma Peel, and the lives, loves and deaths of his unforgettable aunties Kathleen and Myra. Bennett's powerful account of his mother's descent into depression and later dementia comes hand in hand with the uncovering of a long-held tragic secret, the suicide of his grandfather.

Discussion
The book was loved by some of us, others were ambivalent.
We all agreed Bennett was a very talented man, he has written numerous plays and novels and has appeared on television with his well received "Monologues"
We discussed Bennett's relationship with his parents, did he have a poor relationship with his mother? his father appeared caring, his parents were devoted to each other, they went to great lengths to avoid being in the limelight, we were impressed with the vicar who went out of his way to accommodate their wedding service request to enable his father to get to work for 8 30am without any fuss.
The two aunties featured frequently in the book, they were very different, this led to some discussion of our own experiences we decided "Aunts" were to be feared and "Aunties" were much nicer friendlier creatures.
Bennett's mother suffered with depression on and off for years and ended up in a care home, we looked at how this could have impacted on his life. We discussed elderly care, then and now.
There was some discussion whether Bennett was better at writing fiction, did he struggle writing about himself and his family. Was his family typical of the time? was he uncaring?


May 2017 - The Island - Victoria Hislop
The Island, is a dramatic tale of four generations, from the thirties, through the war, to the present day.
On the brink of a life-changing decision, Alexis Fielding longs to find out about her mother's past. But Sofia has never spoken of it. All she admits to is growing up in a small Cretan village before moving to London.
Alexis decides to visit Crete where her mother lived, her mother gives her a letter to take to an old friend. Alexis is astonished to see that it lies a stone’s throw from the tiny, deserted island of Spinalonga – Greece’s former leper colony. Then she finds Fotini, and at last hears the story that Sofia has buried all her life: the tale of her great-grandmother Eleni and her daughters and a family rent by tragedy, Leprosy, war and passion. She discovers how intimately she is connected with the island, and how secrecy holds them all in its powerful grip...

Discussion
The book was enjoyed by majority of us, there was some criticism of the style of writing, possibly too flowery and descriptive, leaving little to the reader's own imagination.
We were impressed with the author's research and knowledge of the subject of Leprosy
There was a discussion regarding the author's talent, would she had been so successful, had she not have been married to Ian Hislop, did this help launch her careers?
For those of us who had read more than one of Victoria's book it was felt this was her best.
We looked at whether she should concentrate on writing history books or pure fiction but agreed she was good at what she was doing.
We had a
Discussion on leprosy, looking at how it has been managed over the years, and why there is still stigma attached to it.
There were some likable characters in the story, we compared the two sisters Anna and Maria and we all agreed want a wonderful person their father Giorgi was.


April 2017 - The Fear Index - Robert Harris
Synopsis
Involves a scientist Dr Alex Hoffman who is a mathematical genius working at CERN, he is lured away from his job to become a partner at a Geneva-based hedge fund company. Dr Hoffman uses computer algorithms to make money on the world financial markets. Vixal-4 picks up fear in the media etc Hoffman and his partner make a fortune. However sinister things starts to happen to him and the computer system starts to appear to be developing a mind of its own.

Discussion
The book was well received, majority of us had read it fully though some of us struggled with the in-depth details of the stock market trading and wondered if it had been really necessary, though one member had thoroughly enjoyed this and felt it added to the story.
The pace of the story appeared to speed up at it went along, making it hard to put down for some of us. We looked at the two extremes portrayed in the book, Darwinism vs. artificial intelligence and how the author had linked them throughout the book for example Hoffman used the primitive method of fire to try to destroy Vixal - 4. Another observation was Hoffman and his wife were childless - was Vixal-4 his baby/creation?
We went on to have a discussion on how technology has changed the world, not always for the better.


March 2017 - Water For Elephants - Sara Gruen

Discussion
Most of us had managed to finish the book, it was not enjoyed by us all. We had been impressed by the amount of research the author had done, her attention to detail was admirable, she did not show just show us the fun glamorous side of the circus, she also took us into its dark unseen side.
We had a discussion on the format of the story, some of us felt it was akin to two parallel stories, one of a young man who joined the circus and the other of an elderly man in a rest home. The flipping back and forth between the two was not liked by us all, and we had noticed that it many of our modern writers adopt this technique.
The story had a happy ending, this was a relief to us after all the heartache and misery in the story.
Following the meeting Judith and Moira had further discussion, they wanted to add the following
"Following book group on Thursday, Water for elephants, Moira and I returned to chatting about it on the way home. We agree that the book is about cruelty or brutality, and that the author had chosen the circus as a vehicle to demonstrate,
Cruelty to women
To animals
To the disabled


February 2017 - Dissolution - C J Sansom

Discussion
We had all managed to read Dissolution and had enjoyed it, this had been a surprise of some of us who would not usually read this kind of book. The story is set in the reign of Henry the V111 during the dissolution of the monasteries. Thomas Cromwell with his team of commissioners have the tasks of investigating the monasteries with the aim of having them shut down. Lawyer Matthew Shardlake is sent to investigate a murder of one of Thomas Cromwell's commissioners at Scarnsea Monastery.
We all warmed to the character of the hunched back lawyer who managed to solve the mystery (of course)
The book was atmospheric, you could almost feel the bleakness and despair.
We were impressed with Samson's attention to detail and imagined he had done much research in writing this book
Whilst discussing the inequalities of the time, e.g. the very wealthy catholic Church and the poor villagers who had to pay high taxes to fund the high life style of others, we questioned if things had changed much and looked at the despots and dictators of our more recent history.
We agreed we would like to read another of Sansom's books in the not too distant future


January 2017 - The Girl On The Train

Discussion
Some of us had read the book and others had seen the film, the book set in England and from a female perspective, the film is American and more from a male perspective. The general consenus was the book was far better. The book had been a page turner for most of us and was an easy read. Talking about the characters in the book lead to a discussions on gender issues, controlling relationships, loss and much more.