So... a bit of a low turn out last week but there were enough of us and we'd all read it which is a good start. We were discussing 'The Colour of Milk' by Nell Leyshon. It ended up being quite a short discussion on the book itself which kind of gives the impression that it wasn't one of our favourites. Personally I quite liked it, but wasn't enthralled. Its quite a short book and was split into 4 sections (seasons) instead of chapters. Having no chapters always makes me read quicker because I usually tell myself I'll stop at the next chapter, so I pretty much read it in 4 bursts over a couple of days. I liked the forthright farm girl Mary with her innocent straight forward view of life, but although there were some good characters (Grandad a favourite) I didn't really feel very connected or involved with it.
Some in the group didn't like the way it was written (in her own hand, not very well & without much punctuation) but I didn't mind this myself as it fit well with the story and the time period. It was a bit of a curious one, the last season taking on a dramatic twist of events which some predicted, others thought unexpected but I think its safe to say all were equally horrified. A very sad story which I found interesting to read but do agree with the others in that there's plenty of holes to pick in it. I wouldn't read it again but I wouldn't dissuade others from reading it either! The scores out of 10 ranged from 2-5.5 I think, so not amazing, but again something totally different to everything else we have read so far this year!
So the next book. We originally decided to pull a number at random,this resulted in a book which when looked up on the net looked like it may be the third in a trilogy! (So I will look into that for another time), we then picked another which was the same time period of the one we have just read...so in the end it was decided that I would read out the list and everyone would heckle me. The result was this months choice:
'The Slap' by Christos Tsiolkas
'At a suburban barbecue one afternoon, a man slaps an unruly boy. It's a single act of violence. But this event reverberates through the lives of everyone who witnesses it happen.'
Winner of the Commonwealth Writers Prize and long listed for the Man Booker prize.
I'm looking forward to this - I sense a bit of controversy!!
So next Book Club is after Christmas and on a Thursday this time, I hope that's ok with everyone who couldn't make it last night!
Next Book Club Meet
Date: Thursday 3rd January 2013
Time: 7.30pm
Location: The Dog & Bull Pub (Surrey Street, Croydon)
Book Club Christmas Outing/Day of Fun
Date: Saturday 12th january 2013
Time & Location: TBC
We were also talking about arranging a Christmas book club outing, because Christmas is looming rather quickly we have decided to do this after Christmas and have decided on Saturday January 12th! I haven't yet decided on a plan of events so if anyone has any ideas please let me know. I am thinking along of the lines of something interesting (maybe a museum of some sort) followed by a tasty dinner, so I shall get my thinking caps on, but please put the date in your diaries :)
There are not enough hours in the day at the moment! (I know excuses, excuses) Last weeks book club was a spooky one due to it being on Halloween & it was also a pretty creepy book! Whilst stuffing ourselves with sweet treats (ok this was mainly Jen and I - you know which Jen you are) we had some very interesting discussions about last months read 'Before I Go To Sleep'.
I think everyone enjoyed reading it and it gripped us all to some extent, although certainly not a masterpiece and we did being to pick holes in it as the evening went on! Most people didn't guess the twist at the end and although we had ideas about what was going on it did keep me gripped most of the way through as a good thriller should.
The story itself and the characters didn't take long to discuss but the whole subject of memory (and its importance) as well as betrayal and relationships kept us debating for hours. It was interesting to think about how important memory is to us and also how many of our memories are not real memories at all. Are some fictitious or exaggerated in our mind? How much is created by other people who desrcibe something to us from the past? Seeing an old photograph can lead us to invent new memories to replace the ones we have lost, which are are certain we believe to be true.
We talked about some of us who have kept journals in the past about memories past and present, or just simply writing down things that happen to us as a day goes by. It was a really enjoyable evening as always and I am so pleased I got this book club going!
The next book, which I have only just got a hold of a copy myself is...
'The Colour of Milk' by Nell Leyshon
The year is 1830. Fifteen-year-old Mary lives a life of toil and cheerlessness on her father's farm. Outspoken, witty and bold, she has one bad leg and white hair "the colour of milk", a phrase used as a refrain throughout, along with: "this is my book and I am writing it by my own hand."
This looks like its going to be another completely different style book (certainly a different time period) to those we've read so far this year, so I am looking forward to getting started at lunch time!! Its actually quite a small book, so if you haven't started it yet you should still be able to read it before our next meet up! Which leads me nicely to...
Next Book Club:
Date: 28th November
Time: 7.30pm
Location: The Dog & Bull Pub, Surrey Street, Croydon
