Better turn out this month - hooray! Still need to recruit some more book worms though and also need some more book suggestions as our list is diminishing! (we decided to take off a few of the older choices on there which we had always skirted around) Here's what's on the list at the moment:
The Shock of the Fall - by Nathan Filer
Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford
Only Human by Jenny Diski
The Shining by Stephen King (I've just added this one as we haven't read a horror yet and I'm sure Rachael suggested it ages ago)
Anyway this month we were talking about 'Childhood's End' by Arthur C Clarke - a classics 1950's sci-fi, which received mixed reviews from everyone. I really enjoyed reading and sped through it, I love sci-fi films and was quite eager to read this. It wasn't the best book iv ever read but it was different. I liked the fact that it was written years ago and talked about the time and what they imagined to be the future as some of it has come true and some of it not a lot has changed. I did find the aliens themselves a little disappointing as I was expecting their reveal to be a bit more dramatic and I was also expecting it to be about the aliens leading the humans into a false sense of security and then wiping them out - but I was wrong as it was really about the aliens forming a relationship with the humans to study what they knew was inevitably going to happen the planet.
We had some interesting discussions about space and time travel mostly from Neil - so we aren't sure if he made it up or not but we were all suitably baffled by the possibility of each experiencing time at a different speed. The book seemed to jump from character to character some who were not related to each other in anyway which made it a bit disjointed but I guess the author was trying to show a vast timescale in years throughout the book which was actually pretty short. There definitely could have been more about the resistance when the aliens first arrived as that all seemed a bit of a cop out and everyone just got on with life as if they weren't there - which I very much doubt would happen if aliens suddenly started floating in the sky above our house and telling politicians how to run the world. Overall though it was definitely worth a read and I like reading different genres its what books club's all about - reading stuff you might not normally consider.
Next months book is called 'Mr Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore' by Robin Sloan. This was one of my suggestions so if its rubbish its all my fault - I hope its good though, I've had good experiences with previous books that are about books and quirky book shops - don't let me down Mr Penumbra!
'A gleeful and exhilarating tale of global conspiracy, complex code-breaking, high-tech data visualization, young love, rollicking adventure, and the secret to eternal life—mostly set in a hole-in-the-wall San Francisco bookstore'
Next time we meet will be on firework night, I can't believe its been a year since the last sparklers!! We thought we'd re-enact last year so everyone is invited to mine for some nibbles and sparklers again. Maybe we can watch another film related to something we've read - has any one got Life of Pi on DVD/Blu-Ray?
Next Time:
Date: Wed 5th November
Time: 7.30pm
Location: Gems House
Sunday 28 September 2014
Sunday 7 September 2014
Book Club - 27.08.14
A tad late in writing this up! It was a very ickle book club anyway just me, Jen and Neil! Hope you guys are coming back soon for the next book! We have our cinema outing on Tues to see 'Before I Go to Sleep' which I'm looking forward to as it was a good thriller that we read last year and hopefully this will entice a few of you back as we miss you :)
This time we were talking about 'Seduction, Shopping an Mr Selfridge' which was more of an autobiography rather than a story of his life & shop which we were expecting! We all agreed there definatley wasn't enough scandal in the book but it seems that Mr Selfridge himself did not really do interviews and kept himself to himself so it was kind of hard to get a personal aspect to his character. Saying that he was certainly a quirky, interesting man and if I been around in his time I would have loved to work in his store! He made shopping and working a completely unique experience and had a profound effect on everyone he met. I loved the fact that he made a point of going to every department and meeting every member of staff every single day, making them motivated to do their best for him and to make the store fabulous. I also like the references to the different styles of clothes as they came in and out of fashion and to find that he was involved in the introduction of so many products that we have today such as television and airplanes.
It wasn't all great however, I did find the endless name dropping and references to 'famous' people that i'd never heard of a little irritating and it did sometimes feel a little like a history book packed with facts rather than a narrative or someone's life. It's definatley made me interested in seeing a few episodes of the series though if only to see the store in all it's glory and the fashions!
We decided this time to choose a book which has been on our list since we began book club and is also a completely different genre to anything we have read before! This months book is 'Childhoods End' by Arthur C Clarke. This is a classic 1950s sci-fi and being a fan of sci-fi films I am interested to see what this is like! It may not sound like your usual cup of tea but give it a chance and try something new :) It also pretty short, I've already nearly finished!!
Then comes the sign that the Overlords have been waiting for. A child begins to dream strangely - and develops remarkable powers. Soon this happens to every child - and the truth of the Overlords' mission is finally revealed to the human race...'
Next Book Club:
Date: 24th September 2014
Location: Matthews Yard
Time:7.30pm
Be there or be square - also please mention book club to your friends, new members welcome and some men would be fab to get some different perspectives and debate going as we seem to have lost most of our men readers, there must be some more out there somewhere - Neil is being surrounded by women (I'm sure he loves it really ;)
This time we were talking about 'Seduction, Shopping an Mr Selfridge' which was more of an autobiography rather than a story of his life & shop which we were expecting! We all agreed there definatley wasn't enough scandal in the book but it seems that Mr Selfridge himself did not really do interviews and kept himself to himself so it was kind of hard to get a personal aspect to his character. Saying that he was certainly a quirky, interesting man and if I been around in his time I would have loved to work in his store! He made shopping and working a completely unique experience and had a profound effect on everyone he met. I loved the fact that he made a point of going to every department and meeting every member of staff every single day, making them motivated to do their best for him and to make the store fabulous. I also like the references to the different styles of clothes as they came in and out of fashion and to find that he was involved in the introduction of so many products that we have today such as television and airplanes.
It wasn't all great however, I did find the endless name dropping and references to 'famous' people that i'd never heard of a little irritating and it did sometimes feel a little like a history book packed with facts rather than a narrative or someone's life. It's definatley made me interested in seeing a few episodes of the series though if only to see the store in all it's glory and the fashions!
We decided this time to choose a book which has been on our list since we began book club and is also a completely different genre to anything we have read before! This months book is 'Childhoods End' by Arthur C Clarke. This is a classic 1950s sci-fi and being a fan of sci-fi films I am interested to see what this is like! It may not sound like your usual cup of tea but give it a chance and try something new :) It also pretty short, I've already nearly finished!!
'Earth has become a Utopia, guided by a strange unseen people from outer space whose staggering powers have eradicated war, cruelty, poverty and racial inequality. When the 'Overlords' finally reveal themselves, their horrific form makes little impression.
Then comes the sign that the Overlords have been waiting for. A child begins to dream strangely - and develops remarkable powers. Soon this happens to every child - and the truth of the Overlords' mission is finally revealed to the human race...'
Date: 24th September 2014
Location: Matthews Yard
Time:7.30pm
Be there or be square - also please mention book club to your friends, new members welcome and some men would be fab to get some different perspectives and debate going as we seem to have lost most of our men readers, there must be some more out there somewhere - Neil is being surrounded by women (I'm sure he loves it really ;)
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