Book Club - 13/12/14

So after trying to remember what we'd read this year I thought id do a back catalogue to remind everyone of all the awesome (and not so awesome...) literature that we've read over the last 3 years :) thanks to everyone who keeps coming, I'm so glad I started it!! 

Our first ever book club was on the 5th April 2012!

Travels with Charley (John Steinbeck)
The Catcher in the Rye (JD Salinger)
The Witch of Portabello (Paulo Coelho)
Suite Francaise (Irene Nemirovsky)
The Book Thief (Markus Zusak)
Before I Go to Sleep (SJ Watson)
The Colour of Milk (Nell Leyshon)
The Slap (Christos Tsiolkas)

2013

The Old Man and the Sea (Ernest Hemingway)
The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)
White Teeth (Zadie Smith)
Tess of the D'urbervilles (Thomas Hardy)
Me Before You (Jojo Moyes)
The Plague (Albert Camus)
Everything's Cool (Justin Carroll)
11.22.63 (Stephen King)
The Woman in Black (Susan Hill)
Tiny Sunbirds Fly Away (Christie Watson)

2014

The Great Gatsby (F Scott Fitzgerald)
Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
My Life in France (Julia Child)
Gone Girl (Gillian Flynn)
The Hundred Year Old Man who climbed out of the window and disappeared (Jones Jonasson)
Shopping, Seduction and Mr Selfridge (Lindy Woodhead)
Childhood's End (Arthur C Clarke)
Mr Penumbra's 24 Hour Bookstore (Robin Sloan)
The Shining (Stephen  King)

Last Saturday we had our Christmas book club at Zizzi which was really enjoyable, particularly the secret Santa book pass the parcel and playing heads up in the pub after!  We didn't really talk much about the book as the festivities took over but our book for last month was 'The Shining' by Stephen King. 

Rachael suggested this one ages ago but for some reason it never got put on the list so I added it last month.  I am so glad we did! I am a complete wimp when it comes to horror films (although I have seen the Shining many years ago) as a general rule I don't watch horror films (unless made to...behind a cushion, with my fingers in my ears) but for some reason I was really excited about reading this and with good reason.  I thought it was really gripping, I got hooked really early on even though the scary action didn't happen until later on in the story I could feel the build up, and I like the scene setting about the family and how they had come to be at that hotel and each of their mind-sets.

Amusingly I meant to tell my little story at book club and forgot but when I was reading a particularly suspenseful part of the book I was sitting on the bus on the way home from work, the bus was packed and noisy but I was completely engrossed unaware of my surroundings, until a child grabbed hold of my book with such force and literally would not let go.  It frightened the bloody crap out of me! The mother was telling him to let go and he just stared at me and held onto the book for ages until he finally let go...somewhat creepy!!

There were some majorly spooky scenes in the book, the hedge animals sent shivers down my spine and obviously the infamous woman in the bath was none to pleasant.  The zombie ballroom, the party paraphernalia in the lift that goes up and down on its own and the man in the dog fancy dress was a bit disturbing!!  I had pretty much forgotten the film so I couldn't remember what happened and so there was plenty of suspense for me.  I have read a few Stephen King's now but I've not read many of his horrors they have usually been sci-fi or fantasy based, but I just love the way he describes everything so vividly that you can actually see it.  I think my favourite character was Halloran, I liked the connection he had with the boy and that he was an unlikely hero.  I also liked the fact that I felt a range of emotions for Jack the father, going through a cycle of feeling sad for him, anger towards him, sympathy at points and then finally the fear of him. 

We didn't give the book a rating this time but I'll give it an 8 out of 10! I think everyone enjoyed it, and those that didn't quite finish plan to carry on reading so I'd definitely recommend this to anyone even those who don't like horror films, but a word of advice don't read a chapter before you go to sleep ;)

The next book is called 'The Shock of The Fall' by Nathan Filer, this is a book I picked up one day and thought it looked interesting so I hope its a good one!

'I'll tell you what happened because it will be a good way to introduce my brother.  His name is Simon.  I think you are going to like him.  I really do.  But in a couple of pages he will be dead.  And he was never the same after that.'


Apologies in advance we may need tissues when reading this but the reviews say it is dark, touching, sweet and funny, so hopefully a bit of everything ;) So its cold outside, get curled up on the sofa with a cup of tea, Christmas lights on, enjoy! Have a fantastic Christmas to those I won't see until next month and have a happy new year, love you guys! x x x

Next Book Club:
Date: Wednesday 21st January 2015 
Location: Matthews Yard of course!
Time: 7.30pm