Book Club - 23/09/15

Oops! So someone forgot to do a book club blog last month...I'll see if I can vaguely remember what happened!! We met back at Matthews Yard and it was a small gathering with only a few of us but we met up to talk about 'The Ocean at the End of the Lane' by Neil Gaiman.

It was a pretty mysterious book built around fantasy leaving the reader wondering whether any parts of the story could be true for the author or could have other meanings.  It was quite creepy in places, the evil nanny reminded me of a character from Spirited away, a huge ugly creature that was not of this world that had many faces.  Although the blurb sounds like its for children, this book was actually written for adults as Neil Gaiman said in an interview that when he writes for children there must be hope, whereas this story is more about the powerlessness of being a child.  Although dark and creepy I did whizz through this and enjoy reading it a lot and I think the general consensus (if my memory serves correctly) was positive! It sparked a lot of conversation which is always good - when there's nothing to talk about its usually not a good sign.

I have read quite a few of Gaimans books and love his dark mysterious stories but although I enjoyed it I wouldn't put it up there with my favourites by him - maybe I prefer a bit of hope!


So next months (or shall I say next weeks) book is 'The Profession of Violence' by John Pearson and its based on the Kray Twins.

 'Reggie and Ronald Kray ruled London's gangland during the 1960s with a ruthlessness and viciousness that shocks even now. Building an empire of organised crime such as nobody has done before or since, the brothers swindled, intimidated, terrorised, extorted and brutally murdered. John Pearson explores the strange relationship that bound the twins together, and charts their gruesome career to their downfall and imprisonment for life in 1969.'

I did cheat and see 'Legend' at the cinema (and I haven't quite finished the book yet) but its good so far, hopefully everyone has made a start at least for next week!  The film is awesome if anyone gets a chance to go and see it!!

Next Book Club:

Date: Wednesday 4th November
Location: Matthews Yard
Time: 7.30pm

Book Club - 25/08/15

We headed back to the Oval Tavern this month and there was an open mic jam session going on which was pretty cool - luckily we did get a chance to talk about the book before it started! We welcomed Jennie G back this month too, it was lovely to catch up with Jennie!

So we talked about the Monogram Murders which was a take on Agatha Christies Poirot character and a new mystery to add to the series but it was written by Sophie Hannah.  The overall rating came out at around 6.5 out of 10.  I may have put a couple of people off slightly as I read this really early on in the month and the ending drove me a little crazy but it wasn't a terrible book, I just didn't think it was amazing!

The actual story was very clever, I didn't guess the twists and turns which is always good news in a mystery - its a bit disappointing if you work it out early on.  The bit that frustrated me was the ending because Poirot went through the whole story of 'who done it' about three times, every time he got to his conclusion he said 'aha! but no..' and then started his next story.  I found this a little tiresome! But all in all it wasn't a bad book it held my attention and I did race through it.  Some of the characters were a bit woolly and not particularly likeable.  It surprised me, because I grew up watching the Poirot mysteries on television and I had no memory of how annoying he was! I guess as a kid I was wrapped up in the awe of a murder mystery! He is quite an unlikable character really, very arrogant and considering he was supposed to be retired in this story he basically took over the investigation and told the policeman what to do.  It does amuse me when they do the big reveal in front of a room full of people including all the suspects, it did feel quite typical of a Poirot story so I think the author did a pretty good job of keeping in the style! So don't let me put you off if you didn't get to read it yet, its still worth reading - Neil suggested it would be good to read a 'real' Agatha Christie to see how it compared.

Next month we picked at random from three suggestions and the winner was 'The Ocean at the end of the lane' by Neil Gaiman.  I am particularly excited about this one because I'm a bit of a fan of Neil Gaiman, so I hope this is going to live up to my expectations!

'The Ocean at the end of the lane, is a fable that reshapes modern fantasy: moving, terrifying and elegiac - as pure as a dream, as delicate as a butterfly's wing, as dangerous as a knife in the dark - from storytelling genius Neil Gaiman.

It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond this world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed - within his family and from the forces that have gathered to destroy it.

His only defence is three women, on a farm at the end of the lane. The youngest of them claims that her duckpond is an ocean. The oldest can remember the Big Bang.'

Next Book Club:
Date: 23/09/15
Location: Matthews Yard
(Back to Matthews Yard for this one as its quiz night at the Tavern)
Time: 7.30pm
Be there or be square x

Book Club - 22/07/15

Last week we had a change of scenery for our book club - at the Oval Tavern. It did coincide with a quiz night so we thought it would be rude not to join in! We also came fourth which wasn't too bad at all!

Before the quiz we did manage to have a chat about the last book which was called 'Sleepers' by Lorenzo Carcaterra.  It was based on a true story of 4 boys who grew up together in a rough neighbourhood in New York.  Despite their surroundings they managed to stay out of serious crime until a prank in the street became a horrendous accident and had major consequences for all of them.  They were all sent to a reformatory school which was essentially a prison where they were tortured and abused. The youngest was only 12 when he was sent there.  It's unbelievable to think that this is a true story but also that it wasn't very long ago - and who knows whether this kind of thing still happens in these places. No one really thinks about where young offenders are sent.  It did affect all of their lives, in mostly negative ways although with the help of a priest in the neighbour hood two of the boys managed to make something of themselves and avoid the life of crime that seemed to be inevitable in their return to the neighbourhood.

The last section of the book is about getting revenge against the prison wardens who inflicted all the hurt and evil on them.  One is shot dead by the two boys who have become criminals, but in a fantastic trial they plot to take down the rest of the wardens in one fell swoop, even though it means dragging up the past and reliving their nightmares.

I thought this was an excellent book, I was compelled to keep reading and really felt for the characters. It is quite a short book where there is a lot of backstory.  I liked reading about them growing up and obviously their time at the prison had to be a big feature but it did feel like the trial at the end was almost squashed in.  I really want to watch the film now to see how they tackle the themes in the book, its one of those DVD covers I remember from my Blockbuster days but never actually watched!

As we got wrapped up in the quiz night, I made a decision on the next book and went with a book called 'The Monogram Murders' which takes Agatha Christies famous Belgium detective character Poirot and creates a brand new mystery for him to solve.  Its set in the 1920's too which I am always drawn to for some reason. I used to watch the Poirot programmes on TV when I was younger and I've never read an old fashioned murder mystery so why not give it a go!

 
'Hercule Poirot's quiet supper in a London coffee house is interrupted when a young woman confides to him that she is about to be murdered. She is terrified, but begs Poirot not to find and punish her killer. Once she is dead, she insists, justice will have been done.
Later that night, Poirot learns that three guests at the fashionable Bloxham Hotel have been murdered, a cufflink placed in each one’s mouth. Could there be a connection with the frightened woman? While Poirot struggles to put together the bizarre pieces of the puzzle, the murderer prepares another hotel bedroom for a fourth victim…'


Next Book Club

Date: 25th August (Tuesday)

Time: 7.30pm

Location: Lets give 'The Oval Tavern' another go - hoping that it will be wamr and sunny so we can make sue of the beer garden!

Book Club - 24/06/15

It was like a book club reunion last week! So glad people have come back after all the busy stuff going on in everyone's lives lately! We had a new recruit aswell, Danielle - I think we have convinced her to come back, she chose next months book so if she doesn't come back we know why...

So we were supposed to discuss 'Becoming Johnny Vegas' which we did a fair amount considering only two of us had finished it, but a few had started it.  Hopefully we managed to convert those that didn't read it because of their dislike for Johnny Vegas (No names - you know who you are people) or at least make them consider reading it.  It really was a 'don't judge a book by its cover' story.  Whoever you think you are watching on TV when Johnny Vegas is on there's a whole other man standing behind him called Michael Pennington.

I'm not a great fan of Johnny Vegas in terms of comedy, but I really enjoyed reading this book, you would not even know it was about him for at least half the book.  A young boy of 10 goes to learn to become a priest, discovers he has made a terrible mistake and then does a degree in pottery.  Sound like Johnny? Just not what you would expect. 

Its quite a sad story, after his pretty awful experiences at the priesthood at such a young age it really roots some serious issues, he starts drinking heavily and becoming overweight.  Its the alcohol that brings out this Johnny personality.  And it is a personality, the way Michael talks about him is as if he is a part of himself that he cannot control, he doesn't even like Johnny or who he makes him become but finds that it is Johnny who starts to bring him success.  He has to be someone else to become successful.  Also a serious hypochondriac, who hears voices telling him he will die from some outrageous scenario, its incredible that someone can go from having such a happy normal childhood up until a life changing event at 10  years old.  A child of 10 does not know what they want to be, he only went to become a priest, because he was an alter boy and one day said he'd like to be a priest - after that all the adults in his life swooned and told him it was amazing.  He thought he was doing something wonderful - little did he know what was in store for him. Its even sadder that the experience pretty much ruined his faith.   

The fact that Michael has written this book and realises what he has been through shows that he must be starting to get some control over his life, over Johnny.  He now has a wife and a child and when you see him on TV if you think back to how he used to be in those first TV appearances he has definitely calmed down.  It's made me want to watch something he is in now so I can see what he is like. 

So even if you HATE Johnny Vegas, give it a go, I promise you will be surprised and almost feel a little guilty for judging that TV character.

Right next month, Danielle suggested a book which I though sounded awesome so we ran with it...'Sleepers' by Lorenzo Carcaterra'

An unforgettable true story of friendship, loyalty and revenge, set against the unmistakable backdrop of New York City

They were four boys who shared everything - the laughter and bruises of an impoverished upbringing in New York's West Side. Then one of their pranks misfired - a man nearly died and they were sent away to a reformatory school. There they suffered the worst abuse the guards could inflict on them. They were forever scarred by their experiences. Eleven years later two of them became killers for the mob. They met the ringleader of the guards who abused them - and shot him dead in front of several witnesses. No one thought they would see the outside of a prison again - but the four friends banded together once more and in one last, audacious stand brought their own vengeance to the courtroom.


Next Book Club

Date: 22nd July 2015

Location: Jen B has suggested a new venue to try while the weather is good and nights are light! So we will give 'The Oval Tavern' in Oval Road (off Cherry Orchard Road)

Time: 7.30pm

Book Club - 20/05/15

We had such a tiny book club this month I almost forgot to do my blog! Too many distracting holidays...not that I'm complaining at all!!

So it was only Neil, Charlotte and myself who met up to talk about the double whammy 'End of your life book club' and 'The Rosie Project'.  To be honest our preference was certainly towards the Rosie Project and so we did mainly focus on the second book.  

For me the 'End of your life book club' I hate to say it but it was just a chore to read, I couldn't help but find it boring but understand why it is important to this author and his family being a memoir about his time with his mother before she passed away.  Unfortunately I just couldn't get into it, feeling a bit deflated and by the end which was to be expected - very sad - I actually found myself feeling guilty that I had not enjoyed the book and lost interest because it was a true story and about a lady who was important to many people who knew her.  I think it did not help that I had not read many of the books which were 'reviewed' during the story and so I lost interest because they weren't even sold in a way which made me want to rush out and read them - even though they were so passionate about them.  

The Rosie Project however I absolutely loved! Charlotte had kindly picked out this title while I was being too distracted and wanted something light hearted and funny (especially after the last one). It certainly was funny aswell at one point I was sitting in my front room laughing my head off, Jamie wondered if I'd gone mad - or maybe it just confirmed his suspicions.

The main character Don reminded us all of Sheldon a character in the TV program the big bang theory.  He was almost robotic the way he spoke to people without much emotion but there was still an endearing quality to him which made you feel for him.  He was aware of his personality traits and how different he was from other people he knew and really all he wanted to do was find a partner to settle down and share his life with.  The wife questionnaire he creates is ridiculous but essentially he starts off trying to find someone exactly like himself in doing so eliminating any one with a different personality, leaving his list of matches very low.  Then Rosie came along - by a form of miscommunication he thinks she has applied as part of the wife project and although she fails at meeting all of the criteria in his questionnaire he starts to fall in love with her - even though he is in a serious case of denial.  

Its a great story about how there really is someone for everyone and not just that but someone who will love you for who you are - even your little quirks.  I'd recommend this one, its an easy read but with well thought out characters that are well described, I enjoy reading when I can feel for and imagine the people its about.  There is actually a second book leading on from this about the same characters which I will definitely read!

So next months book (well technically this month now!!) Neil suggested an autobiography as we've not really read that kind of book yet and decided on 'Becoming Johnny Vegas'.  I have to say I am almost finished already, and it is a really interesting read, it really does show that you literally shouldn't judge a book by its cover!! So get reading!!

 

 ‘My name is Michael Pennington, and I am not a comic character. I’m often mistaken for one though. You might know him by another name. Johnny Vegas.’

From BBC Dickens adaptations to Benidorm and Ideal to the PG Tips ads, Johnny Vegas has become one of Britain's best-loved comic actors.

But before he'd ever drunk tea with a knitted monkey or made himself the exception that proves the rule in terms of the predictability of TV panel game regulars, Johnny Vegas was perhaps the most fearlessly confessional stand-up comedian this country has ever produced.

How did an eleven-year-old Catholic trainee priest from St Helens grow up to become the North West of England’s answer to Lenny Bruce? That’s just one of the many questions answered by this eye-poppingly frank memoir.

NEXT Book Club

Date: 24th June 2015

Time: 7.30pm

Location: Matthews Yard, Croydon

Book Club - 4/03/15

This month we met up in our usual spot to talk about a book called 'Hotel on the corner of Bitter and Sweet' by Jamie Ford. I really loved this book, it had such a sweet story and was so easy to speed through! The love story was very touching but the book also contained some pretty hard hitting truths about how the Japanese were treated during World War II in America and in fact about the big segregation between several different races. It's hard to imagine whole areas of towns dedicated only to one race of people, with their own traditions, shops, schools and lives when just down the road is a completely different way of life.

I had no idea that the Japanese as this time were forced to leave their homes and go to internment camps, not that dissimilar to the Jews. I definatley don't remember this being taught at school in history. With such a sad background the book held your attention to what was going on historically but also brought in this beautiful story of a Chinese boy and a Japanese girl who become best friends against all odds. Henry even tracks Keiko down at the camps to visit her, how realistic that would have been I'm not sure but it showed his innocence and determination.  It makes you hope that there were young people like Henry who stood up for what they believed was right. 

I thought most of the characters were really likeable even the father who Henry had a difficult relationship with, they all came across as very human and I felt like I could picture their faces. I did picture the sax player Sheldon as the guy from the Simpsons though which is a bit random!  I loved the fact that Henry and Sheldon kept in touch for all those years and the story of the music record which touched several peoples lives throughout the book.  We decided that the one character who maybe could have been explored a bit more was the dinner lady Mrs Beatty. The author snuck in some interesting back story elements which gave the impression that she had a real story of her own to tell but you never quite got to the bottom of it.

Definatley worth a read, everyone enjoyed this one, interesting themes and a touching story at the forefront, it's always nice when you finish a book with a smile on your face!

So our book list had pretty much come to an standstill so Charlotte gave me a list of popular book club books to give us some ideas.  In the end we chose...

'The End of your Life Book Club' by Will Schwalbe

'During her treatment for cancer, Mary Anne Schwalbe and her son Will spent many hours sitting in waiting rooms together. To pass the time, they would talk about the books they were reading. Once, by chance, they read the same book at the same time—and an informal book club of two was born. Through their wide-ranging reading, Will and Mary Anne—and we, their fellow readers—are reminded how books can be comforting, astonishing, and illuminating, changing the way that we feel about and interact with the world around us. A profoundly moving memoir of caregiving, mourning, and love—The End of Your Life Book Club is also about the joy of reading, and the ways that joy is multiplied when we share it with others.'

I think its fair to say there are going to be some teary moments here but it actually sounds like a really good idea for a story and its true which makes it all the more emotional.  Mine arrive today so I will get going!! We have decided to squeeeeeze a book club in before the weddings in April so not as long to read this one.  Grab your copy and off you go!!

Next Book Club:

Date: 8th April 2015
Location: Matthews Yard
Time 7.30pm

Book Club - 21/01/15

First book club of the year and I forgot to do my blog...enough said. So (2 weeks ago) we met up in our usual spot at Matthews Yard to talk about 'The Shock of the Fall' by Nathan Filer.  I think this book really had an effect on everyone as for the first time in ages we actually spent all of book club talking about the book! This was a really interesting story about a young man who struggles with mental health problems, being diagnosed as schizophrenic, aswell as coping with the death of his brother from a very early age.  Its also about how other people are affected by these issues mainly his close family but also some other characters who become involved in Matthews life along the way. 

I felt it was a sad story but other people pointed out that their was hope in their too which is important and I think why it is so easy to read, you can get drawn into these peoples lives and cling to the suggestion of hope.  Very early on we find out that Matthews brother Simon has learning difficulties but it wasn't until quite a way through that I realised that he had down syndrome.  We also knew straight away that Simon dies at a young age but the story doesn't finish setting that scene until nearer the end of the book so you are constantly trying to decide a scenario in your mind.  Because Matthew blames himself there is an uncertainty of whether he really did do something terrible or whether it was a tragic accident.   

We had a lot of discussions about all the themes this book presented but one particular debate was what people thought about whether Matthews mental health problems were a direct result of the death of his brother and his families reactions to such a traumatic situation or whether they were just a catalyst in an illness that would have found its way to him of its own accord regardless.  I think one of the saddest things for me was that to leave care Matthew had to prove he was better and so he pretended, even though we knew he could still see his brother as if he was right there with him and talked to him when no one else was there.  But there definitely is hope in there and strength from family love and support particularly from his nan and his dad who were both great characters. There were definitely echo's of other mental health issues throughout the family though mentioned briefly it demonstrated that there are so many different types of mental health problems of varying degrees of seriousness and that there are unfortunately also quite a lot of stigmas attached to these by those who don't understand. 

Interestingly there was a key point in the book which all of us overlooked apart from Charlotte and that was the dates on the letters and the chapters throughout the story.  Realising that events did not actually occur in the order written in the book actually gave different meaning to parts of the story and to the ending really, and I thought it was quite clever of the author to do this in such a subtle way. Although maybe we were just not observant enough ;)

I enjoyed reading this book, it made me think about life and about other peoples lives, I'd recommend others to read it.  We did do a half hearted score which I think probably came out at about a 6-7 out of 10, which is not bad at all!

So to start the new year we decided to go with a book that Jenny recommended having read before called 'Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet' by Jamie Ford.  Having already started it I can say its going to be good one, so I hope you all have time to pick it up and get going :)

'1986, The Panama Hotel.
The old Seattle landmark has been boarded up for decades, but now the new owner has made a startling discovery in the basement: personal belongings stored away by Japanese families sent to internments camps during World War 2.

Among the fascinated crowd stands Henry Lee who, as the owner unfurls a distinctive parasol is flooded by memories of childhood. He wonders if by some miracle in amongst the boxes of dusty treasures lies a link to the Okabe family, and the girl he lost his heart to so many years ago.'





The next Book club...

Date: 4th March 2015
Location: Matthews Yard
Time: 7.30pm

Be there or be square :)