Bridgend

Book Club

Meeting Schedule 2.00 to 4.00pm on the 4th Wednesday of the month.
Venue 1st Floor, Halo Library
Convenor Diane Ward

Book & Teacup

If you enjoy good books and lively conversation, why not come along to our book club?

We read and discuss books as well as literature from film, TV, and radio.

NEXT MEETING: "Shadow Baby" Wednesday *25th* March at 2pm

This month, following some suggestions at last month's meeting, we proposing to go back to our previous format in which we invite everyone in turn to contribute their impressions of the book.

READING LIST for 2023-24

Reading List 2023-24
These are the books we expect to be reading this year. Note that the version of "Shadow Baby" we will be reading is by Margeret Forster

It's a strong and varied list with, we hope, something for everyone. Books are listed in the order they are issued and discussed at the following month's meeting.

CHOICES 2024

Diane has sent the library's list of books for 2024. Click 2024 Book Choices to have a look!

There are a lot of good books there so please select TWO and let Diane know as soon as possible. We have to send our choices to the library by the end of March.

Member Recommendations

Carolyn recommends "Burial Rites" by Hannah Kent which was a BBC "Between to Covers" pick.
MaryAnn, I think, recommended "Sick Puppy" by Carl Hiaasen

OUR CURRENT BOOK

"Shadow Baby" Margaret Forster
Born in Carlisle in 1887, brought up in a children's home and by reluctant relatives, Evie, with her wild hair and unassuming ways, seems a quiet, undemanding child.

Shona, born almost seventy years later, is headstrong and striking. She grows up in comfort and security in Scotland, the only child of doting parents. But there are, as she discovers, unanswered questions about her past.

The two girls have only one thing in common: both were abandoned as babies by their mothers. Different times, different circumstances, but these two girls grow up sharing the same obsession. Each sets out to stalk and then haunt her natural mother. Both mothers dread disclosure; both daughters seek emotional compensation and, ultimately, revenge.

OUR PAST BOOKS

"The Pact We Made" Layla Alammar

How could I explain to her that nothing in my life felt real? That in a country like Kuwait, where everyone knew everything about each other, the most monumental thing to ever happen to me was buried and covered over? For the sake of my reputation, my future, my sister’s and cousins; the family honor sat on my little shoulders, so no-one could ever know.’

Dahlia has two lives. In one, she is a young woman with a good job, great friends and a busy social life. In the other, she is an unmarried daughter living at home, struggling with a burgeoning anxiety disorder and a deeply buried secret: a violent betrayal too shameful to speak of.

With her thirtieth birthday fast-approaching, pressure from her mother to accept a marriage proposal begins to strain the family. As her two lives start to collide and fracture, all Dahlia can think of is escape: something that seems impossible when she can’t even leave the country without her father’s consent.

But what if Dahlia does have a choice? What if all she needs is the courage to make it?

Set in contemporary Kuwait, The Pact We Made is a deeply affecting and timely debut about family, secrets and one woman’s search for a different life. (Amazon)

"Toby's Room" Pat Barker

When Toby is reported 'Missing, Believed Killed', another secret casts a lengthening shadow over Elinor's world: how exactly did Toby die - and why? Elinor determines to uncover the truth. Only then can she finally close the door to Toby's room. Moving from the Slade School of Art to Queen Mary's Hospital, where surgery and art intersect in the rebuilding of the shattered faces of the wounded, Toby's Room is a riveting drama of identity, damage, intimacy and loss. (Amazon)

'Three Wishes" Liane Moriarty

For sisters Lyn, Cat and Gemma Kettle, the year they turn thirty-three is no exception. Sensible Lyn is struggling to balance being a mother, wife and businesswoman without losing her mind. Cat, whose perfect marriage is the envy of all her friends, never suspected that her husband had been hiding a secret that will tear her life apart. Directionless Gemma, who changes jobs and boyfriends every few months, has just met a new man who could be the one to unlock her hidden past.

The bonds of these sisters are strong enough to withstand whatever life throws at them. That is until the night of their thirty-fourth birthday dinner, when home truths are revealed and things are said that can't be taken back.. (Amazon)

"Agnes Grey" by Anne Bronte

Our AI pal offers the following:
“Agnes Grey” is the first novel by Anne Brontë, published in December 1847. The novel follows Agnes Grey, a governess, as she works within families of the English gentry. The story is based on Anne Brontë’s own experiences as a governess for five years. The novel addresses the precarious position of governesses and how it affected young women. It also deals with issues of oppression and abuse of women and governesses, isolation, ideas of empathy, and fair treatment of animals. The novel is considered to be a bildungsroman, employing ideas of personal growth and coming of age.

"The Child" by Fiona Barton

Fiona Barton's "The Child" was liked by most of the group but did not generate a lot of discussion. The plot devices were quite cleverly presented and the characters quite believable. An average score of 6.

To be brutally honest this isn't grabbing me very much. I find it depressing and introspective but here's what out AI companion has to say.

When an old house is demolished, a tiny skeleton is found buried underneath. The discovery shocks the whole country, but especially three women who are haunted by the mystery. Kate, an ambitious journalist, sees the chance to uncover the truth behind the sensational headlines. Emma, a troubled young woman, recognizes the baby's name as a link to her own dark past. And Angela, a grieving mother, can't rest until she finds out what happened to her stolen child. As Kate, Emma and Angela each follow the clues, they realize that the story is more complex and sinister than they ever imagined. "The Child" is a gripping thriller that explores the secrets and lies that families keep hidden.

"Bring Up the Bodies" by Hilary Mantel

Few, if any, of you will not have heard of Hilary Mantel's monumental trilogy of Thomas Cromwell, "Wolf Hall". Brought superbly to television by Peter Kosminsky and starring Mark Rylance and Damian Lewis it brought Wolf Hall to the notice of millions of people. Befitting a book for the summer recess it is a significant volume turning in at 482 pages. IT is a significant read and it'll be interesting to hear members' comments at the September meeting.

With the usual caveats to beware inadvertent inaccuracy here is the AI generated synopsis -

Bring Up the Bodies is a historical novel by Hilary Mantel that follows the rise and fall of Thomas Cromwell, the powerful minister in the court of King Henry VIII. It is the second book in a trilogy that began with Wolf Hall. The novel focuses on the events of 1535-1536, when Henry is desperate to annul his marriage to Anne Boleyn and marry Jane Seymour. Cromwell is tasked with finding a way to make this happen, while also dealing with his enemies at court and his own personal tragedies. The novel explores the themes of power, loyalty, betrayal, and the human cost of political intrigue.

"Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet" by Jamie Ford

Our AI friend, who we should be careful to check for accuracy, has this to say:

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet is a novel by Jamie Ford that tells the story of Henry Lee, a Chinese American boy who falls in love with Keiko Okabe, a Japanese American girl, during World War II. Their romance is tested by the harsh realities of racism, internment, and war. Henry must overcome his own family's prejudices and the societal pressures that threaten to tear them apart. The novel alternates between the 1940s and the 1980s, when Henry, now a widower, discovers a cache of items belonging to Japanese families who were forced to leave their homes. Among them, he finds a parasol that belonged to Keiko, and he sets out to find her again after decades of separation.

"The Long Call" by Anne Cleeves

Our AI friend has this to say.

Detective Matthew Venn has a complicated past. He left his strict evangelical community and his family when he was young, and never looked back. Until now. As he attends his father's funeral from a distance, he gets a call about a murder case. A man with an albatross tattoo has been stabbed on a nearby beach. Who is he? Who killed him? And what secrets are hidden in the community that Matthew once called home? The Long Call is the first book in the Two Rivers series by Ann Cleeves, the bestselling author of Vera and Shetland. It is a gripping mystery that explores the dark side of a seemingly idyllic place.

The Librarian" by Salley Vickers

Our AI friend had this to say but do you agree?

The Librarian is a novel by Salley Vickers that tells the story of Sylvia Blackwell, a young woman who becomes a children's librarian in a small town in 1950s England. Sylvia is passionate about introducing books to the local children, but she faces resistance from the conservative community and her own personal troubles. She falls in love with an older man who has a daughter and a son from different marriages, and she forms a bond with them through literature. However, her actions have unforeseen consequences that threaten her happiness and the future of the library. The novel explores the power of reading to shape lives, the challenges of love and education, and the conflicts between individual and collective values.

"The Girl in the Red Coat" by Kate Hamer

Chat GPT had this to say:

The Girl in the Red Coat is a psychological thriller that explores the themes of loss, identity, and family bonds. The novel follows the perspectives of Beth, a single mother, and Carmel, her eight-year-old daughter, who are separated by a shocking abduction.

Beth is a struggling writer who loves her daughter more than anything. She has a strained relationship with her ex-husband Paul, who has remarried and moved on. One day, while attending a local festival, Beth loses sight of Carmel, who is wearing a distinctive red coat. She frantically searches for her, but to no avail. She soon realizes that Carmel has been kidnapped by a man who claims to be her estranged grandfather.

Carmel is a bright and imaginative girl who has a gift for storytelling. She is also haunted by visions of her dead grandmother, who tells her that she has a special purpose in life. She is confused and scared by the man who takes her away, but he convinces her that he is saving her from a terrible fate. He introduces himself as Gramps and tells her that her real name is Mercy. He also tells her that she has healing powers and that she belongs to a group of traveling faith healers.

The novel alternates between Beth's and Carmel's chapters, showing how they cope with their separation and try to find each other again. Beth refuses to give up hope and becomes obsessed with finding clues and leads. She also faces criticism and suspicion from the media and the police, who doubt her story and question her parenting skills. Carmel gradually adapts to her new life and forms bonds with some of the people in Gramps' group, especially a boy named Dylan. However, she also faces danger and violence from Gramps' associates, who exploit her abilities and manipulate her emotions.

The novel builds up to a climactic confrontation between Beth and Gramps, who have different plans for Carmel's future. The novel also reveals the secrets and motives behind Gramps' actions and Carmel's visions. The novel ends with a hopeful note of reunion and reconciliation, but also leaves some questions unanswered.

"The Keeper of Lost Things" by Ruth Hogan
This is a novel that explores the themes of love, loss, friendship, and healing through the stories of two women who are connected by a collection of lost objects. The novel has a charming and whimsical tone, with some moments of humor and poignancy. The characters are endearing and quirky, especially Sunshine, a young girl with Down syndrome who helps Laura, one of the protagonists, in her quest to reunite the objects with their owners.

However, the novel also has some flaws that may disappoint some readers. The plot is predictable and clichéd, with few surprises or twists. The two parallel stories are unevenly paced and sometimes feel disconnected. The writing is poetic but also repetitive and simplistic at times. The novel may be too sentimental and sweet for some tastes.

Overall, The Keeper of Lost Things is a pleasant and easy read that may appeal to fans of cozy mysteries or light-hearted romances. It is not a deep or complex novel, but it has a heartwarming message about finding meaning and happiness in life.

"Mightier than the Sword" by Jeffrey Archer

From Goodreads:
When Harry arrives in New York, his publisher Harold Guinzberg tells him he has been elected as the next president of English PEN, which will give him the opportunity to launch a campaign for the release of a fellow author, Anatoly Babakov, who is languishing in a Russian Gulag in Siberia. His crime, writing a book Uncle Joe, which gives an insight into what it was like to work for Josef Stalin. So determined is he to see Babakov released, Harry puts his own life in danger.
Emma Clifton, now Chairman of Barrington Shipping, is having to face the repercussions of the IRA bombing her ship.
Some board members feel she should resign while others, including Sebastian Clifton, newly elected to the board, are determined to see she remains as Chairman.

Giles Barrington is now a Minister of the Crown, and looks set for high office, but a trip to East Germany does not end as a diplomatic success, and once again Giles' political career is thrown off balance by none other than Major Alex Fisher. Fisher decides to stand against Giles at the forthcoming general election. But this time who wins?

Sebastian Clifton asks his girlfriend Samantha to marry him. She happily accepts, but then later changes her mind after she discovers what Seb has been up to behind her back.

The book ends with two court trials: one at the high court in London, a libel case pitting Emma Clifton against Lady Virginia Fenwick; while another, a show trial, takes place in Russia after Harry has been arrested as a spy. Thus continues book five of the Clifton Chronicles, Jeffrey Archer's most accomplished work to date, with all the trademark twists and turns that have made him one of the most successful authors in the world.

CHRISTMAS 2022
"Little Fires Everywhere" Celeste Ng and "Driving Miss Norma" Tim Bauerschmidt & Ramie Liddle"

From Goodreads:

Little Fires Everywhere
Everyone in Shaker Heights was talking about it that summer: how Isabelle, the last of the Richardson children, had finally gone around the bend and burned the house down.

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 . . .

Driving Miss Norma
When Miss Norma was diagnosed with uterine cancer, she was advised to undergo surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy. But instead of confining herself to a hospital bed for what could be her last stay, Miss Norma—newly widowed after nearly seven decades of marriage—rose to her full height of five feet and told the doctor, “I’m ninety years old. I’m hitting the road.”

And so Miss Norma took off on an unforgettable around-the-country journey in a thirty-six-foot motor home with her retired son Tim, his wife Ramie, and their dog Ringo.

As this once timid woman says “yes” to living in the face of death, she tries regional foods for the first time, reaches for the clouds in a hot air balloon, and mounts up for a horseback ride. With each passing mile (and one educational visit to a cannabis dispensary), Miss Norma’s health improves and conversations that had once been taboo begin to unfold. Norma, Tim, and Ramie bond in ways they had never done before, and their definitions of home, family, and friendship expand. Stop by stop, state by state, they meet countless people from all walks of life—strangers who become fast friends and welcome them with kindness and open hearts.

Infused with this irrepressible nonagenarian’s wisdom, courage, and generous spirit, Driving Miss Norma is the charming, infectiously joyous chronicle of their experiences on the road. It portrays a transformative journey of living life on your own terms that shows us it is never too late to begin an adventure, inspire hope, or become a trailblazer.

NOVEMBER "The Century Girls" Tessa Dunlop

The Final Word from the Women Who've Lived the Past Hundred Years of British History

From Good Reads
In 2018 Britain will celebrate the centenary of women getting the vote; during the intervening ten decades the lives of women in this country have been transformed. Told in their own voices, The Century Girls celebrates seven centenarians who lived that change: what they saw, how they were treated, who they loved, what they did and where they are now. With stories that are intimately knitted into the history of these islands, The Century Girls is a time-travel adventure featuring society’s oldest, most precious national treasures.

In 1918 the Suffragettes famously blazed the trail for women, this book reveals what came next for girls growing up in twentieth century Great Britain, whether they resided in Scotland, England, Wales or Northern Ireland; whether they were housewives, or in the workplace; and describing their surroundings of the city, the countryside, or coming to the British Isles from the one of the Commonwealth countries. The narrative will travel through the experiences of some key figures who are now themselves well over a hundred years old. It will tell the human story of how women gradually began to build independent lives for themselves in the modern world of post-Great War Britain, by re-telling what their actual day-to-day reality was like, through the decades.

OCTOBER "Tangerine" Christine Mangan

From Goodreads:
The last person Alice Shipley expected to see when she arrived in Tangier with her new husband was Lucy Mason. After the horrific accident at Bennington, the two friends - once inseparable roommates - haven't spoken in over a year. But Lucy is standing there, trying to make things right. Perhaps Alice should be happy. She has not adjusted to life in Morocco, too afraid to venture out into the bustling medinas and oppressive heat. Lucy, always fearless and independent, helps Alice emerge from her flat and explore the country. But soon a familiar feeling starts to overtake Alice - she feels controlled and stifled by Lucy at every turn. Then Alice's husband, John, goes missing, and she starts to question everything around her...

AUGUST "A Dictionary of Mutual Misunderstanding" Jackie Copleton

Discussion about Jackie Copleton's book at our September meeting was lively and interesting. Though it finally achieved a score of 7 reaction was varied. Only a few felt they would recommend it to friends.

From Library Thing;
When Amaterasu Takahashi opens the door of her Philadelphia home to a badly scarred man claiming to be her grandson, she doesn't believe him. Her grandson and her daughter, Yuko, perished nearly forty years ago during the bombing of Nagasaki. But the man carries with him a collection of sealed private letters that open a Pandora's Box of family secrets Ama had sworn to leave behind when she fled Japan. She is forced to confront her memories of the years before the war: of the daughter she tried too hard to protect and the love affair that would drive them apart, and even further back, to the long, sake-pouring nights at a hostess bar where Ama first learned that a soft heart was a dangerous thing. Will Ama allow herself to believe in a miracle?

Jenny writes :
At the start of the book Amaterasu Takehashi is a widow living alone in Pennsylvania. She receives a visit from a badly disfigured man who is a survivor of the Pikadon, the attack on Nagasaki. He brings with him a bundle of letters from his adopted mother, Natsu Sato who has brought him up all these years. he hopes these letters will make it clear that he is who he says he is, but Amaterasu is distrustful because the letters come from the wife of the man she has hated the most, Jomei Sato. Jomei was a friend of her husband Kenzo and someone with whom Amaterasu had had a relationship when she was only sixteen and working as a geisha. He did not think she was suitable to be his wife and chose instead the daughter of a senior surgeon. Jomei's friend Kenzo fell in love with her straightaway, they marry and have a daughter Yuko. Yuko is now sixteen and her father being trustful sends his daughter who has been having trouble sleeping and has no appetite to see his old friend who is a doctor. Despite him being old enough to to be her father they start an affair which Amaterasu finds out about and sets out to end. Her motives may well be questionable. Yuko is married off to Shigi, a gentle character and they have a son Hideo Watanabe who is now at his grandmother's door explaining who he is. Amaterasu knows she has lost Yuko when the bomb fell because they were going to meet at the Urakami Cathedral which was completely destroyed. Sato doesn't accept this and has written letters to Yuko without reply, except when Amaterasu writes replies in her name. she even suggests that he might be Yuko's father because she knows this will hurt and horrify him. Each chapter starts with a quotation which is then developed. It seems set in a past time with ancient traditions, pre Pikadon. My favourite characters are Kenzo and Shigi as they are both gentle and loving and Hideo shares that gentleness and strength. Amaterasu softens, she returns to Nagasaki and she and Hideo retrace their steps and share a memory that is theirs alone.

JULY "A Little Life" Hanya Yanagihara

At over 700 pages, few of our members would disagree that Hanya Yanagihara's "A Little Life" was a heavy book. Unflinchingly detailed descriptions of Jude's self-mutilation and despair made for a difficult read. The author herself said that she wanted to write a book about a character who wouldn't get better. Nonetheless it is a redemptive story of selfless, enduring love. It is a book that remains with you. Most of those members who finished it rated it a 10.

Jenny writes:
There is a passage at the end of the book in which the author herself sums up how I feel about the book. Harold has found a letter from Jude in which he apologizes for having mislead Harold about the type of person he is and then he details the events of his early life. Harold and Julia read it but have to break of now and then because it is too emotionally draining. That actually sums up my feelings about the book. Its ending is sad but unsurprising. I wonder if a character like Jude would really have been given so much love over the years. I think Andy is my favourite character though I am not convinced by his patience.

From the book description:
"A Little Life" follows four college classmates broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition as they move to New York in search of fame and fortune. While their relationships, which are tinged by addiction, success, and pride, deepen over the decades, the men are held together by their devotion to the brilliant, enigmatic Jude, a man scarred by an unspeakable childhood trauma. A hymn to brotherly bonds and a masterful depiction of love in the twenty-first century, Hanya Yanagihara's stunning novel is about the families we are born into, and those that we make for ourselves.

JUNE "Life After Life" by Kate Atkinson

Jenny writes:
Liked the book a lot but sometimes got confused about the changes in the future caused by her actions in the past. Ursula's confrontation with the murderer somehow meant that her brother's true love did not become his second victim. The marital violence in this book is much colder than in "The Great Alone". Derek Oliphant really tries to undermine and humiliate her. She recognises his voice when she has a similar accident that led to their former meeting but remembers enough about him that leads her to make a frantic escape. I liked Creighton and found it touching that she read his obituary which contradicted what she knew about him. She is affectionate about him. I assume her assassination of Hitler ends in a hail of bullets from all sides, but it only seems to alter the future in a little personal way. Teddy is not dead but a prisoner of war. It is hard to follow a lot of the twists and turns. I also assumed in one version Ursula perishes in the blitz when her rescuer says "They're all Susie to me." Finally she ages normally and dies peacefully so perhaps as she says to Teddy she has finally got it right.

MAY "The Great Alone" by Kristin Hannah

The Great Alone is a survival story, both about surviving in the unforgiving Alaskan wilderness and about growing up with an abusive and volatile father. Ernst is a deeply flawed man. He prefers the company of survivalist and doomsdayer Mad Earl to that of the cheerier and more optimistic people in town.

APRIL "Jimfish" by Christopher Hope

JIMFISH and the right side of history taking him to Africa Asia and Europe in his quest to find the answer

If you have any questions, please get in touch here Book Club

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More Group Pages
Active Together Ale Appreciation
Armchair Travel Bi-Annual Coach trips (Denise)
Birthday Group (Diane) Book Club
Bus Pass Travel Conversation-Sian
Crosswords Easy Walkers
Enjoying Words Gardening Group with Carole
Heritage Walks and Visits History
Knit and Natter Mobile Photography
Nachtmittags Pause - German Conversation Poetry Group
Pop-up Craft Quarter Lunch Club
Sgrws Gymraeg Table Top Games with Mary
Write Away Group