Book Club - Chapter 1
Book Club Chapter 1: A recent book was The Great Circle by Maggie Shipstead, which was thoroughly enjoyed for its varied topics from Geography to History and beyond. Possibly our favourite book ever.. This was followed by The Help by Kathryn Stockett, which raised many issues to be discussed. and then Step by Step by Simon Reeves, which was greatly enjoyed and which most of us wouldn't have read. Our current read is Scoop by Evelyn Waugh, which will be discussed on 8th June, followed by Bel Canto by Ann Patchett.
We currently have two spaces, so contact Lin Plant if you would like to join us. We have two men in our group, so if you are a man, don't be shy and come and join us - lady members also welcome!
Chapter 1 has had a full year of varied reading.
Our last three books were:
Mrs Palfrey at The Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor (no, not that one!),
Character Parts by John Mortimer,
and The Ginger Tree by Oswald Wynd.
All these were written many years ago, but not necessarily 'classics'.
We are currently reading The Great Circle by Margaret Shipstead, which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2021.
Our next book will be The Help by Kathryn Stockett.
We meet on the second Thursday morning of each month, usually in one of two member's houses from 10am-12pm.
At our March meeting we will be choosing our reading list for the coming year. Each member will bring along a couple of suggestions and we will then vote on which ones to put on our list.
We currently have two spaces. If you would like to join us, please contact Lin Plant
Contact Lin Plant for more details about the group, We would welcome new members.
JULY 2022
Chapter 1 book group met to discuss Rudyard Kipling's Kim . Most of us found it quite hard going to get into. It's definitely a book of its time. Some fantastic descriptive passages, evoking the sights, sounds and smells of India if that era. Some of us enjoyed it more than others, but we did finish it.
JUNE 2022
Sweet Caress by William Boyd was the topic for our discussions.
MAY 2022
We read: Girl, Woman, Other by Bernadine Everisto this month. The format, with no
punctuation, proved challenging, but we all carried on and most didn't notice it once we began to
read further on.
There were some thought provoking concepts, and some felt that the author had put in every
variation of possible prejudice she could
However, overall most of us liked the book and it provided some wide ranging discussions.
Recent reads include A Month in the Country by J L Carr, which tells the story of a war-damaged man spending a month in the country uncovering a hidden mural under whitewash on the church’s wall. He also meets another war veteran who is employed to look for a certain grave outside the churchyard walls. The book gives a strong sense of life post war and the feelings of the veterans who served in it. The book draws inspiration from many parts of Carr’s life, and several of us went on to read his biography.
We also read Mrs Hemingway by Naomi Wood – a marmite book for us. The first two parts were very evocative of Hemingway’s early life and marriages, but the last part felt unreal. The descriptive writing in the first two parts was excellent. We all felt we were in wherever the author was writing about – particularly in the South of France.