Monday 13th October, 2008: Meeting Notes by Caroline. Seven of us gathered at Irene's house to discuss "The Road Home" by Rose Tremain. With one exception (someone who found the book irritating unreadable) we all awarded it 7 or 8 out of 10. A few of us really loved this book. Those who were present (Irene, Marcie, Lynne, Kevin, Kay, Claire and Caroline) discussed the ideal day for our annual Holiday dinner at Adriatic. Our findings will be passed on to Trish who will make the decision and book the restaurant when she returns from Greece. Next month's meeting will be on November 10th at the Alex pub. We will discuss Mitch Albom's "The Five People You Meet in Heaven". Some of us usually meet at the Alex to eat (at 6:30) before the meeting at 7:30. If you cannot be there that evening please let Lynne know. Between now and then Claire will email you her three books from which we will select a book for discussion in December.

 

Monday 8th September, 2008: Meeting Notes by Caroline. 11 members (Sarah, Nicola, Jenny -- new; welcome! -- Lynne, Claire, Trish, Irene, Liz, Rosemary, Marcie -- also new; welcome! -- and Caroline) met at The Alex public house for a meeting to discuss Katherine Mansfield's short-story collection "The Garden Party". As usual the opinions were varied, ranging from "charming" to "Famous Fiveish". The average was 6.5 out of 10. I think everyone was glad to have read works by this lesser-known early 20th century author.

 

Monday 11th August, 2008: Meeting Notes by Caroline. A record-breaking number of members attended the meeting this evening at Rosemary’s home. Only at our Christmas gatherings on 5 December 2006 and 7 December 2007 have we had an attendance as large: 12 people. Of our regular members only Liz and Bobbe were not able to make it. Each of us had chosen a book from those suggested this year but not selected. I will not attempt to list each person’s choice and opinion but it was noticeable that most managed to complete the book they had chosen, despite the usual distractions of summer.

Monday 14th July, 2008: Meeting Notes by Caroline. There was a good turn-out for the meeting at the Alex. Eleven members: Trish, Liz, Sarah, Rosemary, Lesley, Claire, Kay (new member -- welcome Kay) Kevin, Lynne, Bobbe and Caroline met to discuss Doris Pilkington's "Rabbit-Proof Fence". The reactions to the book ranged from enthusiastic -- from our member who has reason to identify with the area of Australia in which the tale unfolds -- to highly critical -- negatively. I think we all agreed that the story could have been better presented, perhaps by a ghost writer who might have added vitality to a potentially gripping story and also written it in more engaging and coherent prose. Our vote gave the book 4.8 out of 10. Those who had seen the film thought that the material was probably better suited to that medium.

 

Monday 9th June, 2008: Meeting Notes by Caroline. We met at the Alex for this meeting. It was balmy and beautiful in the back garden there -- we seemed to frighten away anyone else who arrived so didn't even suffer from the current pub-garden problem of smoke. We were nine: Irene, Liz, Sarah, Lynne, Francis, Lesley, Kevin, Claire (her first meeting -- welcome, Claire), and Caroline. A few of us ate in advance and thought the pub's food very good. We discussed Beryl Bainbridge's "An Awfully Big Adventure". We all thought that she writes well; we all found the multipicity of characters confusing; two of us loved it; one hated it; and the average grade out of 10 was 6.3. Of the three books suggested by Bobbe for next month's discussion, "Rabbit-Proof Fence" by Doris Pilkington finally won out a close battle with "Oryx and Crake", so it is that which we will discuss on 14th July in the Alex. Again, all are welcome to eat in advance and ex- and occasional members will be particularly welcome, whether they have time to read the book or not. A reminder: the person who suggested each month's book is, as it were, Host(ess) for the evening when the book is discussed, whether in their own home or a pub substitute. We have chosen to repeat the Alex next month on Bobbe's behalf in her absence. It is she to whom you should send apologies if you are unable to come. Please do that so that we know when all have arrived and the meeting can begin. Between 14th July and 11th August we will all read a book from amongst those offered but not selected this year. You can find that list on the website. Liz will offer three books at the August meeting from which September's books will be chosen.

Monday 12th May, 2008: Meeting Notes by Caroline. Eight members gathered at Trish's house to discuss "Author, Author" by David Lodge: Trish, Francis, Irene, Sarah, Rosemary, Kevin, Lesley and Caroline. Opinions ranged from "very impressed" (9 out of 10) to "somewhat tedious" (5 out of 10). There was some interesting discussion of Henry James' character and art, his social and artistic milieu, etc. arising from the book in which David Lodge skillfully uses primary source material to produce a convincing novel/biography covering a particularly stressful period of HJ's life. For next month we will be reading Beryl Bainbridge's "An Awfully Big Adventure", which we will discuss in the Alex pub on Gwydir Street on Monday 9th June. The pub does food if anyone wants to eat first at 6:45 - 7:00. Meeting will start at 7:30. Bobbe will present three titles at that meeting from which we will choose the book for discussion in July.

 

Monday 14th April, 2008: Meeting Notes by Caroline. Seven members met at The Alex -- Rosemary, Irene, Lesley, Sarah, Francis, Trish and welcome to our new member, Lynne! The choice for discussion was "Digging to America" by Anne Tyler. Most of us found that the book was sweet - almost the typical ‘chicklit’. Trish will write some more detail about this soon. We voted a generous 6.3 out of 10. Trish's choices from which to select next month's read required little discussion. 5 of those present (plus 1 absentee) wanted to read David Lodge's "Author, Author", so that is the book we will discuss on 12th May, at Trish’s home.

 

Monday 10th March, 2008: Meeting Notes by Caroline. Seven members met at The Alex -- Rosemary, Bobbe, Lesley, Kevin, Sarah, Francis and Caroline. The choice for discussion was "The Zahir" by Paulo Coelho. Most of us found that the book started well but became bogged down in aphorisms and anecdotes, and failed to convince us that the pretentious and self-centred protagonist was truly on a spiritual journey. Indeed we all found that while we initially took some of his ideas seriously he failed to sustain our interest. The characters almost without exception did not take shape, and the locations lacked the interest promised by the synopsis. We voted a generous 4.2 out of 10. Kevin's choices from which to select next month's read required little discussion. 5 of those present (plus 1 absentee) wanted to read Anne Tyler's "Digging to America", so that is the book we will discuss on 14th April, again in the Alex.

 

Monday 11th February, 2008: Meeting Notes by Caroline. Discussion on "Mother's Milk" by Edward St Aubyn. Seven members attended the meeting this evening at Caroline's house: Bobbe, Irene, Sarah, Lesley, Kevin, Francis (a new member; welcome, Francis) and Caroline. Reactions to "Mother's Milk" by Edward St Aubyn ranged from ecstatic (1) to cautiously appreciative of St Aubyn as a writer (the rest). The absence of plot was a problem for most of us, the characterization almost entirely unconvincing, the material for the most part unattractive or unlikely. However most of us had had a few good laughs with St Aubyn through his apposite and imaginative wit. The average vote for this book was 6.1 out of 10.

 

Monday 14th January, 2008: Meeting Notes by Trish. Discussion on “Desert Flower” by Waris Dirie. Seven of us met at Trish’s house this evening to discuss the book: Caroline, Kevin, Lesley, Marie, Rosemary, Sarah and Trish. There was general consensus that the early chapters of this ghost-written autobiography, detailing Dirie’s childhood as part of the Somali nomadic community was gripping and, on the whole, convincing; and that the graphic description of the horror of female genital mutilation was powerful, well handled and effective in raising awareness of the issue. Thereafter, opinions divided.  Some of us considered that, once at liberty in Britain, Dirie used the friends she made only as a springboard to further her career as a celebrity and was quick to discount and discard them once their usefulness was over – this particularly true of the man she married – and that this somewhat diminished the sympathy previously engendered for the protagonist. The alternative view was that, as an uneducated illiterate illegal immigrant who had ventured and risked so much to make a life for herself in an alien country and culture, Dirie lacked the intellectual understanding to value those who helped her on her way to success. It was generally considered that the ghost writer had not done full justice to Dirie; that it would have been preferable had Dirie been given the opportunity to relate her life story in her native language and to have it translated which could have ironed out some infelicities. We should also have welcomed more information and background on Somalia generally and pictures of the nomadic life there, rather than protracted details of Dirie’s modelling career and glossy celebrity photo shots. Conclusion:  we were all glad we had read the book but, given our reservations as above, we marked it 5/10.

Monday 10th December, 2007: Meeting Notes by Caroline. Eight of us met at Rosemary's (thank you, Rosemary) for discussion of "Anil's Ghost" of Michael Ondaatje, and for a decision on what to read for the meeting at Trish's on 14th January: Rosemary, Bobbe, Lesley, Trish, Eve (a new member -- welcome Eve), Marie, Kevin and Caroline. The latter decision was addressed first, while we waited for late-comers. Based to a large extent on the sheer size (huge to tackle over the holiday period)of the Kate Mosse (which had an equal number of votes) the choice was that we should read "Desert Flower" by Waris Dirie. The discussion of "Anil's Ghost" was detailed and interesting. The majority of the group had not yet finished the book, finding it hard to maintain momentum in the face of fragmentary and episodic writing. Those who had finished it found the book to be unsatisfactory on a number of fronts: it seemed to be poetic without being poetry, to promise an interesting plot without achieving it. There was an unfinished, unfulfilled feel to the whole, despite the moving and perhaps optimistic ending. Most who had not finished the book thought that they would now try to finish it. So, a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all of you. Look forward to seeing everyone at Trish's house on 14th January to discuss "Desert Flower".

Monday 12th November, 2007: Meeting Notes by Caroline. Apologies were received from Liz Crombie. There was an encouragingly large turn out this evening at Caroline’s home: Rosemary, Lesley, Trish, Irene, Sarah, Bobbe, Marie, Kevin (A NEW MEMBER – WELCOME, KEVIN) and Caroline. It is difficult to report on a book that appealed to people in so many different ways. With one exception, all those who attended tonight enjoyed Mary Lawson’s Crow Lake, finding it eminently readable, for most a “page turner”, though for some a little obvious in its promise of dramatic events to come, which did not fulfil the promise! I think we all felt we would read Mary Lawson’s next book, and the average 7 out of 10 vote for the book was encouraging. Thank you, Rosemary and Penelope L. If anyone wants to follow up this book with more CanLit, Trish has other Canadian authors and books she would recommend. You will also be hearing from Trish on the subject of our Holiday Season dinner together. Please look out for her email and respond a.s.a.p. since space at any decent restaurant will be at a premium as December approaches. We decided that we would invite to that event the four people who are at present on the waiting list. Our next book discussion will be on December 10, at the home of Rosemary at which we will discuss Michael Ondaatje’s Anil’s Ghost. At that meeting Marie will present three choices from which to select the book for discussion on 14th January, location to be decided.

 Monday 8th October, 2007: Meeting Notes by Trish.

The Poisonwood Bible

5 of us met at the Live & Let Live last night; Irene, Rosemary, Sarah, Marie and Trish. Caroline sent comprehensive notes. 4 of us had read the book.

There was general agreement that the book covered interesting material including an indictment of the self-interest of aid, but that was too long and could successfully have ended when the family left Nathan. Not all the voices were considered successful, particularly those of Rachel and Ruth May, and essentially not very different. It was wondered why the father and Anatole weren't given their own narrative voices. The mother was seen by one as the Chorus voicing common sense and Anatole the voice of reason, hope and
survival; but it was the strong authorial voice that dominated.
 

Comments included: political polemic, journalistic, overwritten, tedious 2nd half, slow, complex, good sense of place, illuminating.

The next meeting will be at Caroline’s.  We will be discussing ‘Crow Lake’, by Mary Lawson.

 

Monday 10th September, 2007: Meeting Notes by Irene. An intimate group of five members gathered at Irene’s home for Monday's meeting: Caroline, Marie, Bobbe, Sarah and me. With such a small group we were able to discuss some personal activities as well - holidays, cinema etc.! There was a presentation from each member on books selected from the ‘passed-over’ list. Please see the Books Read page for details. All but one, ‘An Empty Room’, were generally liked.  I got very enthusiastic about Peter Carey’s ‘Theft, A Love Story’ and gave selected readings, as time permitted :-) The next meeting will be at Caroline’s.  We will be discussing ‘The Poisonwood Bible’, by Barbara Kingsolver.

 

Monday 13th August, 2007: Meeting Notes by Irene. Eight members gathered in the Cambridge Blue for Tuesday's meeting: Liz, Rosemary, Trish, Tracey, Sarah, Barbara(new - welcome!), Marie(new - welcome! ), and me. Once again it rained, so after the meal we adjourned from the Garden back into the Pub. There was a discussion of "The Wasp Factory" by Iain Banks. Some people had finished the book. Many did not. On the positive side the comments were: a great sense of place - the description of the islands; a well written novel; very clever. The discussion revolved around the detail of the demise of Esmeralda; how there were hints all along, together with a sense of menace, driving the narrative forward; a discussion about Frank’s madness - was is due to nature or nurture? The character of Jamie, the dwarf, and how he made Frank seem more human. On the negative side many of us found the book gruesome, sick, disgusting. The mutilation of animals stopped some from reading on. We discussed what inspired Iain Banks to write such a powerful first novel, his childhood experiences, his interest in explosives?  We all agreed that the humour was brilliant!. We welcomed our new potential members Marie and Barbara. They got into the spirit of the discussion! The next meeting will be at Irene’s. Hopefully not as busy and loud as the Pub has been over the last three meetings! Each member will choose their own book to give a presentation on from the ‘passed-over’ books from previous suggestions (See Suggestions Page).

Monday 9th July, 2007: Meeting Notes by Caroline. Six members gathered in the Cambridge Blue for tonight's meeting: Irene, Lesley, Berenice (!), Rosemary, Trish and Caroline. There was a discussion of "101 Reykjavik" by Helgason. Thanks to Irene's cautious advance apology for the nature of this book, no one seemed particularly shocked or disturbed by it. However Irene was the only one who had truly read it from cover to cover. We decided that the use of words was skilled and funny, but that we really didn't need to read the whole book to get the gist, and the constant sexual allusions finally achieved saturation point! Irene has opted NOT to go to Iceland this summer. Need I say more! Liz's choices were considered and those present opted (by 6 to 0) to read Iain Banks "The Wasp Factory" for the August meeting. Please let Berenice know whether or not you will be at that meeting -- 13th August, again at the Cambridge Blue (third time lucky with the weather) and if you have read The Wasp Factory, let her know what you thought if it. Since Anne will probably not be available in August to present her book selection for September, we decided on a different approach over the summer: each member may select any book from those proposed over the last year but not chosen, and which (s)he really wanted to read. The September meeting will comprise each person's opinion of the book (s)he chose -- including critiques written by those who cannot be at the meeting: please try to submit those to Irene, Berenice or Caroline before September 10th. That meeting will be at Irene's home.

 

Monday 11th June, 2007: Meeting Notes by Caroline. Greetings to all who could not make it to tonight's meeting at the Cambridge Blue -- happy memories of our very first meeting in September 2004! Nine people (four originals) showed up in time to eat good pub food before the serious business started. What was interesting was that only 3 of the 9 had actually read the book! "Supper-preparation-avoidance" is obviously a more powerful incentive for attendance than "having-read-the-book". Apologies were received from Trish, Tracey and Anne. Present were: Rosemary, Nicola, Lesley, Irene. Liz. Sarah, Ruth, Bobbie and Caroline. Guess which three had read the book. All three had made copious notes, however it became obvious after Ruth's summary and comments, that the noise of the other patrons of the pub was making it very hard to hear and digest the enthusiasms of the other two. Irene and Caroline cut to a few brief comments. This is a big, brilliant, challenging read, focussing for the most part on the negative aspects of post-colonial India, the unfulfilled ambitions of the young who reach out to the world beyond, and the sad, sordid, reality of those who stay behind, filled with the old anger generated by memories of Empire, or the dislocation of an education "with an eye to the West". Kiran Desai's skilled and witty approach does little to relieve the depression generated by her down-to-earth portrayal. Despite that, all three who HAD read it voted 10 out of 10 when asked how worthwhile it had been to read this book. We recommend that you all make time to read it one day -- don't take the totally inadequate summary above as disincentive. Next month's meeting on 9th July will also be held at the Cambridge Blue, in the hope that better weather will make it possible to hide ourselves in a quiet corner of the garden. 6;30 for 7:30 as this time. We will have read (oh, heck, I have no idea where the find the required accents!) "Reykjavik" by Hallgrimur Helgason. We have room for new members if anyone knows of anyone (particularly male!) who might be interested. From the list at the "To:" box of this email, Suzanne and Michael are staying on the list only out of interest at this time, and poor Berenice seems unable to make it to a meeting despite all her good intentions. All three are always welcome if they CAN make it.

 Monday 14th May, 2007: Meeting Notes by Caroline.

There was a big turn-out at Rosemary's house tonight: Sarah, Tracey, Ruth, Anne Bailey (a new member -- Welcome, Anne), Rosemary, Irene, Lesley, Liz, Bobbe, and Caroline. Apologies were received from Trish and from Michael, who is having to drop out for a few months. We had hoped that Berenice might manage to get there, but unfortunately she did not.

The first business was to confirm that Irene will choose three books to present at the next meeting, which will be on Monday 11th June. The meeting will be held at the Cambridge Blue, site of our very first coming-together in September 2004. It was suggested that some of us might meet at 6:30 to have supper in advance of the meeting. The food is excellent. Otherwise join in at 7:30. We hope it may be fine enough to be outside.

The book for discussion on that occasion will be 'The Inheritance of Loss' by Kiran Desai.

The opinions of this month's book 'The Interpretation of Murder' by Jen Rubenfeld, ranged form rave (2) to indifferent (most) to positively antipathetic (2). Even the ravers agreed that Mr Rubenfeld was perhaps to consciously clever in weaving together too many strands. Those in the know felt his psychoanalytical strand was thorough and credible; those who know New York similarly felt the setting was well drawn; but it did not succeed for most of us as a page-turning thriller. Perhaps there had been too much hype about this book, as a result of which most of us were disappointed.

Irene reported that there is nobody on the waiting list at the moment, so Rosemary will invite a friend who is interested to join us for next month's meeting.

Monday 9th April, 2007: Meeting Notes by Caroline.

The 25th meeting of Talk About Books happened tonight, at the home of Trish, with a lively attendance of 8 people: Lesley, Tracey, Trish, Irene, Rosemary, Sarah, Liz and Caroline. Apologies were received from Berenice, Michael (until October), Suzanne and Nicola -- Bobbie had already said that she would not be able to attend.

Irene asked whether we might be able to offer a place in the group to a new member, since two or three of our present members were only able to attend occasionally. It was agreed that she should start by offering a place to the first person on the waiting list.

The discussion of Paul Auster's "Oracle Night" was gratifyingly lively. Most of us enjoyed the book, found it to be an interesting and easy read, variously intriguing and irritating, and that there were so many layers to the plot that it might be dubbed post-modern, pretentious, or maybe self-indulgent. Certainly it was not boring and only one of the 8 of us felt really negative about it. Most of us felt we should try another of his books...

The next meeting will be held on May 14th at the home of Rosemary. For that meeting we will have read "The Interpretation of Murder" by Jed Rubenfeld. (This is available at Smiths at £7.99, second book half price, so you could get together with someone else and buy two -- result @ £6.).

Ruth is due to select three books to present at the May meeting, from which we will choose a book to discuss in June -- Ruth, please confirm your willingness. It was suggested that we meet in the garden of the Cambridge Blue for our 11th June meeting. To be confirmed.

Monday 12th March, 2007: Meeting Notes by Caroline.

Trish, Lesley, Ruth, Tracey, Sarah, Rosemary and Caroline met to discuss 'Brideshead Revisited'. As far as I can recall, it's the first time that everyone has enjoyed the book without reservation. That did not, however, prevent a very lively discussion of it. We all felt it was well written once one became accustomed to the inevitably dated style; the characters are distinctively and interestingly drawn, the issues and themes pervasive and carried right through. A very evocative book which reminds us all that there is a lot more Waugh out there to be (re)-read.

Next month's book; We will be reading Paul Auster's 'Oracle Night' and discussing it at Trish's home.

Admin: Since everyone seems to be interested in the WordFest at the end of April we tried to establish whether there was any one event that would be of interest to us as a group. We failed, and concluded that it is best if each individual chooses an event that appeals to him/her and goes under their own steam. Pity not to have a social element, but this year there just isn't an ideal event.

Discussion of next month's date: We will meet on 9th April even though one or two people will not be there. The same is true for 16th, so it makes sense to stick to our 2nd Monday of the month.

 Monday 12th February, 2007: Meeting Notes by Caroline.

Five of us (Ruth, Trish, Bobbe, Rosemary and Caroline) met on Monday, 12 February, to discuss Ha Jin's "War Trash". We enjoyed visiting The Triangle and Ruth's lovely flat. Thank you, Ruth.

The four that had completed the book all felt without any doubt that it was a very worthwhile read. Most were very impressed with the author's ability to maintain a realistic documentary 'voice' throughout, and for the most part felt the characterization of Yu Yuan was convincing, so convincing that one had to remind oneself constantly that this was fiction. There was some dissent, one reader feeling that both language and narrative were too self conscious. It is a fascinating account of an interesting, and currently relevant, historical three-year period from which we all learned a great deal.

Next month's book; The selection for next month's discussion is Evelyn Waugh's "Brideshead Revisited", The Naguib Mahfouz "Palace Walk" came a close second but was thought to be a bit long for a short month! Jeanette Winterson's "Oranges are not the Only Fruit" was also chosen by a few and Trish would be happy to lend it to anyone who wants to read it, particularly if you plan to see the author at the WordFest where she will probably be paired with Sarah Waters ("Night Watch").

Admin: On the subject of the Cambridge Wordfest, if enough people are interested we will coordinate event-choice and ticket-purchase, and (again if enough people are interested) a social event to follow the ADC one. Further on that in due course when the schedule is published on-line on 26 February. Would anyone who is interested in attending the WordFest as a group with other bookclub people, please express an interest promptly following the next email on the subject, since booking begins 1 March.

Membership: We decided that we would wait to hear the outcome of the West Cambs book club's first meeting to see whether there is room in the Talk About Books group for a waiting-list-would-be-member. Good luck, Liz

Monday 8th January, 2007: Meeting Notes by Irene. Happy New Year! Nine members met at my home to discuss ‘Purple Hibiscus’ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and to choose the book for next month: Rosemary, me, Michael, Tracey, Ruth, Sarah, Nicola, Trish and Caroline. Mostly everyone had read the whole book, and the discussion was very lively and positive. We discussed religion, missionaries, love, abuse done in the name of love, families, politics in Africa, African foods, colour, landscape, and the meaning behind the title of the book! We agreed that it was a very thought-provoking book. Good suggestion, Sarah. Admin: It was decided to review the position of the Waiting List at next month’s meeting. Next month's book: In choosing next month's book from the selection proposed by Bobbe, there was a close-run race between "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro and "War Trash" by Ha Jin. Both received 6 votes. As 3 of the votes for Ishiguro were absentee votes it was decided the “War Trash” will be the book discussed at Ruth's on 12th February 2007.

Monday 11th December, 2006: Meeting Notes by Caroline.

Eight members met at Rosemary's home to discuss Tobias Hill's ‘Underground’ and to choose the book for next month: Rosemary, Liz, Irene, Trish, Ruth, Bobbe, Sarah and Caroline.

Three or four people had not managed to read the whole book, but the discussion was none-the-less lively and for the most part positive. Whilst two who had read it found it fascinating (one for the evocation of the London underground and the characterization of the protagonist, the other particularly for the Polish episodes, which for her rang true), some found that the book seemed to be carrying two unconnected stories, one more memorable and worthwhile than the other; all agreed that it was NOT a fast-moving thriller, rather a poetic, well-researched and gripping narrative. Good suggestion, Berenice. Most of us will read more of Hill's work, perhaps some of his poetry.

Next month's book: In choosing next month's book from the selection proposed by Sarah, there was a close-run race between "My Brilliant Career" by Miles (Stella) Franklin and "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. The latter received 5 votes to the former's 4 (there were three absentee votes and two abstentions) and will be the book discussed at Irene's on 8th January 2007.  

 Monday 20th November, 2006: Meeting Notes by Caroline.

Seven of us met in the Live and Let Live at 7:30 this evening: Rosemary, Ruth (welcome!), Suzanne, Nicola, Sarah, Irene and Caroline.

It was a memorable evening. The Snug lends itself well to a group of that size.

We discussed: Coetzee’s ‘Slow Man’.

Rosemary, whose choice this book was, started the discussion. Her positive slant on the book was a challenge to those of us who found aspects of it mystifying. The discussion, as each of us shared our thoughts and listened to those of the absent members who wrote down their opinions, was very lively, and positive. There was no doubt at the end that we were all glad we read the book and were prepared to accept that mystery was a deliberate affect of the author. Whether Coetzee was searching out the nature of reality, using related words and names significantly (Rayment/Raiment/Payment/Vraiment; Marianna/Marijana) or analysing the eternal truths such as mortality, didn't matter so much as the fact that his book made us all think! Good choice, Rosemary!

Next month's book: will be "Underground" by Tobias Hill. "The Necropolis Railway" came a very close second. This book will be discussed on 11th December at Rosemary's.

 Monday 10th October, 2006: Meeting Notes by Caroline.

The meeting this evening was held at Caroline's home at 21 Covent Garden. Apologies were received from Berenice, Lesley, Michael, Liz, Anne, Catherine and Alison W. Nothing was heard from David.

Present were: Rosemary, Tracey, Nicola, Trish, Irene, Suzanne, Sarah, Bobbe and Caroline.

There had been mixed degrees of success in completing the reading of the two books under discussion: Dashiell Hammett's "Maltese Falcon" and James Ellroy's "LA Confidential", ranging from some who had read both books and seen both films, to those who had been unable to do much at all.

Most had read the "Maltese Falcon"; no one raved about it. The general concensus was that the Sam Spade character was ill-defined, that the text was film-script like, that it generally wasn't a great read. James Ellroy had proved to be long, complex, riddled with gangster jargon and a tough read. Only two of the nine of us had completed it, though others had seen the film and therefore had a better, overall picture. That period has not been of great interest to any of us hitherto, and will probably continue to have limited appeal.

If anyone who was there wants to contribute further to, or correct, that rather damning summary of our conclusions please feel free!

On more general topics we confirmed the decision of the last meeting (Live and Let Live, 22 Sept) that anyone who wishes to compare a book to the film thereof should arrange to do so at their own convenience, perhaps in the company of anyone else who wishes to compare the two.

We decided that a December social event (perhaps like last year's at the Backstreet Bistro) would be good. Caroline later suggested that it might be more fun to repeat the "pot luck" experience of the summer at Rosemary's, with everyone bringing a contribution to an evening in the quiet of a private home. She was prepared to host such an event.

Next month's book will be Rosemary's first suggestion "Slow Man" by J M Coetzee. Since it is 3 for 2 at Heffers at the moment Caroline agreed to go there to buy it for Trish, Irene, Sarah, Tracey, Suzanne and Nicola. If any of those who were absent this evening would like her to get a copy for them, email a.s.a.p. The meeting at which this book will be discussed will be on 13th November at Berenice's home -- she will confirm nearer the time.

Since David has not confirmed that he can present his choice of books for the November meeting we will encourage Berenice to re-present her London selection nearer the time, if that remains her choice. Sarah will present her selection in December for discussion in January; Bobbe in January for February.

 Friday 22nd September, 2006: Social Event. Notes by Caroline.

We were 8 in all: Trish, Tracey, Rosemary, Liz, Bobbe, Mark and Nell (two Dutch friends of Liz's) and myself. We were securely ensconced in the snug where no-one disturbed us or showed any embarassment at our reading John Betjeman out loud.

After a certain period of gossip and consumption, we made an effort (in view of the celebratory nature of the event) to review the original membership and the books we have consumed in two years. Personally, I was gratified to realise that I recall most of the books clearly, and, with a very few exceptions, with pleasure.

John Betjeman was not everyone's favourite poet: one member feels he is/was a snob; another that his impact needs to be reviewed. Despite that and them, we (let's be honest, I) decided that we should read a few poems. "The Town Clerk's Views" which I find has resonances even today, and is funny to boot, was followed by "Diary of a Church Mouse". Then, on a more serious and poetic note, we listened to "N.W.5 & N.6" and "Devonshire Street W.1".

We all knew that one of the aims of the evening was to review 2 years of meetings and decide what has been good, and what less good about them. Without key figures like BERENICE, LESLEY and NICOLA (we missed you!) that was hard to achieve.

 11th September, 2006 meeting. Notes by Berenice

This meeting for the Maltese Falcon was cancelled.

The October meeting will therefore be a discussion on this book and LA Confidential. A few of you seem to have these films on DVD or video so can I suggest that anyone who wants to view them puts around a group email and sorts out a loan, since there will not be time to watch it at the next meeting. If anyone would like to organise a film viewing please feel free to do so.

Please can I have a volunteer to host the October meeting - first person to offer hosts!

The social event will be on 22nd September at the Cambridge Blue, 7.30pm onwards for drinks and a general catch up since this was the best date for most people. Apologies if you cannot make it, let's try and fix something else in early December. Please have a selection of poems to read in case someone else reads your first choice.

Best wishes to Liz, rest up and take it easy!

Review of the 15th August, 2006 meeting by Berenice Thank you to everyone who turned up at this book group meeting and special thanks to Tracey for looking after us and keeping us well fed and watered. Welcome to David, Victoria and Bobbe. I hope you enjoyed your first discussion. I have copied this email to Alison and hope that you will be able to come along next month to either the meeting or the social event. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil received positive reviews from the majority of the group. I felt that most of you thought that the characters were one dimensional (did the film viewing assist with this?) However, the title appeared to be a page turner for most of you and one of our more popular titles. There was mixed opinion on the comparison between this and Truman Capote, In Cold Blood and the overall consensus was that both titles should be treated individually. I thought that it might be useful to include an extract from the Time Out Film Review. 'Elegantly directed and beautifully performed, Eastwood's film of John Berendt's non-fiction best-seller is a warm, witty, consistently intriguing character study. Particularly successful are the funny, touching scenes shared by Cusack and the flirtatious Chablis, typical of the movie's fascination with questions of pretence, trust and tolerance. Also engaging, however, is the quirky wit and Eastwood's readiness, whenever the occasion arises, to deflect focus away from the crime on to other details in the social tapestry, subtly nudging at divisions involving race, class, gender and sexuality.' Administration We agreed that our current membership of 15 is sufficient so we will not be accepting new readers. However, we welcome one-off visits from other book group members who might find it useful to observe a meeting but please do advise the group if you are bringing someone, especially the host! Rota The book group rota has been updated (see ‘Events Calendar’ to include the new members. The old list seemed rather haphazard so I have sorted the rest of the names into alphabetical order but excluded myself as I'm down for November! If you're concerned about your book choices then do send over an email and I'll endeavor to assist. I can also offer the loan of various Bloomsbury reading guides have been bought for the book group. Finally, the fun stuff! It's been two years since we stared the group and I though it would be nice to do something to celebrate. Please can you let me know your availability for Thursday 21st or Friday 22nd September (see ‘Events Calendar’ for details). Irene suggested that we might like to read a favourite poem by John Betjeman to honour the centenary which is a great idea. If you're not keen on this, please don’t feel obligated to do this, it’s not compulsory! I have the collected works at home if anyone wants to borrow them or you can refer to www.johnbetjeman.com

10th July, 2006 Meeting

Due to rainy weather we missed sitting in Caroline’s lovely garden, however, we had a good session indoors. Irene, Sarah (Davies -- welcome Sarah, it is good to have you with us), Michael, Lesley, Trish, Tracey and Caroline were joined by Caroline’s friend Eleanor for a lively and interesting discussion of David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas". Caroline knew when she suggested it that there would be a wide variety of reaction to the book, and indeed there was: from "didn't get very far" to "couldn't put it down". There was significant support for the suggestion that the form of the book, and particularly its connective elements, is somewhat contrived; and there was an interesting difference of opinion as to the best and least good "movements" of the sextet. We all see David Mitchell as a potentially significant writer, even if this book didn't convince us.

Before we started the discussion we did briefly touch on the issue of 209Radio's invitation to "Talk about your Favourite Book on the Radio". We all understand that it is important to confirm that there is no connection between this and Citylife -- a thoroughly political issue at present -- and Irene will be in touch with 209Radio to volunteer, provided that is the case.

Next month's book will be "Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil" by John Berendt. Like last month's Truman Capote this is a non-fiction account of a shooting and its aftermath, this time set in Savannah, GA. It will be very interesting to compare the two. Caroline found a cheap copy on abebooks.co.uk where there are plenty more if you can't find one elsewhere.

 Our next meeting on Tuesday 15th August at Tracey's home. There will be a showing of the film (in advance of the discussion of it?).

Tracey will be selecting three choices for the following month. 

 11th June, 2006 Meeting

The meeting at Rosemary's was truly memorable. The weather contributed, for sure. Trish, Lesley, Rosemary, Nicola, Irene. Suzanne, Liz, Michael and Caroline were there. Thank you very much Rosemary -- sorry about all the washing up we left you with.

First we drank and chose next month's book -- which proved to be very easy with 6 of the nine of us responding positively to the challenge of David Mitchell's "Cloud Atlas".

We will talk about this book on July 10th at 21 Covent Garden -- hopefully in the garden.

Michael will select a few books from which we will choose one to be discussed in August.

Then we talked at great length about Truman Capote's "In Cold Blood" which we had read at Liz's suggestion. Everyone had enjoyed it and marvelled at Capote's success in blending his journalistic skills with a compelling narrative. Liz recommended that those of us who have not seen the film "Capote" should do so.

There was a wonderful accompaniment of music ranging from classical through popular to jazz in the course of the evening. That was a good idea that worked particularly well in the warmth and intimacy of Rosemary's beautiful garden. The "pot luck" meal was delicious!

Everyone got home safely - Suzanne on her bike without lights!? Good luck with David Mitchell. Get started right away!

Berenice we missed you! Tracey we missed you too. Have a great summer everyone