Recently read

So what have we recently read at Book Clurb?

Over the summer we read Rebecca Skloot's book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks which is about a poor black tobacco farmer whose cells were taken without consent in 1951 and became one of the most important tools in medicine. I personally found it fascinating, though I think the group had mixed views.

To keep us going over the summer we also chose Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese, which again I absolutely loved. It was hard going at first, but one of those books that rewards the effort you put in. I'd recommend this to other book clubs, but you might have to put in some effort to finish it in the month!

Next up was The Earth Hums in B Flat by Mari Strachan about a girl who decides to turn detective and is oblivious to the consternation she leaves in her wake as she goes about her investigations. Poor Gwenni is a bit of an oddball who doesn't really seem to fit into 1950s Wales at all. I found the ending to this a bit unsatisfactory - I wanted it all nicely wrapped up!

November's book was The Guilty One by Lisa Ballantyne. I missed the meeting that discussed this, so am not totally sure what everyone else thought of it. I enjoyed reading it, but had worked out the ending and found it all a bit depressing! There seems to be a bit of a trend for reading depressing books at the moment - I think we need something uplifting soon! In fact if I have to read one more book that includes murdered or murderous children I might go mad!

We're currently reading Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (my pick) and I know that some have already finished it and loved it, while others have already given up having hated it! I've only just started it, so I'll reserve judgment.

Another catch up

Since the last post we've read 50 shades of grey (who hasn't?) and Painter of Silence. I think it's fair to say that views on 50 shades were mixed, with some loving it and some hating it. I personally think it's atrociously written, almost to the point of being unreadable, and I am flabbergasted that it's made so much money, but each to their own and all that. I loved Painter of Silence, and devoured it in two sittings on my way to and from a trip to Belfast. I thought it was beautifully written and very evocative. Not everyone agreed though, with others struggling to get into it, or to imagine the setting of the book. Next month we are reading the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, which has already provoked much discussion and we haven't even started it yet!

Catch up!

Managed to get ridiculously behind on this blog again!

Since the last post, we've read Silas Marner, of which mixed reviews - I personally really enjoyed it, but others weren't keen at all, Call the Midwife, which was universally enjoyed I think, not least because it is about a subject that is close in recent memory for all of us and last month's book was The Wicked Girls. Those of us who'd read The Wicked Girls all enjoyed it - the story was very well worked and clever, even though you knew what had happened, the details weren't revealed until right at the very end. I think we all found it quite disturbing too, not least because the little girl in the story was a similar age to our own children.

Next month's book is 50 Shades of Grey.

The Night Circus

19/366 The Night Circus, a photo by clogsilk on Flickr.

January's choice (from Sally) was the Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Quite a few of the group hadn't been able to finish the book before our get together, but I think it is testament to the book that all were planning to finish it asap after the meeting!

I really enjoyed it - it wasn't the kind of book I would normally choose at all, but I suppose the beauty of a book club is that you get to read things you wouldn't normally choose and hopefully find something you like.

I did think the book had a sinister side though, but that for me made it all the more intriguing and though I found it hard to get into, once I'd got about a quarter of the way through I was well into it and by three quarters of the way in I could hardly put it down as I was desperate to find out how it ended. But of course, it ends as it begins, bringing you full circle, and that encouraged me to look again at the book as a whole rather than as a series of events.

Highly recommended.

Latest books

Just realised I haven't updated this since we read One Day!

September's book was The Summer Without Men by Siri Hustvedt. This book was not universally enjoyed I'm afraid. It's the first one I've failed to finish and I was not alone! I got up to the point where she thanks you, dear reader for sticking with it and thought, "nah". Life's too short to waste time reading books you aren't enjoying.

Which leads me on to December's pick. This was, I'm ashamed to admit, suggested by me. I thought it would be nice to have something easy and Christmassy.... The book in question was The Twelve Days of Christmas by Trisha Ashley. It was one of the most predictable books I've read in a long time. I have now finished it, however, so it beats The Summer Without Men. It was also only 99p on Kindle.

November's book was The End of Everything by Megan Abbott. This was a good read, but hard to get your head round at times.

January's pick is The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern. Which, incidentally, is not held in a single one of Lewisham's libraries. Shame on them!

One Day

286/365 Book Clurb, a photo by clogsilk on Flickr.

October's pick was One Day by David Nicholls. I shall try not to be completely driven by what I thought of this book, because I am not a big fan of David Nicholls. That said, I completed the book within one day, so it's clearly very readable. My beef relates to the small errors that pepper this book and spoil it for me, just like the small errors in Starter for Ten.

I don't think I was the only one to find the characters a little unlikeable, although I think we all felt that made them more realistic than they otherwise might have been. Those that didn't know there was a twist were completely floored by it, whereas those that knew there was, but not what it was, were constantly on the look out for it!

A couple of us felt frustrated by the ending, although others thought it just showed that's what real life can be like, and people do have to get on with things and move on.

Overall this is an easy read, not too intellectual and not earth shattering either. After the previous month's book, which I failed to finish, that was welcome relief!

The Help

A different take on The Help from most I've seen out there (thanks Sally for sharing the link!):

http://therumpus.net/2011/08/the-solace-of-preparing-fried-foods-and-other-quaint-remembrances-from-1960s-mississippi-thoughts-on-the-help/

Some views from closer to home, which are similar to those we felt when we read the book:

http://lewishambookblog.com/2010/08/13/the-help/
http://lewishambookblog.com/2011/08/04/new-cross-wavelengths-reading-group-news-2/

I must say that reading the link from The Rumpus certainly made me reevaluate my thoughts.