Category: Literary fiction

The Sea, The Sea – Iris Murdoch

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Suzy Charles Arrowby retires to the seaside to write his memoirs but is constantly under visitation by ex-lovers and friends ☁ “Published in 1978, The Sea, The Sea is the story of an eventful summer late in the life… Continue Reading “The Sea, The Sea – Iris Murdoch”

2010 – Character Development

As in any good story, characters come and go, they fall pregnant, they embrace new friends and they introduce ideas and thoughts often contrary to our own. We have all of this bookclub, and like good literature, we wish it was all laughs and consistency… Continue Reading “2010 – Character Development”

2009 – End Of Year Thoughts

We were back at our old favourite Stoneridge this year for Sunday lunch and agreed it had been a diverse year as far as bookclub reading goes. One thing was for certain though, Xas was loved and adored by us all. There were a… Continue Reading “2009 – End Of Year Thoughts”

Netherland – Joseph O’Neill

 READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Suzy In Netherland, we follow immigrant Dutchman Hans van den Broek, a financial analyst and cricket enthusiast, across a period of social turmoil following the 911 terror attacks on New York City. At the same time, Hans’ wife Rachel… Continue Reading “Netherland – Joseph O’Neill”

2009 – Bookerthon

What a substantial stack of books on the Man Booker longlist this year! And we don’t just mean in size, but in scope, in ambition and punch. The ideas and importance as well as the number of pages seemed huge and overwhelming to us… Continue Reading “2009 – Bookerthon”

The Glass Room – Simon Mawer

READ FOR BOOKERTHON Based on a real villa in Czechoslovakia, the house in this book is a minimalist masterpiece with a transparent glass room as its centre. Built for Liesel and Viktor Landauer in the 1920s, the house becomes the central character and the… Continue Reading “The Glass Room – Simon Mawer”

The Quickening Maze – Adam Foulds

READ FOR BOOKERTHON The true story of poet John Clare’s incarceration in London’s Epping Forest, a mental asylum run on the reformist principles of occupational therapy. Lord Alfred Tennyson had his brother treated there and the book bases its storyline on the speculation of… Continue Reading “The Quickening Maze – Adam Foulds”

The Children’s Book – A S Byatt

READ FOR BOOKERTHON Loosely based on the life of E Nesbit, The Children’s Book follows the lives of several inter-related families from 1895 through WWI. ❚ “The Wellwood family consists of Olive, Humphrey, Olive’s sister Violet, and many children. They are Fabians, living in… Continue Reading “The Children’s Book – A S Byatt”

Back Booker 2006

Before we get onto this year’s Bookerthon we’ll sneak in another Back Booker. This time we are looking at 2006 which had a huge variety of narratives and settings, yet each tale delivered the authenticity of a lived experience. Being lost in the story… Continue Reading “Back Booker 2006”

The Vintner’s Luck – Elizabeth Knox

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Nadine The unorthodox story of a French winemaker and his homosexual love affair with an angel.  ❚ “One summer night in 1808, Sobran Jodeau sets out to drown his sorrows in his family’s vineyard when he stumbles upon an angel. Once he… Continue Reading “The Vintner’s Luck – Elizabeth Knox”