Bookclubbers without boundaries in Nelson, New Zealand
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Suzy Where We Once Belonged is written in the traditional Su’ifefiloi style. Literally this means a woven garland of flowers. As a narrative technique, it refers to the stringing together of individual stories or fragments, told in different styles… Continue Reading “Where We Once Belonged – Sia Figel”
Time for another Back Booker and this time we’ve focused on 2002. A year with a kind of seriousness about it. Though not in a moralistic or melancholy kind of way, rather the authors have demonstrated the impact of significant themes and topics with… Continue Reading “Back Booker 2002”
The best characters exist within the construct of firm guidelines, and life-changing literature becomes so because of the meaning which permeates every turn of events. It is these sturdy but often subtle parametres which define our love of books. With this is mind we have opted… Continue Reading “2011 – Thematic Construction”
Harry’s Bar was our destination for EOY bookclub in 2010. Joined by our newest arrival, the fabulous Sophia, we had a lot to discuss. We found that we had many conflicting opinions on this year’s readings, which we welcomed as it makes for lively… Continue Reading “2010 – End of Year Thoughts”
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Sophia A children’s horror in which a girl called Coraline travels to another world through a mysterious locked door in the living room. ☁ “A young girl called Coraline fancies herself an explorer and spends the first weeks of… Continue Reading “Coraline – Neil Gaiman”
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Jo A dystopian novel set in Airstrip One, Oceania which is in a state of perpetual war and where free thought is considered a thought crime. The all-seeing Big Brother, rules with tyrannical power. ☁ “This is my second… Continue Reading “Nineteen Eighty Four – George Orwell”
We may not have been doing Bookerthon for long enough to comment as such, nor have the relevant degrees or analytical background to offer such thoughts, but … we weren’t blown away by the shortlist this year. Not to say we didn’t enjoy (some… Continue Reading “2010 Bookerthon”
READ FOR BOOKERTHON The story of July, a Jamaican slave who witnesses both the atrocities and abolition of slavery You do not know me yet. My son Thomas, who is publishing this book, tells me, it is customary at this place in a novel… Continue Reading “The Long Song – Andrea Levy”
READ FOR BOOKERTHON Olivier, a French aristocrat, sails for the New World with his servant Parrot ☁ “Olivier-Jean-Baptist de Clarel de Barfleur de Garmont is a young French nobleman who attends democratic lectures in his homeland and is suspected of being a spy. He… Continue Reading “Parrot And Olivier in America – Peter Carey”
READ FOR BOOKERTHON A South African writer named for the author goes backpacking abroad. ☁ A young man, named for the author, undertakes three journeys to different countries where he meets and enjoys the company of strangers, but seems to attract bad luck. In… Continue Reading “In A Strange Room – Damon Galgut”
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