Booksnthings: October 2012 meeting, January 2013 book.Lovely da...

Booksnthings: October 2012 meeting, January 2013 book.
Lovely da...: October 2012 meeting, January 2013 book. Lovely day at Sue W's place, lively discussion of Hemingway's The Moveable Feast , comparing the 2...

Ladies
I have now attended 4 of the Book Club meetings and I have thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  I felt a little nervous at the meeting on Sunday when Pat S handed me the hallowed note book and told me to scribe. Apparently it is the person whose home is designated next month's venue to write the notes on the discussion of the day.  Re-reading my notes - I am sure I haven't summarized very  well the great discussion on EH's book and I can hardly read my own writing.  My excuse is that its was my first time and I almost never write these days, not even Christmas cards, but use my computer to type everything.  So apologies, I will endeavour to do better next time.
With kind regards to all,
Maggie

October 2012 meeting, January 2013 book.
Lovely day at Sue W's place, lively discussion of Hemingway's The Moveable Feast, comparing the 2 published versions and discussing the many drafts. We had the Paris Wife version of the story to refer to as well. And Sue and I had had a recent look at The Sun also Rises as well. We were very pleased that we had taken the time for a look at this ground-breaking writer, and think about the importance of this time in art and literature, and of Paris.

Stella - you will be pleased to hear that Pappa's had run out of Ricotta cheesecake, so you didn't miss out. But you did miss out on the yummy apple tart that replaced it.

Maggie took notes because the November book is at her place  and Ken is heading off to Namibia to get out of the way - Ken, really you didn't have to!

No meeting in December as usual. The January meeting will look at The Dark Room by Rachel Seiffert, which has been in the news as one it's 3 stories is the basis for the recent Cate Shortland movie, Lore. I've read the book and seen the movie and am recommending it far and wide - though it was Sue W's suggestion. Sue E volunteered to host in January.
Cheers Pat

September meeting at Sue E's and November book.

I was an apology for the meeting, but I have a report from Ros. The November book - on my recommendation, apparently - is The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng, at Maggie's place.  I did rave about the book based on the first 3rd, before the plot developed a life of its own, so I will have to be responsible. I enjoyed it to the end but in the cool clear light of day, I fear that it is not going to win the Booker Prize. It touches on lots of ideas that interest me. There are no cowboys. I have a copy to share anyway.

Ros also said there was a suggestion that we could read The Sun also Rises as well as The Moveable Feast at the October meeting, which will be held at Sue W's place. There was a review in the SMH Traveller today of a Spanish restaurant we might visit as part of our research!

Cheers
Patricia

August meeting. October book

Lovely meeting at Jane's place at Wollstonecraft. Six of us there and we made up for  smaller numbers with energetic discussion. Lots to say about the book Beyond the Shallows - quite an achievement by a very young writer. We will hear more from her.

Next meeting is at Sue Ellyard's place, when we look at The Paris Wife.

Then the October meeting, we will do a Hemingway: A Moveable Feast.

Venue TBC for October.

Regards
Patricia

July meeting - September book


Historic event - a full roll-up at book group today! Salvage the Bones was a popular choice, a powerful piece of writing showing a window on a world we don't otherwise have access to.

The August book group meeting is at Jane's place - at Woolstonecraft, that is. The September book group is at Sue Ellyard's place in Beecroft.

The September book is The Paris Wife by Paula McLain. We took a while choosing it, with lots of good possibilities. And here is the recipe for the Persian Love Cake, thanks to Annabelle Crabbe.

June meeting - August book
The June meeting went well at Stella's with a spirited discussion of Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany, as some enjoyed the book more than others - too much information for some. But everyone found something to like in the descriptions of the animal world and evocation of a 50s country town.

July meeting is at my place, and Ros has contributed a review to listen to beforehand:

http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/booksandartsdaily/jesmyn-ward27s-award-winning-novel/4076882

Radio National interview with Jesmyn Ward 'Salvage the Bones'.



August meeting is at Jane's at Woolstonecraft. The book is  Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett, a debut novelist who Sue W caught up with at the Writer's Festival.


A film outing is planned for Wednesday 11th July so if interested, call Sue W or Ros for where to meet, etc. 

THANK YOU

Dear Ladies

A formal thank you to you all for accepting me into your rather special book club.  I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you all in March and hearing your individual thoughts on The Memory of Love.  I do apologise for not attending the May meeting. I have to also admit  to not reading the book selection for that month.  However I am whipping through Mateship with Birds at present whilst on a working holiday in Perth. I look forward to discussing this novel on the 27^th and enjoying your afternoon teas to which I will aspire!

Regards to all

Maggie Hayes

Email: maidenhayes@gmail.com

Mobile:  0413 316 260  

May 2012 meeting, July Book

Great meeting again at Moy's place. Everyone got straight into talking about Julian Barnes' A Sense of an Ending, and we were still talking about it hours later. What a fascinating book that led us a merry dance. We will still be talking about it next month, I'm sure.

Don't forget the next book day on the 24th June is at Stella's place - Mateship with Birds.

July book is Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward, which was one of the most popular books at the Sydney Writers Festival, at least in terms of books sold after the talk. We took ages to agree on the book - nothing seemed to jump out at us, or we'd already done the author, or... Hope this lives up to the standard of the Julian Barnes. Oh, July is at my place.

April meeting, June Book

Thanks Margaret for your hospitality - lovely day, great outlook, yummy food, specially the home-made cakes. Recipes please.

While The Memory of Love wasn't the most popular book we've done - but it provoked plenty of discussion. The book took an age to get interesting, and despite great story potential, it didn't leave us knowing much about Sierra Leone, or caring about the characters.

We welcomed new member Maggie Maiden and had a good roll up on the day.

After The Sense of an Ending at the May meeting (at Moy's), we will be reading Mateship with Birds by Carrie Tiffany, meeting at Stella's place in June.

See you all soon. Have a good Writers Week.

March meeting, May book.

Great discussion of Welcome to the Goon Squad at Ros's place on Sunday, thanks to Sue W for some questions, research and notes that enriched the discussion.

May book is the Booker Prize Winner Julian Barnes - The sense of an ending.

April book group meeting is at Margaret's place. See you there! I'm looking forward to bringing my friend Maggie as a new member. And Maggie, Moy remembers you from camping at Woolgoolga.

February meeting, April Book.

Thanks Jane for your hospitality at Woolstonecraft when we did our classic, Kim by Rudyard Kipling. What a robust discussion, with the group fairly evenly divided between those who'd welcomed the change to catch up with a classic and those who found it hard going to the point of annoyance. A great coming of age story, set in its time, grounded in Kipling's great knowledge of Indian cultures, politics and religion but carrying his assumptions as a man of his time, a British Colonial. A spiritual quest, too, which ends interestingly - shows great insight into the philosophies - Buddhism, Islam particularly - and their place in the politics. A spy novel, the forerunner of writing about 'The Great Game'. Yes I liked it, that's why I'm rattling on!

We had a full roll up too.

March meeting - Welcome to the Goon Squad is the book. We are meeting at Ros's place.

April meeting is at Margaret Lackenby's place and the book is The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna, set in Sierra Leone. Click here for a review.

January meeting, March book.

We met at my place where there was a pretty good rollup, missing Sue E, Moy and Clare.

My sister in law Liz visited.

We looked at The Gate at the Stairs, by Lorrie Moore which was very well liked, and provoked discussion of the language, the playfulness of it, the poetry of the descriptions, the good depiction of the age of the protagonist. The irony was appreciated and the themes of birth, death etc made it quite a serious book repaying close reading.

With almost no discussion, we decided on Jennifer Egan's A Visit from the Goon Squad for our March book. We will be meeting at Jane's place in February for Kim.

Cheers

Patricia

November meeting. February book.

Woops, forgot to post in November, when we talked about Anna Funder's book All that I am at Clare's place. Quite a lively discussion and we liked the book. In fact it came through our end of year voting as the book of the year after a rather - well, random - voting process. More people gave it the thumbs up than any other book for the year anyway.

We also decided to do a classic book in February, to give people a better chance at getting it from the library. Hence, for February we are looking at Rudyard Kipling's book Kim.