June meeting - (30th Anniversary) and August book details

Well, it was a great day for the 30th anniversary celebration.  Perfect weather for a trip to Avoca Beach. Thanks to Margaret for hosting us beautifully and providing a super lunch. Thanks to Moy for the picture book cake, decorated as only Moy can do it. Thanks to all those who could come and those who couldn't but have enlivened our group through the last 30 years. Pat R in particular, foundation member, sorry you had family business to attend to on the day - you were missed. Maggie sent a message which we read and enjoyed. Clare sent a message too as we revisited notes we had written 5 years ago, saying what book group means to us. We read these out, with a particular pang when we came to Clare's contribution. We each wrote a note about a special moment we remember from book group. These are also stored in the time capsule. Additions from absent friends are welcome.

Yes, we did talk about the book My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante. Again Ferrante provided plenty of discussion, with everyone getting something out of the book, but some wondering what all the fuss is about. There are the true believers who have gone on to read more and more of her work and we thought that this is what is intended. The book doesn't entirely stand alone. Talk about autobiography, about the identity of the writer, about the translation, about the nature of brilliant friends. I left you all talking after hours, so I have to end the report there.

And the next book. Well, the Jeanette Winterson book, The Gap in Time is our July book and our August book will be a classic - Portnoy's Complaint by Phillip Roth.

Photos of the day from Sue E.

 And a collage from Liz.

June meeting reminder - and 30th anniversary celebration!

30 years of book group!

Amazing!

We will be celebrating on Sunday with a lunch time meeting at Margaret L's home at Avoca Beach.

Festivities will begin at 11.30am. Margaret will provide lunch. Moy is baking a cake. We will need cameras and any old photos you can find.

I have the first blue book and will bring that along.

Elena Ferrante's My Brilliant Friend should be a good conversation starter for this event.

See you there.

May meeting (Mothering Sunday) - July book (The Gap in Time - Jeanette Winterson)

Graham Swift's Mothering Sunday was the May book, for a very well attended meeting. Everyone was there except Liz and me - and of course Maggie! So I am relying on Ros's verbatim report here. Ros reported that most people liked the book - Margaret L, Sue Wood and Jane in particular. Ros herself was less impressed, as she 'didn't learn anything' from the book. Moy had thought it was repetitive on the role of the working classes, but Sue E advanced a theory that the orphan Miss Fairchild at the centre of the book may in fact have come from one of the rich families, hence their crossing of class boundaries for her.  It seemed that people found more to talk about in life than this book. There was not a long discussion of Mothering Sunday, but lots of lively talk.

Sorry I missed it  - please feel free to tell me if you disagree with my second hand report.

July book is The Gap in Time by Jeanette Winterson, which is a reworking of Shakespeare's The Winter's Tale. That will be at Sue E's home with the August meeting at Ros's place.

June meeting is rather special so I will give it a post of its own.