{"id":17,"date":"2016-02-29T16:01:17","date_gmt":"2016-02-29T16:01:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/62.252.62.142\/whitleywi\/?page_id=17"},"modified":"2024-12-14T20:08:53","modified_gmt":"2024-12-14T20:08:53","slug":"book-club","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"http:\/\/www.whitleywi.org.uk\/index.php\/book-club\/","title":{"rendered":"Book club"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Whitley WI Book Club (WI members only) <\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Our Book Club meet on the Monday following the main WI meeting at 10 am in Whitley Village Hall \u2013 please look on the calendar<\/a><\/strong><\/span> to check details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Helen Carey leads the group and we usually choose a book for the month and order multiple copies from Stockton Heath library for our members to share. There are usually between 6 and 12 people at our meetings and we always start with tea\/coffee and biscuits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members take turns lead the discussion on the book we have just read and everyone there has the opportunity to say what they thought of the book. This often promotes some lively discussion on the specific book and also the wider issues that it raises. We each score the book out of 10 so we have some means of comparing the different books read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We then go around the room and each member shares an overview of different books that they have read during the month, giving us lots of ideas for wider reading. Helen takes notes about these and circulates includes these in her review of the meeting which is emailed out to book club members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our next meeting<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Monday February 10th at 10.00 am. The book is The Choice by S J Ford<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Most of our members turned up at our December meeting to discuss Red Joan by Jennie Rooney. Joan had worked in Cambridge on the team that invented the first nuclear bomb and became friendly with two young Russians. They wanted her to pass on crucial information to Russia, she refused , until she saw the impact of the first nuclear bomb on Hiroshima. The story moves between the 1940s when Joan worked in the research team and 60 years later in 2005 when British Intelligence receive information on what had been going on.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

November 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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12 book club members met to discuss Am I Guilty \u2013 a psychological crime novel by Jackie Kabler. A mother had been out drinking, drove home with a friend, and left her baby in the car. The child died and the mother is traumatised by what she had done. Or had she? The mystery unravels . . .<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This was not the type of book that most of our members usually read, and feelings about it were mixed. The death of the baby and impact on the other child were upsetting and the different characters were not always easy to relate to but most enjoyed the book which was given an average score of 7.5.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other books read recently<\/strong>
For-get-me-Not by Mandasue Heller
Olive Kitterage by Elizabeth Strout
Marshmallows for Breakfast by Dorothy Koomson
The Railway Manby Eric Lomax
The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer
Murders at the Winterbottom Women\u2019s Institue by Gina Kirkham
The Shadow Sister by Lucinda Riley
The Consequences of Fear by Jacqueline Winspear<\/p>\n\n\n\n

October 2024<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Book Club had a complete change of reading style this month with a classic novel \u2013 Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The lengthy classic was somewhat of a challenge but many of us persevered, drawn in to the very different and descriptive style of writing.
Five members also spent a most enjoyable afternoon with a visit to a stage production of Jane Eyre at the Garrick theatre in Altrincham. This gave a different talking point for our book club in October. Hopefully, we can do a similar event next year.
We scored the book a very high 7.8 out of 10<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

September 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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We chose this book because it was highly recommended at the Cheshire Literary Lunch by members from other groups. Girl, Woman, Other <\/em>follows the lives and struggles of twelve very different characters. Mostly women, black and British, they tell the stories of their families, friends and lovers, across the country and through the years. It was a Booker Prize winner in 2019<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The book had a very unusual writing style – grammar, punctuation and capital letters are optional! Some of us found this rather off-putting and the book certainly wasn’t a light summer read. We met a variety of very strong black women, many of them Lesbian, and the author described the battles, the discrimination and the abuse that they encountered. The unusual context provoked a very interesting discussion about the book and the wider social issues that it raised.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n\n\n\n

August 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Verity by Coleen Hoover – Verity is a very successful author but her illness prevents her from finishing the books series she has been working on. Her husband, Jeremy, hires a struggling author, Lowen, to complete the work. While she sifts through Verity’s notes she also discovers an unfinished autobiography which Verity never intended anyone to read. Her account of how the tragedies affecting her family came about makes a bonechilling read. Threaded throughout the book are explicit sex scenes between Jeremy and Lowen.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

10 of our members met to discuss the book, which many found not very interesting and not worth finishing. Most felt the frequent sex scenes added nothing to the book and the plot was shallow and weak. A very low average score of 3.6 – one of our lowest scores. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Books read recently<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Crow Trap by Ann Cleeves
What She Left by Rose Fiore
To the Dogs by Louise Welsh
The Prophet and the Idiot by Jonas Jonasson
A Woman of no Importance by Sonia Purnell
The Spy in WWII by L. Virginia Hall
The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher
Behind the Seams by Esme Young
The Stories of My Life by James Patterson
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
I See You by Clare Mackintosh
No One Saw a Thing by Andrea Mara
The Figurine by Victoria Hislop
Strike Series Robert Galbraith
While my Eyes Were Closed by Linda Green
Murder at the Winterbottom WI
Miss Peregrines Home for Peculiar Children
The Red Herrings by Jeffrey Archer
The Secrets of High Eldersham
White Wedding by Millie Johnson
A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Library by Bella Osborne – This book tells the story of an unexpected friendship between teenager Tom and pensioner Maggie. The two meet at the library at a time when it in danger of closing. Maggie gives Tom a lot of support and helps him build a better relationship with his father and Tom gives Maggie a sense of purpose. Together they mobilise the community and, with the help of the librarian, they successfully fight to keep the library open.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

A significant feature of the book was that both Tom and Maggie’s lives have been affected very much by alcoholism – Tom’s father and Maggie’s son both led very troubled lives because of this.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members generally enjoyed the book – a more gentle read after some fairly complex and complicated ones recently, and gave it an average score of 8. They enjoyed the way the author developed the characters and <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Books read recently<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Red Ribbon by Lucy Adlington
The Couple Next Door by Cole Baxter
The Accident by Katie McMahon
The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer
Night Train to Marrakech by Dinah Jeffries
When the Needle drops by Colin Macintyre
Little Dorrit by Charles Dickens
Major Pettigrew\u2019s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
Silent Night by Sophie Hannah
Jeffrey Archer The Telltale
The Housekeeper by Alex Hay
I Heard What You Said by Jeffrey Boakye
The Perfect Golden Circle by Benjamin Myers
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
I Wanna be Yours by John Cooper Clarke
Major Pettigrew\u2019s Last Stand by Helen Simonson
The Family Day by Catherine Steadman
The Close by Jane Casey
An Ideal Husband by Erica James
Three Things about Elsie by Joanna Cannon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

May 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Nina de Gramont takes Agatha Christie’s 11 day disappearance in 1926 as a jumping-off point in her deftly constructed mystery. Two parallel stories interweave -. Agatha Christie’s world is one of glamorous society parties, country house weekends, and growing literary fame. Nan O’Dea, her husband’s mistress, is very different.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Nan’s attempts to escape a tough London upbringing during the Great War led to a life in Ireland marred by a hidden tragedy. After fighting her way back to England, she’s set her sights on Agatha. Because Agatha Christie has something Nan wants. And it’s not just her husband. Despite their differences, the two women will become the most unlikely of allies. And during the mysterious eleven days that Agatha goes missing, they will unravel a dark secret that only Nan holds the key to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Members only gave the book an average score of 6.5 – some found it rather long winded and far-fetched. It did lead to an interesting discussion about the abuse and devaluation of women in the church in Ireland in the last century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Books read recently<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Marble Collector by Cecelia Ahern
Three Inch Teeth by C J Box
The Switch by Beth O\u2019Leary
The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
I Saw Him Die by Andrew Wilson
The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley = several members have enjoyed this
The Armour of Ligttht by Ken Follet
Pachinko by Nin Jin Lee
The Villa by Ruth Kelly
Don\u2019t Close Your Eyes by P S Cunliffe<\/p>\n\n\n\n

April 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The 3rd<\/sup> book in a series about Luke Carlton, MI5 operative.Deep within the Arctic Circle 3 scientists from the UK’s Arctic Research Station find a man dying, in an horrific way. The book tells the story of the investigation into the source of his infection, and the efforts to try to stop the spread of the disease. Potentially many times worse than Ebola or CoVid.Is it a biological weapon sourced from Russia . . . or something else? Is the operation organised by the Russions \u2013 or someone else? It becomes apparent that it is a genetically modified combination of 2 deadly viruses. Luke attempts to infiltrate organisations in Norway and Lithuania who may be planning to release the virus in England<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

8 members had a lively discussion about this book, a mystery thriller. Most really enjoyed it, found it hard to put down, and it was particularly interesting following our experience of Covid. The chapters were short which was a popular feature and the book was given an average score of 8.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Books read recently<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley is popular with a few of our group
I Heard what you Said by Jeffrey Boakye
Cold Sunflowers by Mark Sipping
One Split Second by Caroline Bond
The Girl in the Photograph by Kate Riordan
The Murders at Fleat House by Lucinda Riley
Marriage Portrait by Maggie O\u2019Farrell
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles
So Shall You Reap by Donna Leon
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak
The Plant Hunter by T L Mogford
The Plant Hunter by T L Mogford
The Offing by Benjamin Myers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A very well attended meeting (12 members) discussed \u2018The Forgotten Sister\u2019 by Caroline Bond.The story was about an adopted girl and the discoveries she made as a teenage. It provoked a great deal of discussion about the book, the choices characters made, and the wide implications of the story. One of our most popular books in recent months.<\/p>\n<\/div>

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Other books read recently<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Woman in the Middle by Milly Johnson
For Your Own Good by Samantha Downing
He is Watching You by Charlie Gallagher
Incredible Journeys by David Barrie
The Woman Who Kept Everything by Jane Gilley
Lee Child \u2013 Jack Reacher short stories
Tidelands by Phillipa Gregory
I Know It\u2019s You by Susan Lewis
What You are Looking For in the Library by Mochiko Aoyama
The Echo of Old Books by Barbara Davis
Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
The Premonition by Banana Yoshimoto
Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin
Darling by India Knight<\/p>\n\n\n\n

February 2024<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our book for this month was a comedy mystery, The Dead Ringer, an Agatha Raisin Mystery by M C Beaton., one of a 35 book series about an amateur sleuth in a Cotswold village.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The team of bellringers have many disagreements within the team and between other villagers. The outspoken local detective Agatha Raisin, who lives in a nearby village, is drawn into the various events. When a body is found in the crypt the police and the media become involved. This is followed by other murders over the following weeks. The book recounts the interactions between the villagers until the truth behind the murders is finally unravelled. The ‘undercurrent’ of the story is the relationships, and ‘search for love’ between the large cast of characters.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It was probably our most unpopular book ever \u2013 a few found some parts worth a read, but most didn’t enjoy it and not everyone finished it. The general view was that there were too many characters, not at all believable and not well written. However, it is clearly a very popular series, adapted as a ‘TV soap’ so maybe we just need to recognise the book as a very lightweight, modern story with humorous if unbelievable characters!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are carrying out a survey to see which books from the libraries might be the most popular choices, so that everyone has the chance to contribute to our list of books for 2024.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other books read recently<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

High Force by L G Frost
I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
The Mistake by Katie McMahon
The Golden Couple by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
TattleTale by Sarah J Naughton
The Betrayals by Bridget Collin
Tell Me How This Ends by Jo Leevers
The Girls who Disappeared by Claire Douglas
The Lines We Leave Behind by Eliza Graham
A Week in Winter by Maeve Binchy
Trump \u2013 The Prison Diaries by Lucien Young
The Christmas Postcards by Karen Swan
The Secret Path by Karen Swan
The Almanac: A Seasonal Guide to 2024 by Lia Leendertz
Diddly Squat \u2013 A year on the Farm by Jeremy Clarkson
Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K Jerome
The Quiet American by Graham Greene
The Woman in the Middle by Milly Johnson
Little Wing by Freya North
The Storm we Made by Vanessa Chan
The Owl: A Biography by Stephen Moss
Atalanta by Jennifer Saint<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several members also reported reading books recently recommended at our Book Club. The Seven Sisters series by Lucinda Riley is proving popular \u2013 we may try to get hold of a few copies for members to share.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 2023<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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8 of our members met in December to discuss ‘Swallowtail Summer’ by Erica James. Three men had been close friends since childhood and for many years they gathered at Lynston End on the Norfolk Broads to spend the the summer with their wives and children. However this will be the last year, as one of the trio, whose wife drowned in the previous year ,has met a new partner and plans to sell the house and make a fresh start abroad.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

They are joined by his new partner’s stepchildren and there is a bittersweet atmosphere. The friends do not take to his new partner or her family , and we also become aware that there have been other tensions within the group, going back many years. The book tells the story of the dramas of the summer, the changing relationships and an ending which includes some new beginnings<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Susan Lynch led the discussion on this ‘holiday read’ book and group members had very different opinions. Some found it drawn out, not well written, and irritating, others really enjoyed the book and would recommend it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other books read recently<\/strong>
A number of these had been recommended by members in previous months<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
An Inspector Calls by J B Priestley
Murder at the Winterbottom WI meeting
Rotherweird by Andrew Caldicott
A Murder Inside by Frances Brody
What You are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyama
The Marriage Portrait by Maggie Farrell
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute<\/p>\n\n\n\n

November 2023<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had expected to have a guest author for this meeting, but unfortunately that had to be cancelled. Instead members were invited to talk about a ‘classic’ that they had read. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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10 members had a lively and very interesting discussion, bringing back memories for many of us. Classics may suggest a little ‘boring’ and ‘old fashioned’ \u2013 but most members clearly really enjoyed the books they described \u2013 many had been made into films. A very successful meeting.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The classics described were<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins \u2013 Mary
The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett – Jean
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen – Mary
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens – Susan L
Anna of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett – Jonty
A Town like Alice by Nevil Shute – Pat
A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – Helen<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other books read<\/strong>
Fathers and Sons by Richard Madeley
Home Front by Kristin Hannah
Secrets at Maple Syrup Farm by Rebecca Raisin
Summerland by Lucy Adlington
An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapdine
The Holiday by T M Logan
Murders at the Winterbottom Women\u2019s Institute by Gina Kirkham
The Silk Roads – A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan
A Murder Inside by Frances Brody
A Secret Garden Affair by Erica James<\/p>\n\n\n\n

October 2023<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

11 book club members met in October and we discussed The Chilbury Ladies Choir by Jennifer Ryan<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The book records the village’s life and dramas through the war years from different people’s perspective. The women of the village form a new choir which helps them support each other and deal with various village dramas. Individuals mature and build different relationships as the story unfolds<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Jean led the discussion and most members enjoyed the book, as a fairly light read which gave an interesting insight into the war years, and also into village life. Some members remember living through the war years and could relate to the account of those times. We had an very interesting discussion and gave the book a score of 7.6 out of 10.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other books read<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mrs Fytton\u2019s Country Life by Mavis Cheek
Almodis by Tracey Warr
Small Things by Claire Keegan
The Clinic by Sally Anne Martyn.
My Father\u2019s Son by Alan Cummings
The Husband\u2019s Secret by Leanne Moriarty
The Secret Barrister by Anon
The Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
The Home Front by Kristin Hannah
Castles in the Air by Judith Corbett
A Murder Inside by Frances Brody
The Coffin Maker\u2019s Garden by Stuart Macbride
Various Lucinda Riley books
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus.
The Dirty
South by Alex Wheatle
The Last letter from your Lover by Jojo Moyes
A Trick of Light by Louise Penny
Days at the Morisake Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa<\/p>\n\n\n\n

September 2023<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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At our September meeting we had agreed to discuss poems that we enjoyed, rather than a specific book. Unfortunately a number of our regulars were unable to attend but 5 of us had a very interesting discussion about our chosen poems\/poets and why we enjoyed them. 3 other members who couldn’t be there sent in their choices.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Many traditional poems featured \u2013 our schooldays obviously had some influence on our memories of poems – almost all of our poems were written before 1900.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The chosen poems were
The Mock Turtle’s song by Lewis Carroll (1832-1898)
‘Autumn ‘ by Walter de la Mare (1873 – 1956)
‘London’ and ‘The Sick Rose’ by William Blake (1757 – 1827)
‘Spring Goeth all in White’ by Robert |Bridges (1844 – 1930)
‘Spring’ by William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616)
‘My Last Duchess’ by Robert Browning (1812-1889)
‘A Smuggler’s Song’ by Rudyard Kipling (1865 – 1889)
‘The Roman Centurion’s Song’ by Rudyard Kipling (1865 – 1889)
‘A Spaniel called Beau’ by William Cowper (1731 – 1800)
‘The Pyracantha Anthem’ by Pam Ayres (1947 – )
‘Sea Fever’ by John Masefield (1878-1967)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other books read<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lessons in Chemistry <\/em>by Bonnie Garmus
The Clinic<\/em> by Sally-Anne Martyn
The House of Fortune <\/em>by Jessie Burton
44 Scotland Street<\/em> by Alexander McCall Smith
One Moment<\/em> by Linda Green
Love, Pamela<\/em> by Pamela Anderson
An Italian Girl in Brooklyn<\/em> by Santa Montefiore
The Storm Sister <\/em>by Lucinda Riley
The next Whitley WI Book Club meeting is on Monday October 9th<\/sup> 2023 in Whitley Village Hall at 10.00. The book is the Chilbury Ladies Choir by Jennifer Ryan.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Just a reminder that the November Book Club meeting will be in the afternoon of November 6th,<\/sup> 1.30 for 2.00pm with a talk by local author Jaquie Farrell.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

July 2023<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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This book took us back to Elizabethan times and the relationship between the successful playwright William Shakespeare and his younger brother Richard. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first written scripts of the plays are stolen, and Richard bravely decides to try to retrieve these \u2013 with an unfulfilled promise from William to give him the role of Romeo when the new play is performed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

The reader is drawn into the relationships within the theatre company and the violence, poverty, cruelty and appalling social conditions of Elizabethan times. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Most members found the book a little heavy-going.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

June 2023<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Our June book was You People by Nikita Lalwani <\/strong><\/em>and 8 of us met to discuss the book and Helen welcomed Susan M who joined us for the first time.. Most people found it difficult to get into the book, but learnt a lot about issues related to illegal refugees, the problems they face and the pressures of being away from their families while trying to build a new life. Tuli runs a restaurant in London, and, on the surface, goes out of his way to help disadvantaged people, who had become separated from their families. He seems to build close relationships with those he is helping, including several illegal immigrants who staff the restaurant.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Helen read Susan L’s useful analysis of the book, which opened our eyes to the possibility that Tuli was actually a drug dealer and his workers became victims of ‘modern slavery’. Most of us had to read the book twice to fully understand what was going on, and agreed it was not a book we would have chosen to read had it not been for Book Club.We had a really good discussion about the many issues raised and gave the book a score of 7.2<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other books read<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Wind that Shakes the Barley by James Barke
Sea of Memories by Fiona Valpy
Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
The Vatican Secret by David Leadbetter
Holy Island by LJ Ross
Things go Flying by Shari Lapena
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
Run, Rose, Run by James Patterson and Dolly Parton was NOT recommended
His and Hers by Alice Feeney
Daughters in Law by Joanna Trollope
The Second Sight of Zachery Cloudesley by Sean Lusk<\/p>\n\n\n\n

April 2023<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

8 of our members met in April to discuss The Perfect Guests by Emma Rous. The average score given was 7.3. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jean usually does some notes giving a synopsis of the book, and a list of the main characters. For this book she produced a second set, linking the characters in the 2 different time zones and members found this very useful for this rather complex story.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Feelings about the book were mixed. Many of the members did not feel the book was well written, found it a bit confusing and didn’t like the different time zones and sections in italics<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Several members felt the book needed reading twice to fully understand the plot. Betty got over the time zone problems by reading the 1988 sections first, and then went back to the beginning and enjoyed the book!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other books read<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Short story by Peter James
The Covent Garden Ladies by Hallie Rubenhold
The Marriage Act by John Marr
The Gambling Man by David Baldicci
Electra by Jennifer Saint
The Wind that Shakes the Barley by James Barke
The Golden Mole by Katherine Rundell
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
Death at La Fenice by Donna Leon<\/p>\n\n\n\n

March 2023<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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Our book this month was The Marlow Murder Club by Richard Thorogood<\/strong> \u2013 some of you may know him as author of the popular BBC series ‘Death in Paradise’<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Judith Potts is 77yrs old and happily lives alone in a faded mansion in Marlow, sets crosswords for The Times, and there\u2019s no man in her life to tell her what to do or how much whisky to drink. One evening she witnesses a brutal murder. When the local police don\u2019t believe her story, Judith and two unlikely friends decide to investigate for themselves \u2013 they become the Marlow Murder Club. After 2 more murders, they untangle the puzzle and solve the crime.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At the start of the meeting, Chris circulated an interesting article by journalist Rachel Halliwell, which gave an insight into the author\u2019s inspiration for his three main characters, Judith, Suzie and Becks. Opinions on the book varied \u2013 generally members found it light and entertaining, but without a lot of depth to it and not a lot of development of the characters. It was a similar style to Richard Osman’s books. The average score was 7<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other books read<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stewart
Godmersham Hall by Gill Hornby
Almodis: The Peaceweaver by Tracey Warr
A Dark Matter by Doug Johnstone
The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson
Granchester Grind by Tom Sharpe
Murder in Mind by Lyndon Stacey
A Killing in November by Simon Mason
A Woman of Firsts by Edna Adan Ismail
Two Women in Rome by Elizabeth Buchan
Still Life by Louise Penn<\/p>\n\n\n\n

February 2023<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n\n\n

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The Kindness Project by Sam Binnie<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alice’s estranged mother dies in Cornwall and Alice, as sole beneficiary, visits Polperran Village to sort out the estate. She has been left a strange bequest \u2013 different tasks to help several villagers. Each little act brings her closer to understanding her mother, and she makes close friends in the process. Several were struggling with mental health problems which added another dimension to the story.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mary led the discussion and there were diverse opinions about the book. Some members enjoyed the book and others struggled with it, finding it rather long winded but found the ending satisfactory. Members enjoyed the descriptive writing about Cornwall and village life and found the interaction between characters interesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We had a long and interesting discussion, found plenty to talk about and it raised many questions and issues. We scored it 6.6 out of 10<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The next Book Club Meeting is on Monday, March 6th 2023 at 10.00 am in Whitley Village Hall. The book is The Marlow Murder Club by Robert Thorogood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other books read<\/strong><\/mark><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Family Remains by Lisa Jewell
Lights Out Liverpool by Maureen Lee
Small Things Like These by Clare Keegan
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Cutting Room by Louise Welsh
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
A Thousand Splendid Sons by Khaled Hosseini
The Wedding Guest by Jonathan Kellerman
An Unwanted Guest by Shari Lapena
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
The Testament of Mary by Colm Toibin
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah
Tasting Sunlight by Ewald Arenz
The Clinic by Sally-Anne Merlyn<\/p>\n\n\n\n

December 2022<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Jean led the discussion on ‘Force of Nature’ by Jane Harper. Most members found it difficult to get into, but it got better towards the end \u2013 rather longer than it need to be was a common thread. The book is set in South Australia and centres around a company ‘team building weekend’, ending in the death of one of the team members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The company organising the event were thought to be extremely negligent in not providing contingency plans. We discussed the 3 different stories going on<\/p>\n\n\n\n