UK Book Club discussion

Look's like it's going to be historical for January....

Luckily Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke could be classed as historical (although many might argue it's fantasy....)

Well I am listening to The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens and that was written in victorian era so does that count too! Lol!

I am going to sink my teeth into Wolf Hall once I have finished Delver Magic Book I: Sanctum's Breach. Was hoping to finish it last night on night shift but the patients family stayed up till gone 3ish and we were chatting and drinking champagne!

as soon as I finish War Made New: Technology, Warfare, and the Course of History: 1500 to Today, I'll take on Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin, a historical mystery set during the time of Henry II

Bill wrote: "as soon as I finish War Made New: Technology, Warfare, and the Course of History: 1500 to Today, I'll take on Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin...

I just looked up Mistress of the Art of Death, it sounds good, let us know how it goes.

Have you read An Instance of the Fingerpost by Iain Pears? Historical mystery, set in 17thC. A crime told from four different perspectives - I particularly liked the first narrator - an Italian doctor. I read it awhile back and really enjoyed it.

Nicola wrote: "Lynne wrote: I am going to sink my teeth into Wolf Hall..."

I loved Wolf Hall. I also really enjoyed Rose Tremain's Restoration it was quite different from what I had..."

Wolf Hall is great, has anyone read any thing else by Hilary Mantel? I've been meaning to but somehow haven't got around to it...

I loved Music & Silence by Rose Tremain, so Restoration has been on my TR list for years now - I must see if the library has a copy.....

Liz wrote: "Bill wrote: "as soon as I finish War Made New: Technology, Warfare, and the Course of History: 1500 to Today, I'll take on Mistress of the Art of Death by [author:Ariana F..."

I'm really enjoying Mistress of Art of Death so far; quite fascinating. I haven't heard of An Instance of the Fingerpost; I'll have to look it up. Thanks for the recommendation.

I'm still going on Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.... I'm up to page 700 - only another 300-and-something to go... It's times like this I wish I had a Kindle! It's going to take me the whole month just to read the one book.

Great book though

It sounds like an interesting book, Liz. Seems like you picked a nice challenge for your first genre challenge. Mistress of the Art of Death was quite fantastic, btw. I have now added the other books in the series to my TBR list. *sigh*... like I need more books to read..

Liz wrote: "I'm still going on Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.... I'm up to page 700 - only another 300-and-something to go... It's times like this I wish I had a Kindle! It's going to take me th..."

I listened to this one on audio and then I got The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories on audio too. This is short stories but still quite good.

Lynne wrote: I listened to this one on audio and then I got The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories on audio too. This is short stories but still quite good. "

I'm not surprised she decided to write some short stories after Jonathan Strange - what a monumental undertaking! I don't really want the story to end, although I'm looking forward to putting the book down, and finally giving my arms a rest, ......

January - Historical: I have finally finished Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell - loved it.

The story of two rival magicians, it reads like a novel by Jane Austen or Charles Dickens (the book's set at the beginning of the 19thC), but there's a tongue set firmly in the author's cheek.

The real-life historical figures and events are woven, almost seemlessly, with fabulous magical invention. It's eccentric, rambling and marvellously ridiculous, yet at the same time, I found the fantasy elements entirely convincing.

In fact I could go as far as saying, I was enchanted.... (though not to the same degree as some of the characters....)

February - Crime/detective:
Too damn lucky with the genre choice for this month as I'm already in the middle of Death of a Red Heroine by Qiu Xiaolong.

The Shanghai setting, China in transition from Communism etc, elevates it from the run of the mill. The writing style takes a little time to get used to, but it feels authentic.
Still, only half way through....

Sounds very interesting.

Another crime novel for February:
I was wanting a page-turner; work's pretty intense at the moment and I needed to find an escape...
Then I realised I still have the rest of the Millenium Trilogy to read, so I picked up The Girl Who Played with Fire from the library today...

I've still go the rest of these to read as well, who knows when I'll get around to it though!

March - Classics:
I'm re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird, it's the choice of my Singapore bookclub. It was a school text and then I read it again in my early 20's. Starting it again now, I'd forgotten how well-written it is. I'm going to enjoy this.....

March - Classics:
Just finished Silas Marner. I've always meant to read George Eliot, but kept putting it off, until now...

I thought it was good, though I had to use my 50page rule* to get into it - the story's quite rambling at the start and the language takes a while to get atuned to.

*stick at it for 50 pages, it will improve!!!

Liz wrote: "March - Classics:
I'm re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird, it's the choice of my Singapore bookclub. It was a school text and then I read it again in my early 20's. Starting it again now,..."

hi Liz,

I would like to read To Kill a mockingbird. I have had a on my to-read list for quite a time now.

nick

For it's era, a true classic and the author, a Southern herself, caught the flavor of the area and people. I loved this story at 12 and reread it about every ten years thereafter. Need to put it on my list again.The Skye in June

Nick wrote: "Liz wrote: "March - Classics:
I'm re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird, it's the choice of my Singapore bookclub. It was a school text and then I read it again in my early 20's. Starting ...
I would like to read To Kill a mockingbird. I have had a on my to-read list for quite a time now.
"

Nick, it's good. Great kids-eye view of injustice - though I find it takes a while to get into the Southern accents.

Liz wrote: "Nick wrote: "Liz wrote: "March - Classics:
I'm re-reading To Kill a Mockingbird, it's the choice of my Singapore bookclub. It was a school text and then I read it again in my early 20'..."

I tend to repeat myself a lot on this, probably ad nauseum, but Mockingbird is my favourite book ever and even though I've enjoyed many books tremendously, it's the one book I can pick up anytime and be drawn into again so easily. I love the movie as well; Gregory Peck is such a gentleman as Atticus Finch, but at the same time a man with a backbone and I thought Robert Duvall as Boo Radley was outstanding, providing a very tender touch. Love them both and always will.

Bill wrote: I love the movie as well; Gregory Peck is such a gentleman as Atticus Finch, but at the same time a man with a backbone and I thought Robert Duvall as Boo Radley was outstanding, providing a very tender touch. Love them both and always will. ..."

Must watch the film again (saw it ages ago - beautiful title sequence: http://www.artofthetitle.com/2008/09/...)

Atticus (the father) is such a great character, definitely gets my vote for 'top dad' in fiction, (tied with 'The Man' in The Road). But who'd be 'top mum'?

Liz wrote: "Bill wrote: I love the movie as well; Gregory Peck is such a gentleman as Atticus Finch, but at the same time a man with a backbone and I thought Robert Duvall as Boo Radley was outstanding, provid..."

That's a great question, Liz. I may have to think on that.. The first person that popped into mind was Katie Nolan in A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, but I don't know if she'd be considered a good mom or a troubled one.. But the efforts she put in to keep her family together, to deal with her drinking husband, was very impressive.

Liz.....Your question has really set me thinking.
I wonder if sometimes the hard working, loving Mum, is perhaps depicted as a solid, dependable character who 'hovers' in the background, rather than being a main character, and that's why I can only think of two.
Helen in The Tenant of Wildfell Hall, and Laurie's Mother from Cider with Rosie, are what I've come up with.
I'm not sure if they could be given the title 'top Mum', but they deserve a mention.

This is terrible! I read your question and now can only think of appauling Mothers in literature - I have to try to remember some good ones, although I have a sneaking suspicion that Mums may get a raw deal in books. Hopefully my subconscious will set to work and some examples will occur to me on the school run this afternoon!

March - Classics:
Tried and failed to read The Prince by Machiavelli

April - Biography/memoir:

It might be a slight cheat; Empire of the Sun by JG Ballard. Although written as a novel, the book is based heavily on Ballard's own experience in a Japanese POW camp during WW2. (It was brilliant!)

Close enough!

I'd like to read this one at some point, I'll keep an eye out for what you think!

April - Biography/memoir:

Still making my way through Seeing Things: An Autobiography by Oliver Postgate (the creator of The Clangers and Bagpuss, among others). He writes very evocatively and I can hear his voice, familiar from childhood, in my head as I read (...saggy old cloth cat, baggy and a bit loose at the seams, but Emily loved him....)

May - Sci-fi/dystopian:

I've read and enjoyed many dystopian novels, but as I'm trying to be open to new things I decided to pick a 'proper' sci-fi novel for a change. So I'm reading Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Enjoying it so far. Thankfully it doesn't seem to suffer from the technology getting in the way of the story/characters, (my standard critiscm of sci-fi).....

May - Sci-fi/dystopian:

Forgot to mention - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Phillip K Dick - the book Blade Runner was based on. I love the film and as expected, the book is very different. It's well written, but didn't 'wow!' me.

June - Fantasy:

Just started Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris.....
'Sookie...?'

I've quite enjoyed the Sookie Stackhouse books I've read so far; a bit Anita Blake light at times, but still very entertaining and enjoyable. I also have enjoyed what I've seen of the True Blood tv series, definitely not light at all..

Bill wrote: "I've quite enjoyed the Sookie Stackhouse books I've read so far; a bit Anita Blake light at times, but still very entertaining and enjoyable. I also have enjoyed what I've seen of the True Blood tv..."

Pure escapism - and that is what I need at the moment... (plus something that's not going to be too taxing on the little grey cells!)

In my mind, the 2nd & 3rd series didn't match up to the promise of the first series of 'True Blood', but the characters are still worth watching.

Definitely still worth watching; some eye candy for both men and women and very entertaining shows. I like that there dan still be humour in a show that is quite intense at times. I do have to get back into reading the series as well. I also have enjoyed some other Charlaine Harris series; especially the Lily Bard books

I've only read the first of the series but def will read more of them - as you say, a light read not too taxing and really funny! I thought the 3rd series of True Blood was the best though.

June - Fantasy:

Finished Sookie in around 24 hrs; definitely a guilty pleasure, very entertaining.
Now onto weightier stuff..... Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake

Liz wrote: "June - Fantasy:

Finished Sookie in around 24 hrs; definitely a guilty pleasure, very entertaining.
Now onto weightier stuff..... Titus Groan by Mervyn Peake

[bookcover:Titus Groan|..."

I enjoy Sookie books very much, the series definitely got better with the 3rd book ;) But actually going on and on and on can be kind of annoying, it's the 10th book now as you may already now :)

June - Fantasy:

Still wading through Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake.
His descriptions are great and many of the scenes are absorbing; funny & gripping in turn. BUT then there'll be a chapter that is just too turgid for words (it sometimes takes a couple of pages for a character to go through a door).
Can't decide whether to battle my way through the final volume: Titus Alone...

Liz wrote: "June - Fantasy:

Still wading through Gormenghast by Mervyn Peake.
His descriptions are great and many of the scenes are absorbing; funny & gripping in turn. BUT then there'll be a..."

I have just got the new illustrated trilogy of The Illustrated Gormenghast Trilogy, looking forward to reading it.

I only managed the first book, ended up giving them all away eventually as decided I would never get back to it. The Ill-Made Mute had 2 pages describing the contents of a storage room that a character walked past.

Having failed miserably in July to read anything YA for the genre challenge, I'm cheating...

Retrospectively, in November I read The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly, so I'm going to include that in the challenge...

Back to August - Humour:
A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson
Suitably droll and entertaining - haven't read any Bill Bryson for about ten years. It's been like catching up with an old friend.

September - Magical Realism:
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak. I've been meaning to read this for ages, finally I get the opportunity. I will let you know how I get on....

....wonderful - one of the best books I've read this year!

October - Horror:
Not normally my thing, though I've read some of the classics: Dracula, Frankenstein, Jekyll & Hyde etc.

I've gone out on a limb to try to some 'real' horror and checked The Shining out of the library. I've never read Steven King, so I promised myself to give him a go this year. (Lynne's such a fan, she's very persuasive) ;)

Plus, I love the film (still has me on the edge of my seat, even when I know what's coming) - I've heard the book's very different and that Steven King didn't like Stanley Kubrick's interpretation, so I'm definitely curious....

Sounds a good choice Liz

Oooh, just had a thought for those of you who, like me, don't usually 'do' horror. I read Pride and Prejudice and Zombies a while back - funny, but still with enough zombies, blood and stakings to make it into the genre!!!!

@ Liz - You will be surprised with The Shining, I loved it more than the film.

I did too, Lynne. I also preferred the tv mini movie to the original movie.

Really enjoyed The Shining (if enjoyed is the right word...), but horror is far too tension-inducing a genre for me!

Lynne - The Book Squirrel wrote: "@ Liz - You will be surprised with The Shining, I loved it more than the film."

Lynne, I did enjoy The Shining - if that's quite the right word! Steven King cranks up the suspense ever-so gradually, page by page, until you really are on the edge of your seat by the end.

Now I understand why he's such a successful author. I expected it to be a well plotted page-turner, and it was, but he also pays plenty of attention to character development and that surprised me.

I have to say, despite all this, it hasn't turned me into a regular horror-reader - I was far too tense reading this book - I need to relax more!!!!