General Chat

Please suggest two ordinary plus one classic. The vote will be Thursday evening unless all suggestions are in by Wednesday evening. Books will be reviewed 16th March. (I am away from 14th Feb to 15th March.).................................. FOR INFORMATION OF NEW READERS........................................... Some of the books we have read since 2005...................................................... The Crimson Petal and The White -- Michael Faber Cloud Atlas -- David Mitchell Small Island – Andrea Levy Fingersmith by Sarah Waters The Other Boleyn Girl - Philipa Gregory The Highest Tide Jim Lynch The Island Victoria Hislop The Pact Jodi Piccoult Memoirs of a Geisha Arthur Goolden A Pocket full of silver Anne Baker A Walk in the Woods Bill Bryson Empress Orchid Anchee Min Vanishing Acts Jodi Piccoult Labrynth Kate Moss Moonshine Wilkie Collins 44 Scotland Street Alexander McCall Smith CLASSICS Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier Brave new World Aldous Huxley Cider With Rosie Laurie Lee My Cousin Rachel Daphne Du Maurier Rebecca Daphne Du Maurier Ann Glos

My suggestions are: The Bells of Burracombe by Lilian Harry When Stella Simmons arrives in the Devon village of Burracombe to start her teaching career, she is alone in the world. Orphaned as a child during the war, she was separated from her sister and brought up in a children’s home. Stella is soon caught up in village life, especially the plans for celebrating the Festival of Britain, which keep the headmistress and vicar busy trying to preserve the peace between villagers who all have their own ideas about what should be done. But stella still finds time to try to trace her sister, with the help of artist Luke ferris. Luke is happy to help Stella, not least because it provides a distraction from his own problems, involving a long-past relationship which has come back to haunt him. The Virgin Blue by Tracy Chevalier The compelling story of two women born centuries apart and the ancestral legacy that binds them. Ella Turner tries hard to fit in to the small, close-knit community of the French town she has moved to. She even changes her name back to Tournier, and knocks the rust off her high school French. isolated and lonely, she is drawn to investigate her Tournier ancestry with heart wrenching results. Isabella du Moulin, known as La Rousse because of her red hair is tormented and shunned in her village - suspected of witchcraft and reviled for her association with the Virgin Mary. When she becomes pregnant she has no choice but to marry into the arrogant Tournier family. tormentor becomes husband and a shocking fate awaits her - as Ella discovers four hundred years later. Classic The Parasites Daphne Du Maurier Maria, Niall and Celia have grown up in the shadow of their famous parents – their father a flamboyant singer and their mother a talented dancer. Now puruing their own creative dreams, all 3 siblings feel an undeniable bond but it is Maria and Niall who share the secret of their parents’ pasts. Ann Glos

Classic Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert Synopsis The central character of this story is the bored wife of a provincial doctor whose desires and illusions are shattered. The author vents his profound contempt for the bourgeois mentality, but betrays a certain sympathy for the human frailty of Emma Bovary. Purple Hibiscus – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichee Fifteen-year-old Kambili lives in fear of her father, a charismatic yet violent Catholic patriarch who, although generous and well respected in the community, is repressive and fanatically religious at home. Escape and discovery of a new, liberated way of life come when Nigeria is shaken by a military coup, forcing Kambili and her brother to live at their aunt’s home, a noisy place full of laughter. The visit will lift the silence from her world and, in time, unlock a terrible, bruising secret at the heart of her family life. Gentlemen and Players – Joanna Harris At St Oswald’s, an old and long established boys’ grammar school in the north of England, a new year has just begun. For the staff and boys at the school, a wind of unwelcome change is blowing. Suits, paperwork and Information Technology rule the world; and Roy Straitley, Latin master, eccentric, and veteran of St Oswald’s, is finally – reluctantly – contemplating retirement. But beneath the little rivalries, petty disputes and everyday crises of the school, a darker undercurrent stirs. And a bitter grudge, hidden and carefully nurtured for thirteen years, is about to erupt

My suggestions for February are: Classic: Wives and Daughters by Mrs Gaskell. (From book Jacket) Gaskell's last novel, widely considered her masterpiece, follows the fortunes of two families in nineteenth century rural England. At its core are family relationships - father, daughter and step-mother, father and sons, father and step-daughter - all tested and strained by the romantic entanglements that ensue. Despite its underlying seriousness, the prevailing tone is one of comedy. Gaskell vividly portrays the world of the late 1820's and the forces of change within it, and her vision is always humane and progressive. The story is full of acute observation and sympathetic character study: the feudal squire clinging to old values, his naturalist son welcoming the new world of science, the local doctor and his scheming second wife, the two girls brought together by their parents marriage... Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith. The follow up to, 44Scotland Street. (from jacket) Bruce, the intolerably vain and perpetually deluded ex-surveyor, is about to embark on a career as a wine merchant, while his long-suffering flatmate Pat Macgregor, set up by matchmaking Domenica Macdonald, finds herself invited to a nudist picnic in Moray Place in the pursuit of true love. Prodigious six-year-old Bertie Pollock wants a boy's life of fishing and rugby, not yoga and pink dungarees, and he plots rebellion against his bossy, crusading mother Irene and his psychotherapist Dr Fairbairn. But when Bertie's longed-for trip to Glasgow with his ineffectual father Stuart ends with Bertie taking money off legendary Glasgow hard man Lard O'Connor at cards, it looks as though Bertie should have been more careful about what he wished for. And all the time it appears that both Irene Pollock and Dr Fairbairn are engaged in a struggle with dark secrets and unconcious urges of their own... Anita Shreve: The Weight Of Water. In 1873, on a small island off the fishing coast of New Hampshire, 2 Norweigan women are murdered. A third Maren Hontvedt, escapes to witness a local man's execution for the crime. More than a century later Jean, a Boston photo journalist travels to the island on a research assignment to investigate the murder legend. She stumbles upon Maren's translated memoirs, carefully preserved among the faded photographs, mildewed letters and yelowing guide books of the Isle of Shoals archives....... Alfie .

The Observations by Jane Harris Scotland 1863. In an attempt to escape her past, Bessy Buckley takes a job working as a maid in a big country house. But when Arabella, her beautiful mistress, asks her to undertake series of bizarre tests, Bessy begins to realise that she hasn't quite landed on her feet. In one of the most acclaimed debuts of recent years, Jane Harris Has created a heroine who wil make you laugh and cry as she narrates this unforgettable story about secrets and suspicions and the redemptive power of love and friendship. (I'VE STARTED THIS ONE AND I THINK EVERYONE WOULD LOVE IT :-))) ) Classic - The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins This is a mystery narrated by draughtsman and artist Walter Hartwright and various other characters within the tale: most of whom are potentially questionable in what they say . It was published in 1860. The story begins with Walter's late night meeting of the titular woman dressed in white who he rescues from a group of pursuers. Walter goes to work in the service of the selfish and unpleasant Mr Fairlie as a drawing instructor and in doing so meets his niece Laura who strongly resembles the mysterious woman in white. Walter falls in love with Laura, but naturally there is a hitch. Laura does love Walter but is engaged to Sir Percival Glyde. Deceit, love and various unmaskings ensue that explain the strange confinement within an asylum of Anne Catherick. Tense adventures, villainy and gloriously fitting retributions abound.

Is it me going doolally or Maz? have we not read the Highest Tide? Ann Glos

I think we have read that one as well Ann, sounds familiar ;-))

We certainly have read The Highest Tide - just searched back and it was one of Augusts books will try and sort out my suggestions for later today ann

My suggestions are: Kiefer Sutherland (The Biography) by Laura Jackson Kiefer Sutherland has not always led the pampered life of a son of celebrity parents. He has carved his own path, made his own mistakes, as well as some unusual and surprising life decisions along the way. 'Kiefer Sutherland: The Biography' traces the actor's life from his childhood, through his parents' divorce to his struggle to break into acting and the success he has achieved today. Bone Deep by Darian North Anthropologist Iris Lanier is on the verge of a major discovery in the Central American rain forest when she receives an urgent call from New York. Her father has been viciously shot and lies in a coma. When police are unable to solve the savage crime, Iris enters a world of lies and long-buried secrets surrounding her mother's abandonment and subsequent disappearance. Before she can put all the pieces of the puzzle together Iris must confront an unknown enemy who will stop at nothing to prevent her from discovering the truth. Classic: Emma by Jane Austen 'Emma Woodhouse handsome, clever, and rich with a omfortable home and happy disposition seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and nearly twenty one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her.' So begins Jane Austen's comic masterpiece Emma. Austen brilliantly elevates the trivialities of early-nineteenth-century life in the English countryside, with the irresistible Emma at the centre of this world. Her matchmaking habits, although with the best of intentions, are the cause of much turmoil for all involved. Michelle

Didn't have to think for long :-)) have been wanting to re-read this for ages !! Lady of Hay by Barbara Erskine Jo Clifford, successful journalist, is all set to debunk the idea of past-life regression in her next magazine series. But when she herself submits to a simple hypnotic session, she suddenly finds herself reliving the experiences of Matilda, Lady of Hay, the wife of a baron at the time of King John. As she learns of Matilda's unhappy marriage, her love for the handsome Richard de Clare and the brutal threats of death at the hands of King John, it becomes clear that Jo's past and present are hopelessly entwined and that, eight hundred years on, a story of secret passion and unspeakable treachery is about to begin again... Maz. XX

sorry girls - don't know how I didn't read it at the time?? it is on my 'to read' list :-) will delete that, have a think and add summat else instead ! Maz. XX

Classic Pride and Prejudice Jane Austin A tale of parents trying to find a suitor for their daughters and how difficult it can be falling in love with someone your family doesn't approve of. The Sound of Laughter Peter Kay Peter Kay's autobiography, a comical review of the comedian's rise to fame. Never Say Die Tess Gerritsen Twenty years after her father's plane crashed in the jungles of Southeast Asia, Willy Jane Maitland was finally tracking his last moves. As Willy delves deeper though, she realizes that she's investigating secrets that people will kill to protect.

Out of interest these were the people who voted to read in January, plus Alfie. are you all still with us (hopefully plus Daisy who i hope is better). Greaders for feb I will indicate when suggestions received Ann in Glos # Jeanette # Dee # Lorraine And Her Three Little Resolutions # Dawn Dainton # Jill in France Michelle from land of the long white cloud # Maz # Kaz in a tizz Kate Shaw # Tina (In a rush from herts) Maisie # Alfie # Daisy # Ann Glos

My suggestions for this next month are: Classic Room with a View - EM Forster The House - Danielle Steel The restoration of a majestic old home provides the backdrop to this book. Its the story of a young woman's dream and an old man's gift. All about daring to dream and pouring ones self into that dream and recieving everything in return. Interview with the Vampire - Anne Rice (taken from the back cover) In a darkened room a young man sits telling the macabre and eerie story of his life - the story of a vampire, gifted with eternal life, cursed with an exquisite craving for human blood. This book tells of the life (??) of a vampire over 200 years - all the stories from his first wish to die onto his transformation into a vampire and through his life and the changes that happen in the world. A fasinating tale - not just for horror fans but also for those interested in humanity.

Yes, Ann. That's my intention..... But you know what they say about intention (particularly good ones!) Alfie

Alfie good, the more the merrier Ann Glos

My suggestions are Classic Dracula - Bram Stoker When Jonathan Harker visits Transylvania to help Count Dracula with the purchase of a London house, he makes a series of horrific discoveries about his client. Soon afterwards, various bizarre incidents unfold in England: an apparently unmanned ship is wrecked off the coast of Whitby; a young woman discovers strange puncture marks on her neck; and the inmate of a lunatic asylum raves about the 'Master' and his imminent arrival. In Dracula, Bram Stoker created one of the great masterpieces of the horror genre, brilliantly evoking a nightmare world of vampires and vampire hunters and also illuminating the dark corners of Victorian sexuality and desire. Lifeless - Mark Billingham In Lifeless, Mark Billingham's Tom Thorne reaches something like the nadir of his police career, broken by the death--possibly the murder--of his demented father and shuffled off to a desk job of infinite tedium. When someone starts kicking the London homeless to death, he suggests going undercover, and those of his friends who care about him worry that he is looking for his own destruction as much as for the killer. Certainly Thorne finds compensations on the street for danger, cold, hunger and squalor--his friendship with two young addicts is nonetheless real for his deceit and their pragmatic ruthlessness. Yet the secret of the deaths he is investigating lies only partly in London's dark alleys and corners; it lies as well fourteen years in the past on the road to Baghdad... The Reluctant Queen: The Story of Anne of York - Jean Plaidy The War of Roses had ended and the great Earl of Warwick, the richest and most powerful lord in England, was known as the kingmaker. The Earl had ensured that the former Duke of York be crowned King Edward IV, after having deposed mad King Henry VI of the house of Lancaster. The Earl of Warwick's family, the Nevilles, was in a position of power. Then, the King married Elizabeth Woodville, and it was the Woodvilles who were in the ascendant and the Nevilles in decline. The Earl of Warwick, who had thought himself to be the power behind the throne, suddenly realized that he had supported a King who had every intention of being his own man. This was a notion that was anathema to Warwick, and he used his two daughters, Isabel and Anne, as pawns in a dangerous game of political intrigue. After her father's death in battle during a political falling out with King Edward IV, Anne went on to marry the love of her life, the King's younger brother, Richard. Through her eyes the reader sees all the political intrigues of the day and the rise and fall of various personages, as the political winds shifted. Despite all of the turbulence around her, Anne and Richard lived many happy years in Northern England, far from the Court of King Edward IV. When the King died, her world radically changed. Richard, who was chosen to be Lord Protector of the Realm by his brother, chose, instead, to declare his nephew, Edward V, illegitimate, and himself the King. What happened to his nephew, Edward V, as well as Edward's younger brother, remains a mystery to this day. Through Anne's eyes, the reader sees Anne view her changing world with dismay and trepidation, as her husband transformed into someone she barely recognized, and she was thrust into a role for which she had no desire, that of Queen of England.

A good selection so far! Ann Glos

My suggestions are - Classic - The Pearl John Steinbeck .. there it lay, the great pearl, perfect as the moon.. It was the greatest pearl in the world. Kino's life is cahnged for ever at the moment he finds the pearl. Evil that he never known enters his life and brings great sadness to him and his family. Beautiful Child - Torey Hayden 'Beautiful Child persuades us that even the most withdrawn and troubled child can be reached if someone takes the time, pays attention and sincerely deeply cares'. I'll leave it at 2 this month. Kate

Still some to come. Ann Glos