The book was called Arthur and George, a story of a true Victorian scandal concerning the son of a converted Indian Anglican minister in a traditional English village. He was convicted and sentenced for poison pen writing and horse maiming on ludicrous racially prejudiced non-evidence.
Arthur Conan Doyle, a respected detective story writer takes up the case and attemptsa to prove his innocence. He is blocked by establishment who find George innocent but not able to receive a pardon.
Arthur, the son of an Irish immigrant, shows how an extended family provides support in adversity, whilst George with only parents who regarded themselves as English could never understand the feelings against them.
The group enjoyed the book and discussed the various themes and sub-plots.
Next month the book is "I capture the Castle" - a post-war classic by Dodie Smith.
Elaine
Sunday 20 September 2009
Monday, June 30, 2008
June Report
The Night Watch, by Sarah Waters, was our book for the month of June.We were almost unanimous in our dislike of the format where the story was told in reverse, and of the main characters whom we failed to empathise with,and also of the dismal wartime backdrop to the lesbien romance which no one cared about. In all a disappointing read. We meet at Maries house on 16th July to review In the Place of Fallen Leaves, by Tim Pears, a Devon rural childhood account, which hopefully, will be a story more to our taste. Ann
# posted by Books @ 1:56 PM 0 comments
Monday, June 02, 2008
May Meeting
At the May meeting we discussed the merits of two very different books. "Notes from a Roman Terrace"by Joan Marble, was an American womans gentle account of living and gardening on the roof of an historic palazzo around 30 years ago. Most of the group enjoyed it and we awarded it an 8 out of 10."Under the Apple Tree" by Lilian Harry, gave very graphic account of a family living through the Portsmouth Blitz, and although it was fictional, it was so meticulously researched that it transported some of the members back to their own childhood experiences in Hampshire and the South. We also gave this book an 8 out of 10. The next time we meet will be at Maries house on June 18th. Ann
# posted by Books @ 3:37 PM 0 comments
Saturday, May 10, 2008
March and April report
March's read was an unusual comic novel set on the Isle of Wight and suggestinga fictional 24 hours of mayhem in the lives of such eminentVictorians as Tennyson, Lewis Caroll and Margaret Cameron. It divided the group equally into those who enjoyed the book hugely,and those who failed, unlike Queen Victoria in this rare instance, to be amused.
Three to See The King, by Magnus Mills, was our book for discussionin April.
A slim volume with a weighty theme...that of charismaticleaders and what prompts people to gather around them, told in an obscure allegorical device that defeated many in the group. The story raised issues that needed teasing out in depth and so was not really suitable for light conversation over the teacups. We gave it a 5 out of 10. Our next meeting is on Tuesday afternoon at Rusty,s on 20th May to review Notes from a Roman Terrace, by Joan Marble, and also a local interest novel, Under the Apple Tree, by Lilian Harry.
Ann
# posted by Books @ 4:43 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
February Meeting
Our February book was an account by Catharine Hartley of her journeys walking to both the South and then the North Poles, unaided by dogs or machines. By completing these extreme endeavours , dispite numerous setbacks, she was at last able to overcome her shyness to become the person she now feels comfortable and happy to be. Her story spared no blushes for her inexperience, lack of preparation and gauchness and explained exactley how this impacted on her fellow travellers with honesty and humour.The group were irritated by the first part of the book which mainly dealt with her insecurities and ladette lifestyle, but full of admiration for her dogged persistance and superhuman endurance whilst actually completing the two walks to the Poles, which gained her three world records which she holds today.
We meet in March on Wednesday 19th at 2 30 pm and this time it will be held at Maries house.
Ann
# posted by Books @ 8:17 PM 0 comments
Monday, January 28, 2008
January 2008
The January meeting was a lively and productive session as members took it in turns to review and recommend books that they read and enjoyed recently. The result was lots of note taking and book borrowing amongst the group as we discovered new titles and authors to seek out and try.We meet again on February 20th at 2 30pm at Rusty's home in Hammonds Lane, when we shall be reviewing " To the Poles without a beard" by Catharine Hartley, which promises to be an entertaining read.
Ann
# posted by Books @ 12:35 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
December meeting
At the December meeting it was agreed that in future we will meet at 2 30 on the third Wednesday of each month, making our next get together at Maries house on the 16th January 08.Our last book " Mr Fabulous and Friends" by Celia Brayfield dealt with the lives and loves of five members of a rock band and their comming of Middle Age angst. The group were not overly sympathetic to the tale, but could recognise various true to life characters and situations from their own experience with which to enliven the discussion. In 2007 we read a wide selection of titles including......La Cucina, a novel of Rapture ( raised eyebrows all round)Death of Peter Pan, a polemic on the American health care systemThe Wives of Bath, a light weight love story to put anyone off Re cyclingThe 10 oclock Horses, marriage in the 1950s from amans point of viewVernon God Little, a magnificently discriptive and well plotted story of contemporary small town America through the eyes of a teenage boy, a rewarding read for those willing to wade through pages of profane dialogue.Woman in Black, a supernatural thriller set in a Dickensian landscape of solitary marsh and tides, but not clear about the time of the events took place.The Blind Assassin, a novel by Margaret Attwood which disappointed us from this well reguarded author, the characters being unlikable, the plot disjointed and the twist at the end unsettling. The historical background of early canadian industrial relations and the politising of the rank and file contrasting with the decadant luxurious lifestyle of the wealthy was well drawn however.Our first book of 08, will be "To the Poles without a beard" by Catherine Hartley, which sounds a bit tongue in cheek for such an epic endeavour !! Ann
# posted by Books @ 9:24 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
November
The next meeting of the Reading Group will be held at Maries house on Wednesday 19th December at 2 30 pm, when we will be discussing Celia Brayfield's " Mr Fabulous and Friends". Last months book "The Blind Assassin" by Margaret Attwood, was generally panned by the group dispite it winning the Booker Prize, as disjointed and unpleasant.
Ann
# posted by Books @ 7:17 PM 0 comments
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Next meeting of the Reading Group is on April 24th, at 2.15 at Rustys house in Hammonds Lane. Please note that it is a Tuesday this month
# posted by Books @ 5:25 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Totton U3A reading group January 2007 meeting
We didn't meet during December, and because various members were away, our next meeting was not until 23rd January by which time we had more or less forgotten the book we had read - Eve Green by Susan Fletcher. We had mixed memories of this novel which was written from the standpoint of an eight-year-old girl. The general impression was that there were too many loose ends and unreconciled events to make it a satisfactory read, though we agreed that the author wrote well and the setting in the Welsh hills was welcomed.
Our next book is Where did it all go right? by Andrew Collins.
Jo asked for a volunteer to take over the running of the group as she is likely to be deeply involved with a new grandchild expected shortly. Also she felt that it was time somebody else had the input over what we read next, as sometimes happens if our chosen books are so popular that we have to wait for some months for the library to get them for us. Anne nobly volunteered to take over and will be running the group from February.
Marie very kindly hosted our January meeting as Rusty's house was suffering from heating problems.
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 20th February.
# posted by Books @ 9:44 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Reading Group November meeting
Good to welcome our eighth member to this meeting. We had a lively discussion about Clare Clark's The Great Stink which was not a popular book; even those of us who had managed to read it all had not much liked it. A very gruesome story and the author was determined to make it as horrid as possible, though this did reveal that she has a very vivid turn of phrase and may well write some exciting novels. We agreed that the ending was rather limp, rather as if the author was in a hurry to tie it all up happily.
Our next book is Eve Green by Susan Fletcher.
We decided not to try and have a meeting in December, and had difficulty in finding a suitable date for a January meeting, but finally settled on Friday 26th.
# posted by Books @ 9:14 PM 0 comments
Monday, November 06, 2006
October meeting
Bill Bryson's A Short History of Almost Everything produced a decided split in the group. Several of us had enjoyed it and found that Bill Bryson's very readable style had made complex scientific subjects understandable. Other members thought it hard going and not what they wanted to read - just like a school book, one member commented, and ought to be given to teenagers to read.
We are now reading The Great Stink by Clare Clark. This was a mistake on the group leader's part. She thought it was a history of the creation of a decent sewer system for London, but it is a murder mystery set at that time.
Our next meeting is on Friday 24th November, when we hope the full tally of 8 members will meet at Rusty's house.
# posted by Books @ 10:06 PM 1 comments
Saturday, September 23, 2006
23 September 2006
September meeting
We may have had to wait a long time to get copies of Fried Green Tomatoes, but the group agreed it was worth the wait and gave it 10 out of 10. Some found the flashback arrangement slightly confusing, but the social background of life in the Deep South from the 1920s to the 1980s was deftly woven into the story. It was very enjoyable, and for most of us the best book we have read all year.
We are now reading Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything.
Our next meeting is on Friday 27th October at 2.30p.m.
We still have room for one member - anyone else like to join us? Contact Jo Perry on 01794 324085.
# posted by Books @ 8:24 PM 0 comments
Thursday, August 03, 2006
July meeting
This month we have read (struggled to read) William Dalrymple's the White Mughals. Opinions varied, but we mostly were glad to have read it, even if it was, as one member put it, like a school history book. We all agreed that the cover strapline (' Romance and Betrayal in 18th century India') was a con. No romance and only a short piece on betrayal.
We have finally got to the top of the list for Fried Green Tomatoes, which was one of our first choices almost a year ago. Should make a change.
We are not meeting in August, too many holidays. Our next meeting is on Friday 22nd September.
# posted by Books @ 10:32 PM 0 comments
Saturday, June 10, 2006
May meeting
From its blurb, we expected The Ropemaker's Daughter to be an interesting read, but most of us found it unsatisfactory in one way or another. The initial idea - of someone who could only find interest in life by telling lies - got lost in later parts of the book and it became more the story of the false 'Adam' and the very unsettled group of people around him. This 'chick-lit' was not much to our tastes.
William Boyd's A Good Man in Africa is our next book. We will meet to discuss it on Thursday 15th June.
# posted by Books @ 10:23 PM 0 comments
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Reading Group April meeting
Timothy Mo's The Redundancy of Courage was not a popular book with members. Several people hadn't managed to finish it, and there was a feeling that it was more of a man's book.
We are now reading Virginia Smith's The Ropemaker's Daughter, and will meet at Rusty's house on 16 May to discuss it.
# posted by Books @ 6:47 PM 1 comments
Sunday, April 02, 2006
March meeting
Donna Leon's detective story, Acqua Alta, set in Venice wasn't to everyone's liking, though one member was sufficiently interested to take other books by this author out of the library. The constant harping on the rain, and the resulting floods, made for gloomy reading and several of us felt there were too many loose ends. Our next book is Timothy Mo's The Redundancy of Courage.
For our first year we have chosen books available on Hampshire Library's Reading Group list. After July we plan to take it in turns to suggest a book and see if the library can find us enough copies for the group.
# posted by Books @ 5:39 PM 0 comments
Thursday, February 16, 2006
February meeting
We had all enjoyed 'Under a Tuscan Sky' and several of us felt we would have liked to have done a similar house make-over, given the money that the author obviously had at her disposal. The descriptions of the Tuscan scenery were thought to be very appealing but only some of us felt the recipes were interesting. Those who had seen the film reckoned that the book was better than the film. Our next book stays in Italy, but is a detective story - 'Acqua Alta' by Donna Leon. We will meet to discuss it on 14th March.
# posted by Books @ 10:30 PM 0 comments
Sunday, January 29, 2006
January Meeting of the Book Group
Five of us met to report on our reactions to Colin Thubron's 'In Siberia'. Several people had found it very depressing, conditions in Siberia being unbelievably difficult, but enjoyed the wonderful descriptions of the scenery. We also thought he was very brave to go wandering round Siberia on local transport.
We are now reading Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun, which should be a lot more cheerful.
# posted by Books @ 7:10 PM 0 comments
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Report on November's meeting
The group met in November to discuss Andrea Levy's 'Small Island', a novel about the Windrush generation from Jamaica. We had enjoyed most of this book, but had our criticisms. It sparked a lively discussion about our wartime experiences! We are now reading a non-fiction book for a change: Colin Thubron's In Siberia. We will meet to discuss it on Tuesday 17th January.
Anyone else like to join our group? We meet once a month, and borrow the books we read from the library. Contact: Jo Perry on 01794 324085.
# posted by Books @ 9:30 AM 1 comments
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Meeting on October 24
We had a lively discussion of Anita Shreve's book. We had all enjoyed at least some of it, though many felt that the characters were not very believable, especially the doctor. We thought she was a good writer and her descriptions, in particular, were very vivid.
Our next book is Andrea Levy's Small World. We will discuss this at our November meeting on Tuesday November 22nd.
# posted by Books @ 8:21 PM 0 comments
Saturday, October 15, 2005
October meeting
Our next meeting will be on Monday 24th October at Rusty's house at 2pm. Please bring your copy of Anita Shreve's book if you haven't already given it back to me.
Looking forward to getting the group going with a book to discuss.
Any problems, please give me a ring on 01794-324085.
Jo
# posted by Books @ 9:41 PM 0 comments
Monday, October 03, 2005
September meeting
Our meeting scheduled for September suffered from various problems and general confusion and never happened. We hope to include a brief survey of the Memoirs of Christopher Columbus in our October meeting.
We are now reading Anita Shreve's Fortune's Rocks, and will have a meeting to discuss it in the last week in October - exact date still to be chosen. Rusty has kindly agreed to have the next meeting at her house, as East Wellow is rather a trek out for most of the group.
Jo Perry 3rd October 2005
# posted by Books @ 7:32 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Totton U3A Book Group
Our first meeting, on 11th July, was an enjoyable affair, held in Rusty's beautiful garden. We talked about what sort of books we liked; where, and when, we read them; and how we chose them. We pored over the list of book sets the library can provide for reading groups, and chose three titles we would like to read: Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe; William Dalrhymple's White Mughals and Anita Shreve's Fortune's Rocks, which had some intriguing reviews posted by other Reading Groups on the library website.
Unfortunately, when I tried to order these books from the library, I found that we have the same taste in books as other groups and two of them won't be available until 2006! However, we should have the Anita Shrive book by early September. To fill in until then, I ordered Stephen Marlowe's The Memoirs of Christopher Columbus which is available for the August meeting, when I hope to be able to distribute copies to the group.
If any other members would like to join the reading group, please get in touch with me.
Jo Perry tel 01794 - 324085 or e-mail joperry@twyford34.fsnet.co.uk
# posted by Books @ 9:30 PM 1 comments
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Totton U3A Book group: First Meeting
Our first meeting is planned for Monday 11th July, 2 pm at 58 Hammond Green, when we will choose some books to read over the next few months, anddiscuss books we have enjoyed.
If you haven't already heard from me and you would like to come to this meeting, please let me know: e-mail address joperry@twyford34.fsnet.co.uk.
Jo Perry
# posted by Books @ 1:41 PM 0 comments
June Report
The Night Watch, by Sarah Waters, was our book for the month of June.We were almost unanimous in our dislike of the format where the story was told in reverse, and of the main characters whom we failed to empathise with,and also of the dismal wartime backdrop to the lesbien romance which no one cared about. In all a disappointing read. We meet at Maries house on 16th July to review In the Place of Fallen Leaves, by Tim Pears, a Devon rural childhood account, which hopefully, will be a story more to our taste. Ann
# posted by Books @ 1:56 PM 0 comments
Monday, June 02, 2008
May Meeting
At the May meeting we discussed the merits of two very different books. "Notes from a Roman Terrace"by Joan Marble, was an American womans gentle account of living and gardening on the roof of an historic palazzo around 30 years ago. Most of the group enjoyed it and we awarded it an 8 out of 10."Under the Apple Tree" by Lilian Harry, gave very graphic account of a family living through the Portsmouth Blitz, and although it was fictional, it was so meticulously researched that it transported some of the members back to their own childhood experiences in Hampshire and the South. We also gave this book an 8 out of 10. The next time we meet will be at Maries house on June 18th. Ann
# posted by Books @ 3:37 PM 0 comments
Saturday, May 10, 2008
March and April report
March's read was an unusual comic novel set on the Isle of Wight and suggestinga fictional 24 hours of mayhem in the lives of such eminentVictorians as Tennyson, Lewis Caroll and Margaret Cameron. It divided the group equally into those who enjoyed the book hugely,and those who failed, unlike Queen Victoria in this rare instance, to be amused.
Three to See The King, by Magnus Mills, was our book for discussionin April.
A slim volume with a weighty theme...that of charismaticleaders and what prompts people to gather around them, told in an obscure allegorical device that defeated many in the group. The story raised issues that needed teasing out in depth and so was not really suitable for light conversation over the teacups. We gave it a 5 out of 10. Our next meeting is on Tuesday afternoon at Rusty,s on 20th May to review Notes from a Roman Terrace, by Joan Marble, and also a local interest novel, Under the Apple Tree, by Lilian Harry.
Ann
# posted by Books @ 4:43 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
February Meeting
Our February book was an account by Catharine Hartley of her journeys walking to both the South and then the North Poles, unaided by dogs or machines. By completing these extreme endeavours , dispite numerous setbacks, she was at last able to overcome her shyness to become the person she now feels comfortable and happy to be. Her story spared no blushes for her inexperience, lack of preparation and gauchness and explained exactley how this impacted on her fellow travellers with honesty and humour.The group were irritated by the first part of the book which mainly dealt with her insecurities and ladette lifestyle, but full of admiration for her dogged persistance and superhuman endurance whilst actually completing the two walks to the Poles, which gained her three world records which she holds today.
We meet in March on Wednesday 19th at 2 30 pm and this time it will be held at Maries house.
Ann
# posted by Books @ 8:17 PM 0 comments
Monday, January 28, 2008
January 2008
The January meeting was a lively and productive session as members took it in turns to review and recommend books that they read and enjoyed recently. The result was lots of note taking and book borrowing amongst the group as we discovered new titles and authors to seek out and try.We meet again on February 20th at 2 30pm at Rusty's home in Hammonds Lane, when we shall be reviewing " To the Poles without a beard" by Catharine Hartley, which promises to be an entertaining read.
Ann
# posted by Books @ 12:35 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, January 01, 2008
December meeting
At the December meeting it was agreed that in future we will meet at 2 30 on the third Wednesday of each month, making our next get together at Maries house on the 16th January 08.Our last book " Mr Fabulous and Friends" by Celia Brayfield dealt with the lives and loves of five members of a rock band and their comming of Middle Age angst. The group were not overly sympathetic to the tale, but could recognise various true to life characters and situations from their own experience with which to enliven the discussion. In 2007 we read a wide selection of titles including......La Cucina, a novel of Rapture ( raised eyebrows all round)Death of Peter Pan, a polemic on the American health care systemThe Wives of Bath, a light weight love story to put anyone off Re cyclingThe 10 oclock Horses, marriage in the 1950s from amans point of viewVernon God Little, a magnificently discriptive and well plotted story of contemporary small town America through the eyes of a teenage boy, a rewarding read for those willing to wade through pages of profane dialogue.Woman in Black, a supernatural thriller set in a Dickensian landscape of solitary marsh and tides, but not clear about the time of the events took place.The Blind Assassin, a novel by Margaret Attwood which disappointed us from this well reguarded author, the characters being unlikable, the plot disjointed and the twist at the end unsettling. The historical background of early canadian industrial relations and the politising of the rank and file contrasting with the decadant luxurious lifestyle of the wealthy was well drawn however.Our first book of 08, will be "To the Poles without a beard" by Catherine Hartley, which sounds a bit tongue in cheek for such an epic endeavour !! Ann
# posted by Books @ 9:24 AM 0 comments
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
November
The next meeting of the Reading Group will be held at Maries house on Wednesday 19th December at 2 30 pm, when we will be discussing Celia Brayfield's " Mr Fabulous and Friends". Last months book "The Blind Assassin" by Margaret Attwood, was generally panned by the group dispite it winning the Booker Prize, as disjointed and unpleasant.
Ann
# posted by Books @ 7:17 PM 0 comments
Saturday, March 31, 2007
Next meeting of the Reading Group is on April 24th, at 2.15 at Rustys house in Hammonds Lane. Please note that it is a Tuesday this month
# posted by Books @ 5:25 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, January 30, 2007
Totton U3A reading group January 2007 meeting
We didn't meet during December, and because various members were away, our next meeting was not until 23rd January by which time we had more or less forgotten the book we had read - Eve Green by Susan Fletcher. We had mixed memories of this novel which was written from the standpoint of an eight-year-old girl. The general impression was that there were too many loose ends and unreconciled events to make it a satisfactory read, though we agreed that the author wrote well and the setting in the Welsh hills was welcomed.
Our next book is Where did it all go right? by Andrew Collins.
Jo asked for a volunteer to take over the running of the group as she is likely to be deeply involved with a new grandchild expected shortly. Also she felt that it was time somebody else had the input over what we read next, as sometimes happens if our chosen books are so popular that we have to wait for some months for the library to get them for us. Anne nobly volunteered to take over and will be running the group from February.
Marie very kindly hosted our January meeting as Rusty's house was suffering from heating problems.
Our next meeting is on Tuesday 20th February.
# posted by Books @ 9:44 PM 0 comments
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Reading Group November meeting
Good to welcome our eighth member to this meeting. We had a lively discussion about Clare Clark's The Great Stink which was not a popular book; even those of us who had managed to read it all had not much liked it. A very gruesome story and the author was determined to make it as horrid as possible, though this did reveal that she has a very vivid turn of phrase and may well write some exciting novels. We agreed that the ending was rather limp, rather as if the author was in a hurry to tie it all up happily.
Our next book is Eve Green by Susan Fletcher.
We decided not to try and have a meeting in December, and had difficulty in finding a suitable date for a January meeting, but finally settled on Friday 26th.
# posted by Books @ 9:14 PM 0 comments
Monday, November 06, 2006
October meeting
Bill Bryson's A Short History of Almost Everything produced a decided split in the group. Several of us had enjoyed it and found that Bill Bryson's very readable style had made complex scientific subjects understandable. Other members thought it hard going and not what they wanted to read - just like a school book, one member commented, and ought to be given to teenagers to read.
We are now reading The Great Stink by Clare Clark. This was a mistake on the group leader's part. She thought it was a history of the creation of a decent sewer system for London, but it is a murder mystery set at that time.
Our next meeting is on Friday 24th November, when we hope the full tally of 8 members will meet at Rusty's house.
# posted by Books @ 10:06 PM 1 comments
Saturday, September 23, 2006
23 September 2006
September meeting
We may have had to wait a long time to get copies of Fried Green Tomatoes, but the group agreed it was worth the wait and gave it 10 out of 10. Some found the flashback arrangement slightly confusing, but the social background of life in the Deep South from the 1920s to the 1980s was deftly woven into the story. It was very enjoyable, and for most of us the best book we have read all year.
We are now reading Bill Bryson's A Short History of Nearly Everything.
Our next meeting is on Friday 27th October at 2.30p.m.
We still have room for one member - anyone else like to join us? Contact Jo Perry on 01794 324085.
# posted by Books @ 8:24 PM 0 comments
Thursday, August 03, 2006
July meeting
This month we have read (struggled to read) William Dalrymple's the White Mughals. Opinions varied, but we mostly were glad to have read it, even if it was, as one member put it, like a school history book. We all agreed that the cover strapline (' Romance and Betrayal in 18th century India') was a con. No romance and only a short piece on betrayal.
We have finally got to the top of the list for Fried Green Tomatoes, which was one of our first choices almost a year ago. Should make a change.
We are not meeting in August, too many holidays. Our next meeting is on Friday 22nd September.
# posted by Books @ 10:32 PM 0 comments
Saturday, June 10, 2006
May meeting
From its blurb, we expected The Ropemaker's Daughter to be an interesting read, but most of us found it unsatisfactory in one way or another. The initial idea - of someone who could only find interest in life by telling lies - got lost in later parts of the book and it became more the story of the false 'Adam' and the very unsettled group of people around him. This 'chick-lit' was not much to our tastes.
William Boyd's A Good Man in Africa is our next book. We will meet to discuss it on Thursday 15th June.
# posted by Books @ 10:23 PM 0 comments
Saturday, April 29, 2006
Reading Group April meeting
Timothy Mo's The Redundancy of Courage was not a popular book with members. Several people hadn't managed to finish it, and there was a feeling that it was more of a man's book.
We are now reading Virginia Smith's The Ropemaker's Daughter, and will meet at Rusty's house on 16 May to discuss it.
# posted by Books @ 6:47 PM 1 comments
Sunday, April 02, 2006
March meeting
Donna Leon's detective story, Acqua Alta, set in Venice wasn't to everyone's liking, though one member was sufficiently interested to take other books by this author out of the library. The constant harping on the rain, and the resulting floods, made for gloomy reading and several of us felt there were too many loose ends. Our next book is Timothy Mo's The Redundancy of Courage.
For our first year we have chosen books available on Hampshire Library's Reading Group list. After July we plan to take it in turns to suggest a book and see if the library can find us enough copies for the group.
# posted by Books @ 5:39 PM 0 comments
Thursday, February 16, 2006
February meeting
We had all enjoyed 'Under a Tuscan Sky' and several of us felt we would have liked to have done a similar house make-over, given the money that the author obviously had at her disposal. The descriptions of the Tuscan scenery were thought to be very appealing but only some of us felt the recipes were interesting. Those who had seen the film reckoned that the book was better than the film. Our next book stays in Italy, but is a detective story - 'Acqua Alta' by Donna Leon. We will meet to discuss it on 14th March.
# posted by Books @ 10:30 PM 0 comments
Sunday, January 29, 2006
January Meeting of the Book Group
Five of us met to report on our reactions to Colin Thubron's 'In Siberia'. Several people had found it very depressing, conditions in Siberia being unbelievably difficult, but enjoyed the wonderful descriptions of the scenery. We also thought he was very brave to go wandering round Siberia on local transport.
We are now reading Frances Mayes' Under the Tuscan Sun, which should be a lot more cheerful.
# posted by Books @ 7:10 PM 0 comments
Saturday, December 24, 2005
Report on November's meeting
The group met in November to discuss Andrea Levy's 'Small Island', a novel about the Windrush generation from Jamaica. We had enjoyed most of this book, but had our criticisms. It sparked a lively discussion about our wartime experiences! We are now reading a non-fiction book for a change: Colin Thubron's In Siberia. We will meet to discuss it on Tuesday 17th January.
Anyone else like to join our group? We meet once a month, and borrow the books we read from the library. Contact: Jo Perry on 01794 324085.
# posted by Books @ 9:30 AM 1 comments
Sunday, October 30, 2005
Meeting on October 24
We had a lively discussion of Anita Shreve's book. We had all enjoyed at least some of it, though many felt that the characters were not very believable, especially the doctor. We thought she was a good writer and her descriptions, in particular, were very vivid.
Our next book is Andrea Levy's Small World. We will discuss this at our November meeting on Tuesday November 22nd.
# posted by Books @ 8:21 PM 0 comments
Saturday, October 15, 2005
October meeting
Our next meeting will be on Monday 24th October at Rusty's house at 2pm. Please bring your copy of Anita Shreve's book if you haven't already given it back to me.
Looking forward to getting the group going with a book to discuss.
Any problems, please give me a ring on 01794-324085.
Jo
# posted by Books @ 9:41 PM 0 comments
Monday, October 03, 2005
September meeting
Our meeting scheduled for September suffered from various problems and general confusion and never happened. We hope to include a brief survey of the Memoirs of Christopher Columbus in our October meeting.
We are now reading Anita Shreve's Fortune's Rocks, and will have a meeting to discuss it in the last week in October - exact date still to be chosen. Rusty has kindly agreed to have the next meeting at her house, as East Wellow is rather a trek out for most of the group.
Jo Perry 3rd October 2005
# posted by Books @ 7:32 PM 0 comments
Wednesday, July 13, 2005
Totton U3A Book Group
Our first meeting, on 11th July, was an enjoyable affair, held in Rusty's beautiful garden. We talked about what sort of books we liked; where, and when, we read them; and how we chose them. We pored over the list of book sets the library can provide for reading groups, and chose three titles we would like to read: Fannie Flagg's Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe; William Dalrhymple's White Mughals and Anita Shreve's Fortune's Rocks, which had some intriguing reviews posted by other Reading Groups on the library website.
Unfortunately, when I tried to order these books from the library, I found that we have the same taste in books as other groups and two of them won't be available until 2006! However, we should have the Anita Shrive book by early September. To fill in until then, I ordered Stephen Marlowe's The Memoirs of Christopher Columbus which is available for the August meeting, when I hope to be able to distribute copies to the group.
If any other members would like to join the reading group, please get in touch with me.
Jo Perry tel 01794 - 324085 or e-mail joperry@twyford34.fsnet.co.uk
# posted by Books @ 9:30 PM 1 comments
Tuesday, June 21, 2005
Totton U3A Book group: First Meeting
Our first meeting is planned for Monday 11th July, 2 pm at 58 Hammond Green, when we will choose some books to read over the next few months, anddiscuss books we have enjoyed.
If you haven't already heard from me and you would like to come to this meeting, please let me know: e-mail address joperry@twyford34.fsnet.co.uk.
Jo Perry
# posted by Books @ 1:41 PM 0 comments
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