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Re: Book Club

Postby scullion » Wed Apr 21, 2021 1:11 pm

i've been working my way through the e.f.benson series about lucia and miss mapp. poking fun of 20s/30s snobbery.

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Re: Book Club

Postby herbidacious » Wed Apr 21, 2021 1:25 pm

I've never read any. Do you recommend?

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Re: Book Club

Postby Stokey Sue » Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:23 pm

I’m about half way through The Coroner’s Lunch by Colin Cottrill

The coroner is Dr Siri (the name was selected in about 2004, before iPads started to use the name) official coroner to the newly communist state of Laos, and there’s a series of 15 mysteries he solves against that background

It has a light touch and reminds me in an odd way of The Little World of Don Camilo, a slightly crazy protagonist who is still wiser and saner than those around him, and likes to buck the system

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Re: Book Club

Postby herbidacious » Wed Apr 21, 2021 3:47 pm

I used to love Don Camillo books...

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Re: Book Club

Postby scullion » Wed Apr 21, 2021 5:32 pm

herbidacious wrote:I've never read any. Do you recommend?


yes, if you like 'nice' middle-class society with 'upper' aspirations being gently taken the mickey out of.
they are cosy, uncomplicated reads.

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Re: Book Club

Postby KeenCook2 » Wed Apr 21, 2021 5:47 pm

We just read Klara and the Sun with BG, Kazuo Ishiguro's latest. I really enjoyed it, having not expected to; I wouldn't have chosen to read something about AI. We haven't discussed it yet but a couple of the others i spoke to also said they'd really enjoyed it, more than Never Let Me Go, which I haven't read.

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Re: Book Club

Postby Stokey Sue » Wed Apr 21, 2021 6:01 pm

I thought Never Let Me Go was a real curate’s egg of a book - I finished it quite easily and there was some good writing in it, but it annoyed me that the science bit made no sense to me, though this didn’t seem to matter to people who found the inconsistency less glaring

I had a similar issue with The Road by Cormac McCarthy - different scenario, very different book but it didn’t make sense to me

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Re: Book Club

Postby Pepper Pig » Wed Apr 21, 2021 9:59 pm

Talking of curate’s eggs . . . . Has anyone read Rev Richard Coles book on the death of his partner? The Madness of Grief. I love him to bits but I know he is not to everyone’s taste but the book is immensely readable, not overtly religious and very compassionate.

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Re: Book Club

Postby Busybee » Wed Apr 21, 2021 10:45 pm

Pepper Pig wrote:Talking of curate’s eggs . . . . Has anyone read Rev Richard Coles book on the death of his partner? The Madness of Grief. I love him to bits but I know he is not to everyone’s taste but the book is immensely readable, not overtly religious and very compassionate.



I’ve read it, a beautiful account of love. I was hesitant to read it, thinking it might bring up old emotions from when my fiancé died, but i didn’t find it a difficult read at all. If anything it’s too short and ends too early in the roller coaster journey of grief. Personally I found year two to be harder than the first year.

BB

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Re: Book Club

Postby herbidacious » Wed Apr 21, 2021 11:32 pm

KeenCook2 wrote:We just read Klara and the Sun with BG, Kazuo Ishiguro's latest. I really enjoyed it, having not expected to; I wouldn't have chosen to read something about AI. We haven't discussed it yet but a couple of the others i spoke to also said they'd really enjoyed it, more than Never Let Me Go, which I haven't read.

I have a copy. It's on my pile!

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Re: Book Club

Postby Pepper Pig » Tue May 11, 2021 7:26 am

I have just finished Chosen by Rev Giles Fraser. It was hard work but totally absorbing. I will, as usual, have to reread to take it all in.

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/ ... nd-judaism

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Re: Book Club

Postby Earthmaiden » Tue May 11, 2021 9:22 am

Looks very interesting indeed, PP.

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Re: Book Club

Postby Pepper Pig » Tue May 11, 2021 5:55 pm

It was fascinating because although he is Jewish by descent and terrifically wants to be Jewish there are so many obstacles in his way.

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Re: Book Club

Postby Earthmaiden » Tue May 11, 2021 7:38 pm

Seems to be the same with most religions/cultures. Understandable historically but a dilemma in these times.

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Re: Book Club

Postby liketocook » Wed May 12, 2021 1:15 pm

I'm currently reading Grace Dent's "Hungry" and thoroughly enjoying it. If you like her writing style in her Guardian columns I definitely recommend it. I've also recently finished "Shuggie Bain" by Douglas Stuart, probably the best book I've read for many years.

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Re: Book Club

Postby OneMoreCheekyOne » Tue May 18, 2021 9:56 pm

Ltc ...I’ve had Hungry in my basket for a while! I love her on Instagram.

I’ve recently read Girl A by Abigail Dean which I enjoyed.

I’m currently reading a Kate Rhodes easy read murder mystery. They are all set on the Isles of Scilly which is the only reason I read them really...they just make me excited for holidays. But without the crime and bloodshed I hope! :?

I’ve got Olive Kitteridge to read next.

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Re: Book Club

Postby liketocook » Wed May 19, 2021 6:25 pm

OneMoreCheekyOne wrote:Ltc ...I’ve had Hungry in my basket for a while! I love her on Instagram.


I'd nudge it towards the check out OMCO, it was really good. :) I borrowed it from the library e-book service so if you use a kindle could be worth looking into getting the library app/Overdrive/Libby if you don't already have it if you read a lot.

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Re: Book Club

Postby Pepper Pig » Sat Jun 05, 2021 6:50 am

I’m looking for detective novels for mum. She’s worked her way through the Donna Leon ones lately. Has anyone read any of the Elly Griffiths fens ones? I can’t read murder things, they upset me too much. :oops: Such a wuss.

ETA. Just seen your post OMCO about the Scilly Isles. Will investigate those too.

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Re: Book Club

Postby scullion » Sat Jun 05, 2021 9:39 am

I’ve read one of her’s - it was an easy read but not impressive.
Has she read the ‘Cadfael’ novels, or Lindsey Davies’ ‘falco’ ones?
There are the ones that aero recommended a while back by susannah Gregory both the ‘Matthew bartholomew’ and ‘Challoner’ series. The ‘shardlake’ novels are also very good.
These are all ‘historical’ detectives.
I presume she’s read the very first detective novel ’the moonstone’ by Wilkie Collins?.
There are Andrea camillieri’s ‘montalbano’ ones, set in sicily.
These are all in the same sort of ‘bloodless’ vein as the Donna Leon books.
I’ve read a couple of val mcdermid’s and Kathy reich’s but they are a little more bloody than the others I’ve mentioned.

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Re: Book Club

Postby Pepper Pig » Sat Jun 05, 2021 9:51 am

Thanks Scully I’ll investigate. I have all the Shardlake ones on Audiobook. Oddly enough I can do them. :oops:

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