Lolita.

First group of the year off to a good start with a meaty religious discussion following 'Brideshead'. General consensus of enjoyment - I'd still definitely recommend the TV adaption (no vested interest is plugging it I assure you!).

Next read is 'Lolita' by Vladimir Nabokov - should make for a good discussion!

I have to say there are some very interesting book covers for this one!

Other excellent and varied suggestions were:

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson

The Outcast by Sadie Jones

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

The Magic Toyshop by Angela Carter

Our Man in Havana by Graeme Greene

Hope to see you all at the Kings Head, Clapham Park Rd, on the 25th Jan - have a good January until then!

Book Group Christmas Meal!

Venue: The Canton Arms / Rebatos Spanish Tapas Restaurant: South Lambeth Rd, Vauxhall After our lovely experience at Rebatos last year the consensus is to go again this year so.....meet at The Canton Arms (also South Lambeth Rd) at 7.30pm and then head across to the restaurant at 8ish (it's literally across the road). Anyone welcome so please don't hesitate. We can't book for the tapas part of the restaurant (which is the nicest bit) so if you could reply to the event and I can get some idea of how many are coming that would be helpful (I might warn them!). If you can also try to be there before 8pm it will save the rearrangement of tables!! The only thing you need to bring is a Book Secret Santa! No rules - can be your favorite book or something that looks interesting, first or second hand - just wrap it up and we'll pull them out of the bag! Only other point to mention is that the date is a TUESDAY rather than the usual Wednesday. Sorry for those who can't make Tuesdays - we tried hard to find an evening so close to Christmas that would suit most. Happy Christmas and hope to see you there!

A Brideshead Christmas Special

Sorry for the delayed post. As usual a good group this week with mixed opinions on the book making for an interesting discussion! Next proper meeting will be 4 January and we're reading 'Brideshead Revisited' by Evelyn Waugh. As most group members know by now I can definitely recommend the TV adaption (with a young Jeremy Irons) as some good Christmas viewing!! Sticking with the King's Head in Clapham (100 Clapham Park Rd) form 7.30pm.

A varied collection of suggestions as always:
Shantaram by Gregory David
Nicholas Nickelby by Charles Dickens
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
Hunchback of Notre Dame by Victor Hugo
Born to Run by Chris McDougall
The Thread by Victoria Hislop

Of course we will be meeting before the end of the year for our Christmas Do! I'll post another event for that but if you can't make it then a very Happy Christmas, have fun over the New Year and see you in 2012!

All the Pretty Horses

Very interesting discussion this week about Kafka on the Shore with lots to say and several mixed feelings! The Kings's Head has had a bit of a make-over and was a bit busier - I like to put it down to the fact that we are holding our meetings there now!

The next book is 'All the Pretty Horses' by Cormac McCarthy and the other suggestions included:

Regeneration by Pat Barker

The White Tiger by Ararind Adiga

We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver

Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernières

So same place, same time then on the 23rd November.

As an aside, we also set a date for our Christmas Meal (yes, it's coming round quickly!) so put it in your diaries and we will finalise details later: 13 December. Slightly controversially it's on a Tuesday but it seemed to be the best date for most people at the meeting! Last Year was Robarto's tapas in Vauxhall which went down well but other suggestions very welcome.

Cloud Atlas

Our 'summer read' - I suppose we've truly waited until summer is over! Sorry for the postponement of date but i think everyone has at least started it now! (myself as of today's tube journey home!).

It should be a good debate, judging by the conversations already started!

So hope you see all next week 19th October - same time, same place.

(By the way - very jealous of this book cover - anyone seen a copy?!)

Kafka on the Shore

Sorry for delayed post! Great group last week with very mixed feelings about Tinker Tailor - something like love vs confusion!
As always some excellent suggestions, the winner of which was 'Kafka on the Shore' by Haruki Murakami.
The rest were:
The Blind Assassin by Margret Atwood
Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
Back from the Brink by Alistair Darling
Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy

Sticking with the Kings Head - enjoyed by all I think. Better sitting on the sofas at the front so bag them if you get there first! Meeting on 2nd November at 7.30pm.

Otherwise have a lovely month - and see most on the 19th for Cloud Atlas (happily I now have a copy - so much for summer reading!)

A visit to the Circus....

Sorry for the delay in setting up this event....apologies. A great group last week, our reminiscing meant that we almost forgot to discuss the books but we got there in the end! Enjoyed the Kings Head (100 Clapham Park Rd), cheap beer and plenty of room. We're going to give it another go next time but other suggestions welcome.

As usual a great collection of suggestions but the winner (after several entries!) was Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy by John Le Carre. For the first time ever I think I'm being dragged to see the film before I've read the book (367 pages in an evening is pushing it a little too far!). We meet again on the 5th October.

The other suggestions were:

Captain Corelli's Mandolin by Louis de Bernieres

A dry white season by Andre Brisk

A disturbed girl's guide to curing boredom by James Howell

Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

After not much deliberation (!) we postponed Cloud Atlas until the 19th October. Sorry to all those who have been diligently reading it but unfortunately the rest need a bit more catch up time.

Hope to see you all on the 5th, take care until then.