Hot Milk - 17th July

Our last book, The Paper Conspiracy was rated meh, neither hated or loved. 

Our next book is Hot Milk, a short read as our next meeting is closer than usual.

"Hot Milk is a 2016 novel by Deborah Levy. It follows a mother and daughter who embark on a journey in search of a medical cure for the former’s paralysis in a Spanish village"

Other pitched books (all short books)

A Zoo in My Luggage - Gerald Durrell

I'm not Scared - Wiccolo Ammaniti

By Grand Central Station... - Elizabeth Smart

The Good Immigrant - Nikesh Shukla

Hot Milk - Deborah Levy

Pussy - Regena Thomashauer

Meeting at 7pm at the Rookery, upstairs room.

A Conspiracy of Paper - 27th June

Our last book, Big Little Lies, was enjoyed despite the subject of a book. Lots of character analysis and comparisons of the tv series to the book. 

Our next book is A Conspiracy of Paper by David Liss

"Benjamin Weaver, a Jew and an ex-boxer, is an outsider in eighteenth-century London, tracking down debtors and felons for aristocratic clients. The son of a wealthy stock trader, he lives estranged from his family—until he is asked to investigate his father’s sudden death. Thus Weaver descends into the deceptive world of the English stock jobbers, gliding between coffee houses and gaming houses, drawing rooms and bordellos. The more Weaver uncovers, the darker the truth becomes, until he realizes that he is following too closely in his father’s footsteps—and they just might lead him to his own grave." - Goodreads

Other pitched books

This is a True Story - The Moth

The Existentialist Cafe - Bakewell

Bees - Laline Paull

The Mist - Stephen King

The Circle

When Breath Becomes Air

Essex Serpent

The North Water

Big Little Lies - 30th of May

The discussion for our last book, The Rivers of London, didn't last long, it had finished by the time I arrived! The majority liked the book however.

Our next book is Big Little Lies by Lianne Moriarty. 

Other pitched books
A Zoo In My Luggage - Gerald Durrell
No Belongs More Than You - Miranda July
Avenue of Mysteries - John Irving
When She Was Good - Phillip Roth
Their Finest - Lissa Evans

Meeting is at the same place as always, The Rookery by clapham common. Check our our facebook page for the most up to date information.

A Fine Balance - 5th of April

Our last book, Homegoing, was greatly enjoyed. It was filled with many rich characters that managed to suck you in in each chapter. 

Our next book is A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry. A bit of a longer read so get started early! 

"With a compassionate realism and narrative sweep that recall the work of Charles Dickens, this magnificent novel captures all the cruelty and corruption, dignity and heroism, of India." - Goodreads

Other pitched books:

The Circle - Dave Eggers

A Zoo In My Luggage - Gerald Durrell

American Gods - Neil Gaiman

Bastard out of Carolina - Dorothy Allison

The Seige - Helen Dunmore

All My Puny Sorrows - Miriam Toews

Homegoing - 1st of March

For the last book the general consensus was that the book was well-liked and contained some beautiful writing, although it was a bit difficult to get into and the jumping around between dates, names and countries made it quite a tough proposition. 

The book chosen for our next meeting is 'Homegoing' by Yaa Gyasi.

Other pitched books:

My Brilliant Friend

The Journal of Dora Damage

Zeiton - Dave Eggis

Just Kids - Patti Smith

Aushuits and After

Do Not Say We Have Nothing - 1st of Feburary

Everyone enjoyed Murder on the Orient Express at our last meeting, even those who thought they were not Agatha Christie fans! The book created a lot of discussion about each clue and how realistic the situation was. 

For our next book we are reading Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien.

"'Do Not Say We Have Nothing,' shortlisted this year for the Man Booker Prize, is Ms. Thien’s third novel. It is a beautiful, sorrowful work. The book impresses in many senses: It stamps the memory with an afterimage; it successfully explores larger ideas about politics and art (the mind is never still while reading it); it has the satisfying, epic sweep of a 19th-century Russian novel, spanning three generations and lapping up against the shores of two continents." - The New York Times

Other pitched books:

In Cold Blood - Truman Capote

My Name is Asher Lev - Chaim Potok

Sentimental Education - Gustave Flaubert

Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden

Small Great Things - Jodi Picolt

Liars and Saints - Maile Meloy

Murder on the Orient Express - 4th of January

Eileen created a lot of discussion of if it was a good book or not. There was great writing but little plot and the story ended abruptly.

Our next book is Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Chrisie

"This is a classic book written by Agatha Christie who was known as “The Queen of Crime” as a result of writing so many detective novels. The story features Monsieur Hercule Poirot, a clever, logical, Belgian private detective with an elaborate, waxed moustache." - The Guardian

Other pitched books:

Northern Lights - Philip Pullman

Skippy Diei - Paul Murray

The Little Red Chairs - Edna O'Brien

What I Did While You Were Breeding - Kirstin Newman

Meeting will take place at the Rookery, Clapham from 7pm. Upstairs room.