Tribute to Beryl

Sorry for the delay in posting this, lack of internet at home has hindered me somewhat!

A great group this week, lots of discussion and general agreement that we all enjoyed the Terrible Privacy. Next meeting we're sticking with the Stonhouse, the prospect of the beer garden is too tempting if the weather is good.

A good list of suggestions, it was hard to choose!

The next read then is Another Part of the Wood by Beryl Bainbridge.

Other suggestions were;

The White Masai by Corinne Hofmann

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller

The Year of the Flood by Margret Atwood

100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell

Kafka on the Beach by Haruki Murakami

Lark and Termit by Jayne Ann Phillips

Decision made to have another holiday read and Cloud Atlas was the choice for that. We'll arrange a date in October to discuss that one.

Next meeting: 3rd August at 7.30pm The Stonhouse, 165 Stonhouse St, Off Clapham Manor Rd. I'll try to reserve a table again on the day so if its nice will go for one outside.

Until then, enjoy the summer!

Hoping we don't invade his privacy...

A small but select group this week at the Manor Arms, good discussion re. our general lack of Jewish knowledge and complete lack of Yiddish but overall enjoyment of Kalooki Nights. Decided that we'd quite like to know the rules of kalooki if anyone knows them?

Some interesting suggestions for next time, winner was:

The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim by Jonathan Coe

Other were:

Homeland by Barbara Kingsolver

The Corrections by Jonathan Frazen

A Disaffection by James Kelman

The Manor Arms was quiet and very full of dogs! We thought we might try another venue next, just because nothing quite compares to the Bread and Roses! (for those interested I did contact the Bread and Roses to check on the quiz and no they aren't running it at the moment but they are due to start it up again soon, and at the moment they have an Acoustic night on a Wednesday! No luck...)

So we'll give the Stonhouse a whirl on the 13th July (4 weeks time, sorry for those who will be away). It definitely does proper food and has an outside (IF the sun ever decides to shine!).

The Stonhouse, 165 Stonhouse St, Clapham

http://www.thestonhouse.co.uk/home.php

So hope to see you there...

Anyone fancy a bit of Manchester Yiddish?

A good discussion this week, mostly about our mutual loathing of Micheal Beard in Solar! If his character really is a metaphor for collective human behavior then what chance have we got? Although we did all agree, the first crisp is always the best one.

Interesting mix of classic and modern suggestions and despite the confusion with the random stars the choice for next group was:

Kalooki Nights by Howard Jacobson

The other suggestions were:

Madame Bovary by Gustane Flaubert

Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden

Nemesis by Phillip Roth

The White Masai by Corinne Hofmann

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bonte

We're going to try a NEW VENUE for our next meeting on the 15th June.

http://www.beerintheevening.com/pubs/s/71/7152/Manor_Arms/Clapham

Hopefully one with an outside as well as inside option. I'll try to get there a bit early an bag a table so if anyone needs an excuse to leave work early then this is it. Until then.....

venue for this evening....

Ok, sun is shinning but still a bit too chilly in the evening to sit out all night so we'll be at the Royal Oak again this eve. Hope that's ok with everyone. See you later!

http://www.theroyaloakclapham.com/

A comic Ian McEwan?

A great meeting yesterday with a lengthy discussion about 'The Grapes..' despite the varying number of pages that people managed to read! Certainly some passionate feelings elicited and happily no one got too depressed, phew.

Outright winner for the next read is 'Solar' by Ian McEwan. Apparently a 'comic' plot line from him so it will be interesting to see what everyone thinks. Expect some strong opinions if the mini discussion was anything to go by!

Other suggestions were:

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates

1984 by George Orwell

The Greatest Trade Ever by Gregory Zuckerman

The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

The Royal Oak was still a good choice with the cool evening, so unless the weather takes an amazing turn and we are all perspiring on the day of the next meeting then we'll stick with that venue until the proper summer months. Again, I'll try to post something on the day the let everyone know.

Til then.....

Tomorrow's meeting.

Hi all attending tomorrow's meeting. Given the wind and drop in temperature today I think it might be a little cold to sit outside all evening tomorrow, despite the sun's valiant efforts! So you'll find the meeting still at the Royal Oak tomorrow. Hope that's OK with all! See some of you there....

Will this be a grape book or will it incur our wrath.....?

Great meeting on Wednesday - Jean Brodie inspired a good discussion. Was it all in her master plan we wonder? Welcome to the new members, hope to see you again.

Apologies for the terrible title of the next meeting, I couldn't resist. So you might have guessed that we are next reading The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck - finally it was an outright winner!

Lots of other good suggestions including:

Tender is the Night - F Scott Fitzgerald
Shooting the Elephant - George Orwell
Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
Suspicions of Mr Whicher - Kate Summerscale
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society - Mary Ann Shaffer Stevie Davies
Room - Emma Donoghue

We're meeting in 4 weeks, instead of 3 which brings us to 4th May. Provisionally we'll meet in the Royal Oak BUT if the weather is as lovely as it has been this week and it's warm enough to sit outside then we'll be outside at the Bread and Roses.

I'll try to post the venue up on the day but if you arrive at one pub and find nobody then head to the other one!! Clear as mud?!