susan_

Last night we were joined in the Tippler by a large party of teachers, we presume celebrating the end of term. The atmosphere was a little different than our typical book club evenings ;) It sounded like everyone enjoyed Treasure Island and we had a good discussion. We seem to have forgotten to pick a theme and list-maker last month so we made the impromptu decision to read the first in the Narnia series - The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe by C S Lewis. Next meeting: Tuesday 19th August, 7:45 for 8 at the Tippler (newcomers welcome). Catherine volunteered to make next month's list, with the theme Good Books written by Bad People

There's also a Ballates (combo of Ballet and Pilates) at the Gaia Studio on Wednesday evenings at 5:45. http://www.gaiastudio.co.uk/pilates-schedule-prices-bookings/

And the winner is: Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson Next meeting: 22 July, 7:45 for 8pm at the Tippler See you there! Newcomers are welcome

Hi everyone, here's the list for next month. After chatting with two of my sisters for book theme ideas I settled on Young Adult fiction. Adults reading YA fiction seems to be a reasonably hot topic in popular press (http://www.slate.com/articles/arts/books/2014/06/against_ya_adults_should_be_embarrassed_to_read_children_s_books.html) and, July is summer...so the perfect time for something a bit escapsist and guilty-pleasure? Anyway, I hope you find something you like - remember you get two votes and I'll bring some printed copies tomorrow night. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few more years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at the Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel's story is about to be completely rewritten. The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton S.E. Hinton was just 16 years old when she wrote this novel about kids getting caught up in class struggles. Ponyboy is a greaser, from the wrong side of the tracks; he runs afoul of the upper-class Socs, leading to an epic rumble between the two gangs. Inexcusable by Chris Lynch In a story that moves between the past and the scene of the rape, Keir attempts to defend his character from the monstrous crime of which he has been accused. But the anecdotes from Keir's senior year at high school fall short of giving the innocent and 'good-guy' picture, Keir is determined to paint of himself. Instead he is revealed somehow as a morally ambiguous and deluded young man. In this extraordinary book, Chris Lynch has pushed the boundaries and set a new standard in YA fiction. It is a gripping and masterfully written story about a subject very few people will dare to explore. Any person who reads it will have much to think about. Go Ask Alice (Anonymous) Upon its publication in 1971, this brooding, interior novel was marketed as excerpts from a real teenager?s diary. Later, it was revealed to be the brainchild of the book?s editor, Beatrice Sparks. The line on Go Ask Alice is that it?s a harrowing tale of a socially awkward, timid young woman who gets swept up into the late 1960s drug scene and never comes back. And it?s true that Alice?s story ? which goes from dutiful diary entries about what she ate for breakfast and her fear of sex, to prostitution in exchange for heroin and, eventually, institutionalization ? makes Girl, Interrupted seem quaint. But what?s so affecting about the novel is its lack of sensationalism. If you are or ever have been a teenage girl, you will recognize many of your own thoughts in Alice?s reveries. The Giver by Lois Lowry It is the future. There is no war, no hunger, no pain. No one in the community wants for anything. Everything needed is provided. And at twelve years old, each member of the community has their profession carefully chosen for them by the Committee of Elders. Twelve-year old Jonas has never thought there was anything wrong with his world. But from the moment he is selected as the Receiver of Memory, Jonas discovers that their community is not as perfect as it seems. It is only with the help of the Giver, that Jonas can find what has been lost. And it is only through his personal courage that Jonas finds the strength to do what is right? The Giver is the award-winning classic of bravery and adventure that has inspired countless dystopian writers as the forerunner of this genre. Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson ?Fifteen men on the dead man?s chest, yo ho ho and bottle of rum!? Treasure Island is a tale of pirates and villains, maps, treasure and shipwreck, and is perhaps the best adventure story ever written. When young Jim Hawkins finds a packet in Captain Flint's sea chest, he could not know that the map inside it would lead him to unimaginable treasure. Shipping as cabin boy on the Hispaniola, he sails with Squire Trelawney, Captain Smollett, Dr Livesey, the sinister Long John Silver and a frightening crew to Treasure Island. There, mutiny, murder and mayhem lead to a thrilling climax.

Hi Mark, You are very welcome - just come along to the Tippler on the 24th. We tend to sit in the front by the windows. See you next month Susan

Good discussion last night (despite many of us not having finished the book)...I'm going to keep reading as I want to know what happened! We voted for Winesburg, Ohio by Sherwood Anderson and our next meeting will be held on Tuesday 24 June at the Tippler at the usual time of 7:45 for 8. I volunteered to do the July list...no theme as yet

Okay, we are headed over to the Palmerston - look for us there.

Disaster! Just arrived to find the Tippler is shut tonight - I'll wait for reinforcements to decide where to reconvene

Great list! See you on the 22nd :)

Do we have a date and book selection for April?

Oh no! I'm really sorry I missed last night. I added my work email / calendar to my phone and list all my personal appointments in the process (user error I'm sure). Looking forward to next month.

No objections here - looking forward to it. See you in March.

~600 pages read.... ~200 pages to go! I'm looking forward to our discussion on Tuesday.

Hi tipplers, are we still on for dinner at the Patch on Tuesday? Are we booked for the usual time?

And the winner is....Leo Tolstoy ? Anna Karenina Given the length of the book and the busy time of year we agreed to give ourselves a bit longer to read before meeting to discuss. Date to be determined...and I don't think we picked a theme and list maker yet for the next book... But, since we all enjoy getting together we'll meet at the Patch (previously the Mag) on Tuesday 7 January. Alex offered to book a table. And finally as I mentioned last night, I would really like to see Gone with the Wind on the big screen. It's showing at the BFI Southbank through the end of the year. So I've booked seat F3 for the showing at 6:20pm on Wednesday 11 December. There are seats available for this showing, so do come along.

Oh I'm so sorry that I won't be able to join you all this time! I'll look out for the next meeting and hope you all have a great time.

Hmm I was under the impression that the most readily available edition was the slightly revised one, but I guess that's not the case. I suggest we all just get whatever edition we can get our hands on and if we end up with a mix then we'll have an even richer conversation.

Next meeting will be Tuesday 3 December at the usual time of 7:45 for 8 o'clock start. We voted to read Dracula by Bram Stoker. Just a note on editions - we're reading the 1901 version (somewhat shortened by Stoker himself), not the 1897 version. I suspect most of what is easily available is the right version. Do also note that the text is available free from a number of online sources if you want to read electronically. There is a gothic film festival on a the BFI this month - I haven't had a chance to look at dates and times. Any interest?

Looking forward to the discussion tomorrow evening at the Tippler (7:45 for 8pm start as usual). Below is the list for our December book choice...(I have a faint recollection that the last book may have been read by this club but I'm not sure so I've included it anyway.) Up the Down Staircase by Bel Kaufman Written in the 1960?s as a collection of skits, letters, notes, and occasionally stretches of dialogue between the teachers and students. It chronicles the goings-on in a large metropolitan high school, detailing the experiences of an idealistic first-year teacher who is plagued by difficulties arising from an overwhelming bureaucracy, inadequate facilities, and some unforgettable students. Made into a film in 1967. The Screwtape Letters by C S Lewis Written in 1942, it takes the format of a series of letters from Screwtape, a devil high in the Infernal Civil Service, to his nephew Wormwood, a junior colleague engaged in his first mission on earth trying to secure the damnation of a young man who has just become a Christian. Although the young man initially looks to be a willing victim, he changes his ways and is ?lost? to the young devil. The Documents in the Case by Dorothy Sayers and Robert Eustace Written in 1930, this crime novel presents a series of documents (letters, medical reports, newspaper headlines, etc.) relating to the suspicious death of a man. This is the only of Sayers? major crime novels which doesn?t feature her famous detective, Lord Peter Wimsey. Dracula by Bram Stoker Written in 1897 as a series of letters, diary entries, ships' log entries, and newspaper clippings - the story of Count Dracula's attempt to move from Transylvania to England, and the battle between Dracula and a small group of men and women led by Professor Abraham Van Helsing. 84 Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff Written in 1970 as the twenty-year correspondence between her and Frank Doel, chief buyer of Marks & Co, antiquarian booksellers located at the eponymous address in London, England. Hanff, in search of obscure classics and British literature titles she had been unable to find in New York City, noticed an ad in the Saturday Review of Literature and first contacted the shop in 1949, and it fell to Doel to fulfill her requests. In time, a long-distance friendship evolved, not only between the two, but between Hanff and other staff members as well, with an exchange of Christmas packages, birthday gifts, and food parcels to compensate for post-World War II food shortages in Britain.

For November we chose: Nocturnes: Five Stories of Music and Nightfall - Kazuo Ishiguro We're meeting at the usual place on 5th November, 7:45 for 8. Don't forget the happy hour cocktails if you arrive before 8! (I am persevering with Johnathan Coe!)

New joiners are always welcome, do come along. We often sit at the front tables and usually at least one of us has the book out on the night, so you'll be able to spot us easily.

Annoyingly I am no longer able to attend on the 3rd, so I'll have to miss out on the discussion this month. I'll check the forum for our September book and date. I was planning to bring up the London Film Festival at our meeting (http://www.bfi.org.uk/lff) to see if anyone might be interested in getting together to see something. It runs 9-20 October but I don't think the schedule is out yet.

Ian and his assistant Earl came round last week and did a great job at a reasonable price. They fixed a leaky tap, cleaned up my bathroom window (removed broken hardware, sanded/primed/painted, installed new hardware). They also installed 8 custom shelves in the alcoves of my spare room - everything is beautifully level and they managed to cut the boards to accommodate very wonky walls without leaving ugly gaps. Ian and Earl are genuinely nice guys and did nice work. Ian can be contacted on 07930 864057.

A young man from ADT called at my house too. I must agree with KalamityKel that the sales techniques were rather aggressive and unpleasant.

Just finished Archangel and am looking forward to our discussion next week. As promised I've put together a list for next month. I chose "parallel novels", a genre which seems to include prequels, sequels and tangents from classics written by a different author. I'll bring a few print-outs along with me on the 9th. I'm also proposing a slight tweak to our voting process which I hope we can discuss and perhaps adopt. Our current process is for each person to submit a vote for a single book and have a run-off if there is a tie. I propose that each person submit a vote for two books and the book with the most votes overall is the winner. I often have difficulty deciding on just on book for our vote (so voting for two would solve this) and I've noticed that we sometimes have a vote split across a few books (so voting for two might bring us to a more widely-supported winner in one vote). In any case, let's discuss. Here's the list: Finn: A Novel by Jon Clinch (Huckleberry Finn, by Mark Twain) In this masterful debut by a major new voice in fiction, Jon Clinch takes us on a journey into the history and heart of one of American literature?s most brutal and mysterious figures: Huckleberry Finn?s father. The result is a deeply original tour de force that springs from Twain?s classic novel but takes on a fully realized life of its own. Finn sets a tragic figure loose in a landscape at once familiar and mythic. It begins and ends with a lifeless body?flayed and stripped of all identifying marks?drifting down the Mississippi. The circumstances of the murder, and the secret of the victim?s identity, shape Finn?s story as they will shape his life and his death. Along the way Clinch introduces a cast of unforgettable characters: Finn?s terrifying father, known only as the Judge; his sickly, sycophantic brother, Will; blind Bliss, a secretive moonshiner; the strong and quick-witted Mary, a stolen slave who becomes Finn?s mistress; and of course young Huck himself. In daring to re-create Huck for a new generation, Clinch gives us a living boy in all his human complexity?not an icon, not a myth, but a real child facing vast possibilities in a world alternately dangerous and bright. Finn is a novel about race; about paternity in its many guises; about the shame of a nation recapitulated by the shame of one absolutely unforgettable family. Above all, Finn reaches back into the darkest waters of America?s past to fashion something compelling, fearless, and new. March, by Geraldine Brooks (Little Women, Louisa May Alcott) Set during the American Civil War, ?March? tells the story of John March, known to us as the father away from his family of girls in ?Little Women?, Louisa May Alcott?s classic American novel. In Brooks?s telling, March emerges as an abolitionist and idealistic chaplain on the front lines of a war that tests his faith in himself and in the Union cause when he learns that his side, too, is capable of barbarism and racism. As he recovers from a near-fatal illness in a Washington hospital, he must reassemble the shards of his shattered mind and body, and find a way to reconnect with a wife and daughters who have no idea of the ordeals he has been through. As Alcott drew on her real-life sisters in shaping the characters of her little women, so Brooks turned to the journals and letters of Bronson Alcott, Louisa May?s father, an idealistic educator, animal rights exponent and abolitionist who was a friend and confidante of Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry David Thoreau. The story spans the vibrant intellectual world of Concord and the sensuous antebellum South, through to the first year of the Civil War as the North reels under a series of unexpected defeats. Confessions of an Ugly Step Sister, by Gregory Maguire (Cinderella) We have all heard the story of Cinderella, the beautiful child cast out to slave amongst the ashes. But what of her stepsisters, the homely pair exiled into ignominy by the fame of their lovely sibling? What fate befell those untouched by beauty ... and what curses accompanied Cinderella's looks? Set against the backdrop of seventeenth-century Holland, CONFESSIONS OF AN UGLY STEPSISTER tells the story of Iris, an unlikely heroine who is swept from the lowly streets of Haarlem to a strange world of wealth, artifice, and ambition. Iris's path becomes intertwined with that of Clara, the mysterious and unnaturally beautiful girl destined to become her sister. While Clara retreats to the cinders of the family hearth, Iris seeks out the shadowy secrets of her new household - and the treacherous truth of her former life. The Penelopiad, by Margaret Atwood (The Odyssey, by Homer) For Penelope, wife of Odysseus, maintaining a kingdom while her husband was off fighting the Trojan war was not a simple business. Already aggrieved that he had been lured away due to the shocking behaviour of her beautiful cousin Helen, Penelope must bring up her wayward son, face down scandalous rumours and keep over a hundred lustful, greedy and bloodthirsty suitors at bay? And then, when Odysseus finally returns and slaughters the murderous suitors, he brutally hangs Penelope's twelve beloved maids. What were his motives? And what was Penelope really up to? Critically acclaimed when it was first published as part of Canongate's Myth series, and following a very successful adaptation by the RSC, this new edition of The Penelopiad sees Margaret Atwood give Penelope a modern and witty voice to tell her side of the story, and set the record straight for good. Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Bronte) Born into the oppressive, colonialist society of 1930s Jamaica, white Creole heiress Antoinette Cosway meets a young Englishman who is drawn to her innocent beauty and sensuality. After their marriage, however, disturbing rumours begin to circulate which poison her husband against her. Caught between his demands and her own precarious sense of belonging, Antoinette is inexorably driven towards madness, and her husband into the arms of another novel's heroine. This classic study of betrayal, a seminal work of postcolonial literature, is Jean Rhys's brief, beautiful masterpiece. Mary Reilly, by Valerie Martin (The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson) From the acclaimed author of Orange Prize winning PROPERTY comes a fresh twist on the classic Jekyll and Hyde story, a novel told from the perspective of Mary Reilly, Dr. Jekyll's dutiful and intelligent housemaid. Faithfully weaving in details from Robert Louis Stevenson's classic, Martin introduces an original and captivating character: Mary is a survivor-scarred but still strong-familiar with evil, yet brimming with devotion and love. As a bond grows between Mary and her tortured employer, she is sent on errands to unsavory districts of London and entrusted with secrets she would rather not know. Unable to confront her hideous suspicions about Dr. Jekyll, Mary ultimately proves the lengths to which she'll go to protect him. Through her astute reflections, we hear the rest of the classic Jekyll and Hyde story, and this familiar tale is made more terrifying than we remember it, more complex than we imagined possible.