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Central Library - Wednesday Reading Group

Books We Have Reviewed

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

  Apart from one real aficionado, I'm sorry to say that we struggled to relate to this book. The humour is extremely quirky: the sort of thing that would either have you in stitches or leave you feeling you had had a sense of humour bypass. Definitely a cult book, and one that's perhaps better read when you're young

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood

  Many of us found this a hard book to get into, but we recommend you to stick with it, as it becomes a gripping read. It is a fictionalised account of a real-life murder which took place in Ontario in 1849. The murder itself, however, is far from central to the book: it is the motivation and psychological condition of Grace Marks, the accused, that quickly begins to fascinate the reader.

A sinister atmosphere and a real sense of the prejudices of the times will keep you turning the pages

After the Hole by Guy Burt

  When I first read this book, before I reached the conclusion, I had enjoyed it but it would just have rated an OK. However once I had read the conclusion this revealed the true genius of the author, considering his age (18) when he wrote it. A film was made of this novel but it did no justice to the true horror of the story.
Wilma

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

  This was a disappointment to most of us. It failed to inspire those of us who felt that science fiction wasn't for them to try more. Even the few sci-fi buffs among us thought it was a bit obscure and slow-paced. The ending left us all feeling unsure what point the author was trying to make.

Better by far, by all accounts, is the film 'Bladerunner', which is based on this book

The Future Homemakers of America by Laurie Graham

  This is a real page-turner of a book; fast-paced, witty and sometimes quite poignant. We follow the ups and downs of the fortunes of a group of women who meet in Norfolk in the early 1950's, as their husbands have been posted to the air base there. Some of the one-liners will have you laughing out loud. A great book to read if you need cheering up

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

  The narrator of this engaging and thought-provoking read is a 15-year-old boy who has Asperger's Syndrome. Seeing the world through his eyes and following his thought processes was a revelation. Young Christopher needs to feel calm and in control, so when his life is suddenly thrown into turmoil by a family crisis, we are with him all the way in his quest for a return to security.

Poignant, nail-biting and funny - we all found this book thoroughly absorbing

The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

  A winner with all of us. This is the magical tale of one man's journey of atonement for a sin of omission committed when he was a young boy. It's about loyalty, betrayal and love, and it also provides a vivid insight into the plight of Afghanistan over the last thirty years.

The Girls by Lori Lansens

  An unusual highly readable story about conjoined twins struggling to lead independent, fulfilling lives against the odds of their challenging situation. The individuality of the girls' personalities is well delineated, as is the warmth of their relationship with their adoptive parents. A degree of melancholy runs through the whole book, but there are also lighter moments. On the whole, most of us found it an interesting read.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

  How could we award this timeless classic fewer than 5 stars? It has everything: high courtroom drama, gentle humour and beautifully drawn descriptions of the stifling heat, boredom and prejudices of a small southern town in 1930's America. We see everything through the eyes of young Scout Finch, the feisty, engaging and totally unsentimental daughter of Atticus, the town lawyer, charged with defending a black man accused of raping a local white girl. This is a book written with passion and compassion. Unforgettable!

Small Island by Andrea Levy

  We really felt for Gilbert and Hortense, the two main characters in this novel. They arrived in London from Jamaica just after the war, full of belief in the Mother Country and hopes of a happy new life in Britain. However, their dreams were soon shattered by the bleak reality of post war Britain and the prejudice they met all around them. Andrea Levy describes very well the greyness of the period and the vibrancy of the young Jamaicans. Highly readable - and recommended.

A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka

  Some of us enjoyed this a lot, whilst others thought it didn't really live up to all the hype which surrounded it on publication. If you like your humour very dark, you'll find lots to laugh about in the story of Vera and Nadezhda's eighty-four-year-old Pappa falling for a thirty-six-year-old floozy who can't wait to get her gold-digging claws into him. The tragic story of Ukraine's recent history is also touched on, as are the complexities of "the ties that bind".

Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

  This is 600+ pages of joy and sadness, humour and tragedy. The book maps the life of the four main characters. Set in 1950's India, this is a book to bring your senses alive. The description of the smells both delight and appal. I lived every page of this book and when it needed I felt lost without it. Rohinton Mistry's a master storyteller.
Wilma

These Foolish Things by Deborah Moggach

  Everyone thought this was a winner. At times poignant and at times extremely funny, it's the engaging story of a group of old people who, for various reasons, decide to cut their ties with Britain to spend their twilight years in a "retirement hotel" in India. The descriptions of the poverty and beauty they find in India, as well as the trials and tribulations of getting older are beautifully observed. Well worth reading!

The Lamplighter by Anthony O'Neill

  This one was a winner with all of us. Set in an eerie, gas-lit Edinburgh of the 1880's, it's a gothic horror story of masterful proportions.

Part mystery, part fantasy, it's also a wholly convincing exploration of the nature of good and evil.

Read it on your own in the evening only if you have nerves of steel!

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque

  We have mixed opinions about this classic anti-war novel, which was first published in 1929.

Some of the us found the language too flowery, which detracted from the flow of the narrative. On the other hand, those of us who admired it - your reviewer being included in this group - found it a compelling and deeply moving read, which graphically portrays the utter futility of war

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

  We all loved this unusual book. Despite its grim opening pages, where the murder of a 14-year-old girl is described, it develops into a touching and engrossing read, as Susie, the murdered girl and narrator, views from heaven how her family and friends cope with her death. Susie is a lively and engaging teenager, so there are touches of humour to lighten the intensity of some passages. There are tense moments too, as the hunt for her killer progresses

Unless by Carol Shields

  We had very mixed opinions about this book. Some of us really couldn't get into it and found Reta, the narrator, irritating. However, those of us who enjoyed it really engaged with Reta, her family and her predicament. (Her oldest daughter drops out of "normal" life to sit on a street corner with the word "Goodness" hanging round her neck on a piece of cardboard.) One of us commented that they almost felt they were intruding, so initimate and telling were some of the comments and conversations between friends and family. Definitely a book to read at one sitting!

Child That Books Built by Francis Spufford

  This book was a disappointment, as we had expected a lively autobiography of a young boy growing up with Rupert Biggles and the Famous Five. Instead, we found an academic extended essay on the best of children's literature in the 1970's and 80's. Many of us did not finish the book, but it might be of interest to readers interested in the history of books and reading

Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

  We loved this book. Set in California during the Great Depression, it tells the story of George and Lennie, two migrant workers who drift from ranch to ranch in the hopes of finding menial toil to keep body and soul together. The relationship between these two is described in a profoundly moving way. They need each other to keep their dreams alive, and you desperately hope they will one day live "on the fatta the lan." In the words of Robert Burns, however, "the best-laid schemes of mice and men …"

Perfume by Patrick Suskind

  A challenging and thoughtprovoking novel. Very well described and it had the ability to transport you back to Paris of the period.

The main character invoked sympathy, dislike, even hate and the book was thought by some to be completely disturbing; and by others wonderful.

Certainly a novel that will be remembered for a long time

Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani

  We thought this was a pleasant undemanding read. There was a very authentic feel to the setting in 1950's New York, and the detail about working in the fashion industry at that time was fascinating. The heroine, Lucia, is part of a large, loving Italian family. She is an independent spirit, but rather gullible where affairs of the heart are concerned.

Very easy to read - and with a 'feel-good' happy ending!

Little Altars Everywhere by Rebecca Wells

  Very descriptive of the era in which the story was set. Draws you into the life of Vivi and her family. Funy, sad and sometimes disturbing