Schedule and Meeting Attendance
The Meeting and Discussion Schedule
Tuesday 21st May Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver suggested by Paola
Tuesday 18th June Cuddy by Benjamin Myers suggested by Irene
Tuesday 16th July What You Are Looking for is in the Library by Michiko Aoyams suggested by Irene
Details of each of these meetings are listed further down this page ---->>
Tuesday 21st May Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver suggested by PaolaDemon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
Suggested by Paola 22/02/2024
550 pages
Paperback – 4 May 2023 - £7.48
Amazon 4.6/5
Goodreads 4.52/5
**A SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER**
Winner of the Women's Prize for Fiction
WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE FOR FICTION
TWICE WINNER OF THE WOMEN'S PRIZE
SHORTLISTED FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL FICTION
SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAMES TAIT BLACK PRIZE FOR FICTION
THE MULTI-MILLION COPY SELLING AUTHOR
BOOK AT BEDTIME ON BBC RADIO 4
AN OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK
Demon Copperhead is a once-in-a-generation novel that breaks and mends your heart in the way only the best fiction can.
Demon's story begins with his traumatic birth to a single mother in a single-wide trailer, looking 'like a little blue prizefighter.' For the life ahead of him he would need all of that fighting spirit, along with buckets of charm, a quick wit, and some unexpected talents, legal and otherwise.
In the southern Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, poverty isn't an idea, it's as natural as the grass grows. For a generation growing up in this world, at the heart of the modern opioid crisis, addiction isn't an abstraction, it's neighbours, parents, and friends. 'Family' could mean love, or reluctant foster care. For Demon, born on the wrong side of luck, the affection and safety he craves is as remote as the ocean he dreams of seeing one day. The wonder is in how far he's willing to travel to try and get there.
Suffused with truth, anger and compassion, Demon Copperhead is an epic tale of love, loss and everything in between.
...
Tuesday 18th June Cuddy by Benjamin Myers suggested by Irene
‘Cuddy’ by Benjamin Myers
Winner Goldsmiths Prize 2023 for mould-breaking fiction.
Paperback in February 2024
Suggested by Irene 9/11/2023
Cuddy is a bold and experimental retelling of the story of the hermit St. Cuthbert, unofficial patron saint of the North of England.
Incorporating poetry, prose, play, diary and real historical accounts to create a novel like no other, Cuddy straddles historical eras - from the first Christian-slaying Viking invaders of the holy island of Lindisfarne in the 8th century to a contemporary England defined by class and austerity.
Along the way we meet brewers and masons, archers and academics, monks and labourers, their visionary voices and stories echoing through their ancestors and down the ages.
And all the while at the centre sits Durham Cathedral and the lives of those who live and work around this place of pilgrimage – their dreams, desires, connections and communities.
Pages 436
Paperback02/24
Amazon 4.4/5
Goodreads 4.38/5
Tuesday 16th July 2024
What You Are Looking for is in the Library
by Michiko Aoyama (Author), Alison Watts (Translator)
suggested by Irene 17/12/2023
SHORTLISTED FOR THE JAPAN BOOKSELLERS' AWARD
THE BESTSELLING JAPANESE NOVEL
A Time Magazine Top 100 Best Book of the year
***THE FAVOURITE CHRISTMAS GIFT FOR ALL BOOK-LOVERS***
Paperback 23 May 2024 £9.99
256 pages
Amazon 4.4 Goodreads 4.1
Sayuri Komachi is no ordinary librarian. Sensing exactly what someone is searching for in life, she provides just the book recommendation to help them find it.
In this uplifting book, we meet five of Sayuri's customers, each at a different crossroads:
- the restless retail assistant eager to pick up new skills
- the mother faced with a demotion at work after maternity leave
- the conscientious accountant who yearns to open an antique store
- the gifted young manga artist in search of motivation
- the recently retired salaryman on a quest for newfound purpose
Can she help them find what they are looking for?
Meeting Attendance
Meetings are held on the 3rd Tuesday of the month. Please be cautious of months where the 1st day of the month is actually a Wednesday. This can be confusing.
Admin will send out a Meeting Reminder via email, without fail, at least 3 days before the meeting day.
2 days before a meeting, members will be prompted via email, to indicate if they will be attending or not.
Out of simple courtesy to the group, if you are unable to attend a meeting please send in an apology before the meeting so we are not holding up the meeting for your arrival. A simple NO in the subject line of an email will be sufficient. No excuses, please, are necessary. If you haven't sent an apology before the meeting, you will not receive the Minutes of the meeting you didn't attend as it will be assumed you were not interested in the content of that particular meeting. Three no-shows/no-apologies in a row and your position in the group will be marked as Vacant.
You will need to try to commit to attend around 9 of the 12 sessions a year.
Life never goes as planned and your circumstances or priorities can change. In this case let us know as soon as possible so your position can be offered to someone on the Waiting List. You will always be welcome to re-join the group.
Once a year, after the February meeting, you will be asked via email to confirm your interest and commitment to the group. This will give people a chance to review their circumstances and bow out gracefully, if this reading group no long is relevant to you.
If less than 5 members say they will be attending a meeting, then the meeting will be disbanded due to lack of interest.