“The Secret Life of Bees” by Sue Monk Kidd (U.S.) Review Most readers liked the book describing it as an easy read. They got a good feel to both its location and historical setting (South Carolina at the time of signing of Civil Rights Act). They found most of the characters likeable warming to one or other of them depending on their own sensibilities and … Continue reading The Secret Life of Bees
“The True Deceiver” by Tove Jansson (Finland) Synopsis In the deep winter snows of a Swedish hamlet, a strange young woman fakes a break-in at the house of an elderly artist in order to persuade her that she needs companionship. But what does she hope to gain by doing this? And who ultimately is deceiving whom? In this portrayal of two women grappling with truth … Continue reading The True Deceiver
“The Kite Runner” by Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan) Review For most of the group, it was their second time reading this book and all except one reader really enjoyed it. They were captured by the story of the two boys, Amir and Hassan, and loved the passages that develop the relationship between them. They found that the descriptions brought the scenes to life and they were … Continue reading The Kite Runner
The theme of our Summer Reading Group 2010 was humour in all its many forms: comedy, wit, satire, irony, farce. The interesting thing about humour is that it is very personal, and there were indeed members of the group who found some stories funny that others did not, and vice versa. “I Do Not Come to You by Chance” by Adaobi Tricia Nwaubani was voted … Continue reading Best Summer Read 2010 – I Do Not Come to You by Chance
“An Elegy for Easterly” by Petina Gappah (Zimbabwe) Review Readers loved this book describing it as one of the best collections of short stories they have ever read. They found the themes contemporary and accessible, and they liked the diverse accounts of life in Zimbabwe. With each story, some only a dozen pages long, readers felt they learnt so much about the protagonists that it … Continue reading An Elegy for Easterly
“Sightseeing” by Rattawut Lapcharoensap (Thailand) Book Club Favourite of Season 11 Review Readers really liked this collection of short stories from a very young and promising author. They found his style of writing excellent and they felt he managed to give clear and distinct voices to a wide range of characters from different strata of society while at the same time evoking well a sense … Continue reading Sightseeing
“Samarkand” by Amin Maalouf (Lebanon) Favourite Quote Travellers are in too great a rush these days, in a rush to arrive – whatever it takes. But you do not arrive only at your destination. At every stage of the journey you arrive somewhere and with every step you can discover a hidden facet of our planet. All you have to do is look, wish, believe … Continue reading Samarkand
“Runaway” by Alice Munro (Canada) Review Given Alice Munro’s reputation as an outstanding short story writer, readers had high expectations for this collection. However, their reactions were very mixed. Some readers really liked all the stories finding them dark but highly realistic and enjoying the twists and turns in the characters’ lives. They appreciated the details and the little insights into the more mundane aspects … Continue reading Runaway
Nicola's Book Club 