“The Chosen Maiden” by Eva Stachniak (Poland) Review “The Chosen Maiden” by Eva Stachniak (Poland), a close runner-up, was chosen as the Summer Reading Group’s Coup de Cœur Summer 2017. It was the longest of the four books, and masterly mixes fact and fiction to tell the story of the Nijinsky siblings from the point of view of the sister, Bronia. Readers loved their story, … Continue reading The Chosen Maiden
“The Underground Railroad” by Colson Whitehead (U.S.) Review “The Underground Railroad” by Colson Whitehead (U.S.) is set in the pre-Civil war era in the southern states of America and tells the story of a slave’s journey to freedom using the eponymous route. There were mixed reactions to this book with most readers liking it whereas some found the subject matter too hard to handle for … Continue reading The Underground Railroad
“The Woman Next Door” by Yewande Omotoso (South Africa) Review “The Woman Next Door” by Yewande Omotoso (South Africa) is set in modern-day Cape Town and is about the strained relationship between two elderly neighbours, one black and one white. Readers found this an easy story to get into, and to some extent it was a light relief compared to the other three. They liked … Continue reading The Woman Next Door
“What I Know For Sure” by Oprah Winfrey Review The lessons in this book are divided into 8 themes: Joy, Resilience, Connection, Gratitude, Possibility, Awe, Clarity, and Power. Members of the reading group appreciated how Oprah shared some of her most intimate and challenging stories in this collection. They loved the fact that books have had such a deep impact on her life and that … Continue reading What I Know For Sure
“The Discreet Hero” by Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru) Review Once confusion with the alternating narratives in the novel had passed, readers became very involved with both stories. They found them compelling, and liked the combination of intrigue and entertainment that are played out by a rich cast of characters. They didn’t particularly warm to the two protagonists but felt that they grabbed their sympathy, while … Continue reading The Discreet Hero
“Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway” by Susan Jeffers Review I just love it when I come across a Self-Help book that speaks to me 100% in the moment. I’ve known of this book for many years and never felt called to buy it or read it. Last weekend, I got a strong urge to call my local bookshop and see if they had … Continue reading Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway
“The Yacoubian Building” by Alaa Al Aswany (Egypt) Review Readers loved this book! They warmed to the different characters who they described as vivid and well developed. They liked how each one evolved throughout the story as either their situation improved or deteriorated. They also liked the contrasts between the secular and religious lifestyles of the characters. Readers loved the setting of the building with … Continue reading The Yacoubian Building
“Slaughterhouse 5” by Kurt Vonnegut (U.S.) In February 2017, as one of the Author Specials that were a part of the Story Connector Literature Circle, we had a lively discussion on Kurt Vonnegut‘s quirky books, original ideas, and views on American society! Readers said that they would so love for him to be around now so they could hear him wax satirical about current affairs. … Continue reading Slaughterhouse 5
Nicola's Book Club 