“The Lake” by Banana Yoshimoto (Japan) Review Mystical and mysterious were some of the words readers used to describe this book that they thoroughly enjoyed. Most were familiar with the author having read other of her books and they liked her writing style, which they found captured the atmosphere well. They were drawn to the two protagonists feeling a mixture of sympathy and interest for … Continue reading The Lake
“Goodbye Lucille” by Segun Afolabi (Nigeria) Review Readers were pretty much equally divided about this book, with half the group enjoying it, while the other half found it disappointing. Everyone agreed that it was an easy read, written in a clear language, and that the story was well crafted. They also liked the fact that it gave them a strong sense of time and place, … Continue reading Goodbye Lucille
“The Gaze” by Elif Shafak (Turkey) Review Readers had a difficult time getting into this book finding both the language and the narrative hard to follow. Some didn’t manage to finish it, but those who did were very glad they had persisted, because about a third of the way through they felt that the pieces started to fit together. The main story is told from … Continue reading The Gaze
“Hustle” by Will Ferguson (Canada) Book Club Favourite of Season 17 Review Most readers really enjoyed the book finding that, once they got into it, they were hooked and couldn’t put it down. They felt the use of language, with its many colloquialisms, was wonderful and gave them a clear sense of the place and time. Readers thought that the historical and socio-economic elements running … Continue reading Hustle
“Departing at Dawn” by Gloria Lisé (Argentina) Review With its subtitle “A Novel of Argentina’s Dirty War”, readers said they found the story to be completely different from what they had imagined. Instead of getting details of the horrors of a military dictatorship, which is what they had been expecting, readers felt they were given an introspective and interesting look at life in that context from … Continue reading Departing at Dawn
“Map of the Invisible World” by Tash Aw (Malaysia) Review Intriguing, colourful and touching are some of the words that readers used to describe this story set at the beginning of Indonesian independence. They agreed that the author painted a vivid picture of life both in the countryside and in the city during these turbulent times. One reader found it somewhat confusing because of the change in … Continue reading Map of the Invisible World
“Black Mamba Boy” by Nadifa Mohamed (Somalia) Book Club Favourite of Season 16 Review Readers enjoyed this story describing it as somewhat similar to a tale where the hero is faced with many difficulties on his journey, but who also meets lots of kind people along the way. They warmed to the protagonist from the start and enjoyed following him as he grows from a young boy in … Continue reading Black Mamba Boy
“Pure” by Andrew Miller (U.K.) Review Although they thought the historical setting of pre-French revolution was bleak and desolate, readers found this book highly enjoyable and looked forward to delving into it. They liked the language and style, finding it well written with interesting characters, evocative descriptions and a good plot. They quickly warmed to the protagonist and found the interplay between him and the other characters captivating. … Continue reading Pure
Nicola's Book Club 