Book Club

Perhaps it was Spring in the air but our April bookclub meeting was one of our best attended We had lots of new members and another lively discussion on a wide range of books - new and classics. Thanks to everyone who came and a warm welcome to first-timers – we hope to see you again.

This month we shared views on the classic Lord of the Flies by William Golding (after the well-received TV adaptation), the modern classic Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury, the moving Five Days by Anne Tyler, Booker-nominated Untouchable by John Banville about the Cambridge spies, and the recent bestseller Clear by Cerys Davies set on an remote island in the Scottish highlands.

The Bookclub is a friendly, informal community for anyone who enjoys a discussion on books, some laughter and a drink.

If you want to join us just read one of the titles below (or more than one if you have time) and come along and tell us what you think. We guarantee a warm welcome and some lively discussion.

Our next meeting is Wednesday 13h May and this month's titles are:

· Classic – A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway (≈352 pages)

An American ambulance driver falls in love during World War I. Against a backdrop of violence and retreat, the novel examines love and loss. Hemingway’s spare prose intensifies emotional impact.
“A novel of deep courage and enduring sorrow.” — The New York Times

· Factual – The Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Perry (≈304 pages)

A meditation on mortality and remembrance. Perry reflects on grief and the quiet dignity of an unremarkable life. The book blends narrative intimacy with philosophical reflection.
“Perry writes with rare compassion and intellectual grace.” — The Observer

· Modern Fiction – Flashlight by Susan Choi (≈320 pages)

10-year-old Louisa and her father are spending the summer in a coastal Japanese town while her father Serk, a Korean émigré, completes an secondment from his American university. When Louisa wakes up after a walk, she has washed up on the beach and her father is missing, probably drowned
“A writer of fierce intelligence and emotional precision.” — The New York Times

· Modern Fiction – Wild Dark Shore - Charlotte McConaghy (≈320 pages)

A climate‑infused novel set on a remote island facing environmental collapse. McConaghy explores love, survival, and moral choice. The prose is lyrical yet urgent.
“Lyrical and gripping in equal measure.” — The Guardian

· Factual – The Beginning Comes After the End: Notes on a World of Change by Rebecca Solnit (160 pages)

Solnit maps the extraordinary revolution of ideas and rights that we've experienced over the last fifty years, which has profoundly changed our world.
“Beautiful and inspiring: this book gives us the courage to face change, and to make it” — The Guardian