Thanks to everyone who came to the Bookclub  meeting in April,  including another six members – you are very welcome.

This time  we had lively discussions on the classic  Persuasion by Jane > Austen, Austerlitz by WG Sebald, regularly cited in polls as one of the  best  books written in the last 50 years, and current smash hit  bestseller  Butter  by Asako Yuzuki.

The Bookclub is a community of friends and anyone who enjoys an  insightful discussion on books, a chat, a laugh and a drink or two is  very welcome.  If you would like to  join us just read one of these titles ( or more if  you have time) and come for a drink to tell us all what you think.  A warm welcome and lively discussion awaits.

Next meeting …

Next Meeting – Our next meeting is on Wednesday 4 June 6-8pm. This month’s selections are below.

This month’s selections …

The Bookseller of Inverness – SG McLean (331pages) ‘Excellent historical fiction rooted in fact’ – Literary Review

A gripping thriller set in the wake of the battle of Ciulloden. Iain MacGillivray was left for dead on Drummossie Moor and six years later he lives a quiet life, working as a bookseller in Inverness. One day, he notices a stranger in the upper gallery of the shop and in the morning he is dead wearing a sword with a white cockade on its hilt, the emblem of the Jacobites

Caledonian Road – Andrew O’Hagan (656 pages) ‘An utter joy to read.’ M Ali  ‘Addictively enjoyable.’ Guardian

He always knew: when his life came tumbling down, it would occur in public. Campbell Flynn is fuelled by an appetite for wealth and admiration. An art historian and celebrity pundit, he has enjoyed a charmed career. Only now, the world is changing. Over the course of an incendiary year a web of secrets and crimes are revealed, and Campbell  Flynn may not be able to protect himself from the shattering exposure of  all his privilege really involves.

The Women – Kristin Hannah (480 > pages) Sunday Times bestseller and soon > a major film. ‘Stuns with sacrifice. Uplifts with heroism’ – B  Garmus, author of Lessons in Chemistry

Women can be heroes, too. When “Frankie” McGrath’s brother ships out to serve in Vietnam, she impulsively joins the Army Nurses Corps and follows his path. As inexperienced as the > young men, Frankie is overwhelmed by the chaos and destruction of war, as well as the unexpected trauma of coming home to a changed America.  Frankie will also discover the true value of female friendship and the heartbreak that love can cause.

Non-Fiction: Maurice & Marilyn – Sophie Elmhirst (254 pages) ‘An absolute jewel of a book’ I Knight ‘A gripping tale’ E Day, An extraordinary survival story’ Sunday Times

An extraordinary true story of shipwreck, survival and love. Bored of 1970s suburban life, Maurice and Maralyn plan their escape: sell the house, build a boat, set sail for New Zealand. Then, halfway around the world, their beloved boat is struck by a whale and the pair are cast adrift in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Alone on a tiny raft, their  love is put to the test.

Classic: The Great Gatsby – F Scott Fitzgerald (177 pages) ‘A classic, perhaps the supreme American  novel’ Sunday Times, Books of the Century

Jay Gatsby has everything. But one thing will always be out of his reach … Everybody who is anybody is seen at his glittering parties. Day and night his Long Island mansion buzzes with bright young things drinking > and dancing but Gatsby – young, handsome, fabulously rich – always seems alone, watching and waiting, though no one knows what for. Beneath the shimmering surface he is hiding a secret: And soon this destructive obsession will force his world to unravel.