General Chat

Please as usual suggest two ordinary and one classic book to read for April/May Vote will be Sunday 22nd about 5pm. Review to be 26th May to get it back to the end of the month. Ann Glos

The Terminal Man by Sir Alfred Mehran The extraordinary true story of the charming eccentric Sir Alfred Mehran who has spent the last 15 years living on a bench in Terminal 1 at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris and dining on MacDonalds every day - the strangest case in immigration history! Skull Session by Daniel Hecht Despite his brilliance, Paul Skoglund hasn't held a steady job for years, partly because of his Tourette's syndrome, a neurological disorder that forces his body into wild swings and to blurt out tragically inappropriate words. When his wealthy aunt asks him to take on the repairs of her magnificent hunting lodge, he is in no position to refuse. But inside the lodge lies a mystery involving disappearances and deaths that haunt the region. Meanwhile, Paul's ex-wife is using his condition to wrest away custody of their young son, but for Paul, nothing and no one is going to come between him and Mark. Then quickening events lead him deeper into his family's past, and as Paul faces the darker aspects of his own nature, he must brave the possibility that in saving those he loves, he might well destroy himself. Classic: Mansfield Park by Jane Austen At the age of ten, Fanny Price leaves the poverty of her Portsmouth home to be brought up among the family of her wealthy uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, in the chilly grandeur of Mansfield Park. There she accepts her lowly status, and gradually falls in love with her cousin Edmund. When the dazzling and sophisticated Henry and Mary Crawford arrive, Fanny watches as her cousins become embroiled in rivalry and sexual jealousy. As the company starts to rehearse a play by way of entertainment, Fanny struggles to retain her independence in the face of the Crawfords' dangerous attractions; and when Henry turns his attentions to her, the drama really begins Michelle

Jodi Piccoult Salem Falls Jack St Bride was once a beloved teacher at a private girls' school until a student's crush sparked a powder keg of accusation and robbed him of his career and reputation. After a devastating pubblic ordeal that ;eft him with an eight month jail sentence and no job, Jack resolves to pick up the pieces of his life. He takes a job washing dishes at Addie Peabody's diner in the quiet New England village of Salem Falls and slowly starts to form a relationship with her. But a quartet of teenage girls harbours dark secrets - and they maliciously target Jack witha shattering allegation. Now at the centre of a modern-day withc hunt, Jack is forced once again to proclaim his innocence: to a town searching for answers, to a justice system where truth becomes a slippery concept written in shades of grey, and to the woman who has come to love him. Ann Glos

Justin Cartwight The Promise of Happiness Charles Judd wanders across a wild Cornish beach, contemplating the turns his life has taken. at home, his wife Daphne struggles hopelessly with the latest fish recipe. two of their children are keeping it all together - just. The third, the prodigal daughter Juliet, is being released from prison in New York after a sentence for art theft. This is the day, on the face of it so ordinary, on which Justin Cartwight's explosive novel opens, as all five mebers of the family try to come to terms with the return of Juliet, and their deepest thoughts and darkest secrets are laid bare. Ann Glos

Here Be Dragons - Sharon K. Penman An historical novel of power and betrayal, loyalty and political intrigue in 13th-century England, Wales and France. The Testament of Gideon Mack - James Robertson For Gideon Mack, faithless minister, unfaithful husband and troubled soul, the existence of God, let alone the Devil, is no more credible than that of ghosts and fairies. Until the day he falls into a gorge and is rescued by someone who might just be Satan himself. Mack's testament - a compelling blend of memoir, legend, history and, quite probably, madness - recounts one man's emotional crisis, disappearance, resurrection and death. It also transports you into an utterly mesmerising exploration of the very nature of belief. Classic Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray No one is better equipped in the struggle for wealth and worldly success than the alluring and ruthless Becky Sharp, who defies her impoverished background to clamber up the class ladder. Her sentimental companion amelia, however, longs only for caddish soldier George. As the two heroines make their way through the tawdry glamour of Regency society, battles - military and domestic - are fought, fortunes made and lost. The one steadfast and honourable figure in this corrupt world is Dobbin with his devotion to Amelia, bringing pathos and depth to Thackeray's gloriously satirical epic of love and social adventure.

Not too sure if this falls into the classics yet but ill give it a go The Girl with a Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier taken from the back cover - is convincing as historical fiction but as a study of human nature it dazzles. An impressive combination of passion, outrage and percerption - this book is both beautiful and brutal. The House of the Spirits - Isabel Allende Spanning four generations, this maganificent family saga is populated by a memorable, often eccentric cast of character, Together men and women, spirits, and forces of nature and of history, converge in an unforgettable, wholly absording and brilliantly realised novel that is richly entertaining. (taken from back cover) stuck for a third at the mo also my membership is due for renewel anyday and im not sure if my payment has cleared yet - if im not about for the vote could someone pm me and ill do it that way. many thanks. Lorraine

nudge

Donna Tartt- The Little Friend. The story begins with the death of child in Mississippi, a boy found hanging from a tree in his front yard. The killer is never found and the family has never recovered. The boy's sister, who was a baby at the time of his death, decides that she must right this wrong. She decides in her own mind who must be responsible and sets out to avenge her brother's death. The Little Friend explores crime and punishment, as well as the hidden complications and consequences that hinder the pursuit of truth and justice. Lori Lansens - The Girls. (from the Random House site) Rose and Ruby are twenty-nine-year-old conjoined twins. Born during a tornado to a shocked teenaged mother in the hospital at Leaford, Ontario, they are raised by the nurse who helped usher them into the world. Aunt Lovey and her husband, Uncle Stash, are middle-aged and with no children of their own. They relocate from the town to the drafty old farmhouse in the country that has been in Lovey’s family for generations. Joined to Ruby at the head, Rose’s face is pulled to one side, but she has full use of her limbs. Ruby has a beautiful face, but her body is tiny and she is unable to walk. She rests her legs on her sister’s hip, rather like a small child or a doll. Rose has always wanted to be a writer, and as the novel opens, she begins to pen her autobiography. Here is how she begins: I have never looked into my sister’s eyes. I have never bathed alone. I have never stood in the grass at night and raised my arms to a beguiling moon. I’ve never used an airplane bathroom. Or worn a hat. Or been kissed like that. I’ve never driven a car. Or slept through the night. Never a private talk. Or solo walk. I’ve never climbed a tree. Or faded into a crowd. So many things I’ve never done, but oh, how I’ve been loved. And, if such things were to be, I’d live a thousand lives as me, to be loved so exponentially. We learn of their early years as the town 'freaks' and of Lovey’s and Stash’s determination to give them as normal an upbringing as possible. But when we meet them, both Lovey and Stash are dead, the girls have moved back into town, and they’ve received some ominous news. They are on the verge of becoming the oldest surviving craniopagus (joined at the head) twins in history, but the question of whether they’ll live to celebrate their thirtieth birthday is suddenly impossible to answer. Classic. A. J. Cronin - The Spanish Gardener. A lesser-known work of A. J. Cronin, (creator of Dr Finlay 's casebook) It causes the reader to become reflective of the human condition. Harrington Brande is a career United States diplomatic representative posted to northeastern Spain. He has the unique quality of misinterpreting those of whom he comes in contact. He acts much like the Audubon turkey described in the last pages of the book. His assertive self-sufficient ways cause him to lose the love of those whom matter the most to him. Alfie

Hi Ann and everyone! Ann I think we have read Northanger Abbey - am sure I read it for Greaders - does anyone else remember? My suggestions are two I have nominated before but would still like to read! The Accidental Ali Smith The Smart family's lacklustre holiday in Norwich is turned upside down when a beguiling stranger called Amber appears, bringing with her love, joy, pain and upheaval. The Smarts try to make sense of their bewildering emotions as Amber tramples over family boundaries and forces them to think about their world and themselves in an entirely new way. 'The Accidental' is at once a mysterious web of secret identities and a ruthlessly honest look at the silent cracks that can develop unnoticed in relationships over time. Black Swan Green David Mitchell England, 1982, and the cusp of adolescence. Jason Taylor is 13, doomed to be growing up in the most boring family in the deadest village (Black Swan Green) in the dullest county (Worcestershire) in the most tedious nation (England) on earth. And he stammers. 13 chapters, each as self-contained as a short story, follow 13 months in his life and through Jason's eyes, we see what he doesn't know he knows - and watch unfold what will make him wish his life had been as uneventful as he had believed. Very humorous!! Classic: Lord of the Flies William Goldstein??

Brighton rock - Graham Greene old but brilliantly written A season for murder - Ann Granger hilarious duo solving a murder crime Martin Chuzzlewit - Dickens another amusing story

Shadowland by Peter Straub. It takes a bit of getting into but is well worth it.

Classic A Tale of 2 Cities - Dickens Set during the French Revolution - a tale of, amongst other things, sacrificial love. Light on Snow - Anita Shreve 'Walking through the fallen snow in the forest near their home 12 year old Nicky and her father find in the pristine snow an abandoned infant, its' survival made possible only by the coincidence of their having chosen this path for thier evening stroll. A mesmerizing story of the secrets we keep and the secrets we unearth and the power of forgiveness to mend even the most battered of souls.' The 5 People You meet in heaven - Mitch Albom (This was nominated by someone a few months ago and I was hoping they would nominate again and they haven't so I hope you don't mind that I have - sorry can't remember who it was) On his 83rd birthday Eddie, a lonely war veteran dies in a tragic accident trying to save a little girl from a falling cart... He learns that heaven is a place where your earthly life is explained to you by 5 people who were in it .. each 1 of them changed your path for ever. 'This book is a gift to the soul'. Kate

Strange, Northanger abbey is not on my list, must have missed it. never mind. Daphne Du Maurier The Parasites When people play the game, choose 3or 4 persons you would like to have with you on a desert islan they never choose the Delaneys. They don't even choose us one by one as individuals. We have earned, not always fairly we consider, the reputation of being dificult guests. Maria Niall and Celia have grown up in the shadow of their famous parents -father a flamboyant singer and Mother a talented dancer. Now pursuing their own dreams all 3 siblings feel an undeniable bond. But it is Maria an Niall who share the secret of their parents' pasts. alternately comic and poignant, The Parasites is based on the artistic milieu its author knew best and drwas the reader effortlessly into their magical world. Ann Glos

anyone else want to add a suggestion? This is a list I have of people reading last month Ann Jeanette Dee Lorraine And Her Three Little Resolutions Dawn Dainton Jill in France Michelle from land of the long white cloud Maz Kaz in a tizz Kate Shaw Tina (In a rush from herts) (may be taking a break) Maisie Daisie Alfie TOR Gill Cole Jean Cole ann Glos

I'm surprised Dee hasn't checked in yet Ann. Hope she's ok Jeanette x

I will e mail her and check Jeanette. Ann Glos

Hello Anne and all. My 2 suggestions are :- Frankie. by Kevin Lewis. Homeless, streetwise and running away from a past she would rather forget, Francesca Mills is just another face on the streets of London. Charlie.... by Lesley Pearce. on a hot summers day 16yr old Charlie's priveliged childhood comes to a brutal and terrifying end when she witnesses her Mother being brutally attacked in her own garden by 2 strangers. Not sure of a classic other than Woman in White that I am still waiting to read... Hope everyone is well. Love from Maisie

Hi Ann.. these are the choices of Maz in the East End, without the synopsis(((: The Boleyn Inheritance by Philippa Gregory Classic is :- Woman in White by Wilkie Collins. Maz should be back on line by the end of next week hopefully. Jean x.

thank you Jean. If you are in contact with her, the vote will be tomorrow, shall we vote without her or can you be the intermediary? Ann Glos

Hi, Sheer Abandon by Penny Vincenzi Clio, Jocasta, and Martha, three college students on a backpacking holiday to Thailand, bond as only young women in an unfamiliar environment can: immediately, passionately, and with earnest intentions of adhering to their starry-eyed pledge of eternal friendship. Life, however, gets in the way. Some 15 years go by before the threesome--now a respected physician, tabloid journalist, and powerful attorney--are reunited. The catalyst is Kate, the adopted daughter of a staid, middle-class family who is determined to locate the woman who abandoned her after giving birth in a deserted corner of Heathrow Airport the same month Clio, Jocasta, and Martha returned from their Asian escapade. Vincenzi leaves no doubt that one of the three is Kate's mother, but cunningly leads both the reader and Kate on a merry chase as she weaves the trio's tumultuous lives into a captivating tapestry of failed marriages, unrequited love affairs, and political and professional subterfuge. The result is an absorbing tale rich in seductive intrigue and emotional impact. Timeline by Michael Crichton When you step into a time machine, fax yourself through a 'quantum foam wormhole' and step out in feudal France circa 1357, be very, very afraid. If you aren't strapped back in precisely 37 hours after your visit begins, you'll miss the quantum bus back to 1999 and be stranded in a civil war, caught between crafty abbots, mad lords and peasant bandits all eager to cut your throat. You'll also have to dodge catapults that hurl sizzling pitch over castle battlements. On the social front, you should avoid provoking 'the butcher of Crecy' or Sir Oliver may lop your head off with a swoosh of his broadsword or cage and immerse you in 'Milady's Bath', a brackish dungeon pit into which live rats are tossed now and then for prisoners to eat. This is the plight of the heroes of Timeline, Michael Crichton's thriller. They're historians in 1999 employed by a tech billionaire-genius with more than a few of Bill Gates' most unlovable quirks. Like the entrepreneur in Crichton's Jurassic Park, Doniger plans a theme park featuring artefacts from a lost world revived via cutting-edge science. When the project's chief historian sends a distress call to 1999 from 1357, the boss man doesn't tell the younger historians the risks they'll face trying to save him. At first, the interplay between eras is clever but Timeline swiftly becomes a swashbuckling old-fashioned adventure, with just a dash of science and time paradox in the mix. Most of the cool facts are about the Middle Ages and Crichton marvellously brings the past to life without ever letting the pulse-pounding action slow down. At one point, a time-tripper tries to enter the Chapel of Green Death. Unfortunately, its custodian, a crazed giant with terrible teeth and a bad case of lice, soon has her head on a block. 'She saw a shadow move across the grass as he raised his axe into the air.' Try not to turn the page! I will give the classic a miss as can not always get them over here in time xx Jill