November 2013

Hi Bookworms,

Thanks to those that attended on Sunday to talk about Ian Banks' 'The Crow Road'.
This coming of age tale has a bit of everything - sibling rivalry, death, unrequited love, a murder mystery, religion and lots of alcohol!

Some of our members loved this book, empathising with the transition of a young Prentice McHoan through his early twenties against a backdrop of a beautifully described Scotland. Other bookworms felt that the novel dragged pace-wise but as Banks virgins, perhaps we need to read another of his novels before making a proper judgement.
In summary, it was a fairly well-received read although would always struggle to top last month's 'The Book Thief' which we all adored (and still can't stop talking about!)

Coming up we have Khaled Hosseini's 'The Kite Runner' and our meeting to discuss it on December 1st will be combined with a Christmas meal - details to follow!

As always, any questions please email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com and remember to follow us on twitter @booknantwich

Kate :)

Are you ready for a discussion about 'The Book Thief'?

Good afternoon Bookworms!

Just a quick reminder that Bookclub is this Sunday October 6th at 8pm in the Black Lion pub on Welsh Row, Nantwich.

I'm looking forward to discussing 'The Book Thief' with you all and finding out what everyone thought.

As always, follow us on twitter @booknantwich and any questions or comments then please email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com

See you Sunday

Kate :)

Bookworms September update & upcoming reads

A very productive meeting took place last night with an interesting discussion about Harper Lee's 'To Kill A Mockingbird'.
We agreed that this was a thought provoking, well-written novel with shades of Huckleberry Finn intertwined with more serious subject matter and deeper themes of race, prejudice and loss of innocence. (Full review coming soon!)

A thorough discussion took place as to what we should read next and pleasingly lots of ideas were passed around. We've now been able to be very organised and plan which novels will be taking us through Autumn and into Winter. (See below).
As always, we will be meeting on the first Sunday of the Month in the Black Lion pub on Welsh Row at 8pm and new members are always welcome!

September 'The Book Thief' by Markus Zusak         Meeting Sunday October 6th

October     'The Crow Road' by Ian Banks               Meeting Sunday November 3rd

November 'The Kite Runner' by Khaled Hosseini      Meeting Sunday December 1st

December  'Coraline'             by Neil Gaiman           Meeting Sunday January 5th

January     'Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow'
                                            by Peter Hoeg             Meeting Sunday February 2nd

Remember to keep following us on twitter @booknantwich and any questions please email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com

Joy's Review of 'The Red House' by Mark Haddon

Book Review: The Red House (Mark Haddon)

Mark Haddon's best known first novel for adults, The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (2003) was well-rated by the bookclub, but his second A Spot of Bother (2006) less so, which meant The Red House (2012) was approached with slight trepidation mixed with hopeful expectation.

This time Haddon didn't disappoint. Although his disjointed style and array of characters was somewhat difficult to follow at first, once used to his unique writing style, his poeticism and obscurities added depth to an intriguing portrayal of a modern family.

It is remarkable how Haddon has such insight into a wide range of characters, from a young boy who lives predominantly in a fantasy world, to a teenage girl who can't decide whether she is a Christian or a lesbian, and an adolescent boy as he makes his complex journey into manhood. And that's not to mention the sexually aggressive daughter of a secretive mother and her step-father, the sister of whom is mourning the death of a stillborn baby some fifteen years ago and who's husband is revealed to be having an affair. Throw all of these characters together into the pressure-cooker situation of a family holiday in a Welsh cottage for a week, and you can imagine what the results maybe. Not only does Haddon have an understanding of the individual, but also how they work together in familial relationships.

Everyone felt that there was an aspect to The Red House that they could relate to, whether it was the location of the Welsh getaway, or the experience of family relationships, this book was enjoyed by all.

Update from Nantwich Bookworms

Hi Bookworms,

How is everyone finding this month's read? (Mark Haddon's The Red House) How spooky that it has links to our old friend Count Dracula our previous bookclub read!

As always, we'll be meeting on the first Sunday of the month and that makes it Sunday August 4th at 8pm in the Black Lion.

New members are always welcome and please spread the word!

Kate

Joy's review of Bram Stoker's Dracula

Great Summer reads can have long-lasting memories, sitting in the sunshine, ice-cold drink by your side as the kids play in the paddling pool. Bram Stoker's Dracula is not something you would normally associate with this scene; more a wintery day, wrapped up by a roaring fire with a hot cup of something to warm your wits that have been frozen scared by this classic horror. Yet Dracula was the Nantwich Bookworms read for June and it was met with mixed reviews. Despite the incongruity of the novel to the season, Bram Stoker successfully transported the reader to the wild and dark landscape of Transylvania in the opening chapters of this nineteenth century gothic classic, the dwelling place of the Count himself.  Written in the format of diary excerpts and letters from five main characters,  we agreed that the descriptive narrative was excellent, shrouded with mystery and intrigue as we read on with bated breath anticipating the next spook.
It was interesting to read the origin of where so many adaptations have stemmed and (despite it being written in 1897) the modern definition of the Vampire that existed in ancient folklore. Adaptations from Francis Ford Coppola's Dracula to the ultra-modern Twilight Saga by Stephanie Meyer, all contain the main themes that are prevalent in the novel, the main ones being the role of women and sexual conventions, and religion.
We decided the novel was interesting rather than particularly enjoyable, with some parts very long-winded, unlike the faster paces of more modern literature. The dialogue too was uninspiring and tedious at times, which made this already long novel almost a chore to read. Stated as one of 1000 Books to Read Before You Die it feels good to be able to tick it off as read, and the scare-factor certainly stays with you as you expect to see the Count lurking in every dark corner, or tapping at your bedroom window in bat-form...or maybe that's just us feeble women...
Nantwich Bookworms meets on the first Sunday of every month at the Black Lion pub in Nantwich.
4th August The Red House by Mark Haddon
September To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
New members are always welcome - please contact us by email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com, or via Twitter @booknantwich or just turn up to a meeting! It is very friendly and informal - hope to see you there!

Upcoming Bookworms trips!

Hi Bookworms!

Reaseheath College are once again putting on their lovely summer outdoor theatre shows so we were thinking this would be the perfect excuse for an outing!

On Saturday July 20th at 7pm they will present an open-air garden theatre performance of SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. 

On Saturday August 10th at 7pm, they will be performing PRIDE AND PREJUDICE 


Tickets are £15, grounds open for picnics from 6pm, bring low backed seating and refreshments will be available!

For tickets please go to www.seetickets.com or contact Reaseheath on 01270 613210 or email them at conference@rreaseheath.ac.uk

If you would like any information or to let us know you'll be joining us then please email nantwichbookworms@gmail.com