SE1 Book Club 2011

juanita wrote:

Therefore, the next book club meeting will be Wed 1 August at Simon the Tanner pub, Long Lane, starting 7.30pm to discuss John Le Carre's "Spy Who Came In From The Cold".

Apologies, that is COMPLETELY wrong.
The next book club meeting will be on Wed 4 July at Simon the Tanner to discuss John Le Carre.

The book club after that will be on Wed 1 August at a local pub tbd.

and it will be my choice of three books, to read and discuss in September.

Hi I'm interested in coming to the July 4th meeting, will there be space for a new person?
Thanks, Ben

There's ALWAYS space for someone new!

I will also be there. Just finished the book! Looking forward.

Hope to be there too!

Do we need to book more table space then? It was almost too cramped last time.

I will put up my choices later today, if I remember.

my three choices are:

Alfred Bester : The Stars My Destination
In this pulse-quickening novel, Alfred Bester imagines a future in which people "jaunte" a thousand miles with a single thought, where the rich barricade themselves in labyrinths and protect themselves with radioactive hit men - and where an inarticulate outcast is the most valuable and dangerous man alive. The Stars My Destination is a classic of technological prophecy and timeless narrative enchantment by an acknowledged master of Science Fiction

Ngaio Marsh : A Surfeit of Lampreys
Ngaio Marsh’s most popular novel begins when a young New Zealander’s first contact with the English gentry is the body of Lord Wutherford – with a meat skewer through the eye…
The Lampreys had plenty of charm – but no cash. They all knew they were peculiar – and rather gloried in it. The double and triple charades, for instance, with which they would entertain their guests – like rich but awful Uncle Gabriel, who was always such a bore. The Lampreys thought if they jollied him up he would bail them out – yet again.
Instead, Uncle Gabriel met a violent end. And Chief Inspector Alleyn had to work out which of them killed him…

P.D. James : The Children of Men
The year is 2021. No child has been born for twenty-five years. The human race faces extinction.Under the despotic rule of Xan Lyppiat, the Warden of England, the old are despairing and the young cruel. Theo Faren, a cousin of the Warden, lives a solitary life in this ominous atmosphere. That is, until a chance encounter with a young woman leads him into contact with a group of dissenters. Suddenly his life is changed irrevocably as he faces agonising choices which could affect the future of mankind.

Gosh...super selection...cant decide.

good turn out of 9 people last night, reasonable discussion of the book, with, if I recall correctly, almost unanimous agreement in liking the book.

the live piano and trumpet music started much later, which was good, as we talked more about the book earlier on. Nice to meet a new member or two as well, and a very nice surprise to bump into Ivanhoe, and MrsI as we were leaving.

Next book to read for September is the first choice from the three above - Alfred Bester - The Stars My Destination - if anyone wants a longer plot synopsis, one can be found here .

Book to read for next month is 'The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway', meeting on Wednesday 1st August. Mrs R and I won't be able to make it. She has already read this book, and thoroughly enjoyed it.