I am finding it very difficult to summarise our discussion last Thursday evening as the ideas really ricocheted around the room.
As some of our readers had grown up in country New South Wales they readily identified with the novel's setting. From their experience they thought that the portrayals of Med and Haines were very real and unfortunately easily recognisable. One reader was particularly incensed with Med's attitude to his wife - the notion that a garden and a child would guarantee a woman's happiness was beyond anathema for her! Fat's plight evoked much sympathy.
Another train of thought that created much emotion was the notion that a biological parent would be almost by definition, the best parent for a child. One reader considered this limiting assumption made by the courts and welfare system in this novel, as the source cause of distress in the book!
Our readers seemed to consider that the use of personal letters as the basis of the structure of the novel to be very effective because the novel's content was so intensely personal. Utilising letters in this manner reinforced the effect that such tragic events have on families.
One reader had not progressed far through the book but following our book club discussion was keen to continue reading the book so that they could form their own opinion.
While not exactly uplifting, this novel certainly provoked opinionated discussion which is part of the fun of being part of a book club. It's a great way to extend one's experience of a book through the reactions of other readers. Through a book club one is able to read the same book with more than one set of eyes.
In Cityside Book Club we are going to read our own choice of books over the Christmas break. We will meet again on Thursday 5 February at 6.00pm at Mackay City Library.
Don't forget our MRCL Book Club Christmas Get-together at the Gordon White Community Meeting Room on Thursday 18 December from 6.00 pm till 8.00 pm. Please bring some finger food to share and some beverages that cater to your own taste. It'll be a great chance to meet folk from the other two MRCL book clubs! Looking forward to seeing you there!
Monday, 8 December 2014
Monday, 1 December 2014
Come to say "Hello" at Cityside Book Club
Well it's the last Cityside Book Club for 2014!
I cannot say I am enjoying Caroline Overington's "I Came to Say Goodbye". I am finding it a very uncomfortable book to say the least and I certainly don't look forward to my evening reading session like I usually do. I hope to have it finished by Thursday but it is going to be close!
Hope you are having more success than I!
Looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday 4 December at 6.00pm at Mackay City Library!
I cannot say I am enjoying Caroline Overington's "I Came to Say Goodbye". I am finding it a very uncomfortable book to say the least and I certainly don't look forward to my evening reading session like I usually do. I hope to have it finished by Thursday but it is going to be close!
Hope you are having more success than I!
Looking forward to seeing you all on Thursday 4 December at 6.00pm at Mackay City Library!
Monday, 3 November 2014
Are we Closer to Stone this Thursday?
Hello everyone,
Well I'm sort of back and slowly picking up the reins again. I think Closer to Stone by Simon Cleary was the CBC book for October?
Looking forward to hearing what you thought of it. Unfortunately it seems to be a bit topical at present.
We'll meet this Thursday at Mackay City Library at 6 pm.
Until then, keep the pages turning!
Well I'm sort of back and slowly picking up the reins again. I think Closer to Stone by Simon Cleary was the CBC book for October?
Looking forward to hearing what you thought of it. Unfortunately it seems to be a bit topical at present.
We'll meet this Thursday at Mackay City Library at 6 pm.
Until then, keep the pages turning!
Thursday, 14 August 2014
'Foal's Bread' provides much food for thought
Gillian Mears' ability to authentically capture the spirit and nature of Australia's show jumping heyday really inspired enthusiam in one of our book clubbers. Her life experience had so mirrored some of the experiences described in the book that she lent her copy to her father who was a horseman of old. He also was impressed by the book's feeling of authenticity.
Some readers were concerned that the book's 'horsiness' would isolate non-horse inclined readers but this did not seem to be the case, rather Gillian Mears' passion for horses converted readers rather than turned them off. Her characters seemed true to their time and there was much discussion about how attitudes to social issues, in particular the treatment of animals, as well as human beings, had changed over time. Noah's 'cruelty' towards the horses made many of our readers cringe yet many of the group related personal experiences and stories of how in earlier times animals had been kicked and hit to 'discipline' them.
There was discussion of how the author's own illness might have informed and coloured the descriptions of Roley's increasing loss of mobility. Today's concept of counselling was not even a notion in those times and Roley's increasing withdrawal as he tried to cope with his increasing disability was particularly heart-breaking. Noah's resilience in the face of such persistent emotional isolation was cause for admiration from many of our readers.
Some of our readers had not finished the book but following the book club discussion they were keen to finish reading it.
Our next book club selection has quite a different flavour. It is a contemporary novel which takes us to a small town in the United States mid-west. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is quite a dark psychological thriller and it will be interesting to hear our book clubbers' reaction to it.
Oliver Burkeman, writing for 'The Guardian' had this to say about Gone Girl.
Next month's book club should certainly be interesting!
Some readers were concerned that the book's 'horsiness' would isolate non-horse inclined readers but this did not seem to be the case, rather Gillian Mears' passion for horses converted readers rather than turned them off. Her characters seemed true to their time and there was much discussion about how attitudes to social issues, in particular the treatment of animals, as well as human beings, had changed over time. Noah's 'cruelty' towards the horses made many of our readers cringe yet many of the group related personal experiences and stories of how in earlier times animals had been kicked and hit to 'discipline' them.
There was discussion of how the author's own illness might have informed and coloured the descriptions of Roley's increasing loss of mobility. Today's concept of counselling was not even a notion in those times and Roley's increasing withdrawal as he tried to cope with his increasing disability was particularly heart-breaking. Noah's resilience in the face of such persistent emotional isolation was cause for admiration from many of our readers.
Some of our readers had not finished the book but following the book club discussion they were keen to finish reading it.
Our next book club selection has quite a different flavour. It is a contemporary novel which takes us to a small town in the United States mid-west. Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn is quite a dark psychological thriller and it will be interesting to hear our book clubbers' reaction to it.
Oliver Burkeman, writing for 'The Guardian' had this to say about Gone Girl.
Next month's book club should certainly be interesting!
Monday, 11 August 2014
Cityside Book Club meets this Thursday at Mackay City Library at 6.00 pm!
Hello folks,
Just a reminder that we are meeting the second Thursday this month, just to keep you on your toes.
We'll be discussing Foal's Bread by Gillian Mears. If you haven't read it or finished it, that's not a problem, come along anyway. It's a while since I've read it, so I'll have to try to get a quick skim in over the next couple of days to try to jog my memory.
See you all on Thursday, at City, at 6 pm!
Just a reminder that we are meeting the second Thursday this month, just to keep you on your toes.
We'll be discussing Foal's Bread by Gillian Mears. If you haven't read it or finished it, that's not a problem, come along anyway. It's a while since I've read it, so I'll have to try to get a quick skim in over the next couple of days to try to jog my memory.
See you all on Thursday, at City, at 6 pm!
Monday, 4 August 2014
Just a reminder - we will be meeting NEXT week NOT THIS week!
Just a reminder that we will meeting to discuss Foal's Bread by Gillian Mears on Thursday 14 August, that is next week not this week.
Hope you are enjoying the extra reading time!
See you next week!
Hope you are enjoying the extra reading time!
See you next week!
Wednesday, 30 July 2014
In August we will be meeting the SECOND Thursday, not the first!
Well are you making it over the jumps? I know the title is 'Foal's Bread' but if our wonderful new member would like to bring along some more chocolate brownies we won't get on our high horse at all!
This way we get a bit longer on this month's book but a bit less on next month's - swings and roundabouts - to continue the show theme.
It's rather appropriate we'll be discussing horses in August as 1 August is the birthday for all racehorses!
Looking forward to chatting about 'Foal's Bread' on Thursday 14 August at Mackay City Library at 6.00 pm!
This way we get a bit longer on this month's book but a bit less on next month's - swings and roundabouts - to continue the show theme.
It's rather appropriate we'll be discussing horses in August as 1 August is the birthday for all racehorses!
Looking forward to chatting about 'Foal's Bread' on Thursday 14 August at Mackay City Library at 6.00 pm!
Thursday, 24 July 2014
What's better than book club?
Well we found out at our last meeting! It's book club and home made brownies! Yum! Despite one's best intentions, their delicious aroma would waft across and another one's down the hatch! Many thanks to our new avid reader for providing such delicious treats!
SJ Watson's Before I go to Sleep certainly generated a lot of animated discussion! Maybe the brownies added to the energy? Most of us related to a degree of memory loss but trying to conceive of the persistent recurring loss experienced by our main character was difficult. A lack of memory would certainly increase one's vulnerability to predators. We spent a lot of our time reminding each of what happened or what we thought had occurred. A book like this certainly makes one grateful for what memory one has no matter how unreliable it is!
Our reading for this month returns us to Australia and the show jumping circuit in rural New South Wales in the 1930s prior to the Second World War. The novel Foal's Bread by Gillian Mears made the 2012 Shortlist for the Miles Franklin Literary Award.
Here is what Alfred Hickling from The Guardian had to say about Foal's Bread.
Phillip Adams from ABC's Radio National interviewed Gillian Mears about aspects of her life including her great passion for horses.
Our next meeting is going to be a week later than usual! This will give us a bit more time to fit reading this novel into our busy schedules! So if you haven't collected your copy yet there is still time!
We will meet at Mackay City Library at 6 pm on Thursday 14 August!
This cold weather certainly encourages curling up with a great book! Happy reading!
SJ Watson's Before I go to Sleep certainly generated a lot of animated discussion! Maybe the brownies added to the energy? Most of us related to a degree of memory loss but trying to conceive of the persistent recurring loss experienced by our main character was difficult. A lack of memory would certainly increase one's vulnerability to predators. We spent a lot of our time reminding each of what happened or what we thought had occurred. A book like this certainly makes one grateful for what memory one has no matter how unreliable it is!
Our reading for this month returns us to Australia and the show jumping circuit in rural New South Wales in the 1930s prior to the Second World War. The novel Foal's Bread by Gillian Mears made the 2012 Shortlist for the Miles Franklin Literary Award.
Here is what Alfred Hickling from The Guardian had to say about Foal's Bread.
Phillip Adams from ABC's Radio National interviewed Gillian Mears about aspects of her life including her great passion for horses.
Our next meeting is going to be a week later than usual! This will give us a bit more time to fit reading this novel into our busy schedules! So if you haven't collected your copy yet there is still time!
We will meet at Mackay City Library at 6 pm on Thursday 14 August!
This cold weather certainly encourages curling up with a great book! Happy reading!
Monday, 30 June 2014
Just a couple of sleeps before we discuss 'Before I go to sleep'
It's Cityside Book Club Week! Hope you are enjoying this month's read and looking forward to joining the discussion this Thursday at 6pm at Mackay City Library!
Great weather for curling up with a good book! Happy reading!
Great weather for curling up with a good book! Happy reading!
Monday, 23 June 2014
Are you sleeping?
Just a reminder that you have just over a week to read SJ Watson's Before I Go To Sleep!
Hope it's not interfering with your sleep!
See you on Thursday 3 July at Mackay City Library at 6 pm!
Hope it's not interfering with your sleep!
See you on Thursday 3 July at Mackay City Library at 6 pm!
Thursday, 5 June 2014
Something to read before you go to sleep.....
According to the Sunday Times SJ Watson's Before I Go To Sleep was 'mesmerising and unsettling...The best debut thriller for years.' Hopefully it lives up to the hype.
John O'Connell from The Guardian while reviewing novels concerning memory and the loss of, had this to say about SJ Watson's novel which apparently was written between shifts while working as an audiologist.
Apparently, there is a movie being filmed, based on SJ Watson's thriller. It stars Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Anne-Marie Duff and Mark Strong and is directed by Rowan Joffe. Although there is a poster I could not find any trailers available yet but apparently it will be realeased in Australia in August this year.
The book certainly has the potential for being a great movie and with stars of such calibre, it looks like a movie to watch out for.
Looking forward to your views on SJ Watson's Before I Go To Sleep when we meet next at 6.00pm at Mackay City Library on Thursday, 3 July.
Don't forget to read a couple of pages each night, before you go to sleep......
John O'Connell from The Guardian while reviewing novels concerning memory and the loss of, had this to say about SJ Watson's novel which apparently was written between shifts while working as an audiologist.
Apparently, there is a movie being filmed, based on SJ Watson's thriller. It stars Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth, Anne-Marie Duff and Mark Strong and is directed by Rowan Joffe. Although there is a poster I could not find any trailers available yet but apparently it will be realeased in Australia in August this year.
The book certainly has the potential for being a great movie and with stars of such calibre, it looks like a movie to watch out for.
Looking forward to your views on SJ Watson's Before I Go To Sleep when we meet next at 6.00pm at Mackay City Library on Thursday, 3 July.
Don't forget to read a couple of pages each night, before you go to sleep......
Jasper Jones Rulz!
Craig Silvey's Jasper Jones: a novel was a hit with majority of our book clubbers. One reader had got waylaid not long into the book but felt she had missed something worthwhile as discussion ensued.
Jeffery Lu was a great favourite: his resilience, irrepressibility and wicked wit really captured readers' hearts. The discrimination he and his family suffered at the hands of the town both at the social event and the cricket really upset our readers. Bullying from school children was considered bad enough, but when it was sanctioned and abetted by the town's adults, it seemed unbearable. There was the comment that bullying seems to have appeared rather regularly in our book club reads so maybe authors feel this issue is sufficiently prevalent to warrant attention in their works.
There was much discussion as to the way the adults behaved badly while the main child characters displayed a mature compassion and understanding beyond their years. The lack of empathy shown by the majority of adult characters, Charlie's dad and Mad Jack Lionel excepted, was a source of concern for our readers. Opinions varied as to whether this sort of behaviour would be condoned in small Australian towns today.
Our readers really enjoyed the camaraderie and banter between Charlie and Jeffrey. The range of their conversation topics, their arguments regarding hypotheticals as well as the mental games they played really intrigued and amused our readers. Our book clubbers also delighted in the developing relationship between Eliza and Charlie which was accompanied by Jeffrey's persistent, consistent 'Sassytime!' commentary. Opinions varied as to whether Jasper Jones would ever outrun society's bleak perception and expectation that he was 'bad'.
The overall conclusion was that Jasper Jones was a worthy read, well written and a credible depiction of small Australian towns in the 1960s. Our readers thought this novel could be developed into a great movie.
Our next novel is a crime thriller that takes us to the UK; SJ Watson's Before I Go To Sleep.
I'll include more details about this book in my next blog!
You may need to read this book with the lights on..............
Jeffery Lu was a great favourite: his resilience, irrepressibility and wicked wit really captured readers' hearts. The discrimination he and his family suffered at the hands of the town both at the social event and the cricket really upset our readers. Bullying from school children was considered bad enough, but when it was sanctioned and abetted by the town's adults, it seemed unbearable. There was the comment that bullying seems to have appeared rather regularly in our book club reads so maybe authors feel this issue is sufficiently prevalent to warrant attention in their works.
There was much discussion as to the way the adults behaved badly while the main child characters displayed a mature compassion and understanding beyond their years. The lack of empathy shown by the majority of adult characters, Charlie's dad and Mad Jack Lionel excepted, was a source of concern for our readers. Opinions varied as to whether this sort of behaviour would be condoned in small Australian towns today.
Our readers really enjoyed the camaraderie and banter between Charlie and Jeffrey. The range of their conversation topics, their arguments regarding hypotheticals as well as the mental games they played really intrigued and amused our readers. Our book clubbers also delighted in the developing relationship between Eliza and Charlie which was accompanied by Jeffrey's persistent, consistent 'Sassytime!' commentary. Opinions varied as to whether Jasper Jones would ever outrun society's bleak perception and expectation that he was 'bad'.
The overall conclusion was that Jasper Jones was a worthy read, well written and a credible depiction of small Australian towns in the 1960s. Our readers thought this novel could be developed into a great movie.
Our next novel is a crime thriller that takes us to the UK; SJ Watson's Before I Go To Sleep.
I'll include more details about this book in my next blog!
You may need to read this book with the lights on..............
Tuesday, 3 June 2014
Chatting about Jasper Jones this Thursday at 6 pm at Mackay City Library
Just a reminder that it's Cityside Book Club Thursday this week! We will be talking about our experience of Craig Silvey's 'Jasper Jones'.
Here a few quotes to jog your memory.
'The Sydney Morning Herald's' Rebecca Starford had this to say about Craig Silvey's second novel.
Have a look at what Craig Silvey has to say about writing Jasper Jones.
Now that we've heard the comment of some experts, I'm looking forward to hearing what our local readers have to say about this Australian novel set in a small mining town in Western Australia.
Happy reading!
Here a few quotes to jog your memory.
'The Sydney Morning Herald's' Rebecca Starford had this to say about Craig Silvey's second novel.
Have a look at what Craig Silvey has to say about writing Jasper Jones.
Now that we've heard the comment of some experts, I'm looking forward to hearing what our local readers have to say about this Australian novel set in a small mining town in Western Australia.
Happy reading!
Wednesday, 7 May 2014
Iceland's bleak history stimulates incisive discussion
Hannah Kent's bleak but beautifully written Burial Rites fuelled much discussion on the plight of intelligent women who behaved in a manner beyond the norm throughout the ages. Agnes, the female protagonist, is targeted as trouble because she does not behave as society expects and pays the ultimate price while a young woman who utlises her feminine wiles to evoke sympathy appears to avoid the consequences of her actions due to public support. There was also much discussion about the harshness of life during winter in the farm houses of Iceland in the 1800s. The landscape and setting play an important role in the novel. This novel raises so many issues........
Our readers enjoyed Hannah Kent's evocative style and the general consensus was that it was a worthy read and for one reader it was even better second time round.
Our book for our June meeting brings us back to an Australian small town setting where being different also causes its problems. We will be reading Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.
This is how Goodreads summarises this novel which could also appeal to young adult readers.
Looking forward to hearing views on this book which focuses on young male protagonists for something a bit different to what we've read previously.
We meet at Mackay City Library at 6 pm on Thursday 5 June.
Happy reading!
Our readers enjoyed Hannah Kent's evocative style and the general consensus was that it was a worthy read and for one reader it was even better second time round.
Our book for our June meeting brings us back to an Australian small town setting where being different also causes its problems. We will be reading Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey.
This is how Goodreads summarises this novel which could also appeal to young adult readers.
Looking forward to hearing views on this book which focuses on young male protagonists for something a bit different to what we've read previously.
We meet at Mackay City Library at 6 pm on Thursday 5 June.
Happy reading!
Monday, 28 April 2014
Cityside Book Club at Mackay City Library this Thursday at 6!
The months zoom by so quickly and already it's time to meet again!
This Thursday we'll be discussing Hannah Kent's Burial Rites. If you haven't read it that's fine, come along anyway to see whether you'd like to or whether you've saved yourself a lot of time and effort.
After visiting Japan, Canada, South America and Iceland for our last three books, next month we'll be returning to our home shores to read an Australian novel.
Looking forward to seeing you at City at 6 pm this Thursday!
This Thursday we'll be discussing Hannah Kent's Burial Rites. If you haven't read it that's fine, come along anyway to see whether you'd like to or whether you've saved yourself a lot of time and effort.
After visiting Japan, Canada, South America and Iceland for our last three books, next month we'll be returning to our home shores to read an Australian novel.
Looking forward to seeing you at City at 6 pm this Thursday!
Monday, 7 April 2014
Small numbers but big discussion
Ann Patchett's State of Wonder certainly raised a heap of discussion especially on what is right and what is wrong or whether these concepts are of any use at all. The novel poses many moral questions through the choices and actions taken by the main characters on their journeys. Opinions varied as to the reasons the characters behaved the way they did.
The jungle and its creatures affected readers differently as well. Our arachnaphobe found the descriptions of walking carefully through the grass to avoid the spiders very off-putting while the ophidiophobe found the description of the anaconda event quite confronting.
Overall it seems that State of Wonder was considered a worthwhile read and it certainly stimulated discussion.
For next month we are having a dramatic change of scene as our April read, Burial Rites by Hannah Kent is set in the bleakness of northen Iceland in 1829.
To find out more about this promising young author check out the following in ABC Conversations with Richard Fidler.
If you haven't collected your copy yet, call into Mackay City Library and pick up your copy so you have something to read for Easter.
Our next meeting is on Thursday 1 May at 6 pm at Mackay City Library.
Happy reading!
The jungle and its creatures affected readers differently as well. Our arachnaphobe found the descriptions of walking carefully through the grass to avoid the spiders very off-putting while the ophidiophobe found the description of the anaconda event quite confronting.
Overall it seems that State of Wonder was considered a worthwhile read and it certainly stimulated discussion.
For next month we are having a dramatic change of scene as our April read, Burial Rites by Hannah Kent is set in the bleakness of northen Iceland in 1829.
To find out more about this promising young author check out the following in ABC Conversations with Richard Fidler.
If you haven't collected your copy yet, call into Mackay City Library and pick up your copy so you have something to read for Easter.
Our next meeting is on Thursday 1 May at 6 pm at Mackay City Library.
Happy reading!
Tuesday, 1 April 2014
Reminder! It's Cityside Book Club week!
I know how busy everyone is, so thought I'd give a quick reminder that Cityside Book Club will be meeting this Thursday, 3 April at 6 pm at Mackay City Library.
If you can't make it to book club and you have one of our book club set books out, it would be wonderful if you could drop the book into any of our library branches and it will find its way back to its home. We need this to happen as we have other book clubs wanting to use these sets.
If you miss book club and you would like to pick up the current book club book, just pop into Mackay City Library and ask any friendly staff member for assistance.
See you on Thursday to discuss Ann Patchett's State of Wonder. If you haven't read it that's fine, we often have a segment about what else members are reading.
See you this Thursday!
If you can't make it to book club and you have one of our book club set books out, it would be wonderful if you could drop the book into any of our library branches and it will find its way back to its home. We need this to happen as we have other book clubs wanting to use these sets.
If you miss book club and you would like to pick up the current book club book, just pop into Mackay City Library and ask any friendly staff member for assistance.
See you on Thursday to discuss Ann Patchett's State of Wonder. If you haven't read it that's fine, we often have a segment about what else members are reading.
See you this Thursday!
Tuesday, 25 March 2014
Today we begin our own blog
Today is a red letter day for the Cityside Book Club as we launch our own separate blog!
I have transferred most of the previous blog material into the first post just so we have an indication of our history but I can't seem to find our first blog entry which of course was done in conjunction with the Between the Lines Book Club.
Hope you are all enjoying State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. If you haven't collected your copy, pop into the Mackay City Library, show your library membership card and pick up your book club copy.
Our next meeting will be the first Thursday in April - next week already! - Mackay City Library at 6 pm on Thursday 3 April.
At least this rain is great reading weather even if the grass in my garden is fast turning to jungle!
Happy reading!
I have transferred most of the previous blog material into the first post just so we have an indication of our history but I can't seem to find our first blog entry which of course was done in conjunction with the Between the Lines Book Club.
Hope you are all enjoying State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. If you haven't collected your copy, pop into the Mackay City Library, show your library membership card and pick up your book club copy.
Our next meeting will be the first Thursday in April - next week already! - Mackay City Library at 6 pm on Thursday 3 April.
At least this rain is great reading weather even if the grass in my garden is fast turning to jungle!
Happy reading!
2014 Cityside Blogs transferred to our new Cityside Book Club Blog
Cityside Book Club catch up Page copied into our own separate blog!
As promised - 'State of Wonder' review
Stephen J Burn from The Guardian had this to say about Ann Patchett's State of Wonder. Reviews tend to leave me feeling somewhat inadequate and this review was no different. Reading just a little each evening means I'm hard pushed to remember the story line let alone grasp all the literary
and behind the lines references. I did enjoy this novel even on the superficial level which I appear to operate at.
Here are some quotes from the novel to whet your appetite. I actually remember some of them!
If you did not get to finish our last novel please bring your copy in anyway so that you can pick up your copy of March's novel.
Looking forward to hearing your views on Ann Patchett's State of Wonder on Thursday 3 April at City Library at 6 pm.
Enjoy being entwined in the pages in a State of Wonder!
A Tale for the Time Being - a timeless tale of being
A smaller group turned up but discussion was animated on a diversity of aspects of Ruth Ozeki's novel A Tale for the Time Being. Some found the structure too demanding for their current head space while others really enjoyed the way the stories intertwined. The open ending frustrated some while others thought that an open ending was the perfect ending. There was much discussion as to how the physical setting was a vital part of the story. Readers enjoyed Ozeki's description and enjoyed how the book's variety of characters came alive for them. Ruth Ozeki is a Zen Buddhist priest and the way she incorporated Zen philosophy and viewpoints into the storyline added to the book's appeal for our readers.
Overall our readers enjoyed this multi-facted novel.
Our book for March takes us to the jungles of South America - |Ann Patchett's State of Wonder.
I'll include a review of this novel in our next blog.
Happy reading!
Time for another Cityside Book Club already!
I don't know about the rest of you, but as a Time Being, I find it difficult to believe that a month has nearly passed!
Looking forward to a tsunami of discussion tomorrow (Thursday 6 March) evening at Mackay City Library at 6 pm!
For the time being, keep on reading and keep on enjoying yourself!
See you at City!
Great Start to 2014 Cityside Book Club!
It was great to kick off our 2014 Cityside Book Club with such a wonderful turn-up! There's been an amazing lot of reading being going on over the Christmas Break! We had four new readers turn up, ready to read even more.
Our first book for the year is A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki. It was short listed for the 2013 Man Booker Prize.
Looking forward to seeing what everyone thinks of the novel at our next meeting. It certainly appears to have potential.
Happy reading everyone!
2014 Cityside Book Club kicks off tonight!
Hello everyone,
Just a reminder to everyone that we begin our 2014 Book Club journey this evening Mackay City Library at 6pm. Hopefully the weather is kinder to us than last Thursday!
If you have not been before, welcome!
If you are not a library member, come a bit before 6, bring some ID that proves you are a permanent Mackay resident - Driver's Licence with Mackay address, tenancy agreement, electricity account with your name and Mackay address are all acceptable, and join up.
If you are a library member, just bring your membership card so we can update any membership details if you haven't been for a while.
Other than that, you just need to bring yourself and a willingness to join in!
Looking forward to seeing you at 6 pm at City!
'Still Alice' stimulates discussion
Unfortunately 'The Dinner' did not go down too well. The entree was considered just too long and slow to digest, therefore leaving the main course untasted. Further discussion made one participant wish they'd persevered further into the menu though.
The book is rather dark as it poses the question of how far some parents are willing to go to save their children from the consequences of their actions. In an age where rights seem unaccompanied by responsibilties, and the individual's needs override those of the community, 'The Dinner' raises some challenging questions and the path chosen by the characters in this novel would certainly not be everybody's cup of tea. It is an uncomfortable journey but raises questions worthy of discussion and scarily, could be considered possibly pertinent to today's society.
Book for November
After some discussion, we decided that the book for this month is:
This book is the winner of the 2008 Bronte Prize.
The author, Lisa Genova, is a first-time novelist who holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Harvard University and writes for the National Alzheimer's Association in the USA.
According to the blurb on the back of the book:
'An accomplished woman slowly loses her thoughts and memories to a harrowing disease - only to discover that each day brings a new way of living and loving. .........................
At once beautiful and terrifying, Still Alice is a moving and vivid depiction of life with early-onset Alzheimer's disease that is as compelling as A Beautiful Mind and as unforgettable as Ordinary People.'
Here is what "Good Reads" has to say about it. On this web page are also some videos you can view about the book.
As most of us know someone affected by Alzheimer's Disease, ths book could prove quite challenging from an emotional perspective.
Our last Cityside Book Club for the year will be held:
Hello folks,
Just a reminder that Cityside Book Club will be meeting
THIS THURSDAY, 14 NOVEMBER, AT 6 PM AT MACKAY CITY LIBRARY!
We will be discussing and digesting what we thought of The Dinner by Herman Koch.
See you @ 6 at City!
HOT OFF THE PRESS! ANOTHER CHANGE OF DATE FOR CITYSIDE NOVEMBER BOOK CLUB!!!!!
I know we discussed bringing the meeting back one week because I won't be here on Thursday 7 November but I won't be able to make that date either! I am proposing that we meet at 6 pm on Thursday 14 November at Mackay City Library.
Humble apologies for the schmozzle! I hope "The Dinner" is not giving you too much indigestion.
Looking forward to seeing you at 6pm at City Library on Thursday 14 November!
Cityside Book Club October 10, Wrap Up,
Well, apparently "The Death of Bees" did not quite create the buzz I had hoped. However, the more the discussion progressed the more enthusiasm ensued. Some found the constant change of narrator a little frustrating and made for much slower reading than would be expected for a book of this length and the amount of white space per page. The ending was considered satisfying and it was intriguing how the web of mis-information woven throughout the book eventually unravelled and gave the reader a sense of relief that although all was not well, it was not quite as bad as first thought. Some thought the book was too dark, so now doubt the next book on our list will prove challenging in this aspect.
After much discussion and a check with everyone's diary it was decided that our next Cityside Book Club will be held on Thursday 31 October at 6 pm! (This is a week earlier than usual but that way we'll squeeze another meeting in before our Christmas break.)
Our next read is the "riveting, compelling and deliciously uncomfortable" ( Christos Tsiolkas) "The Dinner" by Herman Koch. It poses the uncomfortable question of how far parents are willing to go to save their children from the consequences of their actions.
As an appetiser here is one review for you to taste:click on appetiser and select "The Dinner" from the menu displayed.
Warning: some of this maybe a little difficult to digest.
Dining out may never be the same again.......
Hello there,
Just another little reminder - we have Cityside Book Club tonight at 6pm at Mackay City Library! We'll be discussing "The Death of Bees".
Looking forward to seeing you there.
If you can't make it, just drop your book in at the counter of any of our libraries and let the staff know that it needs to find its way to my desk!
If you want October's book, just pop into Mackay City Library and ask for a copy of "The Dinner" by Herman Koch and prepare to be a little perturbed!
See you this evening!
Just a reminder folks that our October Cityside Book Club will be on Thursday 10 October which is the second Thursday not the first.
Hoping "The Death of Bees" has you buzzing....... (Sorry)
Here is a review from LitLovers
http://www.litlovers.com/book-reviews/26-a-lighter-touch/9034-death-of-bees-review
Cityside Book Club September ruminations....
It was great to see our inaugural book clubbers return, eager to chat about our August book, "The Light Between Oceans". I guess it's the mark of a good book to create such a variety of comments and opinions. We discussed the characters, pondered the decisions they made, tried to walk the path that they trod and attempted to contemplate whether there were possible alternative directions for them. "Who was right? Who was wrong? When did 'right' become 'wrong'? Did it?" These are just some of the questions this book provoked.
Even our new book book clubber who had not read the book was able to join in the discussion when it turned to ethics and the motives behind people's decisions.
Hopefully our next book "The Death of Bees" provokes such animated conversation.
Next month we will be meeting on Thursday 10 October at 6pm at City Library, that is the second Thursday, not the first Thursday. Looking forward to seeing you then.
It doesn't matter if you did not make it to our last meeting and would still like to come along. If you are not a library member as yet, just bring some form of ID like a driver's licence which has your current Mackay residential address on it and we can join you up so that you can be part of the fun.
Keep those pages turning.....
Hello fellow Cityside Book Clubbers,
Looking forward to meeting this Thursday at 6pm at Mackay City Library to discuss August's pick "The Light Between Oceans" by M.L. Stedman.
The Light Between Oceans Trailer
After our discussion about preferences for real life style books, the pick for September is "The Death of Bees" by Lisa O'Donnell, a contemporary real life drama.
It doesn't matter if you did not make it to our last meeting and would still like to come along. If you are not a library member as yet, just bring some form of ID like a driver's licence which has your current Mackay residential address on it and we can join you up so that you can be part of the fun.
'Still Alice' stimulates discussion
Lisa Genova's novel "Still Alice' provoked much animated discussion. Told from the point of view of the victim of early on-set Alzheimer's disease, this novel was heartbreaking, funny and at times frustrating. The story was told with compassion and the author's qualifications gave it authority. Some of the members knew of folk with Alzheimer's and the novel gave them more insight and understanding of the disease.
'Still Alice' appeared to be enjoyed by all and was far more popular than the previous month's pick.
Our readers decided they would read their own choices over the Christmas break as a treat and that we would meet on Thursday 6 February to discuss our reading experiences over the holiday season.
Wishing you all a happy Christmas and a fascinating 2014 full of fabulous books!
Cityside Book Club
this Thursday 5 December at City Library at 6 pm
Hello Everyone,
Just a reminder that our last Cityside Book Club for 2013 meets this Thursday 5 December at 6 pm at Mackay City Library. We'll be discussing "Still Alice" by Lisa Genova.
We'll also look at some possible titles for 2014!
Looking forward to catching up with you all!
Turn over a new leaf and join a Mackay Regional Council Library Book Club!
Cityside Book Club 14 November Degustation
Unfortunately 'The Dinner' did not go down too well. The entree was considered just too long and slow to digest, therefore leaving the main course untasted. Further discussion made one participant wish they'd persevered further into the menu though.
The book is rather dark as it poses the question of how far some parents are willing to go to save their children from the consequences of their actions. In an age where rights seem unaccompanied by responsibilties, and the individual's needs override those of the community, 'The Dinner' raises some challenging questions and the path chosen by the characters in this novel would certainly not be everybody's cup of tea. It is an uncomfortable journey but raises questions worthy of discussion and scarily, could be considered possibly pertinent to today's society.
Book for November
After some discussion, we decided that the book for this month is:
Still Alice: a novel by Lisa Genova.
This book is the winner of the 2008 Bronte Prize.
The author, Lisa Genova, is a first-time novelist who holds a Ph.D. in neuroscience from Harvard University and writes for the National Alzheimer's Association in the USA.
According to the blurb on the back of the book:
'An accomplished woman slowly loses her thoughts and memories to a harrowing disease - only to discover that each day brings a new way of living and loving. .........................
At once beautiful and terrifying, Still Alice is a moving and vivid depiction of life with early-onset Alzheimer's disease that is as compelling as A Beautiful Mind and as unforgettable as Ordinary People.'
Here is what "Good Reads" has to say about it. On this web page are also some videos you can view about the book.
As most of us know someone affected by Alzheimer's Disease, ths book could prove quite challenging from an emotional perspective.
Our last Cityside Book Club for the year will be held:
at 6 at City on Thursday, 5 December, 2013.
If this book appeals to you, just drop into Mackay City Library with your library card and pick up your book club copy or if you just want to chat about reading, mark the above date in your diary and call in.
Happy reading!
Hello folks,
Just a reminder that Cityside Book Club will be meeting
THIS THURSDAY, 14 NOVEMBER, AT 6 PM AT MACKAY CITY LIBRARY!
We will be discussing and digesting what we thought of The Dinner by Herman Koch.
See you @ 6 at City!
HOT OFF THE PRESS! ANOTHER CHANGE OF DATE FOR CITYSIDE NOVEMBER BOOK CLUB!!!!!
I know we discussed bringing the meeting back one week because I won't be here on Thursday 7 November but I won't be able to make that date either! I am proposing that we meet at 6 pm on Thursday 14 November at Mackay City Library.
Humble apologies for the schmozzle! I hope "The Dinner" is not giving you too much indigestion.
Looking forward to seeing you at 6pm at City Library on Thursday 14 November!
Cityside Book Club October 10, Wrap Up,
Well, apparently "The Death of Bees" did not quite create the buzz I had hoped. However, the more the discussion progressed the more enthusiasm ensued. Some found the constant change of narrator a little frustrating and made for much slower reading than would be expected for a book of this length and the amount of white space per page. The ending was considered satisfying and it was intriguing how the web of mis-information woven throughout the book eventually unravelled and gave the reader a sense of relief that although all was not well, it was not quite as bad as first thought. Some thought the book was too dark, so now doubt the next book on our list will prove challenging in this aspect.
After much discussion and a check with everyone's diary it was decided that our next Cityside Book Club will be held on Thursday 31 October at 6 pm! (This is a week earlier than usual but that way we'll squeeze another meeting in before our Christmas break.)
Our next read is the "riveting, compelling and deliciously uncomfortable" ( Christos Tsiolkas) "The Dinner" by Herman Koch. It poses the uncomfortable question of how far parents are willing to go to save their children from the consequences of their actions.
As an appetiser here is one review for you to taste:click on appetiser and select "The Dinner" from the menu displayed.
Warning: some of this maybe a little difficult to digest.
Dining out may never be the same again.......
Hello there,
Just another little reminder - we have Cityside Book Club tonight at 6pm at Mackay City Library! We'll be discussing "The Death of Bees".
Looking forward to seeing you there.
If you can't make it, just drop your book in at the counter of any of our libraries and let the staff know that it needs to find its way to my desk!
If you want October's book, just pop into Mackay City Library and ask for a copy of "The Dinner" by Herman Koch and prepare to be a little perturbed!
See you this evening!
Just a reminder folks that our October Cityside Book Club will be on Thursday 10 October which is the second Thursday not the first.
Hoping "The Death of Bees" has you buzzing....... (Sorry)
Here is a review from LitLovers
http://www.litlovers.com/book-reviews/26-a-lighter-touch/9034-death-of-bees-review
Cityside Book Club September ruminations....
It was great to see our inaugural book clubbers return, eager to chat about our August book, "The Light Between Oceans". I guess it's the mark of a good book to create such a variety of comments and opinions. We discussed the characters, pondered the decisions they made, tried to walk the path that they trod and attempted to contemplate whether there were possible alternative directions for them. "Who was right? Who was wrong? When did 'right' become 'wrong'? Did it?" These are just some of the questions this book provoked.
Even our new book book clubber who had not read the book was able to join in the discussion when it turned to ethics and the motives behind people's decisions.
Hopefully our next book "The Death of Bees" provokes such animated conversation.
Next month we will be meeting on Thursday 10 October at 6pm at City Library, that is the second Thursday, not the first Thursday. Looking forward to seeing you then.
It doesn't matter if you did not make it to our last meeting and would still like to come along. If you are not a library member as yet, just bring some form of ID like a driver's licence which has your current Mackay residential address on it and we can join you up so that you can be part of the fun.
Keep those pages turning.....
Hello fellow Cityside Book Clubbers,
Looking forward to meeting this Thursday at 6pm at Mackay City Library to discuss August's pick "The Light Between Oceans" by M.L. Stedman.
After our discussion about preferences for real life style books, the pick for September is "The Death of Bees" by Lisa O'Donnell, a contemporary real life drama.
It doesn't matter if you did not make it to our last meeting and would still like to come along. If you are not a library member as yet, just bring some form of ID like a driver's licence which has your current Mackay residential address on it and we can join you up so that you can be part of the fun.
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