Bookclub 3rd March 8am - Vic Park

Hi All You Groovy Book Lovers
A reminder it is Bookclub this Sunday! Also we might rethink our April Book I have put Bec onto it! Also I am going to invite a potential newby. See you all there!

Sent from my iPad
Ven-nice

Birdsong ... A Start

Can I say I have only read the foreword and I am already having my appetite wet.....I am just hoping Sebastian Faulks can maintain this quality of expression, narrative throughout ! How is everyone else doing?

Sent from my iPad
Ven-nice

Taking a little break...

Hi all,
Sorry I was unable to attend our last Bookclub meeting however, it appears it was a very productive one. It is with regret that I resign from our Bookclub, at least for a little while.  I will deeply miss seeing you all on a regular basis but at the moment, I can not promise to be  faithful to the Bookclub as an active participant.  Over the past months I've found it near impossible to read a novel and the pressure I place on myself to read to meet deadlines has somewhat taken the joy away from what has always been my greatest love. For now, it is time for me to take a break...even if it is just for a short while.  I know you girls will continue to have rigorous debate and lots of fun. I wish you many hours of reading fun, joy and discussion...and coffee!  Yours in books, Cheryl

Brisbane Writers Festival – Margaret Atwood Evening Talk 25th February 2013

Hi All

Thanks to a heads up from Jane, please take some time to consider going to hear Margaret Atwood B speak at Griffith Uni, Southbank on the 25-02-13.  The cost is $35 or less if you are a member of the BWF. For more details check out. http://www.bwf.org.au/

Sent from my iPad

Ven-nice 

Our Year Ahead....How Exciting to have a Plan!!!

We have set ourselves an interesting strategy this year, to help in selection and extend our repetoire by setting particular categories/genres to guide book selection for each month of year.  In the past this has helped us maintain variety and diversity in our reading. It has also helped us all extend our engagement with different styles of writing, introduced us to different conversations about humanity, ways of seeing the world and challenged our thoughts, values, beliefs and cultural understanding the complexity of all that it means to be human.  All in all making our discussions vibrant, rich and a curious exploration of ideas and reflections.

If you have a particular category/genre you are keen to pick for put up your hand early.  We will need a person to have a pick for our April meeting - the date for which is already set so pop it into your diaries : 14th April 8am Venue TBC.  Note the March Book for April Meeting is already pre-selected too.

So here are the categories/genres in no particular order :

Militay War  - "Birdsong" for February (which is actually a story of love and tragedy set on a background of war...*nothing is pure)
Romance/Love - Anna Karenina for March (this is a big read, so start early if you get a chance) (And yes this is also a classic, yet to not disappoint Bec, we agreed not to categorise it as a Classic for this read!)
Classic
Historical Fiction
Fantasy/Sci Fi
Iconic Cult Fiction
Thriller
Auto/Biography
Australian Author
Prize Winner
Seen the Movie But not Read the Book
Young Adult Fiction

February Book Title - Birdsong by Sebastian Faulks

Birdsong is a story which spans three generations, starting it's story at the time of the World War I.  It is a romantic story between young englishman Stephen Wraysford and french belle, Isabelle Azaire.  It is a story about love, loss and determinition in spite of many challenges.  It is critiqued as being, "as sensuous as The English Patient" and as "tragic as A Farewell to Arms". 

438pages long - not too big for those with demanding days. Oh that would be all of us!  Easily available through the BCC Library.  e-Kindle editions available through Amazon - very good price too.

For a review, with author comments, check out the Guardian link http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2012/jul/13/book-club-birdsong-sebastian-faulks

Next Gathering will be - 3rd March at Vic Park Golf Course - Cafe 8am.

pps Book for March-April is going to be Tolstoy, Anna Karenina.  We are going to kick off with an iconic classic and have made enough time for people to get reading!

Book Club this Sunday... A Lost and Now Found Post from Nov 12

Hi all,
I was hoping to attend the final book club this Sunday but as luck would have it I don't think I'll be able to.  We're at Kim's mum's place all weekend trying to help her get her place (2 1/2 acres) cleaned up for Christmas as all her family will be there for the first time in many, many years.  As well as this I have my annual school friend's Christmas dinner on Saturday night as well as my work Christmas party.  Isn't it typical of this time of year.  I don't think I'll be able to get away for Sunday morning as well, which is really disappointing as I was hoping to make it to our last meeting for the year, and am actually reading the book and wanting to discuss.  I'm not far into it but already my opinion on events has been slightly swayed.
I have been trying to keep up with some of the books and will post some thoughts about them in the next couple of days (am just trying to wrestle this iPad away from a nine month old...can you believe he is 9 months?). But in short I loved The Beloved and not quite finished but am really enjoying All That I Am and and more interested in The TallMan than I thought I would be...in between reading baby cookbooks, books on creating happy toddlers and also managing fears in children.

I wish all of you a wonderful Christmas and a firm promise that I will be back on deck next year.  I'll be back at work two days a week so I'll be more organised and achieve so much more...at least I'm hoping.
Enjoy Sunday. Love to all
Rachelle

First Reading 2013 - February Bookclub

Welcome Fellow Book-Lovers to a year of fantastic literary adventure.....
It was lovely to catch up again after a long sojourn.  Bec, Jen, Ruth & Gyp, Jane and V - we found ourselves enjoying the garden cafe of the UQ Wordsmith Cafe.  We missed Cheryl, Rachelle, Dagmar and Robyn - yet maybe we can hear about what you have been reading on the blog.  Has it been Dickens??? 

There were rare confessions to be had over coffee, by all - and sadly they are not confidential confessions.  None of the FlowerShop Literary Society read any Dickens over the xmas break !!!! How about those not present, did you take up the xmas holiday challenge... AND Succeed????

Onto more interesting matters... Here are a few of the Good Reads, people found time to enjoy instead,  and many more i am not mentioning

• The Shallows by Tim Winton;  Jen says, "an interesting story another Aus classic. Winton does such a lovely job writing Australian stories"
• The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters; Ruth says, "I love a story which is set in historic large old georgian homes.  A good mystery,
• On the Road by Jack Kerouac; Jen says, "for an iconic book, the character's lack of self awareness made it a read which can be quite character self-indulgent at times. An interesting writing style".
• The Elegance of a Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery; Bec says, "I enjoyed the book, an interesting story.  The concierge is a character which didn't appeal, yet overall - the story was enjoyable"
• IQ84 by Haruki Murakami; Ven says, "an interesting read. A story of parallel universes and a love story that spans time yet is embedded in all that is complex in the emotionality of being human.  It is a big book so not for the faint hearted. Yet Haruki always writes in such a tantalising way, he lulls you into a state of dreaming".

Thank you for the coffee, the healthy discussion about all things literary and many other things not!  The next post is about what is our next read!