Sign up for Mumsnet's weekly talk round up in which our very own Morningpaper rakes over the highs, lows and just plain weird bits from Mumsnet Talk. So if you worry that you always miss the juicy bits or if you'd like to see MP's own unique take on them, sign up now and we'll add you to the mailing list. Best, Mumsnet Towers.
I am hosting a book group tomorrow and as we have had a run of rather gloomy/melancholy books I am under pressure to produce something a bit more cheery! I need to give a choice of 3 and we then vote.
So far I have got the new Virago book of Ghost Stories (topical) but now am stuck. Can anyone think of something uplifting/entertaining which is not chick lit as I am struggling (nothing against chick lit btw, I read it by the tonne, but frowned on in book group!!)
A Spot of Bother - Mark Haddon or Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons or Tales of the City - Armistead Maupin or try a David Lodge (Small World,Nice Work etc)
All v good ideas, thanks - I think Cold Comfort Farm would be excellent, have read it but a long time ago. Read the others more recently and we have done Lodge/Haddon before...
how about a Barbara Pym ? there was a thing on R4 about her being very underrated and it made me want to read her - have suggested one to my book group (Excellent Women I think,looks v good)
cote I think I will add The End of Mr Y to my list - sounds really "different" and very much my sort of thing (although often my sort of thing seems not to be everyone else's IYSWIM!).
mazzy those 2 are great but yes we have done them ( we've been going a loooong time!)
scarletibis - I have "The Road Home" in front of me now oddly enough so that's possible too although may be thought insufficiently cheery
morticia I am sadly anti B. Pym - read a lot when younger and now can't face it!
Thanks again for helping me out of my "reader's block" - will let you know what we choose!
I agree that it isn't very good but what is interesting is just how very successful it was in France, given that it is such a vicious criticism of the pretensions of the modern bourgeoisie and yet appallinglybadly not very well written and highly pretentious in its own right.
I like the idea of The elegance of the Hedgehog too - thanks Anna.
We have already done metamorphosis - which i love btw - and the tractors one! Owen Meany might be a runner but I think from meory some of the group have read it...we shall see!
Who knew there were so many non-depressing books around - sometimes I feel thatI cannot bear to read any more novels with the words "poignant" or "moving" on the blurb, especially if they are also combined with the word "exploration"...
If you did The Elegance of the Hedgehog, you could try also to go and see Woody Allen's latest film Vicky Cristina Barcelona which does an excellent send up of the New York bourgeoisie...
have you done Kiffe Kiffe Demain by Faiza Guene. also french, very young (has been classified as a teenage book in the uk, I noticed) but very interesting.
I know you've probably chosen by now but my last book club (not one where I currently live) read: Cocaine Nights The Colour - Rose Tremain Lady Chatterlys Lover The Jane Austen Book Club You've probably read them all if you've been going a while, but if not maybe you can add them to next months list. What did you chose? Like to keep abreast of what everyone's reading now I don't attend a club. Usually lurk round here to pick up tips!!
but what is interesting is just how very successful it was in France, given that it is such a vicious criticism of the pretensions of the modern bourgeoisie and yet appallingly badly not very well written and highly pretentious in its own right. 
- that's so rude, I am really sorry 
.
