Book Club

[DaisyRaine90]

So who’s up for having a book club on here? All choose one book, read it in a month (for the busy ones 😂) and then come back with a 🍷 and some 🍫 and discuss our thoughts? Like a digital book club? X

I second either of those neuro psychology is so interesting xx

Can’t wait to get reading tonight but got 2 chapters of my last book to read first

I’m rubbish for finishing things

It’s £5 ish on amazon

X

I want to read both of those too pinkingshears.

I think I've read a Cathy Kelly. Will need to look my read book list in goodreads and try recall what!!

which non fiction are we going with then? just finished my last book so starting cathy Kelly now :) x

Ooh, can I join too please? Have just ordered the Cathy Kelly book.

For the non-fiction, what's the author of First Do No Harm pinkingshears? I've got a book called Do No Harm - Stories of Life, Death and Brain Surgery by Henry Marsh...is that the one? Haven't read it yet, so if that's the one you're talking about, I'll definitely second it.

Do no harm is shorter I think. Always a good quality on a book club book.

Do no harm sounds good, who is it by? x

Henry Marsh.

I got Do No Harm free with something...I can't remember what...life insurance...?! Anyway, whatever it was, I remember reading some very good reviews about it, but just haven't gotten around to reading the actual book yet.

Ok Do No Harm it is
Exciting

Brilliant I've just got both (one kindle one on paperback). Good suggestions!

Found do no harm in the library. Now just need to get off and mumsnet and get reading.

I'm in. I'm in a RL book club too so it may prove difficult to keep up but I'd like to give it a go.

I was a bit late joining, so I'm just about to start the Cathy Kelly book...how long have I got?!

Till 7th December. Are we discussing the non fiction then too. I haven’t started that yet and I’m only about a quarter of the way through the Cathy Kelly.

Thanks Cherry. I thought the non fiction was for next month, but I might be wrong about that...? (I hope it is!)

January? That works for me.

It's the 7th so I'm bumping us up!!

It looks like it's just the Cathy Kelly that's up for discussion - think the nonfiction is to be discussed next month (along with whatever fiction is chosen).

Can't find any questions for the particular book so here's some generic ones:

What three words would you use to best describe this book.

What was your favorite moment in the book? Your least favorite?

If you were in charge of casting the movie version of this book, who would you cast as each character?

If you could invite one character over to your house for dinner, who would it be & why?

If you had to trade places with any character in the book, who would you choose & why?

What surprised you the most when you were reading this book?

Why do you think the author chose to tell the story from the perspective that (s)he did?

Who would you have chosen as the narrator?

How did the setting of the book (location, time period, or both) impact the story?

If you had to choose one lesson that the author was trying to teach us with this story, what would it be?

If you could write one more chapter after the ending, what would you write?

I’m half way through. I found it confusing, comforting and sexist. There were too many characters for me I was getting a bit muddled at the start. I like the characters and the story so far. It did seem to generalise and run down men a lot. I was surprised editing errors crept in with such a famous author. There were two paragraph early on that said the same thing twice.

Struggled through it...didn't enjoy it at all, really wanted to shelve it.

Your first question Stripy - what three words would you use to describe this book? First word that came to me instantly was 'overpopulated'! Far too many characters. And not only the characters that the story was actually about, but all the names of other people thrown in...every new name I had to think about whether they'd been mentioned before, were they relevant to the story (mostly no!), and what was the point of bringing in these new people's views/comments for the sake of a sentence or two?

Also agree with you Cherry, lots of sexist nonsense in there. The author seems to not have a very high opinion of men at all.

Can't say any of the characters particularly endeared themselves to me. Very much disliked Bess.

I probably have more to say, but I'll leave it for now...

I'll 'fess up. It went back to the library after 20 pages. Couldn't stick it.

My three words:

cliche
unimaginative
generic.

There were two paragraph early on that said the same thing twice.

Must have been the first chapter. I got that too.

Ok so I did enjoy the book. It’s not a genre I read frequently so didn’t seem particularly cliched but I can see why you might say that.

The infertility storyline was very realistic and well written, especially the inner turmoil of repeated unsuccessful IVF cycles and the affect this has on relationships... unfortunately I can relate to Jojo’s feelings. When you know you’re being unreasonable but can’t help your negative emotions taking over.

Anyway, that’s what’s sticking in my mind from reading the book.