We had our final book club for the year. We have been meeting almost every month for the past seven years. I know this because Son # 2 was only three months old when it began and he's just turned seven. The club is not terribly serious as most book clubs go - it is just a good excuse for a group of us to have a regular social get-together and to read out of our usual comfort zone.
Turkey and cranberry savoury pikelets |
Our members are from all walks of life - there is an architect, an art shop manager and an office manager, a public relations manager, a university tutor, a speech pathologist, an international fruit trader (but now she lives in America) ...and me (the closet blogger). You couldn't get a more diverse group of woman.
Christmas White Chocolate Crackles |
We used to have a token male, who happened to be a builder, in the group. He hooked up with one of the other book club girls. Once they were an item he turned his back on books and then whisked his new girl friend away! I think it was the month that he chose Lady Chatterley's Lover... No joke!
Some decent quaffing Australian sparkling wine |
Here are some of the books which we have read in 2012:
One Day by David Nicholls. (I was almost booted out of the club for choosing such a melodramatic soap opera to start off 2011! It wasn't horrible but great for the beach if you want nothing challenging.)
Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones.
Jazz by Toni Morrison
Roseanna by Maj Sjowall and Per Wahloo
Room: A Novel by Emma Donoghue
Past the Shallows by Favel Parrett
The City and The City by China Mieville
Look at the Birdie by Kurt Vonnegut
The Surgeon of Crowthorne by Simon Winchester
The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ by Phillip Pullman
Dream When You're Feeling Blue by Elizabeth Berg
Our meeting was held at Yvette's house. She's a mid-century furniture collector. She recently had her 'curvyliscious' sofa reupholstered. It used to be covered in a brown tartan arrangement; it's now a very mod 'chartreusey' colour in Bute wool fabric. It looks stunning but please excuse the very average iPhone photos.
Curvy mid-century sofa |
I read "One Day" and loved it. It was laugh out loud funny. And I wasn't even at the beach. Amber
ReplyDeleteI love reading other book clubs lists. Ours is very casual. We often just swap books and drink wine. Occasionally we actually discuss a book.
ReplyDeleteI love hearing about book clubs...I belong to two. I started the 2nd one when I got peeved with the 1st! I'm going to hunt out some of these books...thanks for the list :) And that curvyliscious sofa is the bomb!
ReplyDeleteI was invited to join the street book club but they take it very seriously and I am so time poor i could not. Loving all your poking around in other peoples houses , that chair is beautiful and the lamp yesterday was very inspired too. melx
ReplyDeleteSounds like my kind of book club where you can hook up with the token male.
ReplyDeleteTDM xx
Your book club sounds like a lot of fun! Ange
ReplyDeleteThat is one serious book club, seven years? Wow! ;-)
ReplyDeleteThe sofa looks amazing. She picked the perfect colour.
ReplyDeleteI have been trying to find a book club but no luck. One I found wanted no one over 45...
That sofa is damn cool xx
ReplyDeleteThat sofa is damn cool xx
ReplyDeleteThat sofa is damn cool xx
ReplyDeleteYou had me at the pikelets.
ReplyDeleteOur book club lasted two meetings. Only two of us read the books! The one before that was way too zealous and I escaped by having a baby. Oh to recover a sofa in chartreuse wool!
ReplyDeleteP.S. That builder wasn't your literary ladder climber, Mr Rooney, was it?
ReplyDeleteBy the way I thought I'd read all the Vonnegut there was but haven't read that one. I'm off to the library with a can tomorrow!
ReplyDeleteNow that is a funky lounge. What a find!
ReplyDeleteI think East of Hudson really likes that sofa! Ha.
ReplyDeleteYour pal has lovely furniture. I've read a couple of those books, but years ago now so I've forgotten the stories completely. I've got a new pile of books next to my bed which I'm dying to start.
Thank you for your beautiful Christmas card! It arrived today.
Ha, I love the builder story. Good for him! Loving the book club food too... very glamorous. That is one funky sofa. A-M xx
ReplyDeleteSeven years is very impressive, and I love the builder and Lady Chatterley's Lover! How funny. Bet that rasied a few eyebrows amongst the rest of the group. xx
ReplyDeleteYou're not wrong there Amanda. There were lots of giggles too. xx
ReplyDeleteAnnie, no it wasn't Mr Rooney...he'd only want to read war novels...!
I know Australia is 'ahead' of most of the world in terms of time, but if those are the books you read in 2012, I can only assume 'The Time Traveler's Wife' was on the list for 2011! x
ReplyDeletePP
Oops Madame Pimp! Too funny. We're so forward thinking we're reading authors who weren't even born yet!! xx
ReplyDelete