Monthly Book Group
Each month I host an open meeting in Woodbridge in Suffolk. We used to meet in the town's bookshop but now gather together in a nearby hall. We usually focus on modern fiction and the discussion regularly attracts around 20 people, men and women, of all ages. Everyone is welcome to join in but please let me know you are planning on coming along. Sign up to the e-newsletter here to receive details. Scroll down to take a look at the titles we've read over the year, and view the archive for past discussions.
NEW - Book Group in Framlingham at Ottie and the Bea - details here
Woodbridge Book Group List for 2018
A well attended meeting where it was agreed the book was difficult but brilliant: an odd structure, unlikeable characters and some self-indulgent rants, but an outstanding description of life in the trenches.
A strange book which left some in the group bewildered, but others delighting in the writing and the content.
A lively discussion as some thought this a stunning account of a rare way of life beautifully and imaginatively written. Others found the use of dialect, odd sentence structure and 'lack of story' jarring.
Almost universal praise for this book despite often difficult subject matter. The female characters were particularly strong and the book gave an insight to Nigerian culture and politics which delighted, fascinated and horrified.
Barack Obama named this as one of his favourite books in 2017. What will we make of it? Join in the friendly discussion over coffee and flapjack, or a glass of wine.
All agreed the writing was beautiful but while a couple of people have recommended widely and are reading again, most felt there were too many characters and the story fragmented.
Beautifully written with so many layers to unpack, it was standing room only for this discussion. A few people found they couldn't relate to the characters, but most found the presentation of a long relationship and the things left unsaid to be fascinating and moving.
A book about friendship, writing and the boundary between reality and fantasy. Is this a novel? A thriller? A memoir? What will you decide? Come along to share your view. We're meeting a week later than usual, skipping a February date.
Warm, charming characters in a slice of life from the 1980s. Humour and tragedy, told from the perspective of a nine-year-old boy. Most loved this book though some thought it too slow and couldn't engage with the narrator.
A page-turner which most enjoyed for its humour and engaging characters. Others thought the author was trying to do too much, with too many themes and 'issues', and that the book didn't deliver in how it had been marketed and praised.