Khaled Hosseini - And the Mountains Echoed

For those of you still morassed in the gut churning emotions of Khaled's last book, be assured this has a lighter touch. You can put your toe into the water that is Afghanistan once again. This book switched between Afghanistan, Paris, San Fransisco and Greece. It jumps  between different time frames as well. I think the ultimate feeling I came away with this book is hope.
It begins in 1952 when forced by poverty and desperation a villager sells his daughter to a rich family. We then move from character to character in each dedicated chapter. Each chapter is a story in itself revealing the enigma of Afghanistan, through the characters that are revealed to us, then and now. Like the feather we drift from one to the other each making the book more whole as we progress. This is a story about loss, resilience and how war effects everyone's lives. Another triumph.

                                                       It will make a great reading group book.

Robert Galbraith - The Cuckoo's Calling

I came upon this rather late and I have to say it really was very good and I do hope this is the start of a series. I found it interesting in that at the beginning I felt Robert ( aka J K Rowling) was fighting her natural style to make this a fast paced thriller. In the second half I felt once this was relaxed her true voice came through and I couldn't put it down. I love her flawed detective Cormoran Strike.
My husband read the book on audio and he enjoyed it immensely too, so this book is a rare feat in that it appeals to cross gender which is hard to do in an overcrowded crime genre,

Given that this has much to tell about the perils of fame, I think it will make an excellent reading group pick.

Fay Weldon - Habits of the House

 We had a fantastic event at Bournemouth Library with Fay Weldon and she enthralled us with tales of how she came to write and in particular how she wrote this trilogy.

This series is a must for Downton Abbey fans, particularly if you like a bit of wry humour and feminism thrown in. We discovered that Fay wrote the first few episodes of Upstairs Downstairs, the original series, and has been waiting to return to that era for many years.

We follow the Countess of Dilberne as she attempts to marry off her wilful son to a Chicago heiress for a badly needed cash injection. This is a clash of cultures that lends itself to much wry humour and social comentary from Prince Bertie himself to the lowliest cook.
Well all I can say it was worth the wait. This will make an excellent reading group book as there is much to discuss,

I have been really busy with a wonderful project we have had  here in Bournemouth. We now have a Poet Laureate for Bournemouth - James Manlow.

Here is a link to the project and more info
http://www.bournemouth.gov.uk/LeisureCultureLibraries/Libraries/Poet-Laureate/Poet-Laureate.aspx

Natasha Solomons - The Gallery of Vanished Husbands

We had a fabulour event with Natasha last week at Westbourne Library, where she talked eloquently about her inspiration for Juliet. If you can catch her anywhere else she is an engaging speaker and well worth making the effort to see.
Here is my review.

Once again I sit in awe at the quality of Natasha's writing.This is a clever book in that Juliet is clearly beautiful to be immortalised by so many artists but the story is told in such a way that we the readers never resent her, in fact we too become fascinated by her.
The book also highlights an interesting part of Jewish life, that of the abandoned wife who is a sort of non person in the ultra conservative Jewish community in which she resides.
However it is the character of Juliet who absorbs us and the fascinating life that she creates for herself. The descriptions are bliss and you can just see and smell and feel yourself within her work. When you put the book aside it is like waking from a dream so immersed in it are you.
There is much for a reading group to get their teeth into, Juliet's life is so rich and interesting. I won't say too much as I want you to read it!

Marlen Suyapa Bodden - Wedding Gift

This was a bestseller self published  on Amazon in the US. As a result it  was bought and published in print. We were lucky enough to get proofs to read through the Reading Agency.
This is a brilliant plot, a plot that wants you to keep reading but is spoiled by lack of good editing and advice.
The author is a leading black lawyer and she knows her stuff, being involved in the prevention of modern slavery.
The only trouble is that her style of writing reads a little like a legal report. The novel lacks description, which in some ways is good in that the reader is left to fill in the atmosphere and surrounding with their own imagination but I feel with a really good editor this could have been addressed before going to print. many of us are not aware of what the deep south in the US is like and would have welcomed some description.
However I am sure it will be in her next novel and this book is certainly good enough for there to be more.
It will make a good reading group novel as there is so much in it that unless you were an expert on slavery you would not know. It is absolutely appalling how slaves were treated in the US and a sobering reminder to us all that it still goes on around the world now.

Gilian Flynn - Gone Girl

This is billed thriller of the year. Shocker of the year more like. This is one of those books that you are convinced x is correct only to have it completely overturned some chapters later. The jaw dropping cliff hangers just keep coming.

 The book begins with Nick's wife Amy going missing. The novel then switches between the narrative as told by Nick and the diary of Amy. What is going on. Who is telling the truth? Are either of them telling the truth? It is a great mind switch challenge.

I also found it a fascinating look into the USA in recession. The abandoned malls inhabited by the homeless stick with you.

There is a great deal for reading groups to get stuck in here. I cannot revel too much without massive spoilers!