This diverse group of book lovers experience a range of genres throughout the year. The book box is a revelation every month, like the last unwrapping of pass-the-parcel; we never know what is going to emerge.
The discussion is never boring as the members in the group all have their own thoughts and opinions on the theme, characters and the quality of writing. Discussions are always amenable and thought-provoking, as every members’ opinion is valued, with members influencing each other to embrace new authors.
Generally, all the books are well received but occasionally this is not the case!
We grade each book from 1 to 10 at the end of each session. The numeral values can range from 3 to 8-9, or even 10 on occasions for the same book!!! No one’s opinion is ever wrong as we are all different.
Portsmouth Library Service provides our books free of charge. These are some of the books we have experienced :
Sarah WinmanWhen God was a Rabbit
This novel was given an overall 7 by those present
Beyond the DreamersImbolo Mbue
This book was given an overall 7 by the attendees
Graham HurleyNo Lovelier Death
This read was given an overall 5
The Hundred-Year-Old Man who climbed out of the window and disappearedJonas Jonasson
This book was graded an 8 by the members present
This is a random selection of some of the books the group has read and enjoyed over a number of years.
| Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons |
| Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams |
| The Bookseller of Khabal by Asne Seierstad |
| The Kingdom by the Sea by Paul Thoroux |
| Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden |
| The Dark Side of Love by Rafik Schami |
| The Summer Book by Tove Jansson |
| Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy |
| In Pale Battalions by Robert Goddard |
| Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg |
| A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman |
| Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold |
| Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood |
| The Odyssey by Homer |
| Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd |
| Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult |
| Suite Francias by Irene Nemivroski |
| A Town Like Alice by Neville Shute |
| Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear |
| The Road by Cormac McCarthy |
| Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith |
| The Spy Game by Georgina Harding |