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February 26, 2023February 26, 2023  by Val Bunn

September – December 2022

O Caledonia by Elspeth Barker Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason

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October 14, 2022October 14, 2022  by Val Bunn

January to August 2022

The Glass Blowers by Dane du Maurer Still Life by Sarah Winman Free Love by Tessa Hadley

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October 14, 2022  by Val Bunn

September to December 2021

Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney Trio by William Boyd

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September 5, 2021September 5, 2021  by Val Bunn

August 2021

This month we had a couple of themes – historical and detective books by Georgette Heyer and The Thursday Detective […]

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September 5, 2021September 5, 2021  by Val Bunn

July Meeting 2021

We discussed just one book this month Another Planet: A Childhood in Suburbia by Tracey Thorn and compared it with […]

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June 21, 2021  by Val Bunn

June Meeting – 2021

Nancy Mitford and biographies were the themes this month. The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford The Letters of Nancy […]

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June 21, 2021  by Val Bunn

May Meeting – 2021

Hamnet by Maggie O’ Farrell was the chosen book. It was the winner of the Woman’s Prize for Fiction 2020. […]

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May 5, 2021May 8, 2021  by Val Bunn

January – April 2021

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones The Rachel Papers by Martin Amis City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert The Mermaid […]

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May 5, 2021May 8, 2021  by Val Bunn

March – December 2020

We started off lockdown reading Jane Austen and Joanna Trollope books. Other books included: Clock Dance by Anne Tyler The […]

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February 18, 2020February 18, 2020  by Val Bunn

December Meeting

Over a Christmas meal we discussed our favourite and worst reads of 2019. These were the favourites. The Children Act […]

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November 21, 2019  by Val Bunn

October Meeting

The theme for October was Biography with the following titles discussed. This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay The […]

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September 9, 2019September 10, 2019  by Val Bunn

August Meeting

There were a lot of really good recommendations this month. Love is Blind by William Boyd Waiting for Sunrise by […]

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July 9, 2019  by Val Bunn

June Meeting

The June choice was The Wife by Meg Wolitzer. We discussed the relationship between a literary prize winner and his […]

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July 9, 2019July 9, 2019  by Val Bunn

April Meeting

We read Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn this month. There were mixed comments including disappointing, a good read, […]

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July 9, 2019September 10, 2019  by Val Bunn

February Meeting

The following titles were recommended this month. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman The Librarian by Sally Vickers […]

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February 5, 2019February 5, 2019  by Val Bunn

December Meeting

We went to see the Odeon live screening of Simon Callow reading A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens.

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February 5, 2019February 5, 2019  by Val Bunn

October Meeting

This month we discussed The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath and the BBC documentaries on the author, her poems, her […]

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February 5, 2019February 5, 2019  by Val Bunn

August Meeting

We discussed our summer reading including the following titles. A Life of My Own by Claire Tomalin Conversations with Friends […]

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August 4, 2018August 9, 2018  by Val Bunn

June Meeting

This month books by Muriel Spark were discussed. They included: A Far Cry From Kensington The Driver’s Seat The Ballard […]

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May 4, 2018August 4, 2018  by Val Bunn

April Meeting

For a change we discussed just the one title – Midwinter Break by Bernard MacLaverty. The book is set in […]

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March 12, 2018March 12, 2018  by Val Bunn

February Meeting

We discussed the following titles. The Past by Tessa Hadley Instead of a Book by Diana Athill Stet: An Editor’s […]

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November 28, 2017November 28, 2017  by Val Bunn

November Meeting

Some varied titles were discussed and recommended this month. Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris In Praise of […]

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October 26, 2017October 26, 2017  by Val Bunn

September Meeting

The Hand That First Held Mine by Maggie O’Farrell The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan My Name is […]

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July 23, 2017July 23, 2017  by Val Bunn

July Meeting

Quite a lot of recommendations and discussion this month including the following titles. Vinegar Girl by Anne Tyler Lucy Gayheart […]

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May 31, 2017June 8, 2017  by Val Bunn

May Meeting

The titles this month were interesting and varied and are listed below. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh Olive Kitteridge by […]

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May 12, 2017May 12, 2017  by Val Bunn

March Meeting

There were lots of recommended titles at this meeting, some of which are listed below. Nutshell by Ian McEwan Mrs […]

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January 18, 2017January 18, 2017  by Val Bunn

January Meeting

We watched the DVD A Month in the Country, based on the book by J.L. Carr, and discussed some Christmas […]

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January 16, 2017January 16, 2017  by Val Bunn

December Meeting

We watched the dvd Love and Friendship and discussed the following titles: Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen Reading Chekhov by […]

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November 24, 2016November 24, 2016  by Val Bunn

November Meeting

The theme this month was Male Authors. Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad Because She Loves Me by Mark Edwards […]

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September 27, 2016September 27, 2016  by Val Bunn

September Meeting

Lots of summer holiday reading listed below! The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George The Hundred-Year Old Man Who Climbed […]

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August 21, 2016August 21, 2016  by Val Bunn

June Meeting

Our theme for this meeting was Literary Heroines. Listed below are the titles we discussed. Testament of Youth by Vera Brittain […]

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April 20, 2016April 20, 2016  by Val Bunn

April Meeting

There were plenty of interesting and varied books discussed at this meeting. A Lost Lady by Willa Cather Elizabeth is […]

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March 2, 2016March 4, 2016  by Val Bunn

February Meeting

We discussed our reading since Christmas. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins The […]

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December 17, 2015December 17, 2015  by Val Bunn

December Meeting

We watched the film The Invisible Woman, based on the book by Claire Tomalin. We discussed the film and book […]

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December 14, 2015December 14, 2015  by Val Bunn

November Meeting

Books written in the 1800s were discussed this month. Persuasion by Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Coleridge […]

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October 14, 2015October 14, 2015  by Val Bunn

September Meeting

We discussed 1980s books and our summer reading recommendations. The Color Purple by Alice Walker Testimony by Anita Shreve Good […]

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June 20, 2015June 24, 2015  by Val Bunn

June Meeting

We watched The Group on dvd. The books we read and discussed were all written in the 1970s: The Hired […]

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April 27, 2015May 1, 2015  by Val Bunn

April Meeting

The 1960s books we discussed were: The Millstone by Margaret Drabble Stoner by John Williams Mr Bridge by Evan S. […]

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March 5, 2015March 5, 2015  by Val Bunn

February Meeting

The 1950s titles recommended at the meeting were: The Persephone Book of Short Stories My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du […]

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November 23, 2014March 5, 2015  by Val Bunn

November Meeting

The 1940s books discussed were: The Matchmaker by Stella Gibbons The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley Mr Churchill’s Secretary by […]

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September 20, 2014March 5, 2015  by Val Bunn

September Meeting

The recommended 1930s themed books were: The Clergyman’s Daughter by George Orwell Goodbye to All That by Robert Graves All […]

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September 11, 2014March 6, 2015  by Val Bunn

June Meeting

Here is the list of more recommended 1920s book suggestions from the June meeting: The Enchanted April Forsyte Saga One […]

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September 10, 2014March 6, 2015  by Val Bunn

Mrs Dalloway

This is about one day in the life of Clarisssa Dalloway who is giving a party! It shows the social shallowness […]

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September 9, 2014March 5, 2015  by Val Bunn

Nancy Mitford – The Pursuit of Love

I’ve always been fascinated by the Mitford family. Siblings of such extreme and different characters it’s hard to imagine they […]

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September 8, 2014March 5, 2015  by Val Bunn

Evelyn Waugh – A Handful of Dust

Nineteen twenties socialite Brenda does everything society expects including marrying Tony Last. Owner of a country pile Tony appears dull […]

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August 23, 2014March 5, 2015  by Val Bunn

39 Steps

39 Steps by John Buchan was written in 1915, but set just before the war. It is significant as one […]

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August 23, 2014March 5, 2015  by Val Bunn

Penguin Book of First World War Stories

The Penguin Book of First World War Stories includes contemporary as well as retrospective stories. For me, reading all the […]

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August 23, 2014March 5, 2015  by Val Bunn

All Quiet on the Western Front

All Quiet on the Western Front by Erich Maria Remarque was written in 1929. It follows a group of German […]

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August 23, 2014March 5, 2015  by Val Bunn

Life Class

Set in 1914, this novel focusses on young men and women at the Slade School of Art and the life-changing […]

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August 23, 2014March 5, 2015  by Val Bunn

Zennor in Darkness

This is set in Cornwall in 1917 where D H Lawrence and his German wife have come to escape the […]

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August 23, 2014March 5, 2015  by Val Bunn

Return of The Soldier

This was written in 1918 and shows the devastating impact of shell shock and memory loss on an upper class […]

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