Wednesday night book club - the Clockhouse at 7.30 to 8.00

[Sheila]

Hi Book Clubbers

Want to see what the Congo River, jungle and living conditions in the heart of darkness are like now?

Then watch 'Cold Chain' this Sunday 29th April at 9pm on BBC2. It follows Ewan McGregor's journey to deliver vaccines to children in the Congolese jungle. Ewan is a UNICEF ambassador and his new series shows how difficult it is too keep vaccines cold (or they rapidly become unusable) and get them to children in the remotest parts of the world. I thought last Sunday's programme (in northern India and Nepal) was excellent.

Sheila

[Chick]

Dont forget Cold Chain tonight.

[Chick]

Anybody watch it?

[JBoylen]

I cannot make the May 9th meetig but did enjoy Heart of Darkness when I read it a few years ago. Can I read the book and come along to the June meeting?

[Chick]

Of course you can. Just come along when you can. If you haven't already send me an email and I'll put on the mail list.

[Chick]

Greetings book clubbers, hope you are all enjoying this month?s book. I managed to finish The Poison Wood Bible and should be finished Heart of Darkness in time, which is a great read, who recommended it?

My self and Pat will be taking telescopes to Strakers Rd Peckham Rye to look at Venus for the last time for a while, the moon and Saturn. We will meet at 8.30 Tuesday 8th May in the car park (by the recycling bins) so please feel free to come along.

[Chick]

Just a reminder see you tomorrow I think tonight will be too cloudy.

[Chick]

Nope tonight is looking good for astronomy.

[Chick]

It is too cloudy

[Chick]

Greetings book clubbers,

Thanks to everyone who came to another very good meeting last Wednesday. And welcome Chloe. The next book is The Shipping News by E Annie Proulx. A brief synopsis:

The story centers on Quoyle, a newspaper pressroom worker from upstate New York whose father emigrated from Newfoundland. Shortly after his parents' suicide, Quoyle's unfaithful and abusive wife Petal leaves town and attempts to sell their two daughters to sex traffickers. Soon thereafter, Petal and her lover are killed in a car accident; the young girl is located by police and returned to Quoyle. Despite his daughters' safe return, Quoyle's life is collapsing, and his paternal aunt, Agnis Hamm, convinces him to return to Newfoundland for a new beginning. They return to their ancestral home on Quoyle's Point.

He obtains work as a traffic accident reporter for the Gammy Bird, the local newspaper in Killick-Claw, a small town. The Gammy Bird's editor also asks him to document the shipping news, arrivals and departures from the local port, which soon grows into Quoyle's signature articles on boats of interest in the harbour.

Quoyle gradually makes friends within the community, learns about his own troubled family background, and begins a relationship with a local woman, Wavey. Quoyle's growth in confidence and emotional strength, as well as his ability to be comfortable in a loving relationship, become the book's main focus. Quoyle learns deep and disturbing secrets about his ancestors that emerge in strange ways.

Date for next meeting is 20th June at the Clockhouse.

I am going to arrange a showing of Apocalypse Now some time in the near future in the Clockhouse which would be interesting after our last book. Let me know if you are interested please.

Hoots & hugs

Chick.

[Chick]

Please note change of date.

[Chick]

Hi,

Just for information. We are a small book group who meet in the Clockhouse in general every second Wednesday of the month. We are very informal & friendly and just like to read books and drink beer or wine. We also do other things outside the book group. We once went to the following: an exhibition of Indian Mogul art dating from 1500 to today, a surveillance & photography exhibition at the Tate Modern and a trip with an architect to the new Jubilee line stations, all designed by different architects and all wonderful structures. It wasn?t train spotting I promise. Some of us go in for astronomy & ale when conditions are right.

We always have lots of room and everyone is welcome.

There is another fine book group in East Dulwich, The Green and Blue. Both of us are on the EDF.

Feel free to join and check previous postings for a flavour of the books we read.

Cheers

Chick

PS if you want to go on the email list pm me.

[Michael Palaeologus]

Just finished The Shipping News and loved it. Looking forward to the discussion.

[Chick]

Good. I finished too and it was a cracking read. Looking forward to 20th.

[db888]

Hi there, hope it's ok to join your book club?? Speed reading the Shipping News, and see you on the 20th! Cheers Danielle

[Chick]

Yes tons of room, hope to see you on 20th.

[Lumas]

Hi I am interested in joining your book club - could you let me know when and where and which book and if you have room?!

Thank you

Lucie

[shirleyb]

hi, when is your next meeting and what are you reading ? thanks in advance. Shirly

[Chick]

Hi Shirly,

Next meeting is next Wednesday 20th in the Clockhouse at 7.30-8.00 and the book is The Shipping News by E Annie Proulx. Please feel free to join us, doesn't matter if you haven't read the book, there is always next months.

[Chick]

Greetings,

Just a reminder that the book group is meeting this Wednesday at the Clockhouse starting 7.30~8.00. See you there.

Cheers

Chick

[Chick]

Greetings book clubbers. Thanks to everyone who came last night and made it such a good meeting. And a big welcome to Michael. The next book is No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod:

Alistair MacLeod musters all of the skill and grace that have won him an international following to give us No Great Mischief, the story of a fiercely loyal family and the tradition that drives it.

Generations after their forebears went into exile, the MacDonalds still face seemingly unmitigated hardships and cruelties of life. Alexander, orphaned as a child by a horrific tragedy, has nevertheless gained some success in the world. Even his older brother, Calum, a nearly destitute alcoholic living on Toronto's skid row, has been scarred by another tragedy. But, like all his clansman, Alexander is sustained by a family history that seems to run through his veins. And through these lovingly recounted stories-wildly comic or heartbreakingly tragic-we discover the hope against hope upon which every family must sometimes rely.

A more thorough review:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2000/jul/23/fiction.reviews1

The next meeting is either July 11th or 18th, I will confirm this next week.

PS I was totally wrong about the Irish element of this book.

Hoots & hugs.

Chick

[Chick]

The next meeting is on Wednesday 11th July 7.30~8.00 start in the Clockhouse. See you there.

[Chick]

Just a reminder, less than one week to go.

[Chick]

Hi folks,

Just a reminder that we are meeting this Wednesday 7.30 onwards at the Clockhouse.

See you there.

Cheers

Chick.

[Chick]

Greetings book clubbers,

Many thanks to every one who came to a brilliant meeting on Wednesday. And a big welcome to Leah, Carina & Sarah.

Next months book is Love in the time of cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marques.

I can?t find a short review so here is a link.

http://www.tygersofwrath.com/marquez.htm

My apologies to any one who got spammed, my account was hacked into. Great to see everybody and I look forward to the August meeting. The only date I can make is 15th so I hope that suits everybody.

Hoots

Chick