Mayfair Reading Group
Enjoy reading?
Want to share ideas and discover different authors? Why not join the reading group at Mayfair library?
Please do join us, we meet:
- monthly on a Tuesday
- from 6.00 - 7.00pm
- in Mayfair Library
Anyone is welcome come along and join this friendly and informal group. For more details and copies of the books contact Katrina Blench at Mayfair Library, or just call in.
Next meeting
| Date & time | Book details |
|---|---|
|
|
 Brighton Rock by Graham Greene |
Books we've read previously:
| Title | Comments |
|---|---|
| Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel | ‘gripping’, ‘loved it’, ‘difficult’, ‘shattered our illusions’, ‘can’t get into it’, ‘pretty tough going’, ‘challenging’, ‘wonderful’ |
| The sense of an ending by Julian Barnes | |
| The Line of Beauty, by Alan Hollinghurst | ‘it was felt to be essentially lacking in anything new to say about the 1980's and Thatchers era, with far too much to say about the gay sexual act’ |
| We are Muslim please by Zaiba Malik | |
| Redemption Falls by Joseph O’Connor | ‘Complex but interesting and rewarding, with a surprisingly good ending’ |
| Salmon Fishing in the Yemen, by Paul Torday | "A funny, astute, political satire – the book is better than the film!" Read more |
| Purple Hibiscus, by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie | "It is so good! Interesting on a small and a grand scale – family life and Nigerian politics and the many themes appeared effortlessly blended– coming of age, religion, colonialism, politics, domestic violence, feminism, nature." Read more |
| In the company of the Courtesan, by Sarah Dunant | "Well written, informative, atmospheric, witty, with a well researched feel to the historical and geographical details." Read more |
| Pigeon English, by by Stephen Kelman | "Seeing everything through the eyes of an 11 year old boy had its disadvantages – the simplification of the issues was a bit frustrating because it was an interesting if disturbing book to read, but Harri was a delight. Get rid of the pigeon!" |
| Half-blood blues by Esi Edugyan | This novel was shortlisted for the Mann Booker Prize. |
| Mr Chartwell by Rebecca Hunt | |
| Gillespie & I, by Jane Harris | "a mystery haunts this whole novel, as the character of Harriet is revealed as obsessive, possessive and manipulating." |
| The way we live now by Anthony Trollope | |
| Wedlock: how Georgian Britain’s worst husband met his match by Wendy Moore | Received a rapturous response from all members! Read more on Books & the City. |
| The white woman on the green bicycle by Monique Roffey | Read more on Books & the City |
| City of Thieves, by Cyrus Moore | Cyrus Moore and Deborah Hargreaves debated ‘City of Thieves’ and the state of the banks - read more on Books & the City. |
| Self-help books | Read more on Books & the City |
| Charles Dickens – either A Christmas Carol or one of his Christmas short stories | Read more on Books & the City |
|
The Age of Innocence, by Edith Wharton |
Very much enjoyed. Read more on Books & the City. |
|
Any Discworld novel by Terry Pratchett |
Very mixed feelings, loved or loathed in equal parts by the reading group - read more on Books & the City |
| Crime novels | Read more on Books & the City |
| Brixton Beach by Roma Tearne |
This novel is set in Sri Lanka and London during our recent history. |
| April in Paris by Michael Wallner |
"We enjoyed the book and found the concept interesting - occupied Paris told from a German solidier's point of view - but we thought the idea could have been more fully developed, and more explanations were needed." |
| Arthur and George by Julian Barnes | "Julian Barnes at his best. After a slow start, Arthur and George was unputdownable." |
| The Help, by Kathryn Stockett | |
| The Black Book by Orhan Pamuk | The author was the first Turkish Nobel prize winner when he won it for literature in 2006. |
| The lovely bones by Alice Sebold | "We all enjoyed the book but were very disappointed by the film. Far too soppy." |
| Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts | |
| The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson | |
|
Bliss, by Peter Carey |
|
| The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami | |
|
The Road Home by Rose Tremain |
|
|
The Pirate's Daughter by Margaret Cezair-Thompson |
|
| The Mesmerist by Barbara Ewing | |
|
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka |
|
| Ludmila's Broken English by D. B. C. Pierre | |
| On Beauty by Zadie Smith | |
| The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid |
We all thought the Reluctant Fundamentalist was very well written and thought provoking but not everyone agreed that the argument for the narrator becoming politically radicalised was 100% convincing. |
| A Week in December by Sebastian Faulks | A brilliant snapshot of London with interesting characters and plot but with some flaws - pop culture references were hackneyed and clumsy, the cyclist with no lights on as a linking thread was pretty weak. |
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