Book Club - see first post for who's choosing the book for which month

[Linda]

Am about a third of the way through now. Really enjoying it. It's the sort of book that I'd like to discuss as I go along, with theories about what will happen etc. but I suppose I'd better not say anything along those lines as some might regard it as spoilers (although only theories).

[supergran]

Although not a member of Book Club do read occasionally the posts to see what you are reading. Read 11.22.63 when it first came out as I'm a big fan of Stephen King. It is not horror Linda but a fascinating story of time travel and the assassination of JFK. I read it in a few days as it's one of those books that you can't put down. Hope you all enjoy it.

[Linda]

Yes SG, if you see my two posts above, I am enjoying it very much! Have been out & about this morning then watching some tennis.tv, but am going to read a bit more of it now. :thumbup:

[supergran]

Sorry Linda, obviously missed those.:lol: Glad you're enjoying it. Thought how I missed your last one heaven only knows!!!

[Linda]

Would love to discuss it without spoiling it for others. I will PM you with my theories.

[patmoren]

Finished Stephen King, couldn't put it down.

[Linda]

I've had to tear myself away from it to go to work etc. Will probably finish it tonight. I've really enjoyed it so far. Thanks Jane for suggesting it - I would never in a million years have thought of reading Stephen King.

Is it my turn to choose the next book? I don't think I've chosen one yet, have I? (memory not what it was :shamed:)

[pabbers]

Is it my turn to choose the next book? I don't think I've chosen one yet, have I? (memory not what it was :shamed:)

Yes it is, Linda - the first post is up to date and we're still following the order there. Haven't started SK yet am hoping to get time after Thursday.

[Jan62]

Oooh. Stephen King and JFK, there's a combination. Will have to get that - can I join in your discussion if I read it in time? Thanks.

[hfwardhouse]

Of course you can Jan - the more the merrier - and you've loads of time to read it - well a couple of weeks anyway!

[RoastLamb]

I haven't bought it yet. Thought I had loads of time. Two weeks to go. :eek:

Got my local book club first and we're reading a book called Miss Garnet's Angels by Salley Vickers about a retired teacher who goes to live in Venice. Strange book and I can't get into it. Yet. Full of Catholic religious imagery.

[Linda]

That sounds intriguing, Fiona! I think I'll look out for that!

[RoastLamb]

If you can't find it I'll mail it to you once I'm done.

[MurrayAOne]

Hi all. I believe some of you have Kindles and just wondered if you can tell me a bit about them as am thinking of getting one. Never thought I would as love turning the page but this one - which I am really enjoying! - is rather cumbersome and so I may try the Kindle. Sorry if this isn't the place for this but never started a 'thread' and wouldn't know where to put it anyway. Thanks :)

[Linda]

My daughter and her other half bought me my Kindle Fire for a combined Christmas & birthday present, so I've had it for about 7 months and I think it's the best present I ever had! It's probably best to pay the bit extra to get the Fire 'cos it doubles up as a tablet.

Advantages:
1. There are loads of books on Amazon that you can download very cheaply, often for only 99p. They have daily deals at 99p which are usually popular books - I have bought some best sellers for 99p.
2. You can read in bed with the light off.
3. You can take hundreds of books on holiday with you!
4. If you get the Fire, then you have full access to the internet wherever you can get WiFi.

Disadvantages:
1. The latest version of Fire (which I have got) does not have Flash so you can't watch live streams on it. (Various people have posted on the internet that you can install another operating system that will support Flash, but I haven't got round to doing this yet and don't know if I will.)
2. You can only connect to the internet via WiFi, there is no port for a dongle.
3. It doesn't come with a charger, only with a lead to charge it via a PC - which takes ages. The official charger that you can buy for it costs a fortune but I bought a compatible one for a fraction of the price. The charge doesn't last long - I usually keep it plugged in whilst reading (luckily I have an electric point right by my bed).
4. When reading, I often want to flick back to an earlier page to remind myself of something - and I find that it is not as easy to do on the Kindle as on a real book.

[MurrayAOne]

Thanks Linda that's really useful information. :)

[hfwardhouse]

I have a traditional kindle. I absolutely love it. Best thing I ever had. The battery life is great. Only charge it about once a month. I got a charger with mine thankfully. I think it's the best bit of tech I've ever owned. Can't recommend it highly enough.

[MurrayAOne]

Thanks Jane. By traditional kindle do you mean one that you just read on?

[hfwardhouse]

Yes. I have a samsung tablet but keep it for internet and diary as battery life is rubbish in comparison.

[supergran]

Don't know if this is the right place to ask this question. But as you all seem to be Ipod/kindle/IPad/Pottytrained cognescenti need your help. My sis-in-law will be 70 on the 23rd and one of the gifts on her list is a IPad Docking Station which means as much to me as ingredients for a sophisticated multi-layered cake. Can anyone advise me as to the best one to buy. Our budget is £70. Thanks for the advice I'm sure I'll receive.

[RoastLamb]

I read The Hunger Games on a friend's e-reader and I hated it. I get why people love it but it's not for me.

[patmoren]

Don't know if this is the right place to ask this question. But as you all seem to be Ipod/kindle/IPad/Pottytrained cognescenti need your help. My sis-in-law will be 70 on the 23rd and one of the gifts on her list is a IPad Docking Station which means as much to me as ingredients for a sophisticated multi-layered cake. Can anyone advise me as to the best one to buy. Our budget is £70. Thanks for the advice I'm sure I'll receive.
It is a place where you store you Ipad when not in use. I believe some of them you can use as a MP3 when the Ipad is docked

[patmoren]

Hi all. I believe some of you have Kindles and just wondered if you can tell me a bit about them as am thinking of getting one. Never thought I would as love turning the page but this one - which I am really enjoying! - is rather cumbersome and so I may try the Kindle. Sorry if this isn't the place for this but never started a 'thread' and wouldn't know where to put it anyway. Thanks :)
I have had my Kindle for years now, one of the first ones so just a basic reader. I can slip it in my handbag whenever I go out so am never stuck with nothing to do if having to wait anywhere. Wouldn't be without it.

[supergran]

I am hoping for recommendations of best buys if anyone out there has an IPod docking station as I have no idea which are the best ones. I have looked on Amazon but not sure which one is best.

[patmoren]

I am hoping for recommendations of best buys if anyone out there has an IPod docking station as I have no idea which are the best ones. I have looked on Amazon but not sure which one is best.
Look at some of the reviews on the relevant websites, that is what I do if I am buying something new.

[supergran]

I have done Pat but they seem to be evenly balanced between positive and negative which leaves me:confused::confused: Was hoping that someone who owns one or who knows about these things could advise. I'll probably end up going to shop and getting help there.

[pabbers]

Sorry SG can't help.
As for the Kindle, I opted for a Google Nexus which basically does the same job as the Kindle Fire but doesn't tie you in to buying books from Amazon (not always cheapest). I downloaded a Kindle app and a Kindle converter so I have a full choice. It has a free charger and the battery life is excellent. I'm at my son's at present and am watching Sky on it as he doesn't have Sky Sports. Only downside so far is the lighting when reading outdoors but i manage and would sacrifice that for the other benefits.

[Linda]

Yes - I think if I'd been buying it for myself I would probably have opted for the Nexus.

[pabbers]

yes, it really is a matter of personal preference and there are some very good easy to follow reviews of both on the web to help make a decision. I still like good old paper myself. I like to flick and I like to see how much of the book I've got left to read (so proportion rather than page number) and I miss that with the e-reader. Forced into it with travel and the need to pack little and light.

[Linda]

Doesn't yours show you what percentage of the book you've read?

[pabbers]

Doesn't yours show you what percentage of the book you've read?
Yes but that's just a number to me. I like to see how much I've read. Same reason I prefer an analogue watch - I often want to see how much time has elapsed/is left (especially when I was teaching) rather than just what the time is.

[patmoren]

Pat you can download books from any where and put them on the Kindle, don't have to use Amazon. Need a free programme like Calibre where you store your books, it will convert any format to the one you have on your e-reader.

[Linda]

Well, I am now reading three books at once! I was reading a memoir by Isabel Allende, then I started to read Khaled Hosseini's latest, and then on Sunday someone loaned me The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. This is a book that I'd been thinking of getting for ages. I thought it would be rather like The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared. But that is purely comedy and this is rather more serious. It is an amazing book.

Have any of you read it? If none of you have, I'd like to choose it for the next book. But if most of you have read it already, I'll have to choose something else.

[pabbers]

I haven't read it, Linda.
Still struggling to finish the current book in time but am enjoying it immensely.

[RoastLamb]

I haven't read it Linda so no problem with me. Still haven't gotten around to buying this month's selection actually. My local book club is on Monday night and I have a book I hope they go with for September so I will purchase all the books next Tuesday.

[patmoren]

I haven't read it Linda. I am reading Court Confidential, fascinating book, should have it finished tonight.

[patmoren]

When are we going to start discussing the current book?

[Linda]

According to the first page, we're discussing it from today.

[patmoren]

That is what I thought!

[hfwardhouse]

Yikes - I'll get onto it shortly but have a manic weekend with the local gala starting in just an hour (am helping on the church stall) and then tomorrow instead of a service in the morning we've got bacon rolls to make to serve to the gala stalwarts as they dismantle and tidy everything away (mind you if this wind carries on all the gazebos will have blown away!!!) and then a strawberry tea in the afternoon followed by a songs of praise service - hopefully outside but we're not too sure if that'll be the case given the forecast!

So if I don't get my bit done till Monday you'll know why!

[patmoren]

I think after this one I will give up doing the book club. It is all taking too long and by the time the discussion comes up I have lost all interest in the book even though I have made notes. I realise people have busy lives but it you were attending a book club you would need to be ready within the month. Doing it on line makes it all too nebulous and uninteresting. Sorry.

[MurrayAOne]

Sorry to hear you won't be keeping on with the club Pat. I'm also only half way through this last one but I will keep reading and report when I can. I realise it makes me at odds with others and am sorry about that - but this one was a fair size! Speaking for myself if I was attending a book club my position would still be the same. I would just have to listen I suppose and contribute what I could. If others want to keep to more of a deadline then that's fine - I don't want to hold things up - and I hope they wont mind me posting late. I hope others do keep on with it though. Personally I don't mind reading and discussing even if it's only me and a 'nother' ! Hopefully it won't come to that though!:)

[RoastLamb]

I think the only solution is to start reading the book a week before the deadline - that way it'll be fresh in your mind. That's what I try to do anyway.

[hfwardhouse]

Me too. Its not always easy to do that though.

[MurrayAOne]

Me too. Its not always easy to do that though.

Too right! This last one I would never have read in a week before the deadline. Far too chunky and too little time for reading in one week. I also watch a lot of tennis - hence my being here! Notwithstanding this I do try and keep to the schedule. Actually I also think we've had some good discussions on here that I have enjoyed.

[RoastLamb]

Yes, usually I'm really good but this month I haven't even managed to buy the book never mind read it. Am planning on it next week tho'.

[Linda]

Well then, I will definitely make The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry the next choice then. It's not such a big book, and it has book club questions at the end.

[hfwardhouse]

Finally ...

11-22-63 is a book I’ve had on the shelf for a long time and wanted to read. I’m so glad I did. It was a fascinating and entertaining read!

Jake Epping is a school teacher in Maine in 2011 and is just starting his summer holidays when he gets a cryptic call from a friend asking him to come round. When he gets there he’s amazed to find his friend has aged and has gone from being fit and healthy the day before to terminally ill in less than 24 hours since he’s last seen him. It seems that Al has found a hole in time and has been able to step back in time to 1958 and has been doing it time and time again to buy beef for his burgers at 1958 prices which has seen him run a very profitable business since he found the hole. But he has a mission for Jake. He wants Jake to go back to 1958, and find a way to stop the assassination of President Kennedy.

First of all, Jake heads to 1958 to stop an attack which resulted in the death of the mother and siblings of the janitor at his school and which left the janitor severely injured. He spends a few months there, locating and managing to stop the attack but not without some difficulty – it seems the past doesn’t want to be changed and lots of challenges are placed in Jake’s path throughout the whole book – Al’s illness is a consequence of this. When Jake returns to 2011, he finds that things have changed – the janitor is no longer employed by the school and when he searches the internet, he finds that the man was actually killed in Vietnam.

On the plus side, every time Jake travels back to 1958, events are re-set so he is able to carry out the murder of Harry’s dad to prevent him attacking his family, without leaving things to the last minute as he did first time round. He then moves to Texas and falls in love with the school administrator. Jake makes all the necessary preparations for stopping Lee Harvey Oswald. He rents property close to where Oswald will be living so he can keep and eye on him, and monitors conversations with early technology.

Sadie, the love of Jake’s life, is attacked and badly injured by her ex-husband. Jake looks after her and helps her get back on her feet. Meanwhile, Jake is attacked by a bookie he laid a big bet through and spends a long time recuperating. All of this means he is very late getting to Dallas and the final act of saving JFK. He fails to shake Sadie off, who knows what he’s up to, and when they reach the book depository Sadie is killed by Lee Harvey Oswald, who is then killed himself. JFK is saved.

Jake returns to 2011 to find a very different and not very nice world. The huge change he made in history, has had a major effect and it’s all bad. So he has to return to 1958 to undo it all.

This was a very well written, entertaining story that kept me turning the pages right to the very end. It was sad that Jake couldn’t be with the love of his life but it would never have worked – obstacles would’ve been put in their way. Stephen King is a talented story teller, and this book gave a very bit insight into the life of Lee Harvey Oswald, about whom I knew absolutely nothing till now. I absolutely loved it. 9/10

[RoastLamb]

Well then, I will definitely make The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry the next choice then. It's not such a big book, and it has book club questions at the end.

At my local book club last night one of the members mentioned this book and how fabulous it was. Three others had read it also. So I'm looking forward to it. The same person had read Jane's choice (above) and loved it.

[Linda]

I would again like to thank Jane for choosing 11-22-63. I would never have chosen this book for myself as I thought that Stephen King just wrote horror stories.

I thought this book was incredibly well written. I normally am put off by Americanisms but the writing here seemed so natural, just like someone speaking about something that had happened to them. It all seemed totally believable although with different treatment it wouldn't have done. I really got into the book and couldn't put it down.

I kept wondering how it would end - I kept changing my mind. I thought that in the end the future can't actually be changed, as it is how it is, but wondered how it would happen. It didn't seem likely that he would just fail in the attempt as that wouldn't make much of a story. I thought he might find out that LHO didn't kill JFK but realised that he shouldn't change history so drastically, so killed him himself (rather like the scene in the Harry Potter books where he's expecting his dad to save him but it's himself). Then when he fell in love with Sadie, I thought that he probably succeeded and got back to the present time but then went back for Sadie, resetting everything. I had to discuss all this with someone so I was PMing SG who's already read it.

There were some surprises in the end. It was very surprising that the world had changed so much for the bad, when all along everyone thought that if JFK had lived the world would have been better. I didn't like the bit about the guardians at the end - somehow that didn't seem as believable as the rest. I read in the notes at the end that he changed the ending at the suggestion of his son, and wonder if that's how the guardians came into it.

Anyway, this was IMO one of the best books we've read since we started the club (the other one I've really liked was Room, which I think was also chosen by Jane, so well done Jane!) I will have to look for another non-horror Stephen King to read. 9/10

[pabbers]

Just popping in with my fingers firmly in my ears, eyes closed and singing "la, la, la, la" 'cos I still haven't finished it but am enjoying immensely. Will have to comment after everyone else. May even have to miss out next book at this rate, especially as I have some of my own I want to read.

[patmoren]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book, it kept me on the edge of my seat. Really gets your brain working considering paradoxes and what would happen if it was possible to go back I n time and change things. Stephen King made the results seem bad enough that it isn't likely to have a good result. Jake /George did wonder what might happen in the future but not enough to stop him changing things. In the end did go back and reverse what he had done. 9/10

[RoastLamb]

Just started reading the King book. Did not realize how big it is so may take me a while.

[pabbers]

Well I've finally finished it and enjoyed every page. I desperately tried to find holes in the narrative and thought I'd found one when Jake first addressed us, the readers and referred to his writing the narrative at the same time as his novel. I didn't see how that could work in the timeline but of course by the end even that had been cleverly thought out. I was gripped from start to finish and had no idea how it would end but rather liked the ending - much better than him going back and then never meeting Sadie at all. I'm watching Under the Dome on Channel 5 at the moment - based on another Stephen King non-horror book.

I'm afraid I too am going to have to duck out of the book club. I've enjoyed it but I just have sooooo many books of my own that are waiting to be read that I need to concentrate on those for the time being. I'll dip in and out to see what you're reading and may join in ad hoc if that's ok. I'm just such a slow reader - sorry Pat, I know it's been frustrating for you.

[patmoren]

It is not a problem Pat, I have always been a fast reader.

[hfwardhouse]

Well I've finally finished it and enjoyed every page. I desperately tried to find holes in the narrative and thought I'd found one when Jake first addressed us, the readers and referred to his writing the narrative at the same time as his novel. I didn't see how that could work in the timeline but of course by the end even that had been cleverly thought out. I was gripped from start to finish and had no idea how it would end but rather liked the ending - much better than him going back and then never meeting Sadie at all. I'm watching Under the Dome on Channel 5 at the moment - based on another Stephen King non-horror book.

I'm afraid I too am going to have to duck out of the book club. I've enjoyed it but I just have sooooo many books of my own that are waiting to be read that I need to concentrate on those for the time being. I'll dip in and out to see what you're reading and may join in ad hoc if that's ok. I'm just such a slow reader - sorry Pat, I know it's been frustrating for you.

Aw Pat not you too :crying: .... and I'm really enjoying Linda's choice - it's a lovely story. I have heaps of books to read too but I just make sure I fit the book club one in at some point in the 6 weeks - I don't get a lot of time to read these days and find I'm just managing a wee while at breakfast time and maybe later in the day (when there's not tennis on of course) - so it can be a real struggle.

I'm sure it was your turn to pick as well :sad:

[RoastLamb]

Looks like it's just us three now: Jane, Linda and me. Do you guys want to continue?

[hfwardhouse]

Is MurrayA1 not sticking with it as well? I know she's usually further behind than the rest of us. I've enjoyed being a part of it but maybe it's run its course?

[RoastLamb]

Yes, maybe we should just stick to talking about the books we are reading and recommend them?

[Linda]

I'm happy to do what everyone else wants to do.

[hfwardhouse]

Well I'm in the middle of reading your choice Linda and really enjoying it - happy to discuss it over on the other thread - the only thing is even though folk recommend books over there, I'll probably not read such a variety as I've done while in the club :sad:

[RoastLamb]

We can still do it between the three of us. I'm game if you guys are. I know I'm behind on Stephen King but I'm reading it now and then the Harold book is next.

[RoastLamb]

OK, so last night I FINALLY finished the almost 900 page tome that is the Stephen King novel. I really enjoyed it altho' I found a it a bit saggy about two thirds of the way through. I also found it believable and usually I have no patience with this kind of genre. I've never read Stephen King before but I found I love the way he writes. The characters were very well drawn and I enjoyed each and every one of them. The amount of research he must have done is staggering to even imagine. My only problem is close to the ending when he comes back after killing Oswald and the world has gone mad. I just don't think that would have happened. I'm so happy he meets up with Sadie at the end as well. I also appreciated the reader's guide at the end and explanation/Q&A by King. I'd give it 8/10.

Just started Harold Fry.

[hfwardhouse]

I'm so pleased everyone enjoyed the book. I've read a few of Stephen King's (including some of the horror ones - Salem's Lot still scares the living daylights out of me!) and I really enjoyed this one too. I've finished Harold Fry and I can't wait to discuss it!

[Linda]

I think we're due to start discussion on 1st Oct?

[hfwardhouse]

Probably - and then we have to decide if we're giving up :sad:

[Linda]

:sad:

Where is MA1? On holiday?

[RoastLamb]

I'd better get reading coz I just started altho' I still have a week.

It's interesting because I'd never have picked up the King book on my own so I'm so glad I'm in a book club (same goes with my local one) because you do read stuff you'd never look at usually and think at what you're missing? Sorry, that sentence is rather convoluted but you know what I mean.

[hfwardhouse]

I do indeed Fiona. I wouldn't have read quite a few of the ones we've read without this club.

Not sure where MA1 is, will have to try tweeting her.

[RoastLamb]

Just finished Harold Fry. What a strange book. Lots to discuss methinks.

Am now reading a book based on secret convos with actress Ava Gardner.

[Linda]

I must have a quick flick through it again before doing my writeup on Tuesday evening.

[MurrayAOne]

Hi ladies. Apologies for my lack of posting but after finally managing to get the King novel read I then had really full on couple of weeks and didn't get to post so am sorry about that. I have always enjoyed this club as I have said before and would like to continue with the remaining three in whatever format you all wish for it to take. I will get back in the swing of it again and have started the next book which also looks good. I probably wouldn't use the other book thread much as I like the idea of us all reading the one book at the same time and finding out what others think of it - albeit eventually sometimes in my case! (sorry again - I will address this issue!) Hope you're all ok with that and if so here are my thoughts on the King novel.

I must agree with everyone else in that I also really enjoyed reading this book and found it fascinating. I have always enjoyed the concept of time travel and the ‘what if’ issue and this novel tackled the subject perfectly. I had never read a Stephen King novel before and would certainly never had reached for one from a book shelf of my own accord having (as it turned out, false) pre-conceptions of the writer as only producing horror. The writing was so good the story just flowed (an achievement in itself with this story!) and the characters were natural and believable – although the ‘guardians’ must have been the result of an effort to satisfy a few withdrawal symptoms from the world of horror as ‘natural’ was the last thing they were! One of the best things about the writing for me was the dialogue. Jake had some brilliant come back lines and ‘one off’ comments when in certain situations. He was good at giving the baddies some verbal ‘what for’! That was very satisfying as the baddies in this were BAD! I must say it was the first time I have read some parts of a novel (such as the way Sadie’s husband was killed) the same way I watch some of Andy’s matches. Sadly the couch provides no protection. You HAVE to read the words! That bit was gruesome!

The issues involved in the time travel aspect are fascinating. One of the things I kept thinking was that it was a bit naive to imagine that the world would automatically have been an infinitely better place had John Kennedy lived. This seemed to have been a given for Al and a baton taken up by immediately by Jake. I was also always aware of what is described as the butterfly effect. Events in life are linked and any alteration, albeit ‘for the good’, will always effect another, and ‘the good’ can never be assured. This seems obvious to me and I was always a bit unsure as to why Jake and Al didn’t see it as more of a danger. There is only ‘cause and effect’ – not ‘cause and desired effect’. Far too many permutations to control! No wonder those guardians were worn out! There is a great line in the book, “If there’s a stupider metaphor than a ‘chain of events’ in the English language, I don’t know what it is.’ Time certainly doesn’t work like that!

I also thought the book ended well and liked the way Jake met up with Sadie again. I really enjoyed the love story between Jake and Sadie and at one point did think that she may have been able to return to present time with Jake as I think there was a suggestion that might happen but again - work that one out – too confusing!

This book was a great read. Thought provoking and thoroughly enjoyable. 9/10. Thanks Jane!

[RoastLamb]

Great review! It certainly was fascinating and the thought processes King must have gone through just boggles my mind. How to keep up with all the threads and make them seem authentic - daunting to say the least. And I don't envy the copy editor who had to make sure everything gelled.

[Linda]

Here is my review of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Someone at church lent me this book and said she didn’t want it back; I should just pass it on to someone else. So I was intrigued, and started reading it straight away although I have loads of other books waiting to be read!

The book opens with a scene of Harold and Maureen at home. They are a couple between middle aged and elderly – retired but still active. We soon see that they seem to have drifted apart. Harold finds that a dear friend from years ago is dying of cancer, so goes to post a sympathetic letter. He pops into a petrol station for a snack, and a chance remark changes all their lives for ever.

Due to the assistant saying ‘you must have faith’, he decides to walk all the way to deliver the letter himself. He is in the South and his friend is in the North, so it will be a long walk. He doesn’t go home to prepare; he just carries on walking.

His journey is fascinating. He meets so many people and his non-judgmental attitude to all he meets is really heartwarming. People open up to him, and gradually he opens up to people as well, so that we learn more about him and Maureen.

To start with, we find that he has had a strained relationship with his son, whereas Maureen seems to be able to still speak to him. Eventually we find the truth of this.

At this point, we see that one of the themes of this book is about attitudes to bereavement, and how this affects the relationships of those still living.

I felt that in some ways his journey was a metaphor for the journey we are all making through life. But towards the end of his journey it all seemed to go wrong. His ‘pilgrimage’ made the news and lots of other people joined him – but they all had different motives. He feels lost and goes off by himself. The others reach the nursing home first, but are turned away – this reminded me of Matthew 7:22-23 “22"Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23"And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

Finally he reaches his destination. He seems quite shocked at just how ill his friend is, but she has ‘held on’ until he got there and dies soon afterwards, as was inevitable. During Harold’s ‘pilgrimage’ Maureen also is changed, partly because of what Harold is doing and partly due to conversations with her neighbour. Eventually Harold and Maureen become reconciled.

I thought this was a wonderful book that worked on so many levels. It is about bereavement, but it is also about relationships, it is also about faith. These are all fundamental things for our own journey through life. And although at one point it seemed as though the book had lost its way, this was just to show that Harold briefly lost his way.

Overall I’m really glad that I read this book and I think it is a book that is worth re-reading, as I’m sure I’ll find even more to discuss each time I read it.

[hfwardhouse]

This book is one of the reasons I'm so glad to be a part of this wee book club. I would never have chosen it to read, hadn't even heard of it. I was tweeting a friend in California last week and she was looking for suggestions to read next and I suggested it and she'd already read it!!!!

I absolutely loved it. Beautifully written, very descriptive. I was in tears when I realised that Harold and Maureen's son had committed suicide - I must admit he was a disagreeable character in the descriptions of him, but I think Harold's relationship with his own father affected how he was as a father himself, and this had an impact on his son. The folk Harold met during his walk were well described and completely believable. I could imagine someone setting off on a walk like this although to do so completely unprepared and on the spur of the moment was a bit daft and how he managed to do it without money latterly was incredible!

I agree with Linda, the book is about so much more than relationships - it tackled very difficult issues like depression and bereavement and it was wonderful to see how healing the whole experience was, not just for Harold, but also for Maureen. I learned a lot and am so glad I met Harold and Maureen!

9/10 from me - loved it :)

Now what're we reading next?!!!

[RoastLamb]

I enjoyed this book but at the beginning I thought perhaps it was going the way of Maeve Binchy. Now, I love Maeve Binchy but she has a very simplistic way of telling a story. This book started out simplistically - or so I thought - and then turned into something much darker/complex with many layers.

I had figured out from the beginning that their son had died so that wasn't a surprise. I enjoyed the neighbour as well. Too bad the young lad turned out to be a thief. But I think he was there as a replacement son for Harold, almost like he was getting a second chance to be a good Dad. At the same time I felt disappointed with the hangers-on much in the same way Harold was.

I did get a wee bit frustrated with Harold at his shy plodding ways and the way he reacted to some of the other characters. I could see why Maureen had been frustrated. Both characters were kind of boring and dull almost but of course they came to life as the pilgrimage progressed. And some of the characters really surprised me - e.g. the older man with the silver hair in the cafe. And the Slovakian female doctor. Injected a wee jolt into the proceedings.

Queenie's character was brought to life slowly but surely also despite the fact we never met her till the end and then she was unable to communicate verbally.

I also really enjoyed the physical descriptions of the journey itself. The physical toll it took on Harold's body was really well described and I could visualise him walking through GB with his yachting shoes. If I had met him on his walk I would have given him the biggest hug. I can totally see this being made into a movie with Julie Walters playing Maureen. Haven't decided yet who'd play Harold.

But I was satisfied with the ending. And the way he and Maureen came back together.

Linda, it's interesting you talk about faith because Harold didn't seem terrible religious, did he? But that was probably deliberate so as not to annoy the non religious readers.

Social commentary on the media as well. Fascinating when the ringleader decided to leave Harold behind when he was the whole reason for the pilgrimage and then the group get turned away from the hospice. Ha!!!

Once again, like the King book, I appreciated the reading guide and interview with the author at the back because it opened my eyes to her writing, which was rather good:

You mention the pedestrian details of H&M's life together, such as the clean washing and the slice of toast, but other details hint at a deeper, darker layer. The yard is "trapped" but its fence, and the word "vacuum" appears twice. Within this claustrophobic context you place a "telescopic washing line." When I reread this paragraph, the telescope allusion jumped out at me as a signal that Harold's worldview is about to expand.

7/10

[RoastLamb]

I guess it's MurrayAOne's choice of book next. Do we want to go back to a month or keep it at 6 weeks?

[hfwardhouse]

I suspect Pam will prefer it to be 6 weeks cos she's struggling to keep up as it is!

[Linda]

I don't mind. I have got plenty of other books lined up to read.