Time Flies

So I'm way behind with my blog and the book clubs most faithful follower (my mum) has threatened to stop following it unless I write something so here goes.

Looking back I was surprised to see how quickly the books had stacked up. Surely 4 months hadn't gone by already?

The first book I haven't blogged about was The Distant Hours by Kate Morton. I have to be honest I really didn't fancy reading this book to start off with. It was on 3 for 2 at Waterstones and just didn't sound like my cup of tea. In a nutshell, Edie finds a letter addressed to her mum during the war which opens up a can of worms as she retraces her mums past.

In many ways this book was similar in format to our last book The Poison Tree. Modern day stops to deliver a story from a number of years ago that involves a murder and is still affecting todays characters in some way that we will have discovered by the end of the book.

I commented in my last blog on how many books now seem to have to present the story in a split timeline. One, often the present day often seems to be a way to introduce the actual story and really doesn't serve much purpose other than sometimes spoiling any surprise ending as you already know the characters survive (think City of Thieves or The Island). It was therefore refreshing with this book to find the current story and characters were more involved than simply used as a vehicle to recall the past and then return at the very end to round things off nicely. You sympathised with Edies relationship with her mum, laughed at her Dad, cared about her boss and thought her Auntie was a bit nasty. All because the author devoted enough time to the present day characters whilst still developing the 3 Blythe sisters.

I loved the idea of the Mud Man storey and a few of us really would liked for the story to be real so we could read it. Alas this isn't the case.

The suspense in this story as to the who dunnit slowly crept up on you. As a reader you didn't really realise you were reading a murder mystery until you were right in the middle of it and the twists in the story kept you guessing in a way that Kelly in The Poison Tree seemed to have to manufacture. A few of us were surprised by the book not realising when we started out that we would be solving a murder and for this reason I ended up liking it a lot more than I thought I would.  

We talked a lot about the sisters as to why they didn't leave the house when separately each one of them at some point wanted to. The house seemed to give them nothing but sorrow as a lot of tragic events happened there yet they stayed, watching it decay as they did.

Again and I apologise I cant remember the score we gave it (New Years resolution to record scores!) but again recall it was an average scorer. 

The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald was next on our agenda. Suggested by me as the film is shortly to be released and I wanted to avoid another 3 for 2 at Waterstones. What initially surprised me was how thin it was and how little any of us knew about the story beforehand despite it being a classic.

The book I suppose overall is a love story although you have to stop to remind yourself that this is what it is. It's set in New York in the 1920s shortly before the Wall Street crash.

The main character is of course Gatsby who on the face of it seems to epitomise the American dream - emerges from an impoverished background to fame and riches which is confirmed by his father at the funeral. Very little is known about him though and despite seeming to have numerous friends that turn up at his parties you realise that no-one really knows him or cares. This is illustrated by the fact that no-one went to his funeral. The reader at the beginning is given very little to go on about Gatsby and despite his dodgy dealings and somewhat dubious past his motives were all to attract one woman - Daisy. He lived opposite from her and held lavish parties in the hope she would attend. He also took the blame for her with the hit and run which really lead to his death.

We thought none of the characters in the story were painted in a good light. Even the books narrator, Nick, a war veteran and somewhat green around the ears Wall Street novice. He initially came across as the best of a bad bunch however look closer and he did seem to be cheating on a possible fiancee tucked away back home. Perhaps he seemed to be the best morally as we were seeing the story from his eyes and you naturally don't paint yourself in a bad light.

We all thought the book could so easily be set in modern times. Although the book is now a number of years old it in many ways it is still very current and hasn't dated. New York is still a very happening place, celebrity parties are every other night, glamour is still as seductive and of course the book is set just before the Wall Street crash. Recession anyone?

In the end Nick becomes disillusioned by it all and returns home, disillusioned by the American dream?

I recall this scored slightly lower than usual as many people were put off by the characters.

Skipping Christmas John Grisham

This was our annual Christmas book. I've been blogging for hours now so this is going to be a quick one.

I had already read the book a few years ago as I am a John Grisham fan. The book however was so unlike John Grisham who has a very set formula. At times it felt like a chick lit and we were interested to see if he had written it as a challenge. Kind of like a dinner party bet.

One of our members really didn't like it and we had a hard time persuading her that normally Grisham is really worth the read even if his books are slightly repetitive in formula.

We then talked about how its all the little things that are a pain that actually make Christmas. Its very much a time for tradition and none of us would skip Christmas given the choice.

Being set in America we naturally started to talk about the differences between Americas Christmas and Englands. We all thought America did it bigger however as our American member pointed out because of Thanks Giving they don't really start celebrating it until end of November whereas mince pies were on sale in England in September.

In the end we talked more about Christmas than the book. It was light hearted and short enough to be read in the busy festive season and even though it was only last month I cant remember the score. Think i was average. It is a film apparently - Christmas with the Kranks which is worth a watch although probably not in January!