A Book of Blues

What they say

A music journalist suffers a crisis of faith in Miami. Young London goes hip-hop crazy circa 1988…Old friends make a belated attempt to reconnect disparate lives, and a social recluse finds an unexpected companion in a Victorian cemetery. Threaded with the constant pulse of music, A Book of Blues explores both physical and internal landscapes via the never-ending diversity of human relationships.

What I say

Courttia Newland offers readers a great range of voices, viewpoints, settings and circumstances within this collection. My own favourite is Anatomy of Man in which our media savvy author treats us to a comic photo shoot and his ability to surprise us when we make assumptions of how individual tales will pan out. Longstanding fans will enjoy the stories set in West London and the short story format enables us to enjoy more of Courttia’s range. I look forward to seeing the author in person at Lewisham Library on 24 November.

AM

Manor House Library Reading Group News

The July meeting of the group discussed One Day by David Nicholls.

What they say

“It’s rare to find a novel which ranges over the recent past with such authority, and even rarer to find one in which the two leading characters are drawn with such solidity, such painful fidelity, to real life that you really do put the book down with the hallucinatory feeling that they’ve become as well known to you as your closest friends. Hard to imagine anyone encountering characters as well drawn as this and not recognizing the extraordinary talent of the writer who has created them.” – Jonathan Coe, Guardian ‘Books of the Year’.

“I finished it last night and I’m still quite wobbly and affected by it. It was BRILLIANT. . . the jealously nearly made me puke. I wish I’d written this book” – Marian Keyes.

What we say

One Day chronicles the lives of two university friends from 1988 to the present day. It is however a somewhat broken narrative in that the tale develops every 15th July until it reaches it’s end (or until it finally hits the wall as one member suggested).

The book comes with rave review and endorsement and is indeed very well written. It plots its way inoffensively through the ’90s, pulling in popular references along the way until it drops a bombshell towards the end – you wont want to be sitting on the bus home when this happens!

The group enjoyed the read but felt that ultimately it was not a book that as likely to stay in the mind for long. One mild criticism was that the relationship that was the focus of the story was an unlikely one. Another group member pointed out that it was a modern fairy tale and should be considered on this basis.

It might be a more interesting read for people in their 40s who will recall the fashions and music references alluded to. The Smiths et al provide the soundtrack.

August’s chosen book is Room by Emma Donohue.
Thursday 25 August 2011, 2-3pm
Manor House Library

Read one of our bloggers’ thoughts on One Day.

Have you read this book: Let us know your thoughts.

Book Launch – I & I: The Natural Mystics: Marley, Tosh and Wailer

Historian and radio presenter Colin Grant chronicles the story of  The Wailers, Bob Marley, Peter Tosh and Bunny Wailer, from early days in Jamaica through Europe, America and back to the vibrant and volatile world of Trench Town.

Their combined talents made them one of the most influential groups in popular music whilst Grant argues their contrasting personalities and outlooks offer differing role models for Black men in our times: accommodate to succeed (Marley), fight and die (Tosh) and retreat and live (Wailer).

Colin’s talk is free to attend and followed by the opportunity to ask questions and buy a signed copy of his book.

Thursday 31 March 2011
6.45 for 7-8.30pm 
Manor House Library
Old Road, Lee, SE13 5SY

New Cross Reading Group News

Those who attended the January session (we were pleased to welcome two new members) had enjoyed reading the warm and entertaining novel We Are All Made of Glue by Marina Lewycka. 

The novel, as the metaphor of its title suggests, tells how characters from varying backgrounds become linked together. This becomes apparent when Georgina Sinclair describes her chance encounter with Naomi Shapiro, a slightly eccentric and outspoken person, who eagerly retrieves some vinyl recordings of mainstream Russian composers which Georgina had recently discarded into a skip, during a period of temporary separation from her pious husband, Rip.

As Georgina befriends Naomi, it seems clear that her new, unpredictable acquaintance is a canny survivor who, having escaped Nazi Germany many years ago, now remains blissfully unaware of her own vulnerability to wily estate agents liaising with opportunistic social workers who seem intent on stealing her independence as they attempt to remove her from the vast but dilapidated home she lives in. There she appears oblivious to her messy surroundings while holding court with Georgina as various people become involved in her affairs. These include Mr Ali, whose place of origin, to Naomi’s surprise, was Palestine (not Pakistan) and he is able to provide his own perspective on the issues concerning the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Although the novel reflects weighty issues, it contains much humour, including the comical effect of Mr Ali’s attempts to repair Naomi’s home when his own expertise is thwarted by the ineptitude of his nephew and friend of a similar age who are unable to put into effect his intentions without endangering life and limb. As the story reaches its conclusion it is interesting to see who will eventually benefit from Naomi’s estate.

Next month’s group will discuss Family Album by Penelope Lively.
Tuesday 1 February 2011, 6.30pm-7.30pm
New Cross library

Have you read this book? Let us know your thoughts.

Juliet Naked

What they say about it:

Nick Hornby returns to his roots – music and messy relationships – in this funny and touching new novel which thoughtfully and sympathetically looks at how lives can be wasted but how they are never beyond redemption.

Annie lives in a dull town on England’s bleak east coast and is in a relationship with Duncan which mirrors the place; Tucker was once a brilliant songwriter and performer, who’s gone into seclusion in rural America – or at least that’s what his fans think.

Duncan is obsessed with Tucker’s work, to the point of derangement, and when Annie dares to go public on her dislike of his latest album, there are quite unexpected, life-changing consequences for all three.

Nick Hornby uses this intriguing canvas to explore why it is we so often let the early promise of relationships, ambition and indeed life evaporate. And he comes to some surprisingly optimistic conclusions.

What I say about it:

I do know people who obsess about music nearly this much so I felt on fairly familiar ground. It was all a bit dismal and depressing for me though. I like Nick Hornby books but they are never my favourites. Most people will probably really love it but, being a sucker for a happy ending and having read some spectacular books lately it didn’t quite do it for me.

Helen Hilton

Available in Lewisham Libraries