Books 5

Status:Active, open to new members
When: Monthly on Thursday afternoons 2:00 pm-4:00 pm
2nd Thursday
Venue: Members' Homes

This diverse group of book lovers experience a range of genres throughout the year. The book box is a revelation every month, like the last unwrapping of pass-the-parcel; we never know what is going to emerge. 

The discussion is never boring as the members in the group all have their own thoughts and opinions on the theme, characters and the quality of writing. Discussions are always amenable and thought-provoking, as every members’ opinion is valued, with members influencing each other to embrace new authors. 

Generally, all the books are well received but occasionally this is not the case!

We grade each book from 1 to 10 at the end of each session. The numeral values can range from 3 to 8-9, or even 10 on occasions for the same book!!! No one’s opinion is ever wrong as we are all different.

Portsmouth Library Service provides our books free of charge. These are some of the books we have experienced :

This is a random selection of some of the books the group has read and enjoyed over a number of years.

When God was a Rabbit by Sarah Winman - this novel was given an overall 7 by those present
Beyond the Dreams by Imbolo Mbue - this book was given an overall 7 by the attendees
No Lovelier Death by Graham Hurley - this read was given an overall 5
The Hundred-Year-Old Man who climbed out of the window and disappeared by Jonas Jonasson - this book was graded 8 by those present
Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
Four Letters of Love by Niall Williams
The Bookseller of Khabal by Asne Seierstad
The Kingdom by the Sea by Paul Thoroux
Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
The Dark Side of Love by Rafik Schami
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
In Pale Battalions by Robert Goddard
Fried Green Tomatoes by Fannie Flagg
A Man Called Ove/ by Fredrik Backman
Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
The Odyssey by Homer
Hawksmoor by Peter Ackroyd
Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult
Suite Francias by Irene Nemivroski
A Town Like Alice by Neville Shute
Maisie Dobbs by Jacqueline Winspear
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith
The Spy Game by Georgina Harding