B3ta Book Club. Meetings Tuesday mid-morning.
Anyone up for a B3ta Book Club? Here’s a sample – the idea is the club improves.

I’m reading Kim Edwards’The Memory Keeper’s Daughter
A multi-million-copy US No.1 bestseller apparently.

Why? Bloody good question. I suppose the subject matter appealed in a warped sort of way.

Plagiarised synopsis -

On a snowy winter's evening Nora Henry goes into labour. With the help of a nurse her doctor husband delivers her a healthy son, but there follows an unexpected twin sister who has Downs Syndrome. As was frequently the case at that time, the Downs child, Phoebe, is sent to a home to be cared for. The job of taking her there is entrusted to the nurse, Caroline, who takes one look at the place and decides to care for Phoebe herself.
Meanwhile David Henry makes his big mistake and informs his wife that their daughter was stillborn, setting in motion a chain of events that has repercussions for years to come.

So I’m halfway through and what keeps me reading this Mills and Boon failure is the very occasional absolute pearl of writing. Here’s an example –

On p6 Norah (later to bear a Downs Syndrome child) is writing “in the perfect script she’d been taught in third grade, her teacher an ex-nun who had engraved the rules of penmanship in her small charges. Each letter has a shape, she told them, one shape in the world and no other, and it is your responsibility to make it perfect.”

Wow. Here I saw in one sentence the religious angle (catholic schooling), gender modeling (penmanship, quite deliberate use), and Arian eugenics (one shape in the world). This is going to be a great book.
Then there is pages of fluttered eyelashes – a woman ‘hides her blushes’ and I swear another ‘swoons’.

Anyone finished this book, and is it worth the read? Can multi-million Americans be wrong?
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:21, 46 replies, latest was 16 years ago)

I haven't read your post in any detail
but the final question caught my eye.

The answer's "yes".
( Enzyme is powered by sunlight, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:22, Reply)

"Can multi-million Americans be wrong?"
They voted for George W Bush.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:23, Reply)

They did. Twice - heh heh!

( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:29, Reply)

Most of us didn't!!!!!!!!!
They were typical third world style rigged elections.
(MichaelS wasn't picked again, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 12:37, Reply)

Maybe that's the case
But many millions still did genuinely vote for him.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 12:43, Reply)

I can't read.

(PsychoChomp, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:27, Reply)

tl;dr
The same applies to book clubs.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:32, Reply)

But, but, but - it's not compulsory.
The B3ta book club will have two advantages over other reading groups at least.
There doesn't have to be 45 minutes of listening to what the girls there were told by their hairdressers, and there will not be the 'who's got the nicest home and serves the best nibbles' competition.


*edit* And happy B3taday!
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:40, Reply)

Just as well
Because my home is a veritable paradise and the nibbles I would serve would be peerless. It would just lead to jealousy.
(LongJohnBaldry, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:42, Reply)

I'd only go to a book club to hit on the subtly sexy librarian chicks.

(PsychoChomp, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:43, Reply)

We can't be arsed joining book clubs

( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:47, Reply)

Stop trying to flirt with me.

(PsychoChomp, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:50, Reply)

I'm dreadfully sorry if that was how that was construed.
*walks away*
( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:53, Reply)

walks wiggles seductively.
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:58, Reply)

Seriously, Larry
Don't make this any more awkward.
You may wiggle seductively at him if you wish.
I am stomping in an ungainly fashion, like Miss Hathaway.
( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:01, Reply)

Stomping - oooh!
I love it when you stomp.
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:10, Reply)

Is that because there will be no "girls"
or indeed any other participants?
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:45, Reply)

I may have let my irritation for the suburban book clubs choose my language.
I've been to some of those and they are mostly full of housewives who only came for a chat and often haven't even read the books.
So I thought of the B3ta BC - minimal off-subject waffle, thoughts directed to the matter in hand.
Is that too much to ask?
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:52, Reply)

Yes.
I read about 5 books a week but I have no interest in discussing them with other people. Also, it would take away valuable time that could be spent reading or posting about biscuits. And it would bug the hell out of me when people pointed out the goddamn obvious.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:02, Reply)

Then I do not ask it of you.

( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:09, Reply)

Five books a week?
And you don't even talk about them? That's well aspergers.
(The Boy Monders I have ginger bits in my beard., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:15, Reply)

I know - exactly the sort of reader whose opinion I would love to hear.
Meh!
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:18, Reply)

But why would I want to talk about them?
The pleasure of reading is that it's a solo actvity - escapism.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:20, Reply)

It can be more than that.
You read in one day what the author took possibly a year to write. Do you ever wonder if perhaps there were unfathomed depths to the book you swam so quickly over? That's where another reader's thoughts might be of value. And another reader would value your opinions.
A focussed circle should draw out so much more from a book.
Just saying.
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:31, Reply)

nope
people who read fast don't necessarily skim. When I'm not at uni, I read five or six books (fiction) a week and I personally feel that I get them properly.
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:40, Reply)

Next time you're at Uni
perhaps you could pop over to the EngLit dept and tell them they're wasting their time.

Come on Amberl - tell us a good book to read!
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:55, Reply)

the English students don't need me to tell them
they're wasting their time, especially not when I do History. I'm with CHCB though. It's perfectly possible to read fast and well

What sort of books do you like and I'll recommend some.
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 12:30, Reply)

Hey, I just started Memory Keeper's Daughter on a friend's recommendation.
I'm prepared to start anything if you say it's worth it.
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 12:37, Reply)

so many books so little time
I just reread Italo Calvino's 'If on a Winter's Night a Traveller' which as always was excellent, and for light fantasy reading, anything by Robin Hobb is fantastic. Though her recent Soldier Son trilogy was disappointing compared to her previous output
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 12:49, Reply)

Did it ever occur to you that I am perfectly capable of reading fast AND understanding things?
I don't skim, I read. Maybe I'm just quicker and more able than you.
( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 12:21, Reply)

Yes, Good, and possibly.
So share. Or not.
It's not compulsory.
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 12:34, Reply)

I'm opting for not.

( crackhouseceilidhband Fuck off back to Mumsnet, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 13:37, Reply)

And we'll be the poorer for it.
If there is ever a 'we'!
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 14:54, Reply)

Oh, nibbles!
I thought it said nipples.
( K2k6 has a proper job these days, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:46, Reply)

Happy B3taday
I'm too unreliable to join a book club.
I don't like obligations.
( Roota zweeeeeoooooowm, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 10:45, Reply)

^This.
I don't want to join any group that would have me as a member.
( girlinthehole, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:01, Reply)

You said 'member'.

(Tugnut Ex of this parish, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 14:14, Reply)

Not my bag,
But I do likes to read and waffle about what I've read.
(The Boy Monders I have ginger bits in my beard., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:19, Reply)

Welcome home.
So what have you read? Would you recommend it? Should BBC read it and discuss next week?
Waffle away.
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:33, Reply)

I finished that book
it wasn't worth the time and effort. Yes millions of Americans can be wrong. It's just a subtly updated version of misery-lit
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:39, Reply)

As I feared. Back to the charity shop for that one.
Yeah - as much as I read I'd agree. Just those occasional flashes of good writing kept me hooked.
Bit as if Annie Proulx re-wrote Revolution Road but very, very badly.

So what do you suggest for a group read? I've got We Are All Made of Glue by that woman who wrote 'A Short History of Tractors in the Ukrainian' waiting - but quite happy to leave it waiting.
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 11:52, Reply)

The books I read
aren't really good for group reading. But if we're talking fantastic books to recommend, then if you haven't read any Haruki Murakami- anything by him
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 12:28, Reply)

I have Wild Sheep Chase in the pile by my reading chair. I'll give it a go.
So - next Tuesday then?
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 12:40, Reply)

Wild Sheep Chase
is the least good of the lot sadly. If you can get your hands on 'Hard Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World' or 'The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles' or even 'Norweigan Wood' I'll give it a shot
( Amberl was stripey and dominated Europe, Tue 9 Mar 2010, 12:44, Reply)

OK - I've just been over to the book shop.
They have nothing in stock, but can get 'Tokyo Blues/ Norweigian Wood' in but not until 20th March. I put my order in.
Meanwhile I'll read Wild Sheep. Sometime later this month we might have something to talk about.
( Larry Vest One day at a time, sweet Jesus, FFS., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 13:00, Reply)

I stopped reading when I had my wrist op cos I couldn't hold a book comfortably.
It's now been almost 8 months and I still find it hard to hold a book and am having difficulty getting back into the way of it.
I did buy Iain M Banks' Matter yesterday though, it might give me the push I need.
(porkylips looks better as the sun goes down., Tue 9 Mar 2010, 13:41, Reply)