March Meeting

Our March Book Club meeting was held at The Nest on Durham Road, Low Fell. It was a lovely venue and we were provided with very nice coffee, tea and cake! There were 11 of us to discuss the book Leaving Berlin by Joseph Kanon.

Only 5 had completed the book and it received mixed reviews. Some felt that there were too many characters. It was agreed that the subject of the novel was interesting and that researching the Cold War helped to understand the book.

Those of us who didn't read the book felt it was too difficult to get into. Some felt there was little descriptive writing and maybe too much dialogue. It may have been better to have more of a background into Alex's family life in America at the beginning of the book to create an image.

Joanne recommended 'The North Waters'. Joanne B said she had read 'We Are Liars' from a previous list of books and said she had enjoyed it.

Sue shared a list of 7 choices for our next book and we all agreed on 'The Little Paris Bookshop' by Nina George.

We gave 'Leaving Berlin' 3-4 stars.

Emma offered to choose our list for our next meeting which will be April 7th venue to be decided.

The Nest was a very suitable venue. We ensured all dishes were washed and we left the room as we found it. Hopefully we will be able to use the place again!

February meeting - A Man Called Ove

The February meeting of the Low Fell Book Group was held at The Stone Trough on the 4th and we discussed Fredrik Backman's A Man Called Ove. It's safe to say that this novel was universally enjoyed by the group, even if a few people had reservations to begin with.

As a character, Ove starts out as a cantankerous old man, but as the novel unfolds and the reader gets to know more about his past and his ways, it's almost impossible not to fall for his somewhat unconventional charms. Some members of the group even saw people they know in the idiosyncrasies of Ove, including one person's husband (we better not mention any names here!).

Several people mentioned that Backman's novel reminds them of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - a book that many of us have read outside of the group. This may help to give potential readers an idea of the sort of tale they are embarking on and how it shows lovely character development over time.

5 stars

If you have read A Man Called Ove and would like to share what you thought of it with us, please feel free to leave a comment below.

The next book the group will be discussing is Leaving Berlin by Joseph Kanon. Feel free to read along with us online or join our meeting on February 3rd at The Nest on Durham Road.

Christmas gift ideas for book lovers

Christmas is getting closer and we all know that sometimes the special people in our lives need a nod in the right direction. Here are a few ideas to give them inspiration. Or if you are the present purchaser, some suggestions to help save your skin and get it spot on!

Canvas book bag

There are some great book bags out there, featuring quotes, beautiful artwork and brilliant puns. For us, the funnier the better, like this particular offering from Cafe Press.

Vintage book, tea and stationery subscription set

Nothing goes as well with a good book as a properly brewed cup of tea and all book worms need to be kept in a proper supply. This can easily be arranged with a gift subscription that ensures all of these things are delivered to the book lover in question's door on a monthly basis.

Check out the details here.

Go away I'm reading mug

Every book lover has thought it at some point, but many are far too polite to say: "Go away I'm reading", so let them do it in a fairly passive aggressive way with this wonderful mug. It can be bought at Book-ish.

A special edition of a favourite book

This gift idea requires a little work on the part of the giver, but when executed well is the perfect present. Finding an old edition or a specially-illustration version of a beloved book will certainly put a smile on their face and give them something to treasure forever. It does test how well the giver and receiver know each other, but for those who are confident it can be great.

Anything from the Literary Gift Company

That's right, we don't just love reading books, but we also love talking about them and quoting them and toting a bag telling the world of our passion. Or a mug or a pen... quite literally anything from the Literary Gift Company is likely to go down well with your book-loving friend or other half.

Wicked Witch bookmark

There are some wonderful and creative bookmarks available and it is just a case of matching the right concept to your book lover. It may be one that highlights the exact line they were up to when they fell asleep with a little rubber hand or one that also acts as a reading light. We love this one that depicts the Wicked Witch's legs sticking out of the book as if she's been squashed, complete with adorable red shoes.

It's available from Etsy

Solar Kindle charger

Not all readers would want a Kindle, but those who use them can be pretty evangelical about them. For book lovers who travel a lot, the solar-powered Kindle charger is a great way to get into their good books (get it?!)

Gift vouchers for their favourite bookshop

That way they can buy all of the titles included in the Low Fell Book Group reading list throughout the year without having to splash out a penny of their own money.

Have you spotted any other great gift ideas for book lovers? If so, share them in the comments.

To begin at the beginning...

The inaugural meeting of the Low Fell Book Group was held on November 12th 2015 at the Angeethi restaurant. A group of avid readers got together, ate cake and decided on the club's first book. From a list lovingly put together by Joanne, Learning to Swim by Sara J Henry was chosen.

Anyone who would like to read along with the club is warmly welcomed to do so. The next meeting will be on Thursday December 3rd at the Low Fell Cricket Club at 6.30pm. Those who cannot attend are encouraged to share their thoughts on the book in question on this blog, although NO SPOILERS please.