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South Solihull

Category: Book Club 2

Posts for the Book Club 2 Group

  • ‘Demon Copperhead’ by barbara Kingsolver

    Reviews divided the group. Modern version of David Copperfield. "The wonder is you could start with nothing and end with nothing and lose so much in-between". Read more

  • ‘Precipice’ by Robert Harris

    Well received. Harris' style combining fact with fiction increased understanding of the start of WW1. The number of letters exchanged was astonishing, so was the Post Office service. Read more

  • ‘Us’ by David Nicholls

    Scientists' struggle to save his marriage and relationship with his teenage son via a Grand Tour of Europe. Hilarious in parts, sad in others. Good read for a rainy February. Read more

  • ‘Guilty by Definition’ by Susie Dent

    Debut novel from the Countdown word expert.  A group of lexicographers solve word puzzles to find a murderer.  A good read, however less use of obscure words would have been an improvement. Read more

  • 2025 Annual Review

    Overall book choice winner: ‘Shuggie Bain’ by Douglas Stuart.  This book was a clear winner out of the eleven books chosen in 2025. Read more

  • ‘Shuggie Bain’ by Douglas Stuart

    Booker Prize winner 2020. Beautifully written.  A hard read but a great story.  The impact of poverty and alcohol addiction on a family in Glasgow during the Thatcher years. Read more

  • ‘A Single Source’ by Peter Hanington

    We liked the book and felt that the writing style was pacey and gritty.  The book had a complex plot, involving three separate storylines which only converged towards the end. Read more

  • ‘The Figurine’ by Victoria Hislop

    We all thought that the book was easy to read despite being over 500 pages long, and more suitable for reading whilst lounging on a beach. Read more

  • ‘And So I Roar’ by Abi Dare

    A sequel to ‘The Girl with a Louding Voice’ read last year, resuming Adunni and Tia's story.  Exploring further rural and city life in Nigeria; tribal customs and beliefs, education, equality and the role of women.  Also difficult themes of child marriage, FGM and rape are all discussed. Read more

  • ‘Orbital’ by Samantha Harvey

    We felt this complex book was very well written with some beautiful and poetic prose but maybe lacked a ‘storyline’ so becoming a bit repetitive. A fascinating insight into an alien world and well worthy of its Booker prize. Read more