Bibliofemme Bookclub An Irish Bookclub

January 12, 2012

The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe

Filed under: Book Reviews,General Fiction — The Techie @ 3:47 pm
bestofeverything
Title: The Best of Everything Author: Rona Jaffe Genre: Classics, Literature Publisher: Penguin Classics

The writer came to stay before Christmas and bereft of good reading material I asked her for some recommendations. The Best of Everything by Rona Jaffe was top of the list she tapped into a note on my iPhone and was the first of her recommendations that I purchased.

First published in 1958 the book is enjoying a second life thanks to the TV show Mad

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January 10, 2012

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Filed under: Bookclub Books,Classics — Femmes @ 3:07 pm
turnofthescrew
Title: The Turn of the Screw Author: Henry James Genre: Classics, Literature Publisher: Bedford/St. Martin's Release Date: 2009-12-29 Pages: 432 Meeting: Friday 18th February 2005

Henry James’ reputation as one of the ‘greats’ of literature is both wide spread and commonly accepted. With two biographical books published recently, Colm Tobin’s The Master and David Lodge’s Author, Author, I felt choosing this novel would be both topical and my first opportunity to enter into the world of James&#8217

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The Mandarins by Simone de Beauvoir

Filed under: Bookclub Books,General Fiction — Femmes @ 3:07 pm
themandarins
Title: Mandarins Author: Simone de Beauvoir Genre: France Publisher: HarperPerennial Release Date: 2005-05 Pages: 736

Meeting: Saturday 22nd October 2005

This is a book that has stayed with me long after I have turned the last page. Although I would be hesitant to recommended it to everyone and at times found the repetitive dialogue tedious, I have come away from this book with a strong insight into post war France.

The Madarins explores the, politics, high emotions

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The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen

Filed under: Bookclub Books,Historical Fiction — Femmes @ 3:07 pm
thecorrections
Title: The Corrections Author: Jonathan Franzen Genre: Avarice Publisher: HarperCollins UK Release Date: 2007 Pages: 653

Meeting: 24th November 2007

I initially set out to find a book that would have us sitting around discussing what life is all about. After some Internet searching, I asked the advice of two of my closest friends, who as luck would have it, are also English graduates. After perusing the reviews of several of their recommendations, I decided Jonathan

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Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Suskind

Filed under: Bookclub Books,General Fiction — The Connoisseur @ 3:07 pm
perfume
Title: Perfume Author: Patrick Süskind Genre: Fiction Publisher: Vintage Books Release Date: 2001 Pages: 255 Meeting: 12th March 2007

Synopsis Survivor, genius, perfumer, killer: this is Jean-Baptiste Grenouille. He is abandoned on the filthy streets of Paris as a child, but grows up to discover he has an extraordinary gift: a sense of smell more powerful than any other human’s. Soon, he is creating the most sublime fragrances in all the city. Yet, there is one

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An Open Swimmer by Tim Winton

Filed under: Bookclub Books,General Fiction — Femmes @ 3:07 pm
openswimmer
Title: An Open Swimmer Author: Tim Winton Genre: General Fiction Publisher: Pan Macmillan Release Date: 2003 Pages: 192 Meeting: Friday 20th May 2005

Tim Winton’s first novel is a classic character study, where not much happens.

To begin with we are presented with Jerra Nilsam, a young man who is desperately searching for some sort of meaning in his life. The novel is based along the Western Australian coastline and revolves around conversations, camping, reflection, fishing, letters, relationships

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On Beauty by Zadie Smith

Filed under: Bookclub Books,General Fiction — Femmes @ 3:07 pm
onbeauty
Title: On Beauty Author: Zadie Smith Genre: Fiction Publisher: Penguin Group USA Release Date: 2006 Pages: 445 Meeting: 17th April 2007

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Memoir by John McGahern

Filed under: Bookclub Books,Irish,Biography — The Historian @ 3:07 pm
memoir
Title: Memoir Author: John McGahern Genre: Biography, Irish Release Date: 2006 Pages: 272 Meeting: 14th December 2006

Sometimes bookclub books are chosen carefully; sometimes they occur by default. Memoir is one of the serendipitous accidents. A last minute trip to the bookshop before the last bookclub resulted me being unable to get seven copies of my book of choice. At the last minute, I saw a stack of Memoir and, as it’s been on my Must Read list since

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The Rum Diary by Hunter S Thompson

Filed under: Bookclub Books,General Fiction — The Techie @ 3:07 pm
rumdiary
Title: The Rum Diary Author: Hunter S. Thompson Genre: Fiction Publisher: Simon and Schuster Release Date: 2011-10-04 Pages: 224 Meeting: 16th November 2006

For the first time in the history of Bibliofemme a bookclub choice was rejected by the Femmes – not this book I hasten to add. Not my proudest moment but in my defence I have a baby now!

The book I chose which shall remain nameless as I do not wish to upset anyone was met with a resounding groan. A panic purchase by me and recommended by the

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Selected Stories by Katherine Mansfield

Filed under: Bookclub Books,General Fiction — The DJ @ 3:07 pm
katherinemansfield
Title: Katherine Mansfield's Selected Stories Author: Katherine Mansfield Genre: Fiction Publisher: W. W. Norton Release Date: 2006 Pages: 430 Meeting: Friday 22nd April 2005

When one of my favourite writers, Virginia Woolf said: “I was jealous of her writing. The only writing I have ever been jealous of”, I couldn’t help my curiosity about Katherine Mansfield. She has long occupied a place on my ‘to read’ list and her weighty reputation rests on her short stories. She never wrote a novel

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