Thank you to everyone who joined us last month to chat about the first four books on our Bexley Book of the Year shortlist. We really enjoyed chatting with you.
This month, we're talking about the other four and we think you'll find them just as interesting. If you've read any of them, let us know what you think. If you haven't had time to read them yet, which one appeals most to you? Have you decided yet which one you'll vote for?
You can find out more about the books and the reactions of our shortlisted authors on Bex-L.
This month's moderator: Sharon
77 comments:
Hello all
Welcome to our March selection - we're really looking forward to your comments.
I read The Ice Cream Girls recently. Some questions to get us started:
Would the girls have been able to hide their injuries from their families so easily?
I warmed to Poppy much more than Serena. I'm not sure why. Did anyone else feel the same?
Sharon
I'm reading The Crimson Rooms at the moment and I liked the writing style from the first page.
Katharine McMahon creates the stifling atmosphere of the home really well. She's also good at highlighting the poignancy of so many wasted young lives during the war. She says of one character - 'He was a beautiful, intact, youngish man, and therefore a rarity indeed.' How on earth did people cope with the horrors of war?
Sharon
I've just started Fear the Worst but already the tension is mounting! From the first line which begins "From the morning of the day I lost her ...." you know something bad is coming. Tim's daughter has just left for work and you want shout at him to tell him not to let her go. I think this is going to be a real page turner, and if its anything like his other books there'll be a good few twists in the plot before we get to the end.
Hi Val
I think Fear the Worst plays on some of our worst fears as parents. Sometimes you'd like to just keep your (adult) kids at home nice and safe and never let them go anywhere! And you know you can't but still...
Sharon
Hi Sharon, I am getting more into the Crimson Rooms now, I'm nearly half way through. I am very much being drawn in by the plot and the characters, but for me the writing is a little bit fussy. There is one point where Evelyn is talking about her time at university and she says that not a woman in her class was untouched by loss, this really beings home, as you say, the number of casualties of the war. It also makes you think about the impact this had on British society in terms of breaking down gender and class barriers, and what society would be like today if the First and Second World wars had not happened.
I can't decide at the moment what my feelings are towards the character of Meredith, and that is down to the way that the author presents her as being quite contradictory. Is she a breath of fresh air, as someone described on an earlier post? Or a threat to the family's money and reputation, out to get what she can from them? Does she have a plan, or is she being herself? It isn't clear, but keeps her as an intriguing character!
Hi Caroline M
Good to see you back for our March discussion!
Like you, I spent the first few chapters wondering whether I trusted Meredith - is she genuine, is she just out for money, is she really the boy's mother? I'm not sure yet, but I love the way she brings life and colour to Evelyn's home - and cake! She points out that everything there is in sepia tones. Evelyn, despite her unconventional job, is still so 'proper' in so many ways. We'll definitely have more to say on all of this!
What do you think of Nicholas Thorne?
Sharon
Really enjoying 'The Crimson Rooms'. Hooked from the first few pages.Love her descriptions that put you right in the place and time.
I will look out for Dorothy Koomson's The Ice Cream Girls as I enjoyed her other book.
i think its a great shortlist the books at Sidcup are flying off the shelves of our display on the quick choice unit.
Hi Sharon
Evelyn's family may be stuffy but for that period after World War I, I thank many older people probably were, clinging to the past, resisting change and seeing that their way of life was disappearing.
The very fact that Evelyn was trying to compete in a man's world would have been frowned upon. Women did work then of course but usually in more feminine situations.
Barb
Hi Lorraine
I'm still enjoying The Crimson Rooms too. I agree - Katharine McMahon is very good at description. The clothes, the food, the different homes - you can picture everything really easily. I can't wait to find out what's going to happen.
Sharon
Hi Janet
I hope you enjoy The Ice Cream Girls - come back and let us know whenever you have time.
Sharon
Hi Sue
I have to agree - it is a great shortlist. It's so good to hear that the books are still flying off the shelves at Sidcup Library. It'll be really interesting to see what happens in the voting, too.
For me, I have two favourites at the moment, but I'm not giving anything away yet.
Sharon
Hi Barb
Welcome back. I was really interested to read your comments. I've been struck while reading this book about how awful it must have been dealing with so much loss, but I hadn't really thought about how difficult it must have been for people having to cope with so much change, too.
One of the things I'm enjoying most is the support Evelyn is getting from some of her male colleagues. Mr Breen's attitude towards her is really touching.
Sharon
Hi Sharon
Yes I agree Mr Breen is supportive to Evelyn and you have to suppose that she wouldn't even be where she is but for him. And of course, there's Nicholas Thorne!
I must say I didn't trust Meredith at first. Like Caroline M I suspected her of having a plan. Having come from Canada and been nursing the wounded, she's seen a bit of life and is more worldly I suppose.
Barb
I'm half way through Fear the Worst and its a real page turner. I know there must be more twists in the plot to come but I've not managed to work them out yet. I'm going to have to finish it this weekend as I just have to find out if they're ever going to see their daughter again.......
I've just started The Crimson Rooms and I was hooked from the start -even though the opening page would normally have turned me off a book straight away. I don't think I've ever read anything set in this period before and I'm finding that interesting but I think I'm going to love the story too.
Hi Barb
Did you trust Nicholas Thorne completely from the start?
I haven't finished the book yet but I can't help being a bit suspicious. He's attractive and appealing but is he too good to be true? I think Katharine McMahon is good at sowing that seed of doubt - we're not quite sure who to trust!
Sharon
Hi Val
Linwood Barclay is definitely really good at getting you hooked and making you want to put other things on hold while you finish the book.
Let us know what you thought of the ending - did it live up to your expectations?
Sharon
Hi Jill
What was it about the opening page that put you off?
I'm really enjoying the three threads - Meredith, the murder case and the mother trying to get her children back. All really interesting.
It's nice to see Evelyn's family taking a bit of an interest in her at last too - the parts where she was describing how unimportant she felt as a daughter compared to her parents' feelings for her brother were quite upsetting.
Sharon
Hi Lisa
Re your comment on our February entry - I don't think I'd have read The Ice Cream Girls either if it hadn't been on the shortlist and I'm glad I did read it.
I'm not sure the cover represents the book well - it makes it look as though it's going to be a lighthearted read, which it isn't at all. Perhaps something on the cover that hinted a bit at mystery would have been better?
Sharon
Hi Sharon, I think you are right about the cover. I liked Serena more for a lot of the book I found Poppy quite a hard person at first but then it's not surprising and in the end I found Poppy's story more heartbreaking and you're right the girls wouldn't have been able to hide those injuries especially as they both had loving families. You'd question it wouldn't you as a parent? I still enjoyed it though.
Am half way through ice cream girls and agree with previous comment about the cover.
Looks more like a chick lit style cover.
Am enjoying the read so far and would recommend this as a book that is easy to read in small chunks as is split into small sections.
I agree with Sharon that Poppy is a more likeable character - maybe as at the moment being half way through I feel she has been unfairly convicted and Serena appears to have got away with
" something" and appears to have a nice easy life.
I'm sure all will become clearer as the plot thickens.
Give it a try!!
Hi Lisa and Hilary
The cover definitely gives the impression that it's going to be a lighthearted, chick lit type read. I wonder why the publishers went for that style of cover rather than something that was more in keeping with the dark subject matter.
I agree that Poppy seemed hard, although I can't imagine how someone copes with serving a long sentence for something they didn't do. I think I felt the same as you, Hilary, about Serena - perhaps I didn't warm to her because in contrast to Poppy she'd had a relatively easy life, although she'd lived with the fear of people finding out she was for years.
Sharon
I finished The Crimson Rooms over the weekend. I stayed up later because I couldn't wait to find out what happened.
I found the ending very satisfying - the end of the Wheeler case was particularly moving. I think you come to a good understanding of all the characters by the end of the book.
And as we were talking about covers above - I really like the cover of this one. It sets the scene perfectly - it's definitely one that would make me want to pick it up to find out more about the book.
I'm now re-reading The Last Weekend.
Sharon
Dear all
Some thoughts on The Ice Cream Girls (and I did enjoy it, so I'm being picky here):
I could understand how the girls were trapped by Marcus once they were under his spell, but I think we needed to see a bit more of his nice, charming side to see why they were so attracted to him.
What did you think of the reaction of Poppy's parents when she came out of prison? Could you understand her father not visiting her at all? I struggled with that.
I found the use of nicknames - Mez, Fez and Sez - grated a bit.
I loved the final scene - really moving.
Lots to talk about...
Sharon
Something that struck me when I was reading The Crimson Rooms (and anything else set around this period). It's hard for us, when we're so used to what can be done with forensic science, to read about people trampling over crime scenes!
Sharon
Hi Sharon,
I've also just finished The Crimson Rooms, and I'm glad I did read it, although it would not have usually been one I would have tried.
For me, the most interesting element of the story was Evelyn's family life including the effects of Meredith's arrival, and also the effect of WW1 and the devastation it caused.
I'm not really a great fan of crime fiction, so the other two plot lines weren't as compelling for me. However, I did find the characters of Stephen and particularly Stella Wheeler to be interesting. It was intriguing to try to piece together what Stella was really like as Evelyn was uncovering more evidence.
Nicholas Thorne was also a fascinating chap! Like Evelyn, I was suspicious of him at first and then found myself won over. I had suspected the gist of the outcome of their relationship but was surprised by the details of it. I think his effect on Evelyn made me find her a much more sympathetic character, and drew me into the story on an emotional level.
Now for something completely different, I'm going to try Generation A next.
Well I've finished reading Fear the Worst . I stayed up late one night in the end as I had to know what happened! The twists in the plot didn't disappoint but without giving too much away I felt the connection between two of the main characters was rather unlikely to have been made as it was. ( You'll know what I mean when you read it!) But this aside it was a great page turner and it kept the tension going to the end.
In The Crimson Rooms, when they visit the home of the Wheelers, Evelyn observes how everything is left in the expectation that they would be back home later and evokes a very real sensation of "how time becomes warped in moments of trauma" as if the world stands still, even though life carries on.
Hi Caroline M & Jill
I think I was most interested by Evelyn's family life too. The small details were really poignant - James's hat still where he'd left it as if he was going to walk back in, his bedroom left as it was and the family unable to move forward.
I think that's why I found Meredith so appealing even when I didn't quite trust her. The effect of her arrival on Prudence is quite revealing, showing how different the family members may have been before the tragedy of the war.
Sharon
Hi Val
I think I'm going to have to re-read Fear the Worst to remind myself of the unlikely connection. It's amazing how much you forget! (Should I be worried after reading Still Alice??)
Sharon
Just finished The Ice Cream Girls and enjoyed it even though I had more or less guessed the ending !!
I found the final sections with Serena and Poppy together quite sad as they had both suffered in very different ways.......
Don't want to give too much away in case others want to read this book . I did find family and friends reactions to the girls hard to take but it must be hard to know how to react faced with such a scenario.
Couldn't put the book down towards the end.
Am now going to give Generation A a try ( even though its from part 1 list )
I've just read the first chapter of The Crimson Rooms and can't wait to read more. I've just reread some of the earlier posts on Bex-Read about this book and I'm intrigued to see how the story develops. I enjoyed her earlier novel The Rose of Sebastopol and I have a feeling this one isn't going to disappoint either.
Hi Hilary
I guessed the ending too, but fairly late.
My reactions were similar to yours. Again, without giving too much away, I wasn't sure why the girls weren't believed. They were young and vulnerable and I thought that would be taken into account to some extent.
Let us know what you think of Generation A - we can chat about all eight of the books here now. It's certainly a contrast to The Ice Cream Girls. I don't think I'd have read either of them if it hadn't been for the shortlist - and I'm glad I did read them.
Sharon
Hi Val
I enjoyed The Crimson Rooms from the first chapter. In fact, I don't think there was anything about it that I didn't like. It was a really good read overall.
I must find time to read The Road of Sebastopol - is that the one about Florence Nightingale?
Sharon
Hi Sharon
I was wary of Nicholas Thorne at first as he was engaged to a well connected girl. Is his engagement just a means to climb the social ladder? There is an attraction between Evelyn and Nicholas from the start and he is obviously taken by her efforts in the courtroom. What do you think?
Hi Barb
I was wary of him too and yet I really wanted to like him. I loved Evelyn's reaction to how he poured the tea - such a sweet detail.
I wasn't sure about his engagement either. It was difficult to tell whether he'd drifted into something because that's what was expected or whether he really had feelings other than friendship for her.
Overall, without giving too much away, I was happy with the outcome. Well, not happy exactly but anyone who's read it will know what I mean, I think.
Sharon
Hello all
I've finished re-reading The Last Weekend and very disturbing it is, too!
Ian is seriously creepy. As we're seeing everything from his point of view, it's difficult to know how deluded he is. I found it very difficult to feel any sympathy for him, though, and tended to believe the others.
Re the bet between Ollie and Ian - you just want to bang their heads together!
Anyone else reading this at the moment?
Sharon
Hello all
Keep the comments coming on the Book of the Year shortlist, but I thought it would be good to throw open the conversation to include anything else we're reading.
I've just finished Brixton Beach by Roma Tearne - what a beautiful book. Set in Ceylon (as it was) during a time of political upheaval, it's the story of nine year old Alice Fonseka and her extended family. She moves to London with her parents to escape the violence and struggles to cope with such a huge change - from her grandfather's idyllic seaside home to cold, grey London.
The book is so beautifully written and full of appealing characters - I'd highly recommend it.
I'd love to hear what you're reading.
Sharon
I'm in the middle of My Last Duchess by Daisy Goodwin. My future mother-in-law read it and then gave it to me.
Set in the 1890s, it's about an American heiress, Cora, who marries an English duke... I have to admit that to start with I really wasn't sure about it - there are a couple of incidents which seem quite far-fetched, however I'm now about halfway through and quite a sinister undercurrent has started to emerge. I'm intrigued to find out where it will go - particularly as I know the Robert Browning poem on which the title is based, and that definitely doesn't have a happy ending.
Has anyone else read it? I'd be interested to hear other opinions - although I'm having fun guessing the ending so don't let me know what happens just yet!
Hi Rachel
My reading group at North Heath Library will be reading a selection from the TV Book Club next month - we'll let you know what we think of My Last Duchess.
I started To Kill a Mockingbird over the weekend. I read it years ago when I was at school. It really deserves its place as a 'classic'. It's just so good. I could easily have spent the whole weekend reading it.
Sharon
Hi Sharon
I do know what you mean about the ending of The Crimson Rooms. I think it would be good if Katharine McMahon wrote a sequel, with Evelyn taking on more cases and tying up the loose ends.
Barb
Hi
I have just finished The Hand That First Held Mine and i enjoyed it. I wasn't sure when i first started and you were skipping from the earlier story to present day although it all tied in at the end. I found it quite sad in places I don't want to give too much away and spoil it for others.
Not on the list but i am now reading Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella for some light reading and it is just that, funny and enjoyable. I think i prefer her stand alone novels to the Shopaholic series.
Does anyone else have thoughts on this
Hi Barb,
I think a sequel to The Crimson Rooms would be great, I'd love to see how Evelyn's life develops personally and professionally, and what happens with Meredith and Edward. I would definitely read it!
Hi Sharon
I've recently finished reading Brixton Beach and I really liked it the characters were all great even the horrible ones, wasn't Alice's dad horrible? Although it was a lovely book and beautifully written it was so sad I was almost getting angry with it towards the end thinking for goodness sake some happiness please, I would recommend it though and it did make me want to find out more about Ceylon.
Hi Sharon
At the moment I'm reading The whisperer's by John Conolly, it's the latest of his Charlie Parker series which I have been steadily working my way through over the last year or so. Charlie Parker is a great character a private detective that of course is "messed up" like fictional detectives always are but Charlie is a bit different making the books have a slightly supernatural feel to them but John Conolly does it in such a subtle way that somehow it never seems unbelievable. Charlie has a great group of sidekicks from the criminal fraternity that help him with his work, they are all mad, bad and often very funny. John Conolly really fleshes his characters out and makes them all seem very real making this a great series I would recommend them to anyone who likes good writing, good crime and a bit of spookiness.
Hi Sharon,
I read To Kill A Mockingbird at school too, in fact we studied it for GCSE so we spent quite a few months analysing it. Because we spent so long on it, it really got under my skin and I still remember how powerful it was. We also read Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry by Mildred Taylor at the same time,which has also stayed with me, have you read it?
At the moment, I am reading "The Missing Boy" by Rachel Billington. I have never read any of her books but this one caught my eye on the Quick Choice unit. It's about a 13 year old boy called Dan who runs away from home and how both he and his family cope with what happens next. His parents are middle-class, a drama teacher and a rep for a publishing company, and they seem to have a fairly normal home life, but an incident involving another boy at his school seems to be involved in his running away.
I'm about half way though, and although at the beginning there are quite a few chapters written from Dan's perspective, the author now seems to be leaving us as much in the dark as Dan's parents.
I like the way the book explores the themes of freedom and responsibility, and Dan's struggles with being on the borderline of childhood and adolescence. His parents are both interesting characters, with their flaws and character weaknesses, and his aunt is quite intriguing, a prison officer in a mens' prison.
I'm really enjoying the book, it's one that stays with you when you have to put it down and makes you eager to get back to it to see what happens next - definitely a recommendation. However, it is one that I might feel differently about if I had children - a bit like "We Need to Talk About Kevin" by Lionel Shriver.
Has anyone else read anything by Rachel Billington?
I'd love to read a sequel to The Crimson Rooms too! The characters were so appealing you just wanted more. And it would definitely be interesting to find out how Evelyn developed. Would she gain in confidence with each new case, do you think?
Sharon
Apologies, John Connolly is spelt with 2 N's.
Ros - did you like both stories in The Hand That First Held Mine? I liked the present day story but loved the Lexie story.
I haven't read any Sophie Kinsella yet - must add her to my list.
Sharon
I know what you mean about Brixton Beach, Lisa - I was so desperate for Alice to be happy. Her dad was awful - so cold and unfeeling and so selfish.
It's a great book for reading groups - so much to talk about. The saddest part for me, I think, was Bee trying to cope with losing Alice after she moved to London - letters just weren't enough to keep their relationship going.
Reading this book made me realise how little I know about Sri Lanka.
Sharon
Lisa - where does John Connolly fit on the 'nice to nasty' scale - you know how squeamish I am!
Sharon
Hi Caroline
One of the things I love about To Kill a Mockingbird is that some of the humour is so subtle it's easy to miss if you're reading quickly. And the relationship between Atticus and his children is so beautiful.
I haven't even heard of Roll of Thunder, Hear Me Cry - what a great title, though.
We Need to Talk About Kevin is one of the books I read with North Heath Reading Group - it had such an impact on us that we were still talking about it months later.
Sharon
Hi Rachel
I read My last Duchess about a month ago and I thought it was lovely, yes maybe some bits are a little far fetched but I think the snobbery between old and new money is spot on. I loved the description of Cora's dresses, so luxurious I felt I could reach out and touch the material! A lovely romantic read just right for a bit of girly indulgence!!
Hi Sharon
I'd say John Connolly is towards the nastier end of the scale becuase the content is often quite violent and gory and some of the themes are not pleasant but there is an element of humour running through them which kind of balances them out, I know that sounds weird and they are definitely not "comedy crimes" but the banter between the characters often lifts the story out of some very dark places.
Changing the subject, To kill a mockingbird is I think one of the best books ever written and everyone should own a copy.
Hi Lisa,
I've just got the bit where Cora has arrived at the London house and Charlotte has paid a visit - I can't work out what's going on there considering that Charlotte was so cold to Cora at the beginning of the book... definitely keeping me guessing.
I like the way the author flips between the upper classes and the servants too. And as you say, the descriptions of all the luxury above stairs are simply gorgeous!
By the way, I also agree about a sequel to The Crimson Rooms, perhaps set a decade or so later reflecting the changes in society...
Lisa - I think I might have to give John Connolly a miss. I can't cope with violent and gory at all, even if there is some humour. I'm such a coward!
Sharon
Rachel - a sequel set a decade later? What a fascinating idea. It would be so interesting to see how much had changed. What would Meredith have been up to in all that time, I wonder?
Sharon
It's interesting to read so many comments about a sequel to The Crimson Rooms. I'm still reading it but one of the aspects I'm really enjoying is the portrayal of Evelyn's working life.
Has anybody read any novels about [or including] evacuees? Suggestions welcome please.
Hi Jill
Part of the story of The distant hours by Kate Morton is about evacuees.
Thank you, Lisa , I've looked that up and it sounds an interesting story worth a try. There don't seem to be many novels with that specific theme - I've only thought of two children's books so far.
Re Evacuees?
Well, I`m sure everyone knows about ‘Goodnight Mr Tom’…
I`ve never read the book, but the TV version nearly made me blub…
Jill - How about Carrie's War (a children's book). I remember that being made into a series when I was at school - it was well done from what I remember.
Sharon
I'm reading my first Philippa Gregory... The Red Queen.
Not really my thing and I don't think I'll read any more of hers. It's a shame because I'm fascinated by this period of history (after reading CJ Sansom's Shardlake series).
The big problem with The Red Queen is that the main character is so unlikeable and as it's mostly in the first person, I just find myself getting really angry as I read! She's constantly telling us how special she is, but we don't see any evidence of it.
I can't help comparing it to Wolf Hall which I loved. Hilary Mantel did a fantastic job of making Thomas Cromwell human - among all the awful things he did, she manages to give him a vulnerable side.
I know Philippa Gregory is really popular - any fans out there and what do you enjoy about her writing?
Sharon
Thank you Will and Sharon - they were the two titles I knew but I'm pleased to see that there isn't a rush of suggestions I hadn't known about. It's surprising there aren't more, given how popular the Second World War is for both novels and non-fiction books. It seems to be a topic for memoirs rather than novels.
Hi Jill
I've just done a search on Bex-L and come up with the following (mostly sagas):
Orphans of War by Leah Fleming
The Very Thought of You by Rosie Allison
The Mystery Writer by Jessica Mann
Bright Day, Dark Night by Mary Jane Staples
A Cornish Maid by Rachel Moore
Five Boys by Mick Jackson
Broken Journey by Janet Woods
Lachlan's War by Michael Cannon
Hope that helps
Sharon
Hi Sharon
I too preferred the characters of Lexie and Innes.
I have read some Philippa Gregory I enjoyed The Other Boleyn Girl and I have also read The Little House which was recently made into a mini series and shown on TV. I don't know if you would like it as it is a bit creepy.
So far i think my favourite of the reads has bee The Crimson Rooms. I loved this book and i would also like to see a sequel.
Loved Twenties Girl something nice and fun to readpicil
Hi all
At last I'm reading The crimson rooms, only 5 chapters in so far but I really like Evelyn and like everyone else has commented I'm not sure about Meredith. Sharon how can you say you're not enjoying Philippa Gregory I'm disappointed in you, yes Margaret is annoying believing that she is so special and this trilogy, starting with The white queen is not among Philippa Gregory's best I agree, perhaps you should have started with one of her earlier ones The other Boelyn girl maybe, that really highlights how these well born women were used as political pawns to advance their families, it's quite heartbreaking really how young those girls were.
Hi Ros
Good to see you back. My reading group suggested The Other Boleyn Girl too - I may give it a try sometime.
I really enjoyed The Crimson Rooms - I must try another of her books. Next on my list is Trespass by Rose Tremain - I really enjoyed The Road Home, so I'm looking forward to this one.
Sharon
Hi Lisa
It definitely sounds as though I haven't chosen the best Philippa Gregory! Maybe I'd have enjoyed it more if it had been written from someone else's point of view.
I was shocked by young girls being forced into marriage and having babies at such a young age, I must admit.
Sharon
I've read a few more chapters of The crimson rooms and Evelyn is talking about her days at university and it struck me how much women of today have to thank the Miss Gifford's for. We all now take for granted that women can do any job but it wasn't really that long ago that things were very different although it is quite sad to note that in some ways (jobs) we have come a long way but in others (families) we have more or less stood still. Evelyn says how her lecturer gives a speech congratulating the students on the fact that they have qualified and can work alongside men as lawyers etc. but tells them not to expect to marry. On the news one morning this week there was a short interview with the business woman of the year who admitted that she didn't have children, so how far forward have we really come?
Hi Lisa
Too true - it's still very difficult for women to balance work and family life. I didn't go back to work full time until my youngest son was 15 but I still feel guilty about not being there when he got home from school!
Sharon
I've just finished reading 'Down among the dead men' By Michelle Williams.
It's a facinating true story about a year in the life of a morgue technican, the bodies and relatives that come through the morgue and the staff that work there.
I recommend this book highly, but it is a bit graphic in places.
Hi Rachel
Reporting back from North Heath Reading Group about My Last Duchess by Daisy Goodwin. It went down very well, apart from the 'Mills & Boon' ending which wasn't appreciated. There was some (perhaps slightly cruel) laughter about the dress that lit up to attract admirers but unfortunately burst into flames...
We read a selection from the TV Book Club and it was a real mixed bag. Does anyone know how they choose the books?
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