2026-July - The Pavilion in the Clouds - Alexander McCall Smith

 Anybody who has read previous books by McCall Smith wouldn't think this book would get much discussion at the book group.

I found it slow to get started because it was about a young girl talking to her dolls, then there was some intrigue to liven it up, and the last section 11 years later did a nice roundup of the story and everything ended happily ever after. Some of the thoughts  expressed by the adult women were far ahead of their time, little anticipating that the war would bring women into the workforce and able to express themselves more. Was it convenient that Bella's parents died in an air raid? 

Here are one set of comments from a reader who left the group some time ago but is now reading them alongside us:

DW: I was surprised when I read this book , I was expecting 'froth'  but it was an in-depth and thought provoking book. I liked the character of Virginia as she had original idea's,not only about her situation but about education, her thoughts on the empire and people her husband employed on the tea plantion. If the other wives on the same situation thought about these things we don't know as they never discussed them, only frivolous gossip. Once when Virginia raised a controversial thought she was accused of having suffragette thoughts. Henry her husband was having an affair, not with miss white as she and her young daughter Bella thought, but with her best friend heather . Heather councelled Virginia on her marriage this led to heather manipulation the situation for her own benefit . The relationship with miss white the governess was a game of one up manship, perhaps she did it to make herself important as it appeared she had little future being plain, clever and older. The situation was that to be a governess, not a servant but not accepted in upper society. She felt superior because of Virginia's lack of formal education. As for Bella , Virginia's young daughter, a lonely little girl of 8 far wiser than her years , clever but susceptible to fanciful ideas. Her only friends were 'Li Po and Po-Chai dolls, who were essential to her and she used them for council. She kept them while at university and beyond. Hope this is ok, left out the broken barrier and snake episode red herring's,not really what the book was about.  

Mark 6

2026- June- Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton

I found this book a bit slow to get into, and then got to the part where it is almost like an american novel with an American Super-rich superhero and his eccentric way of doing things. 

I moved on and now am at the part where Tony is lecturing and it comes across like a story by Ayn Rand.  

I am glad I kept on. It's a real conspiracy story with a powerful ending. 

A good discussion on the book and it's people and their reasons. 

it was commented that it was patchy, which considering the way it was written with the thoughts of the people and the action sort of works. 

Marks varied from 4 to 10 average 6. 

Would I read another of hers? response a bit iffy. Wait and see what it is like. 

2026-May The Three Graces

 H:  i enjoyed the writing style, nice development of characters but by page 100 the story line didn't seem to be going anywhere and I lost interest so didn't finish it.

Interesting. For me just after page 100 things started to happen.  I liked some of the philosophical arguments and also some of the discussions about current affairs.  There are some great sentences that embody the state of something that I wish I had recorded. She gets in most of the things that are in current (2026) news. And it all ties together at the end for a sort of happily ever after ending. I enjoyed it. 

MArks 7,7,7,7,7,5, so average about 7. 

2026-April Old God's Time - Sebastian Barry

 This is a book about a retired Detective called back to review a cold case that he was involved in, but I found the book very slow, as he kept on thinking about his family and his life without getting anywhere, or described in too great detail small trips.

At the end I don't think that he got into the cold case. There were episodes where you thought he was doing something, but it was all a dream. I couldn't recommend this book for somebody who wants something to happen. It takes place in Ireland in the middle of the 20th Century and involves boys and girls in convent accommodation, which can mean that nasty things happen.  

My mark- Perhaps 2.  

Quite Mixed thoughts.

Would we recommend it?  Don't know. 

It was described as a beautifully written load of tosh. 

It was well written with a good literary style, but too graphic in places, and the stream of consciousness writing meant that some of our better readers skipped the middle of the SoC parts. 

MArks: 5,8,8,6, and my 2:  = 6. 

It lead to a discussion of what was a good book: 

It has to have an excellent story and be well written, and you have to feel glad that you have read it when you have finished it. 

2026 March - Shakespeare, the Man who pays the Rent by Judi Dench

A most enjoyable read, with Judi discussing her experiences  in a number of plays, prompted by Brendan O'Hea.  It was created over a period of four years. 

I enjoyed learning about how things came together in the plays, and getting a better feeling for the plots in the plays. 

The question and answer format worked well, as did the short chapters for each play or other effect.  It made the plays accessible to we readers. Also the different styles in the responses a la Shakespeare.

We all opened the book with pleasure and will think differently about Shakespeare productions in the future. 

F Lived near Stratford and knew the town, but had never been to the theatre there.

Marks  9,9,8,8,8,8, == Average 8 - Pretty good. 

2026 February - Abroad in Japan by Chris Broad

 I find the writing a bit schoolboyish, and even some of his mindset. And he seems to have undertaken this without much preparation. 

2026 - January Just got Real by Jane Fallon

After the previous book this one just doesn't do anything for me. I have read the first chapter and I'm bored with it. 

I'll have to try and will write more later. Read about 3 more pages and going to go back to a good book. 

I read a bit more, and then jumped the middle third of the book, and the last bit was quite good and fun to read. It ended  on a feel good  for the people the book was about, but the bad guy ended up still scheming. 

PR:I haven't finished Just Got Real yet, but I will.  I would describe it as a reluctant page-turner.  It's a bit like cheap chocolate, I don't really enjoy it very much but I keep on eating it.  Characters are a bit weak, story line is OK but predictable.  I'd say 6.5, entertaining but not very good !

FW: I managed 65 pages of it, Peter, then returned it...

Sorry  I couldn't face any more and didn't get to one hundred...

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There were comments about it being a bit over elaborate in order to create the story, and questioning whether you can do facial recognition on a phone if the owner is asleep. 

Marks 8 8 7 7 4 5 = 6 1/2