Stewartsreadingcircle's Blog

I have chosen this book to compliment the Irish Women writers and The big House Series we are running during May and June in The Coach House.

Terrence Dooley will kick start the series on the 2nd May at 7.30pm with a talk on Significant dates in the history of The Big House so that we have a good overview of the period these books were written. From then, Roslyn Hickey will pick up the book studies:

9th May Castle Rackrent by Maria Edgeworth

23rd May The Real Charlotte by Somerville and Ross

6th June The Last September by Elizabeth Bowen

20th June Good Behaviour by Mollie Keane

Our club will attend the 23rd May session at 7pm to discuss The real Charlotte 

Christine , who hails from Palmerstown, won the Short Story competition in last years Irish Book Awards with “Back to Bones” joined us for a most interesting and entertaining afternoon. The book club invited the Mill Lane Writers along to listen to the experienced voice of a well established writer. Also, we were also treated to a reading from her new book which will be published next year.  Best wishes to Christine on the new book and thanks for an enjoyable couple of hours from all our readers and writers.

“….an elegant and haunting novel of war, art and memory…it’s beauty never comes to rest.” Boyd Tonkin, The Independent. Tan Twan Eng was born in Malaysia. His debut novel, The Gift of Rain, was longlisted for The Man Booker in 2007.  This is his second novel which made it’s way to the shortlist in 2012.

It’s been 16 years since Bernard MacLaverty  last published a novel. With his new book, The Midwinter break,  he won the Easons Book Club Novel of the year at the Bord Gais Energy 2017 Book Awards.  This book dissects the long standing marriage of a mature couple on a trip to Amsterdam. It may lead to an interesting discussion on the 6th February

Margaret Atwood has been going through a bit of a revival with some of her earlier books having hit the screen in recent months…The Handmaids Tale and Alias Grace. Perhaps this one will be next. The Blind Assassin won the Booker in 2000. Happy reading over Christmas. We will reconvene on Tuesday 2nd January at 5pm for a special Nollaig na mBan meeting ……

As a tribute to the writer JP Donleavey who died in September 2017,  we will read his controversial book published and banned in the 1950’s.  Will it stand the test of time? Meeting at 5pm on Tuesday 5th December

“Once a year on All Souls Day, it is said the dead may return. Solar Bones is the story of one such visit home”

This book was long listed for 2017 Man Booker Prize and the winner of the Goldsmith prize as well as being the winner of the Bord Gais Energy Book awards Book of the year. We meet at the earlier than usual time of 4pm on Tuesday  7th November to discuss Solar Bones .

Our next meeting is on 3rd October at 5pm in the library.

“This is a story about right and wrong and how they sometimes look the same…….”

This biographical novel on the life of Roger Casement is our book for the Summer.  We chose it to compliment an upcoming talk in the Coach House. Angus Mitchell, an expert historian on Casement,  will speak at our local History and Heritage event on 14th September this year,

‘O! Woman of the Endless Labours’: Roger Casement’s letters to Alice Stopford Green (1904-1916). Talk by Angus Mitchell.

“Mario Vargas Llosa’s semi-fictionalised account of Casement’s life portrays a heroic, if ultimately tragic champion of oppressed peoples…Absorbing.” Sunday Telegraph.

Note the change of venue for our last meeting before the Summer break.

“it was a beautiful, breezy, yellow-and- green afternoon……”

See you all there