Book Club: Sunday 9th October 2011 at 7pm @ The Old Dairy. Discussing 'Solar' by Ian McEwan.

Jenny

Sorry for not making it last time- glad of the re-schedule. Look forward to Sun - I am 3/4 of way through book amd will aim to finish it!

sophie

i hope to come too!

Charlo

I'm not going to be able to come after all because I'm ill. Hope you have a good discussion and hope to make it to the next one!

sophie

we're in the front room of the dairy!

Donna

sorry i didn't make it, hope all went well

Charlo

How did the meeting go on Sunday? What is our next book going to be?

Jenny

Hi
Last book club was good. Sophie and I were there along with Doug and krappyrubsnif.
We discussed reading an Italian crime thriller next time. Krappy - could you remind us of the author and title? Thanks

krappyrubsnif

I have done some sleuthing and discovered that all the Inspector Montalbano crime thrillers by Andrea Camilleri are widely available in translation in paperback (£7.99 in Waterstones or from £4.32 on Amazon - copies also for free at Haringey and Islington libraries).

So how about The Patience of the Spider, by Andrea Camilleri which seems to be the best known. It would make a change from Scandinavian noir.

Support Waterstones! I just bought four hardback books at 99p each from the Covent Garden branch and made a saving of £57.30. proper bookshop.

andy

Dunno about 'support waterstones'. On one hand, it's now run by the bloke from Daunts, so he'll give it a good go. On the other, it's another big vanity business now owned by a nutcase russian oligarch, so not a cause i'm naturally inclined to 'support' over and above anything else.

miss annie

I really don't understand the anti Waterstones sentiments in the press and from the public. If Amazon had a physical presence on the high street, people would be up in arms about the fact that they make it their business to undercut everyone and carry loss leaders to make sure that they divert trade away from other retailers - not just on books. They are really just a cheap supermarket. Your local bookshop can provide you with a chat with booksellers who know their a lot about any number of subjects, a comfy chair to sit and browse in and an ordering service that is (now) as fast as Amazon. I have to declare an interest as I currently work for a local Waterstones which has been changed out of all recognition since the takeover, much to the delight of customers and staff. Yes, Mr Mamut is a billionaire but he is also a total bibliophile, as many Russians are and knows his literary stuff.

andy

I'm not anti-Waterstones. I hope that Mr Daunt can turn it into something a bit more like Daunts (which along with Stanford and Foyles I love) and a bit less like WHSmith. It's good that the staff are happier. But I'll make an effort for people and businesses where my extra attention might make a difference, and these tend to be independent businesses. It would be a bit odd to make an effort to 'support' your local Tesco. Waterstones is now a billionaire's plaything, so it goes at the Tesco end of the scale rather than the Vitor the hairdresser end. That's all.

krappyrubsnif

The latest suggestion is to go for the first of the Inspector Montalbano books, The Shape of Water, and to hold the book club meeting mid week in a few weeks time, say about Nov 17th. I forgot to mention that all the Montalbano books are on Kindle too for about £4. Any thoughts Jenny, or anyone else?

sophie

thanks krappy, do you want to start a new discussion thread about it or shall i? i think we have spent a lot of time in the past trying to find a day which everyone can make, but then other things pop up in between and it never works out anyway, SO either you can just dictate the date (the 17th works for me too..) or we could attempt using a site like [doodle](http://doodle.com/) which is very simple - we could leave it open for a few days then pick the date with the best fit.

Charlo

I can make 17th too.