by Library Admin | 30 Sep 2021 | Cricklereaders, Cricklereaders Read
This month Cricklereaders will be enjoying Paradise by Abdulrazak Gurnah
Born in East Africa, Yusuf has few qualms about the journey he is to make. It never occurs to him to ask why he is accompanying Uncle Aziz or why the trip has been organised so suddenly, and he does not think to ask when he will be returning. But the truth is that his ‘uncle’ is a rich and powerful merchant and Yusuf has been pawned to him to pay his father’s debts. Paradise is a rich tapestry of myth, dreams and Biblical and Koranic tradition, the story of a young boy’s coming of age against the backdrop of an Africa increasingly corrupted by colonialism and violence.
The November group will meet at the library at 1030 on Sunday 21 November. Do join in.
by Library Admin | 5 Sep 2021 | Cricklereaders Read, reading
The book chosen for October’s meeting is Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro. Born in Nagasaki, Japan, in 1954, Kazuo Ishiguro moved to Britain at the age of five. He is a multi-award-winning author, including the Nobel and Booker Prizes. The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go were both made into successful feature films, bringing his work to an even wider audience. Despite his lofty position as a literary author, his works are accessible and very human. Klara and the Sun was described by The Sunday Times as “A masterpiece of great beauty, meticulous control and, as ever, clear, simple prose.”
We will be meeting at the library before this next meeting to view the space and decide collectively whether to hold the next meeting there or continue on Zoom. If you would like to join, please email cricklereaders@cricklewoodlibrary.org.uk.
by Library Admin | 15 May 2021 | Cricklereaders Read
We just finished Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi. Yaa is Ghanaian American, born in Ghana, brought up in the USA. This is her second book.
Most of the group enjoyed the read, and even those who were less enthusiastic still found something to admire in it. It is an easy read – and the short chapters were a definite plus!
It covers many themes, ranging from drug addiction, the challenges of assimilation in a different culture, racism, prejudice, mental health, religion, friendships, neuroscience and “fitting in”. Some thought there were too many strands to the novel and that it attempted too much. Others found lots to enjoy in the exploration of these themes and were encouraged to try the novelist’s first book, Homecoming. Overall, it was a positive, thumbs-up for Transcendent Kingdom.
Most of us got our copies from West End Lane Books, and we thank them for ordering it in for us.
Next month’s read could not be more different. We’re onto Bleak House, by Charles Dickens. It will be a re-read for some, but new to many.
by Admin | 5 Feb 2021 | Cricklereaders News
So exciting! The ten review copies of Hope Nicely’s Lessons for Life have arrived from The Reading Agency!
I thought it would be nice to kick off the book group with a book you might not normally read, and it’s a bonus that it’s free! The publisher asks for reviews once we’ve read it. More details on that shortly.
In the meantime, if you haven’t claimed your free copy yet, drop me a line and I’ll arrange to get it to you. Just a reminder that the information session on the book group will be this Sunday afternoon. See my earlier post for details.
by Admin | 3 Feb 2021 | Cricklereaders News, events
If you’d like to find out more about the Cricklereaders book group and join the first Zoom meeting, do get in touch. It will be some time this coming weekend (either Saturday 13th or Sunday 14th – we’re still working out which day is best for most people.
At this meeting the group members will have the chance to meet one another and set out some groundrules for how the group will work. Once that’s done, the reading can commence!
As an added bonus, I have a free copy of Hope Nicely’s Lesson’s for Life to give you, to kick start your Cricklereaders reading journey!
For a link to the Zoom meeting, please email me!
