The book group meet at 10am at The Riverside coffee shop on the 2nd Wednesday of the month. We are limited to 12. If interested in joining please contact Pauline to go on the waiting list.

Members put forward recommended books or authors and then I investigate the number of copies available from the library. For most of us the library provides the books, whilst a few rather read on their kindles. I cannot believe that over the last 5+ years the library has provided us with 691 copies of books- thank you Herne Bay library.

What have we read in the last year well a rather motley selection of books from Crime to fantasy including a classic and 2 non-fiction books. It is interesting that whilst crime fiction tends to be our favourite genre 3 renowned authors, Ann Cleeves, Harlan Coben and Agatha Christie scored low with 4.5/10, 4.8/10 and 6.7/10 respectively. Similarly our classic To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf scored 2/10

Our top scorers

The Penguin Lessons by Tom Michell 9/10

During the 1970’s a young English teacher working in Argentina adopts a penguin. Yes this is a true story and was released as a film starring Steve Coogan. I usually find that films of books often don’t match this one does and both are joyful humorous whilst set against a very turbulent time in Argentina.

All the Broken Places by John Boyne 9.7/10

Is a sequal to By in the Stripped Pyjamas. The story follows an elderly German woman, Gretel, living in London.Gretel and her mother escape Germany after the war using false identities to hide behind -Her father Raif had been executed. There are so many twists and turns in this book I really don’t want to say anything else other than READ IT.

Us Three by Ruth Jones 8/10

Ruth Jones is well known as the co-creator and star og Gavin and Stacy. This is a heart warming read that became a Sunday Times bestseller and was one of the Richard and Judy reads. In a nut shell it is about the power of friendship – joyful and I will certainly read more of her books.