In MARCH our ever growing band of happy book readers chose to focus on an author,
Rachel Joyce.

Rachel is a British writer who has written over 20 plays for BBC Radio plus major classical adaptations for TV. Her debut novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, became an international best seller and was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize plus the Man Booker Prize in 2012. A lively discussion filled with many insightful comments and thoughtful expressions of ideas resulted in a very enjoyable meeting.

The following group all read THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY.

JUDY De - thoroughly enjoys the work of the author. She felt the pilgrimage of Harold (walking hundreds of miles to Scotland) gave him a purpose in life ie to get to see his friend to say both 'sorry' and 'thank you'.

SHEILA - was initially annoyed by the storyline and wondered was it was all about. As she continued reading she realised the characters, behaving in very peculiar ways, all were extremely depressed and had mental health issues. The book then made sense to her and Sheila thought it was a well constructed story.

ED - thought the relationship between Harold and his wife and son was terrible. Even the pilgrimage to see his friend, Queenie, revealed another unhappy connection.

ROSEMARY - saw Harold and his wife as 'empty nesters' who now felt they had no purpose in life. Just what life is like for some people.

CLAURENE - read 165 pages then gave up as she was bored.

JOAN - said the story showed the routineness and predictability of life. Harold found a purpose, something that was lacking in his circumstances. The pilgrimage gave him a freedom that he didn't have in his 'beige' life. It was a sad but very worthwhile read.

JUDY (our newest Judy) - listened to an audio reading of the book, the voice of Jim Broadbent bringing to life the story. The heartache and loneliness of Harold was so apparent in the reading. The experience was very enjoyable.

ANNE - didn't finish the story but intends to. She enjoyed what she had read and thought it well written. Anne liked the gentle humour and the eccentricity of the characters.

JAYNE - was half way through by the time of our meeting. She usually likes fiction that is very visual but this book really grabbed her attention. She could relate to the long walks, the way the mind wanders and overcomes sore feet, blisters etc. She liked the way, on the journey, the various characters appeared just at the right time to help and support Harold. Jayne found the novel fascinating.

DIANE - travelled, mentally, to many of the places as Harold passed through them. She liked the song by John Bunyan and 'sang' along. Whilst a depressing storyline, she became passionate about Harold's issues and thought the descriptions very real.

PAULINE - declared it was soapy, unbelievable and ridiculous! (our group really does enjoy diverse opinions.) How could a man walk 500 miles, in only the clothes he left home in, be joined by a series of misfits only to say goodbye to an old friend. Definitely not the type of book Pauline enjoys.

BEV - felt there has been a dearth of books about people going on long walks or pilgrimages eg Bill Bryson and meeting characters along the way. To her the book was bland, repetitive and not worth it.

PRU - didn't even open the book.

JUDY J - enjoyed the book very much. She thought Harold was walking away from all his problems and liked the journey.

JUDY G - was unsure why other people were brought into the walk, it confused her. However Harold had a reason for walking plus a definite destination so she didn't mind the book.

The next group all read PERFECT.

KRIS - Thought the story, filled with eccentric people was poignant. It explored class structure, loneliness, anxieties, friendships and timeless issues about life. She found it fascinating.

WENDY -  enjoyed the story. She liked how the relationships were slowly revealed, how the mother kept doing what (her husband and society) expected of her but gradually unravelled. The surface life of the family was beautiful but underneath there was a very unpleasant underbelly.

JO - said the book was both funny and sad. It interested her and she liked the twist at the end.

LAURA - loved the story and the writing style. The setting on the Moors was descriptive and enhanced the story. It was not a plot driven book but rather character driven filled with anxious people. An uncomfortable story but very worth while.

LESLEY - kept wondering why 2 parallel stories were being told with no clear link between them. Eventually, with an interesting twist at the end, the book made sense but was glad there was a twist or else it would have been quite a tedious read. There was a sadness as the mother slowly declined, not being able to keep up the charade of having a perfect family and life. The 2 young boys - both with emotions and thoughts they couldn't control made her wonder how life eventually would treat them.

The 3rd group read - THE LOVE SONG OF MISS QUEENIE HENNESSY.

TAM - felt she should have read The Pilgrimage of Harold Fry first so she could better understand the relationship between Harold (and his background) and Queenie. Queenie, at the end of her life battling terminal cancer, had loved Harold, never told him and felt guilt about this. She had however become involved in Harold's son life and that gave her some comfort. The other characters in the nursing home were all so excited that Harold was on his way to see Queenie that it gave them a reason to struggle on. Tam saw an analogy with the jig saw puzzle in the story. She thought it represented all the pieces of her life slowly being put together as her health declined.

JULIA - didn't say much about the book.

DENISE - said the characters in the hospice gave the story colour and humanity, whereas Harold Fry was bland with a seemingly inconsequential life.  At least his visit to Queenie achieved something.

PAMELA - was reading War and Peace so definitely found no time for Rachel Joyce.

PAT - confused her reading list and so read an autobiography - I AM PIGMY by Isaac Bacirongo. A true account of a man, from the Congo, who wanted to better himself. Isaac came from a pigmy tribe and was born into very humble beginnings. With great drive and resourcefulness he managed to educate himself, leave his homeland and succeed in todays world. Pat found it amazing what he has been able to achieve and that his story is still so current in todays world.

Lesley

FEBRUARY: Ghost Stories

ROSEMARY: A Sudden Light by Garth Stein

The story is set in 1990 and told by 14 year old Trevor who is trying to save his parent's marriage. He and his father move into the old family home Riddell House. It is the ghosts who also occupy the house who reveal many family secrets.

Rosemary commented that there was not too much ghostly activity and would describe it more as a family saga. There were enough twists and turns and a satisfying ending; an enjoyable read.

ED: Ghosts a la Mode (Ghosts of Granny Apples Mystery 1) Sue Jaffarian

Granny is noted for her apple pies and had wrongly been accused of the murder of her husband.

When her great great grand daughter Emma Whitecastle joins in a séance, she teams up with her to prove her innocence and solve other murders. The story involves gold, land grabs, family rivalry and characters alive and dead.

 Ed described it as an easy read it was “all right”.

PAULINE: The Small Hand by Susan Hill

Published in 2010 and narrated by Adam Snow a dealer in old books who stumbles across an abandoned house. It is in disrepair with an overgrown garden and while inside he feels the presence of a small child’s hand with his own.

This leads to other incidents, nightmares and panic attacks as he tries to unravel the mystery. Pauline described it as easy and fun to read.

KRIS: Mozart’s Ghost by Julie Cameron

Anna is 30+ and lives in New York. She is a median that reunites loved one but keeps this a secret. Edward is a classical pianist who moves into the building and eventually they fall in love.

The ghost who comes into her life is Mozart.

Kris described it as a light book, a lovely easy read.

PAMELA: The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Although only 120 pages this is certainly not a ‘quick read’.

A young governess is employed to look after 2 small children and is given absolute control of them. The ghost of a former valet (a rather unsavoury character) and a former governess haunt the place. Both had had a lot to do with the children and not always in their best interests. A creepy setting with creepier children.

The story was originally published in 12 weekly episodes with a hook at the end of each one.

Pamela described it as a creepy story with many ambiguous twists and turns and critics still argue who is responsible, what happens and why! 

 

SHEILA: The Beginner’s Goodbye by Anne Tyler

When a tree falling on their house kills Dorothy, her husband Aaron is distraught. They are fairly ordinary people living ordinary lives. Aaron who was born with a crippled arm and leg only finds some peace when Dorothy comes back from the dead and appears to him and they engage in short conversations.

Sheila was not particularly impressed with the book but thought little gems of insight into the subject saved it.

JUDY De La TORRE: Longest Ride by Nicholas Spark

The story involves the love affair of a mismatched couple, Luke a former champion bull rider and Sophie an art student heading for New York. When they meet Ira an old man reflecting on his life and loves it has an impact on their relationship.

Judy thought the solution was a bit contrived.

MEL: The Waiting Room by F J Cotton

Mel admitted to reading only up to Chapter 3, being too scared to continue!

A haunted railway station is on a rock star’s property. The psychic he hires to get rid of the ghosts is a fake but too scared to say so. The ghosts are soldiers from the war. The descriptions of their death were very difficult to read.

Mel described the characters as being corny, cliqued and didn’t feel anything for them. The only thing going for the story was that it was so scary!

DENISE: An Aunty Dimity Mystery by Nancy Atherton

This is a series of books featuring Aunty Dimity who is a romantic ghost in England involved in romantic mysteries.

In this story the ghost corresponds with a couple through the journal while the archeologists are on a dig in a picturesque village. It is a lighthearted story , one of 20 in the series.

JULIA: Ghost Walk by Heather Graham

Julia only managed to get half way through this book finding it very disjointed as well not liking the paranormal aspects in the story.

 

CLAURENCE: The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts by Lillian Jackson Braun

This is the 10^th novel in this series about the life of James Qwilleran and his 2 Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum who help solve mysteries. They all live in Pickax in Moose County.

The stories are light hearted, amusing and easy to read.

In this one, Qwilleran gets a call in the dead of night from a terrified Iris Cobb. By the time Qwill arrives to help her, he finds her dead and suspects foul play with good reason.

Each of the books covers some part of his life and often with quirky characters from other stories.

WENDY: Playing Beattie Bow by Ruth Park

Wendy described it as a beautiful book about a 14 year old girl who, while playing in the park sees a little girl, an apparition, and follows her, time travelling back into the 1880s.

It is a coming of age novel, engaging, well paced and balanced. The characters both historical and current are well drawn. Historically it is accurate in the description of the Rocks now and then.

Going to the other world gives Abigail a chance to deal with the problems she is going through.

JO: Maybe this Time by Jennifer Cruise

Jo described this as fantastic, a really good read and some of the scenes were just hilarious.

Two orphaned children are on their own in this creepy house with 2 ghosts. Andie has been asked by her ex-husband North to look after them for a month and get them ready to leave the house. While wanting to move on with her new relationship, Andie now finds herself being drawn closer to her ex-husband as she learns to love these children.

Many of life’s lessons are covered in this book.

JOAN: Ghosting by David Poyer

Dr Jack Scales is a very successful neurosurgeon at the height of his career. But his very busy lifestyle has taken a toll on his family. His wife is having an affair, his son hears voices to self mutilate and murder and his teenage daughter is rebellious.  His solution is to take a family cruise to Bermuda, where he is not really prepared for the challenges of the sea.

Joan described it as a very gripping story having read it in one sitting! It was gruesome and an unexpectedly good read.

CONNIE: Woman in Black by Susan Hill

A young solicitor goes to an old house to make an inventory of the deceased estate. But he sees and hears strange things, a cart and a child’s cry. He can’t leave because the tide had come in and the marsh is underwater.

Connie thought the writing was excellent and she likes to read about the environment and the countryside, which was so well described. The situations were believable, the characters were interesting and nice and the ending was fantastic. It almost converted her to reading ghost stories.

BETH: Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

A 14 year old girl was raped and murdered. The book is her story after she died, her heaven and what happened to the rest of the people in her life. The characters are gentle and sweet. She watches over them and how their lives have turned out.

PRUE: Breathe by Cliff McNish

This is a Junior Adult Book but very easy to read. Sarah takes her son Jack to live in an old farmhouse to get over the loss of his father. He loves old things. In the house he finds 4 ghost children and Isabella a ghost who has passed over 150 years ago.  He also finds a ghost mother, Abigail’s mother. She looks after ghost children and breathes in the souls of the children.

Prue found it quite creepy, a good yarn for teenagers. It’s a book about obsessive love, the ghost mother versus the real mother.

BEV: Ghouls Gone Wild- A Ghost Hunter Mystery #4

M J Holliday is a psychic who forms a company to help people out. They travel to Edinburgh, Scotland, to film the first installment of their new cable TV show Ghoul Getters. They find that centuries ago a plague had killed many villagers. The rich blamed the poor and so burnt many of them. Each year 7 ghosts come back and murder 7 people. It is the Ghoul Getters job to solve the problem.

JUDY J: Black Dog Summer by Miranda Sherry

The recently dead Sally, murdered on a farm in South Africa, narrates the story. Her 14 year old daughter Gigi is found cradling her mother’s body.

When Gigi goes to live with her mother’s sister, Sally, who is not really a ghost, but stuck between the here and now and the after life, watches over her daughter. She is able to see story threads and has to communicate with the next-door neighbor (a witch doctor) to see that the truth of the murder comes out!

Judy described it as an easy read, a story about murder but not crime, with black magic but no horror and narrated by a dead woman who is not a ghost.

 

ANNE: The Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth

This novella was published in 1975 and tells the story of a young pilot flying home from Germany to spend Christmas with his family. Part way through the flight, a fog rolls in, radio contact is lost and his compass goes haywire. After several desperate moments a World war 11 bomber appears below him and guides him to a safe landing. But where has he landed and who was this ‘shepherd’?

Anne found the story to be well written, and technically very interesting.

JAYNE:  The Life and Many Deaths of Harry Houdini by Ruth Brandon

Harry Houdini was an escapologist who created defying stunts that not only captivated the public but also subdued his own raging psychological demons. In later life he had become interested in the supernatural.

When his mother died, he tried through a séance to get in touch with her. This was unsuccessful so he tried to expose those involved. His fascination with death even led him to selecting a code of 10 words for people to contact him after his death!

MARIE:  The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Marie was hooked after 2 pages!

The story is set in post war Britain as the way of life of the ‘upper class’ is crumbling. The doctor, whose mother had worked at the mansion when he was young, is the narrator. When he is called to treat a patient in the Hundred Halls Mansion, he finds not only the house in ruins, the gardens overgrown, clocks permanently stopped at twenty to nine but the family struggling to cope with the current times.

Marie described it as a slow but satisfying build up in the story; what is haunting the house is revealed to be closely entwined with the doctor’s own life.

DIANN:  The Uninvited by Cath Winters

The story is set in 1918 and revolves around the effect the war had on a small rural USA town.

Ivy has the ‘gift’ that has been passed on from her grandmother and some of the men have just killed a German in town.

Diann gave up at page 156…. A ghost had finally appeared, the story didn’t flow, the characters lacked depth and the ghosts weren’t frightening.

 

TAM: The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones

While a household is preparing for a 20^th birthday party, a dreadful accident occurs nearby. Following this, a group of mysterious and rather unsavory characters take shelter in the large ramshackle mansion. But they are ghosts!

As the party continues into the night, games are played which begin to expose secrets from the past.

Tam described it as a good holiday read, even though some of the characters were a little corny.