October’s Bring Your Own Book (B.Y.O.B.) was without any trace of Spooky Season and was a mixed bag of some real treats. Family, society, words, and exposés made up our themes.
The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak (Penguin Books Ltd. £14.99 in hardback.)
Shafak’s novel interweaves the story of a family with the life of a fig tree. The family comprises of Greek Cypriot and Turkish Cypriot parents and their daughter. The fig tree that features punctuates the life of the family at various intervals in the dual narrative of the book. It also wouldn’t be an Elif Shafak novel without lashings of food, cultural insights and politics of course!
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (Penguin Books Ltd, £14.99 in hardback.)
Another family tale, this book is about a Ghanian family in Alabama and the perils of even those who would seem to be outwardly successful. The importance of family ties to the church and its influence in the characters’ lives is key to the narrative here. Grief and love lead this emotionally charged novel, which is an exercise in empathy.
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck (£7.99.)
This classic novel follows the characters Lennie and George in America’s Great Depression era. They are both seeking work and purpose in a time of great economic adversity, particularly in the field of Agriculture. The lives of both these unlikely friends are thrown into jeopardy when Lennie’s incredible strength turns out to be his downfall.
Time for sci-fi! As ever, sci-fi as a genre is used to great effect as a mirror on contemporary preoccupations. There’s no war or common enemy to fight here, but there is an emergency that pulls a crew of disparate races together. The book underscores our strangeness to each other and the importance of having different principles in a community and managing to respect the expression of them all.
The Etymologicon by Mark Forsyth (Icon Books Ltd, £9.99)
The Etymologicon, by the writer of the inky fool blog, charts the origins and uses of many different words. It brands itself as ‘a circular stroll through the hidden connections of the English language.’ Written in a friendly, witty fashion, the book is a somewhat irreverent and wordy romp for those who love language. Dare we say, a good stocking-filler?
Our reader was deeply shocked by this exposé of the Criminal Justice System, but enlightened by the explanations of various legal processes. The structure was often likened in the text to being as vital as the NHS, particularly with regard to the provision of Legal Aid being a political matter and not a legal right. We should all want this to change for the benefit of the less fortunate.
Zone by Mathias Enard (Fitzcarraldo Editions, £14.99 in hardback)
This book has the intriguing structural premise of being written in one continuous sentence. Set in a post-WW2 world, it’s an exposé of Right Wing extremism at the same time as being a story about a character travelling on a train, revealing his internal monologue of memories as he passes each stop to eventually sell secrets to the Vatican. An endeavour to read as well as write.
We had a few latecomers who added a lot to this month’s discussion. The majority of the above for each book has been quoted from each reader to get the most authentic impression. The next free B.Y.O.B. will be held at 7PM on Zoom on 23rd November. Tickets via Eventbrite. We hope to see you there!
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