Book Club Meeting February 2021

7 members met over Zoom on Feb 18th to discuss Louise Fein’s novel People Like Us.

This proved to be a very popular choice with all members. Ratings ranged from 4 – 5.

Historical fiction set in Germany, it details events in the period before WW1 , through the war years & beyond, as seen through the eyes of Hetty Heinrich, daughter of a man who became a prominent SS Officer.
In spite of indoctrination, Hetty’s love of her childhood Jewish friend Walter eventually opens her eyes to the reality of Nazism & the cruel injustices being perpetrated against the Jewish people.

In a world where anti-semitism is rapidly taking hold, & where neighbours, friends & family are turning against each other, Hetty is prepared to risk everything, her family & even her life, to fight to save Walter.

While not sparing us the truth of the savage cruelty meted out to the Jews, this is also a story of love, loyalty, courage & the strength of the human spirit.

Reviewing this book prompted a very interesting discussion on dictators & the role of the media in their success.

Our next meeting will be on March 18th when we will review The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah.

January 2021

At our January meeting, we reviewed One August Night by Victoria Hislop.

For those who had loved The Island this sequel was a big disappointment.  It started out as promising, dealing with the events of the night when the former inhabitants of the island of Spinalonga returned home to Plaka when a cure for leprosy had been found.  However it then dealt mainly with a minor character from The Island and a completely new character.  In fact some of the club thought it seemed to be written by another writer altogether.  It was too short, felt rushed especially the ending.  There were a couple of references which hinted at a possible 3rd book to come.

Ratings ranged from 2.5 to 3 out of 5.

We briefly discussed other books read over the Christmas period.

Our choice for February 18th meeting  is People Like Us by Louise Fein (available online from Bookstation).

December 2020

We reviewed  Keelin Shanley’s  memoir  A Light That Never Goes Out.

A memoir of courage through her cancer journey , it documents events from childhood, detailing her education, friendships , her brief career as a scientist before she embarked on her career in RTE as an investigative journalist & her 6 O’Clock News programme with Catriona Perry. It is also Keelin’s & her husband Conor’s love story & their life with their children.  

For some it was a difficult read because of the references to her declining health & gruelling treatments & the inevitable ending written by her husband after Keelin’s death,  for others it was close to perfection as a memoir.  

We decided to revert to meeting on the 3rd Thursday of the month as was the case for meetings prior to Covid19.

November 2020

Our first Zoom Bookclub Meeting took place on Thursday 5th Nov 2020.

8 Members participated in this Zoom Meeting, hosted by Rachel Gillen.

Members spoke enthusiastically about their recently-read favourite books. Most Members are avid readers, including one who has read 30 books since May.  Members’ choices covered a wide range of books and genres.

It was a lively and very informative meeting with contributions from everyone.

Books recommended included:

Members suggested that Audio Books are a great way of enjoying a book.  Apps are available, such as AUDIBLE or BBC Books.  Your Local Library will provide access to Talking Books via your Smart Phone.  Amazon is recommended for buying Talking Books.

Our choice of book for next meeting is “A Light That Never Goes Out” by Keelin Shanley.

Next Zoom Meeting is Thurs 3rd Dec at 7.30 pm.

If interested in joining the Bookclub, contact Rachel Gillen.

We are delighted for Members to read along with us, without joining our Bookclub.