Over to Facebook.

The Glos Lit Lovers made a decision a few months back to post all of our reviews directly onto Facebook. This is partly because of the complexity of running three accounts (this one, FB and Twitter) and the ease of posting a book review and a few shots of the yummy puddings directly from the meeting.  Also, our many (!) FB followers then get direct and speedy access to our thoughts and feelings about the latest book (!!) plus our calorie intake more easily via our Facebook page.
And yes, it means that Nicki doesn't get to be a total control freak about the input to the reviews. (Just saying.)
So please make sure you Like our page and follow our monthly meetings at
https://www.facebook.com/gloslitlovers
It has been a pleasure...
Nicki and all the marvellous Gloucestershire Lit Lovers xxx

Our July meeting

After two months of Bailey’s Book Prize reading and fierce debate, the July meeting at Sally’s house was a different affair. Firstly Sal gave us cheese. Not just any cheeses, but a selection of posh Waitrose cheese and very yummy scrummy deli bread and biscuits. Even the sugar-addicts amongst us were delighted. Did I mention the pickles?

Secondly we choose to read ‘You Had Me at Hello’ by Mhairi McFarlane. Not a book likely to make it on to the Bailey’s Prize shortlist, but a bit of light relief for the long and sunny days of June and July. The book was as much of a hit as the cheese.

There was agreement amongst us all that we liked the book. That is pretty unusual. It is not often that all of us like the main characters of a book, often one or two of the Lit Lovers simply can’t get on with the flawed and complex characters we get to know through our reading. Not this time, we all liked Rachel and Ben and most of their friends. It reminded us a bit of Bridget Jones gang of loyal, honest and funny mates. We all reported laugh out loud moments and had a bit of the book that made us smile or made us sad. What is not to like? There isn’t a review on the Reading Groups for All website yet about this book, so we agreed that we will do one.

While it was a classic chick-lit novel, it was also intelligent and funny. The additions included at the end were really clever, and we could all see that Mhairi has a talent for comedy. We all said we would read some more of her books now. We would certainly recommend her for a summer beach read or a winter ‘escape the cold’ read.  It wasn’t controversial, and it wasn’t challenging, but we all liked it.

It was nice to set off on our summer breaks without feeling a little bit frustrated that our friends didn’t like a book we loved, or visa-versa. We will all be settling on our sun-loungers (or bribing the kids with the first Hunger Games film on DVD) to lose ourselves into Septembers book ‘The Girl With All The Gifts’ by M.R. Carey. Will there be more agreement? Watch this space…

A God in Every Stone by Kamila Shamsie

The Gloucestershire Lit Lovers and Yummy Scrummy Pudding Club were lucky enough to take part in the Baileys Prize book club conversation. We have loved being part of this great competition and felt privileged to blog and tweet about our experience.  Making good women’s literature accessible to more women is an ambition we share.

We were allocated A God in Every Stone by Kamila Shansie, and we met this week to discuss it. We have to be honest and say it was not everyone’s cup of tea. This was mostly due to our own ignorance of the era and the history. Those of us who have been to India and knew a bit about the time and about colonialism found it fascinating and compelling. There was a moment in the discussion when one of the Lit Lovers said ‘it’s not her, it’s me’ which made us all laugh. But that summed it up. I guess we are just not a very classy bunch, and this is one hell of a classy book.

Kamila Shamsie took on a big project by covering 3 time frames, one of them 1500 years ago. And to enjoy the book you have to have a certain amount of knowledge or passion for history. A couple of the group said they felt the book was missing a glossary and a map. Some people didn’t understand a lot of the Indian terminology which made the book hard work. The time invested in doing some research around the book was well spent however and most of us felt pleased we persevered. Those of us who read it in a big session rather than over a number of weeks found it more fulfilling, and everyone learned something new.

A couple of the group who had read the back cover expected more of a love story, and felt disappointed that this was not pursued. Others felt that Viv’s love for Tahsin Bey was at the core of the book. We all had a favourite part, and there were so many highlights. The descriptions of the trenches in WW1 were as powerful as any war poetry, and the descriptions of Peshawar made the sights, sounds and smells come to life. We liked the statement that being young and beautiful at the same time deranged the mind – so true.

So basically we had very differing opinions about the book. Everyone wanted to love it, but just a few of us did. Those that did will carry it with us for some time, and will insist that all our friends read it.  It made all of us want to learn more about the era and about India, which is a good thing. One of the group’s had a Grandfather who had been in WW1 with a group of Indian soldiers and she brought an amazing photo along.  This helped us feel a connection with the era and the storyline.

Thank you for allowing us the chance of reading and commenting on the book. It has been a great experience. We also made good use of the bottle of Baileys. For our puddings we had Baileys and chocolate cheesecake, Baileys ice cream and Baileys & raspberry bread and butter pudding. All were rather delicious. Recipes available on request.

 

Winners....

We don't like to boast - but it appears we are a rather marvellous book club.
We have been picked as one of the 12 book clubs who have been asked to review the books short-listed for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction. I am not sure how many applied - but I am telling people it was thousands.
Following the 'congratulations' email there has been much excitement here at the Glos Lit Lovers HQ.  Well, we got a bottle of Baileys and bunting. YES - bunting. Our member Sarah is particularly fond of Bunting, and a number of us are fond of Baileys. Happy days.
Oh, and did I mention we get 10 copies of one of the short-listed books to read?
We only have to keep this blog updated and send out tweets about our progress and our views and the job is done.
So keep a look out for the updates. Sorry we can't share the Baileys.

Other social media (get us!)

We are on Twitter @glos_litlovers
We are on Facebook - Gloucestershire Lit Lovers and Yummy Scrummy Pudding Club
We also have a google+ page.


I thank you for following/liking/tweeting and generally enthusing about us.

It has been a while. Okay, I know, it has been AGES!

Don't worry, the Gloucestershire Lit Lovers are still going strong. We are still reading, still meeting and still cooking (and eating) delicious puddings. Due to Nicki having to earn a living the blog has taken the back seat. (Oh to be a book-reading-blogging woman of leisure.)


But we are back. I promise it isn't only because we have entered the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction book club competition. Well not entirely. The return of the Blog is long overdue. We have a lot of books to read and tell you about, even if we don't win that bottle of Baileys.


Talking of Baileys, I am close to perfecting a little pudding for next time. Really simple but delicious. It might not equal Sally 'domestic goddess' Albutt's Baileys cheesecake, but it is rather nice. It is coffee granite served with a splash of Baileys. Watch this space for the full recipe.
Since our last blog things have been busy reading. The following books were consumed in 2014:


Two Brothers, Ben Elton
The Rosie Project, Graeme Simsion

The Shadow Year, Hannah Richell

The Things we Never Said, Susan Elliot Wright

The Kitchen House, Kathleen Grissom

The Cuckcoo’s Calling, Robert Galbraith
Americannah, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Before We Met, Laura Whitehouse

The One Plus One, JoJo Moyes

Daughter, Jane Shermilt

and last but not least, May Contain Nuts, John O’Farrell

The last book was read the week that our lovely friend and fellow Lit lover Celia Blacklock was due to host. Celia died in August 2014 after a long and courageous battle with breast cancer.


It isn't the same without her.  We miss you Celia

Our April meeting

Here is what Chantel had to say about the meeting at her house back in April 2013. She has been very busy with work, so we all forgive her delay in providing this little treat!


I could give a million excuses for why I have taken so long to write this but I have learnt very quickly that 'excuses' just don't gel in our book club!

Well well well…..lets just say the best part about my evening of hosting and discussing 'The Vintage Teacup Club' by Vanessa Greene was the company, puddings beautifully presented in teacups and the quiet atmosphere (no disturbing from children or a husband who would just not have been able to keep from popping in to check 'we are all ok' on numerous occasions - luckily working away coincided on this occasion!!!)

I selected this book as one of my book choices as it appeared light hearted and something we would all  be able to relate to.  Our previous book was well rated and quite deep - brought up all sorts of emotions for all of us - so I thought we needed a bit of light reading.  Lets just say you didn't need much deep thought to analysis this book.  It was rather bland - 3 women wanting to share a tea set and the friendship they develop around the 3 events they will use the teacups for.  The pace was slow, the story line rather uncreative and altogether a little dull.  The most exciting bit was when every tea cup they had collected for months shattered as a shelf broke…..!  Our ladies prefer a far deeper story perhaps with a twist or two…neither of these present.

For me the highlight of the evening was when Bev and Karen realised the pudding would be served in tea cups!  We enjoyed some South African treats….Koeksusters (really sweet,  sticky doughnut/pastries), Peppermint crisp pudding (a true South African favourite) and a quick and easy lemon cheesecake.

Ingredients for the Peppermint Crisp fridge tart will need to be bought from the nearest South African stockist…..  In our case, the Loads of Lemons delicatessen in Bishops Cleeve!

Peppermint Crisp Pudding

Ingredients:

250ml Double Cream Whipped
2 packets of tennis biscuits (UK equivalent - Nice biscuits)
375g Caramelised Condensed milk (or ready made caramel)
20ml Caster sugar
3 peppermint crisp bars crushed (not sure of a similar UK equivalent perhaps mint Aero?)

Method:

Whip cream and then add caramel and caster sugar.  Beat well an the add 2/3 of the crushed peppermint crisp.
Place a layer of biscuits in a buttered 29x19x5 cm dish.
Spoon 1/3 of the caramel mix over the biscuits and spread evenly.
Continue in layer finishing with a layer of the filling on top.
Refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Decorate by sprinkling the remainder of crushed peppermint crisp on top.
Cut into squares…..eat and enjoy!!!