Thank you to Pauline and Elizabeth for your reviews for Books with a 'Feel Good' factor. Just what we need for the dark days before Christmas. 

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbough

A very moving and sad story but with a happy ending!

 

It tells of the struggle of a child abandoned at birth growing up in care.  She finds it very hard to accept people because she feels they only have her because nobody else wants her. She finds it very hard and although she is looked after by some kind people she can’t accept their love, not trusting that they mean it.

 

She goes through some very difficult times and her only answer is to run away. Having been known to be wild and cause trouble she is passed from one home to another before ending up in a House for children like her -not wanted- this house toughens them even more, always needing to look after themselves and trying to be top-dog as opposed to being bullied.

 

Victoria finds her love in flowers, in one of her places of care. By learning their names and meanings she creates an A –Z file. She decides to ‘disappear’ when she reaches the age of 18 and she has to leave the House, rather than have people in authority trying to help her find a place to live and work etc. She lives rough and finds scraps on cafe tables left by families to eat.

 

Victoria comes upon a flower shop and hangs about for a while outside hoping for some work but not knowing how to go about it.  Against all odds Victoria eventually is taken under the wing of the flower shop owner. At first it was to help her at market carrying heavy buckets of flowers at weekends, in fact making use of her really and not showing any sort of care for her – Victoria was more used to this than kindness and found it was more comfortable to her!

 

The shop lady soon finds out though how clever Victoria is with choosing flowers and making up wonderful bouquets that have meanings associated with the flowers. Customers begin to ask for her to do their flowers!

 

It is cleverly written and has a lot more to it than I have related! The story makes you realise just how people can achieve so much from such sad beginnings when they really want to.

 

A lovely read and one that I would highly recommend.

Pauline

The Humans by Matt Haig

This brilliant book has inspired Elizabeth to write this:

LOCAL GLENS

 

This small energetic waterfall

tumbling down Summerhill glen

rushing every which way

who knows where or when

as it reaches the sea shore

disappearing into white flecked waves

gone from our sight forever more

off to distant shores

These words are quite clear sighted but what a complicated lot we humans are! After reading Matt Haig's book, it occurred to me that we seem to be eternally seeking something, but are not altogether sure what. During the search, we can lose sight of the simplicity of life, by making things more difficult and deeper than necessary. The alien in the book, (who became Andrew) after much soul searching realised that the over riding fact of life is the need for love and companionship.

The 97 pieces of advice he left for Gulliver were so basic and clear. In our rush to achieve that which the world expects us to do, we miss out on the minutia of real life. Do we need - or should I say - did we need to split an atom? Journey to distant stars and planets instead of first finding out about ourselves and this planet we inhabit? So, if you can't read the whole book, which would be a shame, make sure that you read the 97 pieces of advice as they are just as amazing.

 

Elizabeth

Feel Good Reads

The 44 Scotland Street Series

by Alexander McCall Smith

This series of novels revolves around the comings and goings at No. 44 Scotland Street, a fictitious building in a real street in Edinburgh. The most appealing and sympathetic of the inhabitants is six year old Bertie, who struggles to be a normal little boy against the wishes of his mother who makes him learn the saxophone and Italian when all he wants to do is join the Cubs – a neo- fascist organisation in her view! Clever, elegant and funny, these novels feature an endearing, memorable group of characters who provide us with huge entertainment as they go about their everyday lives. Cath

The Enchanted April

by Elizabeth Von Arnin

How can this be, enchantment in April,

the cold of January disappeared,

the damp of February swiftly gone

the wild winds of March hurled away,

But a picture now emerges++

The castle perched high above the bay

the sun shining through the day,

bringing four separate people to stay

getting to know each others ways,

Caught in a web of Violet mountains

Gardens of sweet scented flowers

the invisible strands of the web of love

drew closer together those who thought

that after the idyllic month in San Salvadore

they would go back to their lives so fraught,

but once love finds a niche

all emotions are within it's reach,

as their lives turn full circle

encompassing them in love 

there will be nothing hurtful.

By Elizabeth Adams

A Few More Suggestions from our Book Group ...

The Humans by Matt Haig

This heart warming read has just been selected for World Book Night  in April 2014

Recommended by Debbie

The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh

Recommended by Pauline


The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch

Recommended by Colvin & Edith

The Ocean at the End of The Lane by Neil Gaiman

Recommended by Elizabeth

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

Recommended by Freda

Elizabeth Adams was inspired after reading the book to write this:

Jonathan seagull learnt his lesson well

not for him the crowded ground

where all his family did dwell,

he soared to the greatest heights

free - savouring the delight,

that are shown to human nature,

but things are not so simple

the journey long and hard -

seeking for protection and serenity

going the extra mile when all that is sought

is living in your heart* reach out for

Love, Peace and Understanding,

from these feelings never depart

Flying freely, wind lifting him

above the ground, seeking the thermals

that lift and guide, Jonathan's joy

is complete, he persevered and succeeded,

if only we humans could have that kind of commitment

the security of trying, the optimism God given, Oh yes

although Jonathan lost his mentor from view

for a moment insecure - unsure of what to do,

how often when we lose sight of important things

do we become insecure - but suddenly we see

what was always there, God leading us safely 

to the path he has chosen, Trust in him*

he never doubts your ability to succeed

you can always count on him when you are in need,

so as we go through life, meeting differences

that seem insurmountable, remember

perfection is God

Thank you to everyone for their contributions - I think we all felt better for reading them!

More Books with a Feel Good Factor ...

A Month in the Country by J L Carr

Back in the summer of 1920, Tom Birkin arrives at a country church in Yorkshire to restore a medieval painting. The Great War has left its mark on him, and his facial twitch and stammer are the result of shell shock. Tom can’t afford lodgings, so Revd Keach, the Vicar, grudgingly allows him to stay up in the belfry. 

An eccentric benefactor has left money for this work - and for the ancient bones of an ancestor to be found and re-interned in the Churchyard. This is a job for ‘Moon’, an archaeologist with his own agenda. Moon wears a tunic with marks where Captain’s pips have been torn off, and has endured his own dark wartime experiences. 

Reaching back through the centuries to medieval times, both men form bonds with the artist and with the military man who trod the path before them.  I felt that the men were expected to tolerate so much throughout war, but this was not reciprocated by the society of the day. Soldiers still return from war ‘shell shocked’.

Kenneth Branagh and Colin Firth in the film adaptation

But the hard times are very understated, and there's healing and humour rather than bitterness. The descriptions of the British Summer and Countryside are heavenly, and there’s a real warmth in Tom’s observations of the Wesleyan family who find a place in their hearts, and their village, for him. He also falls for the beautiful wife of the awkward Revd Keach, which is another tale:

‘We can ask and ask but we can’t have again what once seemed ours for ever — the way things looked, that church alone in the fields, a bed on belfry floor, a remembered voice, a loved face. They’ve gone and you can only wait for the pain to pass.’

This book is only just over a hundred pages long, but there are so many different strands, and it has such depth. It’s beautifully written and inspiring with a real feel good factor. 

Something else that's very inspiring is The Quince Tree Press founded by J L Carr and still run by his family today. Pam

Books With The Feel Good Factor

Onchan Book Group's next meeting is on Thurs 7th November @ 6 p.m. We're chasing off the winter blues by reading and  talking about books that make you feel better for reading them. Some are from The Reading Agency's Mood Boosting Book Lists and some are our own picks. Here's a taster and we'll add more after Thursday's meeting.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer

Random House

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie society is set in London and Guernsey immediately after the Second World wWar. It takes the form of a series of letters between a writer, Juliet Ashton, and the members of the society. The different characters find their voices and personalities through the letters as their story unfolds. We learn of the many hardships facing Islanders during the German occupation, and also of their courage, stoicism, loyalty and friendships. These letters lead to close bonds, a love affair and life changing decisions when Juliet decides to visit Guernsey for herself. If you enjoyed 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff, then read this too.

Mary Ann Schaffer was a librarian who died in 2008. This was her first novel, which her niece Annie Barrows helped to finish when her aunt fell ill before the book could be published.

The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Howard Fry by Rachel Joyce

Harold Fry seems a most unlikely hero – recently retired, modest and unassuming.
His life is humdrum in the extreme. A letter from a former colleague leads him to undertake a journey on which he will eventually confront his past, and become something of a reluctant media celebrity. Journeying through Britain on foot, wearing only his yachting shoes and without mobile phone or credit cards, he encounters a rich variety of characters along the way, who, despite having their own problems, encourage and help him on his long journey. This is a gentle, amusing and at times heart-breaking novel, which was greatly enjoyed by everyone who read it. Cath

As I walked Out One Midsummer Morning by Laurie Lee

Penguin Books

Here's another book about walking, which seems to be therapeutic whether you're doing it, or reading about it. This book doesn't really have a plot, but meanders through 1930s Spain - on the brink of Civil War - at a walking pace. Laurie Lee had lead a sheltered life in Stroud before walking to London and working on a building site. He'd never even seen the sea when he decided to catch a ferry to Spain with just a violin and the kindness of strangers to support him. He said 'my violin was a passport of friendship wherever I went'. His travels took him diagonally across the length of Spain, and he seemed to have no concerns... 'Here I was, a young boy, golden haired and beautiful, appearing from nowhere and bringing music which meant happiness ... I couldn't go wrong.'

Miss Read 

"To pick up a Miss Read book is like coming in from the cold to a lovely glowing fire and a warm drink". Joan









More books with a feel good factor coming soon! If you have any recommendations, please let us know and we'll add them to the list.

Manx Litfest 26th - 29th September

http://chrisewan.com/

The second Manx Litfest is now only 2 weeks away. 

You can book Manx Litfest tickets and view the full schedule for all the events taking place at different venues around the Island on Thursday 26th - Sun 29th September. Find out more about the latest news on their facebook page

www.flaviadeluce.com/

Isle of Man based authors Chris Ewan, Alan Bradley and Michele McGrath will join visiting writers for the festival. 

Authors Andrew Taylor, Matt Haig, Barbara Erskine, Adele Parks, and Victoria Lamb are all appearing this year. 

www.michelemcgrath.co.uk

Watch out for The Isle of Man Poetry Society's Poetry Trail around Douglas as part of Manx Litfest too ...

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Image from www.paulocoelho.com

The Alchemist is a fable about an Andalusian shepherd boy, Santiago, who literally follows his dreams. He starts off in Spain after dreaming of treasures waiting for him beneath the Pyramids of Egypt. 

Along the way, he meets various characters who help guide him to his destiny, and represent different ways of living. 

Paulo Coelho is a Brazilian writer who has written 30 books, with ‘The Alchemist’ published in 1987 being one of the most successful.  

It's a short and simply written book that readers often describe as inspirational. We'll be talking about 'The Alchemist' at our next meeting on Thursday 3rd October at 6 p.m.

Wool by Hugh Howey

Image from www.hughhowey.com

Wool is a postapocalyptic thriller where the remaining few thousand humans are living in a sealed underground world. This world consists of a giant silo, created for protection from the hostile environment outside. Digital sensors transmit blurry images of the bleak landscape beyond, as a reminder of how deadly life outside would be. 

Society is safe inside the silo, but rigidly controlled. Those who don’t comply with society’s rules for survival are forced outside in the toxic air to clean the grime off the digital sensors. But some citizens wonder if their leaders are lying to them about the outside world, and how life in the silo really came about.

Hugh Howey originally self-published ‘Wool’ on Amazon as a short story, and was inundated with requests from readers for sequels. Five instalments were then combined in a single volume, and ‘Wool’ shot up the Amazon sci-fi charts and was released in print. The latest in the Silo Trilogy ‘Shift’ is already in print, and ‘Dust’ is due in October.

Dead Line by Chris Ewan Published Today

Image from Amazon

Looking forward to reading 'Dead Line' by local author Chris Ewan, which has just been published by Faber. 

Robert Goddard describes it as a '... compulsive against-the-clock thriller that cleverly turns the kidnap plot on its head. Great stuff!' 

Chris Ewan's 'Safe House' was short listed for 2013 Theakstons Old Peculiar Crime Novel of the Year Award. 

Find out more about 'Dead Line' from chriswwan.com

Book of your own choice by Andrew Taylor

We'll be talking about a book of your own choice by Andrew Taylor at this week's meeting on Thursday 1st August at 6 p.m. Andrew Taylor is the author of crime and historical novels that have won a raft of awards. His novel 'American Boy' was a Richard and Judy Book Club pick, and one of The Times' best crime novels of the decade. 'The Scent of Death' has recently won the 2013 CWA Dagger Award. 

Image from www.killerreads.comwww.killerreads.com

Manx Litfest have secured Andrew Taylor as part of another brilliant literary line-up for this year's festival in September. There's a nice piece about Andrew Taylor on the Manx Litfest Blog. 

 Barbara Erskine, Matt Haig, Adele Parks, and Alan Bradley are just a few of the authors joining Andrew Taylor this September.

Find out all the latest news from Manx Litfest

The Great Gatsby By F. Scott Fitzgerald

We're reading 'The Great Gatsby' for June ahead of seeing the lavish new film. It's a romantic but world weary novel that's still  relevant in many ways today. 

The wealthy and mysterious Jay Gatsby holds legendary parties in his Long Island Mansion, and seems to live the perfect life. But his new neighbour, Nick Carraway, discovers that appearances can be so deceptive ...

I couldn't resist this new art deco style copy and bookmark with the legendary last lines:

'So we beat on, boats against the current, borne back ceaselessly into the past.'

Pam

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

How to describe this book? A young Indian boy named Piscine Patel (Pi) is brought up

within a loving family who decide to move, along with their zoo animals, to Canada. A storm blows up during the voyage and their ship sinks, leaving Pi, a hyena, a zebra, a monkey and a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker stranded in a lifeboat. A bloodlust ensues and the animals slaughter each other leaving only the tiger and Pi to wander the sea, finally learning to at least co-habit with each other. Throw in a cannibal island and you have a wonderfully unique and magical tale, sometimes unbearably savage, sometimes delightfully beautiful and always memorable.

It sounds mad, but it works and has become one of my favourite novels. I didn’t know how it could possibly be made into a film, but Ang Lee succeeded brilliantly and certainly did the book justice.

Read the book,  then see the film!

Cath

Elizabeth Adam's Tribute to 'The Snow Child'

We recently read 'The Snow Child' by Eowyn Ivey and it made quite an impression on us. One of our book group members, Elizabeth Adams, is also a poet and she wrote this lovely tribute:

The Snow Child

A tale of wild woods
Alaska the last frontier
Distant mountains, frozen falls
Moose as large as houses
Martin's wild creatures like quicksilver
The otter quietly watched as his skill in the water
Gave such pleasure to Mabel, her secret
The red fox Faina's companion - quick
But not quick enough to escape Garret's thoughtless shot
Garret's guilt - what had made him shoot - just because he could
Magnificent swan - conquered - killed
The Snow Maiden using her skill
Nothing wasted - no foolish useless kill
The knowledge that she was watched - she kept
That to herself she worked skilfully - until
All that could be used - was
All that could be stored - was
Lessons to be learned - the child
Had watched - learned never to disturb
The magnificent gift of nature - never usurped
Like a gentle culling - twixt man and beast
Saving the best - but using some as feast
For those whose lives are intertwined
With nature - keeping a sanctuary
The beauty - the peace
Snow covered trails
That only a few can seek
The intimate knowledge that some can use
To make a path to happiness that can not be bruised
To smooth over hurts of the past - replaced with
The love of a child that will last - a reminder
Of his beguiling mother - knowing her loving
Will foreshorten her amazing life
Faina and Garrett their short lived love bringing a Joy
That will last in the annals of stories passed down
Through the years.

Elizabeth Adams




Here's Elizabeth with Library staff  Ellen and Nick at a reading from
'Treasure Island' on World Book Night



The Poet - Tree

Onchan Book Group had an opportunity to see artist Karl Garrett's 'Poet-Tree' at their meeting last Thursday. It's a tree trunk etched with poems to look like graffitti. As well as the hours it took to create the work, Karl wrote all the poems himself.

The 'Poet - Tree' really should be experienced  first-hand rather than photos. 

You will next have a chance to see The Poet - Tree  in The Henry Bloom Noble Library 18th  - 20th April.

Karl won The Norman Sayle Prize for Art in 2010, and you can visit his web site to view more of his work: http://garrettsgallery.webs.com/abouttheartist.htm 

Miss Read

As a country dweller, Miss Read writes with a great love of nature, flowers plants and birds. She brings to life so vividly The Cotswold Villages of Fairacre and Thrush Green in the ongoing saga of the lives of the people who live there.

To pick up a Miss Read book is like coming in from the cold to a lovely glowing fire and a warm drink.

Joan

Manx Litfest - Thurs 26th - Sun 29th September 2013

Keep the dates free for this year's Manx Litfest, and don't miss the chance to get together with top writers and book lovers - right here on the Isle of Man. Litfest got off to a cracking start in 2012, and with Andrew Taylor already announced for this year's line-up, there will be an exciting programme of events to look forward to. Keep up to date with all the news at Manx Litfest and find out more about becoming a friend of Manx Litfest here: manxlitfest@gmail.com

Manx Litfest Reading Club

Join the Manx Litfest Reading Club and explore some of the books and writers that will be featured in September. The first writer is the award winning Andrew Taylor, renowned for his intriguing mix of crime and  history. Find out more and share your views with other readers here Manx Litfest Blog

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

The writing in this book is magical, especially in its description of the Alaskan Wilderness in the 1920s. Jack and Mabel look to escape from society and hurtful reminders of their childlessness, and stake everything they own on a homestead in Alaska. But they had no idea how hard the life was going to be. They’re both right on the edge when they are befriended by some neighbours. Shortly afterwards, a mysterious feral child appears, and they lose their hearts to her, and to their life in Alaska. This novel is based on a Russian Fairy Tale, and you’re never really sure what may be real. A very different book that stays with you long after you've finished reading.

A Gathering Light by Jennifer Donnelly

A beautifully written debut novel about a young woman named Mattie living in two worlds. There’s her home in New York State, where Mattie is torn between caring for her younger sisters after the death of their mother, and following her dreams to go to College in New York City and become a writer. Her father seems a harsh task master, but he’s working himself to the bone to hold the family together, and living with grief and guilt following his wife’s death. Mattie’s other life is at The Glenmore Hotel, where she works for some extra money. A young guest, Grace Brown, is drowned, and Mattie has been given her letters. The letters reveal a girl Mattie relates to, and prompts difficult decisions. Mattie’s keen observations echo ‘To Kill A Mockingbird’ in many ways, and the letters are from a true murder case in New York State.