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