H is for Hawk by Helen McDonald

Image from The London Review Bookshop

Our Book of the Month for March is 'H is for Hawk' by Helen MacDonald, which won The Costa Book of the Year and The Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction. 

Helen MacDonald is a poet, historian, naturalist and illustrator. When she was only 8 years old, she came across 'The Goshawk' by T. H. White. The book tells of his struggle to train the goshawk, and escape his own personal demons. 

Following the death of her father, Mabel the goshawk enters her life and takes her on a journey through the grief she experienced.

A Song For Issy Bradley by Carys Bray

Carys Bray

This was a debut novel shortlisted for The 2014 Costa Book Awards, and selected as a Book at Bedtime for Radio 4. The story is told by each member of a Mormon family at a time of great sadness. Ian and Claire are both mourning their daughter, with Ian clinging to his faith to endure the loss and Claire longing for a sign to prevent her from spiraling into the depths of despair.

 Two brothers have also lost their sister, with Jacob looking for ways to fix his family together again and Zippy coping with guilt and first love. 

The book is set in the North West of England, which is where Carys Bradley lives. She was also brought up in a devout Mormon family herself. Not everyone in the group has read 'A Song for Issy Bradley', but those who have gave it our top rating of 5 stars.

Here's a few words from Elizabeth Adams about it:

What a beautiful story, faith and families

Daunting time ahead for them

the emotive situation of Issy

challenges Ian's beliefs

His daughter is dead!! WHY

he tells himself and his family

God wanted her for the eternal kingdom

The searching looks, the silences,

It shouldn't be like this,

no time for tears!!

A family divided by there faith

the bible that they live by

should be a guide

not a millstone to drag you down

but God does work mysteriously

to bring people back together again

with solace and peace to bind them

Books With a Heart

Our next meeting will be a week later than usual on Thursday 12th February at 6 p.m.
As it's close to Valentine's Day, we're reading a book of your own choice with 'heart' in the title. You can choose a book from any genre, and it doesn't necessarily have to be romantic ...

Our Christmas Reads

Our next meeting will be a week later than usual on Thursday 8th January 2015. 

We’ve got a choice of two books for you to enjoy over the holidays – ‘Gone Girl’ by Gillian Flynn and ‘The Minuaturist’ by Jessie Burton.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Image from New York Times

Gone Girl has been flying off the library shelves since it was published, and has been attracting even more attention since the film release starring Ben Affleck.

 It’s a mystery set in the American Midwest, with the twist being the unreliable narration that leaves the reader unsure what to believe. It also deals with deeper issues such as the way money troubles can impact on a marriage, dishonesty and the media.

“We weren’t ourselves when we fell in love, and when we became ourselves – surprise! – we were poison. We complete each other in the nastiest, ugliest possible way.” Gillian Flynn, Gone Girl

The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Image from Jessie Burton

‘The Minuaturist’ is an historical novel set in 17th century Amsterdam, and is also about a marriage, but with a twist. 

The twist in this book is the dolls house presented to the newly wed bride as a wedding present. The tiny occupants of the house appear to mirror their counterparts in mysterious ways, revealing hidden dangers.

This beautiful book jacket is from the US cover of 'The Miniaturist' drawn by  Catrin Welz-Stein. 

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Our Book of the Month for October was first published in the UK in 1944, and is set in the slums of Williamsburg, Brooklyn where The Nolans live from 1902 - 1919. It's a poignant story of family relationships, and a resourceful child called Francie.

Random House

Francie is a reader, and despite getting short shrift from the Williamsburg Librarian, she does love her local library!

'The library was a little old shabby place. Francie thought it was beautiful. The feeling she had about it was as good as the feeling she had about church. She pushed open the door and went in. She liked the combined smell of worn leather bindings, library paste and freshly inked stamping pads better than she liked the smell of burning incense at high mass.'

Betty Smith's own experiences provided the framework for 'A Tree grows in Brooklyn' which was made into a film in 1945.

Sci - Fi

We haven't explored much Science - Fiction as a group, so it was something completely different for a book of your own choice this month. We've just added to our sci-fi collection in the library, so there was plenty of choice from vintage classics right up to the present day. Pop in and take a look at some of the books on display, or pick up a leaflet to give you some ideas

Most of the group rated their books from 3.5 to 4.5 out of 5, with 'The Martian' by Andy Weir getting the highest rating. Here's a few of the titles selected, and some feedback from our group.

The Death of Grass by John Christopher & The Lost Fleet by Jack Campbell 

These two books compliment each other so well given that I chose them randomly.

It was amazing, and based on today's world. It shows just how we can disrupt and ruin

the world we know today. Food problems, tampering with nature, a blight affecting all grasses, trees, rice etc. because a virulent strain of weed grows so fast and sours the Earth, reducing it to a stagnant brown soil that will not sustain much beyond potatoes and beetroot. Our aspirations of seeking for other life in the vast universe of space asks more questions, without reasonable answers. It shows that human nature has a long way to go to achieve peace. Elizabeth

The Planet of the Apes by Pierre Boulle

Written in 1963, this classic novel portrays a world where the humans are reduced to savage beasts and the apes are the ‘civilised ‘ masters of the planet. Nowadays better known as a film or TV series, this book is much more than a science fiction novel. The author wanted to comment on many aspects of society's present (and possible future) by constructing an upside-down world. It can be read as an allegory of slavery, man’s treatment of animals and racism.

It is a novel to make you think while you are being entertained. Cath

Tickets On Sale For Manx Litfest 2014

Onchan Book Group members and everyone who’s been asking us about Manx Litfest 2014 will be pleased to hear that tickets for the main events are now on sale from the what’s on section of The Isle of Man Villa Gaiety website 

Photograph from Manx National Heritage

Once again, the festival celebrates the sense of place here on the Island as well as the written word. 

A ghostly walk and talk around Castle Rushen with Neil Spring, author of ‘Ghost Hunters’ and Barry Quilliam of Manx Macabre Tours on Fri 26th Sept couldn’t be more atmospheric. 

Neil Spring’s book drew inspiration from ‘Borland Rectory’, reputedly the most haunted house in Britain, which attracted the attention of psychic investigator Harry Price. 

Image from neilspring.com

Harry Price visited The Isle of Man in the 1930s to investigate the mysterious case of ‘The Dalby Spook’ or Talking Mongoose. 

There’s a rare opportunity to hear Neil Spring talk about these intriguing events in the historic setting of St Bridget’s Chapel in The Nunnery on Sat 27th Sept. 

A ‘Criminal Double Act’ takes place on Sat 27th Sept in The Embassy Room at The British on The Quay with Mark Billingham and Martyn Waites, who also writes with his wife under the name of Tania Carver. 

Image from Random House

Litfest is crammed full of exciting events from the Poetry Slam at Jabberwocky on Wed 24th right through to an evening with ‘Bone Season’ author Samatha Shannon at Noa’s Bakehouse on Sunday 28 Sept. 

Sara Crowe was at Manx Litfest in 2012, and has just published the highly acclaimed ‘Bone Jack’. She’s on a panel to talk about The Celtic Influence on writing with Donald S Murray at The House of Manannan in Peel on Sun 28th Sept.



Litfest has something for book lovers of all ages all around the Island to look forward to this September. Don’t miss some family fun with ‘The Diary of a Wimpy Kid Show’ on just up the road at Bemahague School in Onchan on Sun 28 Sept. 

There's much much more besides - don't forget the Book Fanatics Quiz Night on Thurs 25th Sept. 

You can pick up a programme form the library now to find out more. Keep looking on ManxLitfest for all the latest news, like them on facebook, or follow them on Twitter.