In 1975, at the World Heavyweight Boxing Championship in Kinshasa, Zaire, Muhammad Ali met George Foreman in the ring. Foreman's genius employed silence, serenity and cunning. He had never been defeated. His hands were his instrument, and 'he kept them in his pockets the way a hunter lays his rifle back into its velvet case'. Together the two men made boxing history in an explosive meeting of two great minds, two iron wills and monumental egos.What we discussed about the book:
With a career, a boyfriend, and a loving family, Piper Kerman barely resembles the reckless young woman who delivered a suitcase of drug money ten years before. But that past has caught up with her. Convicted and sentenced to fifteen months at the infamous federal correctional facility in Danbury, Connecticut, the well-heeled Smith College alumna is now inmate #11187–424—one of the millions of people who disappear “down the rabbit hole” of the American penal system. From her first strip search to her final release, Kerman learns to navigate this strange world with its strictly enforced codes of behavior and arbitrary rules. She meets women from all walks of life, who surprise her with small tokens of generosity, hard words of wisdom, and simple acts of acceptance. Heartbreaking, hilarious, and at times enraging, Kerman’s story offers a rare look into the lives of women in prison—why it is we lock so many away and what happens to them when they’re there.What we discussed about the book:
Gabrielle Hamilton's childhood home in rural New Jersey, with her four siblings and her parents who threw grand parties (hundreds of guests came to enjoy the pigeon pies and baby lambs roasted over wood fires), was thrilling , magnificent. But when her parents divorced and the family scattered, Gabrielle was left, aged twelve, almost alone in the empty house for the summer. Forced to fend for herself, she drew on the hours spent watching her adored mother at the stove, and got a kitchen job in the nearest town. The riotous years that followed were full of hard graft, hard living and many far-flung kitchens. In New York, and with rent to pay, Gabrielle spent years working in soulless catering factories, then found herself graduating with a creative writing degree, opening a restaurant and entering into an unlikely and flawed marriage with an Italian man. Every summer they take their two boys to the family home, and her beloved mother-in-law, in Puglia. Gabrielle gives us the stories, gritty and intimate, of the people, places and meals that have shaped her journey. Unflinchingly honest, moving, funny, sharply crafted - Blood, Bones & Butter is a rollicking, passionate story about food, purpose and family. Not only is Gabrielle Hamilton one of America's most recognised chefs, she is also set to make her mark as an uncompromising literary talent.What we discussed about the book:
An international publishing sensation, Stieg Larsson's The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo combines murder mystery, family saga, love story, and financial intrigue into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel.
Harriet Vanger, a scion of one of Sweden's wealthiest families disappeared over forty years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption.
In other news:
Ratings
Range: 6.5 to 9.5
Average: 8.05
Next book: The Other hand by Chris Cleave (Chosen by Elster)
Over 50 of the world's greatest speeches, the stories behind them and biographies of each speaker, including: Elizabeth I; Charles I; Oliver Cromwell; George Washington; Napolean; Emmeline Pankhurst; Marie Curie; Mahatma Gandhi; Stalin; Winston Churchill; Charles de Gaulle; John F Kennedy; Martin Luther King; Mother Teresa; Nelson Mandela; and many others from throughout history whose words have motivated, given hope to and sometimes terrified those who heard them.
Inspiring and thought-provoking, Speeches that Changed the World provides a unique perspective on the major turning points in history.
The Boy in the Striped PyjamasA story of innocence existing within the most terrible evil, this is the fictional tale of two young boys caught up in events entirely beyond their control.What we discussed about the book:
Berlin 1942
When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move from their home to a new house far far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence running alongside stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people he can see in the distance.But Bruno longs to be an explorer and decides that there must be more to this desolate new place than meets the eye. While exploring his new environment, he meets another boy whose life and circumstances are very different to his own, and their meeting results in a friendship that has devastating consequences.
Ratings:
Initial rating range: 5.5 to 10.0
Initial rating average: 8.06
Post-discussion range: 5.5 to 10.0
Post-discussion average: 7.93
Next book: Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas
The Women's Room by Marilyn French (chosen by JM)What we discussed about the book:A landmark in feminist literature, THE WOMEN'S ROOM is a biting social commentary of a world gone silently haywire. Written in the 1970s but with profound resonance today, this is a modern allegory that offers piercing insight into the social norms accepted blindly and revered so completely.
'Today's desperate housewives eat your heart out! This is the original and still the best, a page-turner that makes you think. Essential reading' Kate Mosse
'They said this book would change lives - and it certainly changed mine' Jenni Murray
'Reading THE WOMEN'S ROOM was an intense and wonderful experience. It is in my DNA' Kirsty Wark
'THE WOMEN'S ROOM took the lid off a seething mass of women's frustrations, resentments and furies; it was about the need to change things from top to bottom; it was a declaration of independence' OBSERVER
Issues we were sidetracked into:
And in other news:
Ratings
Average: 5.875
Range: 4 to 6.75
Next book: Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky
