August Meeting

Another successful meeting. Lots of discussion around parenting, family life, gender relations, breastfeeding, rape and all other sorts of polite conversation! The group seemed to be slightly less unruly this month and a talking jug was only required a few times.

A big welcome to our new members - Sandra and Debbie. Though Debbie seemed somehow to be less of a person after the meeting...

This book seemed to be generally better received then The White Tiger, and general comments were that people enjoyed reading it and didn't feel they had to plow through the book. The average rating was 6.8 (Let's call it 7, shall we?)

Individual scores were as follows
Toot - 6/10 - Enjoyed it. Confronting but real

Colleen - 3/10 - Didn't seem real, felt contrived

Liz - Bad girl twice over, but at least she was there!

Leslie - By a group vote, it was decided she was piss weak.

Kerry - 5/10 Labourious - kept waiting for something else to happen.

Debbie - 7/10 Easy to read, enjoyed the chapter character changes and flow. Felt 'real'

Cara - 8/10 Enjoyed it.

Meg - 6/10 Caught and kept my attention

Trilby - 7/10 Enjoyed it

Sandra - Slightly bad member - redeemed herself with sticky date pudding. Based on halfway through the book - 6/10.

We had waaay to much food, didn't help that I had made 3 lots of different stuff. I think a plate per person will be more than enough for next month.

A special mention for Meg, looking beautiful with her 'well loved Teddy' do. She seems to be having issues with her nouns - quote " I don't ever refer to my *facial expression* as one of them when I'm doing THAT". See if you can work that one out!

The next book is 'The Time Travellers Wife' by Audrey Niffenegger and the next meeting is held at Meg's house in Wonga Park (let me know if you need the address). I got this book for $21.50 from fishpond.com.au if anyone is interested - aprox 5 days for shipping.


See you there on the 1st September@ 7.30pm.

Thanks for coming and for the lively discussion and for ensuring that my house is clean for once! I look forward to next months - Trilby xx

Questions to get you thinking: The Slap

Hiya all,

The date for the next one is 4th August.


Here's some questions on "The Slap" to get the old brain boxes working

Did the book make you question your immediate response of Harry slapping Hugo?

How does Rosie breastfeeding affect your opinion of her?

Do you think the author deliberately chose to have multiple nationalities represented at the BBQ (Vietnamese, Aboriginal, Greek, Indian)?

How does the groups reaction to 'The Slap' represent political correctness in today's society?

Is the promiscuity and drug-taking Representative of middle class Australia?

Feel free to add other questions to get us thinking.

The Next Book is...

July Meeting

The first First Tuesday Book Club Meeting

thanks tahnee great night and good discussion.kerry

July Meeting

Matilda, our youngest member, did someone get her vote?

The Talking Jug, as in if you're holding it you get to talk, not as in we have a milk jug at our house that can talk.

The White Tiger - 5/10 - July Meeting

Well... what can I say. You girls certainly weren't backwards in coming forwards and everyone was more than happy to express their opinion - which is what made it work! Unfortunately, for our inaugural meeting it appears this first book wasn't the most popular amongst our discerning readers as reflected in the scores below, the average rating being 5/10.

Trilby - 6/10 Made her think about issues such as political, family etc

Cara - 5/10 Made her uncomfortable

Leslie - Hadn't read it tsk tsk but snuck in anyway.

Meg - 4/10 Wasn't easy to read, and didn't flow well.

Colleen - 4/10 Didn't think it was particularly well written.

Kerry - 5/10 Wouldn't have selected it to read, likes that book club makes you read diff. choices.

Elizabeth - 5/10 Wasn't easy to read as didn't like the characters

Tahnee - 4/10 In no rush to read again, however, would still recommend it as it made me think.

The conservative ratings didn't stop discussion flowing thick and fast and the talking jug was introduced in an effort to control the uncontrollable (you know who you are).

The next book is 'The Slap' by Christos Tsiolkas and the next meeting will be on the first Tuesday of August at Trilby's house 7.30pm.

Thank you all for coming and contributing - Tahnee

http://bookseer.com/

Try this if you're stuck for where to source that next book : )

2 starter questions

A few additional questions;
(1) was there a point in the story that 'hooked' you, you may've just been reading up untill that point, then you thought it's got me in now, what was that moment?
(2) do you still 'like' Balram even after you know what he has done, and why?

Questions to get you thinking: White Tiger

Hello all,

If you're anything like me, your mind is a wee bit rusty on thinking about books critically.

Here's some questions that might help to get the thought process going!

The questions contain spoilers; so don't read on if you haven't read the book.

The author chose to tell the story from the provocative point of view of an exceedingly charming, egotistical admitted murderer. Do Balram's ambition and charisma make his vision clearer? More vivid? Did he win you over?

Balram blames the culture of servitude in India for the stark contrasts between the Light and the Darkness and the antiquated mind set that slows change. Discuss his rooster coop analogy and the role of religion, the political system, and family life in perpetuating this culture. What do you make of the couplet Balram repeats to himself: "I was looking for the key for years / but the door was always open"?

Did you feel Balram was justified in killing Ashok?

Balram's thoughts of his family initially hold him back from killing Ashok. What changes his mind? Why do you think he goes back to retrieve Dharam at the end of the novel? Does his decision absolve him in any way?


The novel reveals an India that is as unforgiving as it is promising. Do you think of the novel, ultimately, as a cautionary tale or a hopeful one?

Hope that helps and doesn't give you to many awful highschool flashbacks.
Just to note I am a superwoman as I am typing one-handed whilst breastfeeding,

See you in a couple of weeks!

Hello All,

This month's book is The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga and we are meeting at my house at 7.30pm on Tuesday the 14th July.