Would you like to join a reading group with a difference? Too busy to make a venue each month? If you enjoy reading but you’re short of time and can’t make a particular venue every month then join our online reading group.

The Central Library Reading group meets once a month to discuss a book and online readers are invited to read and discuss the same book. Add your comments to theirs (which will be posted on this website) - all without having to meet up at a certain time and place. What could be easier?

We have 3 books which we invite you to add your comments to:

Elizabeth Kostova:-The Historian

Kat Pomfret: Paradise Jazz

Olive Schreiner: Story of an African farm

Elizabeth Kostova: The Historian

The Historian is a gripping historical mystery tracing the origins of Vlad the Impaler down through the centuries.Don't dismiss this as merely a horror story! Kostova's book is definitely a chilling and spine-tingling read, but it is also a subtle, meticulously plotted, well-written novel that will keep you gripped to the very end.

The Historian featured on Richard and Judy's Book Club in summer 2006.

Reviews

• Told with a compelling intensity which will keep the reader hooked until the last Undead tomb door swings shut - Sunday Telegraph
• Bram Stoker's classic, with vastly ingenious plot in which Dracula has developed a penchant for librarians. - The Observer

Here are the comments received so far:

Comments	Submitted by
A real surprise. I had no idea what the book was going to be about and I really enjoyed reading it.
I did not expect to like the book as I have no interest in the Dracula story, but I found it really interesting. I had to keep reading to find out what happened next.
I am a huge fan of the original Bram Stoker novel and was looking forward to reading The Historian but I felt it was nowhere near as good. It lacked bite!
I did not really like the narrator and her father, but the different strands of the plot and the search for Vlad were really gripping.
I liked the themes of the novel, especially the way it looked at the nature of history itself.
I was fascinated by the sections of Eastern European legends and folklore.

Click here if you would like to submit your own comments on "The Historian" - they will appear on this page shortly.

Olive Schreiner: Story of an African farm

The group met shortly before Christmas to discuss Olive Schreiner's Story of an African Farm, a South African literary classic. It proved a challenging read to say the least, and put some people off entirely. However, those who persevered felt that there were some beautifully written descriptive passages which made the experience worthwhile.

Here are the comments received so far:

Comments	Submitted by
Good design	Gabriel
It was the most difficult book I've read except for 'Finnegan's Wake.'	Jake
'The first section of the book was quite interesting, and you became involved with life on the farm. However, I'm not sure what happened in the second part, as it took a complete change of direction and lost me completely.'	Shirley
'Waldo is the only character who appears throughout, but he would hardly count as a hero as he's so downtrodden and accepting of his fate.'	Pauline
'The blurb on the book gives the impression that Lyndall is the main character, but she hardly appears except as a mouthpiece for feminist theory.'	Bothered
'It's clear that the meek don't inherit the earth, as the only one to prosper in this book seems to be Bonaparte Blenkins whose behaviour is atrocious.'	Ivan

Click here if you would like to submit your own comments on "Story of an African farm" - they will appear on this page shortly.

Kat Pomfret: Paradise Jazz

An engrossing debut from local author Kat Pomfret. Paradise Jazz tells the story of two girls: Helena and Georgetown, who are both desperately searching for something that is missing in their lives.  Helena is trying to find her own identity after years of caring for her dying mother and Georgetown is desperate to discover the identity of her absent father.

This is a warm, vibrant book mixing themes of history, identity and family.

Here are the comments received so far:

Comments	Submitted by
“I thought this was a really entertaining novel, I particularly liked the descriptions of the jazz club, I would quite like to be able to go there myself"	John
"I found the story of Georgetown and her family really interesting, in fact I think the novel could have concentrated just on her and did not need to include Helena"	Sophie
"The author is  particularly good at creating strong, attractive female characters, I thought the men were a bit weak"	Raymond
"I found the book  very enjoyable and well-written, I especially enjoyed the characher of Georgetown and the descriptions of her family life, I also enjoyed the humour in the book"	Muriel

Click here if you would like to submit your own comments on "Paradise jazz" - they will appear on this page shortly.

If you enjoy reading and would  like to discuss the books you read, why not join us in person for a friendly chat at one of our Readers’ Groups?

For further details contact Jane, 0115 9152813