Book Club on Hiatus

Thanks to those who made it to book club last Friday. It was especially lovely to catch up with some old members over from Germany! But of late attendance has been low as people are away or busy working away on projects. So, for now, there will be no more book club meetups. But don’t worry, there are still plenty of books out there for you to read. You’ll be fine.

February 2015 Book Club

Thank you to all who came to the February book club meeting. (I still can’t believe no-one else enjoyed the book as much as I did!) The next meeting is set for 19:30 Friday 20th March. (Hopefully we’ll enjoy the next book more.)

This month’s book is “The Martian” by Andy Weir;

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first men to walk on the surface of Mars. Now, he’s sure he’ll be the first man to die there.

And the short story this month is “Progress Report” by Alex Apostolides and Mark Clifton, and is available on Gutenberg.

As a reminder, feel free to pop over to our goodreads group and add suggestions for future reading.

Happy reading, and see you next month!

January 2015 Book Club

Thank you for attending this months book club meeting. The next meeting is set for 19:30 Friday 20th February. As we were all so pleased with the short story “The Machine Stops” by E.M. Forster we’ve decided to try it again this month.

The book this month is “Player Piano” by Kurt Vonnegut;

Kurt Vonnegut’s first novel spins the chilling tale of engineer Paul Proteus, who must find a way to live in a world dominated by a supercomputer and run completely by machines.

And the short story this month is “The Damned Thing” by Ambrose Bierce, which is public domain and available on Gutenberg.

As a reminder, feel free to pop over to our goodreads group and add suggestions for future reading.

Happy reading, and see you next month!

December 2014 Book Club

*top edit*
This post has been redacted. There shall be no bookclub on 12th December. Due to members having lives. If you really want one, please comment suggesting an alternative date. Otherwise we’ll meetup 16th January. If you’d like to have another book to read (it will be a two-month gap), please visit the goodreads group page, and we’ll pick one together. Sorry about the confusion.
*end of top edit*

Yes! Friday, 12th December, at 19:30, we’ll meet for the last time this year. We’ll reminisce about our favourite books of the year gone by, and discuss this months book; chosen by random number generator – Gateway by Frederik Pohl.

Gateway opened on all the wealth of the Universe…and on reaches of unimaginable horror. When prospector Robinette Broadhead went out to Gateway on the Heechee spacecraft, he decided he would know which was the right mission to make him his fortune. Three missions later, now famous and permanently rich, Rob Broadhead has to face what happened to him and what he is…in a journey into himself as perilous and even more horrifying than the nightmare trip through the interstellar void that he drove himself to take!

November 2014 Book Club

Thanks to everyone who made it to the warm, cosy, October book club meeting. Great to be back to the tea and biscuits model. Due to popular demand (and scheduling conflicts) we’ve decided to move the meetings to the second-Friday of every month. The next meeting is Friday, 14th November, at 19:30.

The book chosen is one that swept the awards this year, ‘Ancillary Justice’ by Ann Leckie.

The novel follows Breq — the sole survivor of a starship destroyed by treachery, and the vessel of that ship’s artificial consciousness — as she attempts to avenge herself on the ruler of her civilization.

New members, both tog-members and non-members, are welcome! Just bring a sacrificial snack 😉 See you next month!

August 2014 Book Club

Thanks to everyone who made it to our July bookclub, despite it being mere hours before Dublin Maker. The next meeting will be 7:30pm, Friday 29th August. (And as some of us will be at EMF camp, we’ll be having a satellite bookclub meeting there as well!)

The book for August is ‘Sarah Canary’ by Karen Joy Fowler.

“When black cloaked Sarah Canary wanders into a railway camp in the Washington territories in 1873, Chin Ah Kin is ordered by his uncle to escort “the ugliest woman he could imagine” away. Far away. But Chin soon becomes the follower. In the first of many such instances, they are separated, both resurfacing some days later at an insane asylum. Chin has run afoul of the law and Sarah has been committed for observation. Their escape from the asylum in the company of another inmate sets into motion a series of adventures and misadventures that are at once hilarious, deeply moving, and downright terrifying.”

And because many people are away on holidays around now, and to be mindful that our dead-tree reading members can sometimes need time to locate copies, we’ve set the book for September as well, as ‘Permutation City’ by Greg Egan. More details next month.

And remember; all are welcome to come and chat about the book (members & non-members). Whether you’re in Dublin, or at EMF camp! No charge, ever. But usually some tea and a few biscuits.

*edit* Just a reminder that we have a goodreads group as well to help keep track of suggestions. Come join us!