The Overstory by Richard Powers (Naila 196)

 

The Overstory unfolds through the intertwined lives of nine characters whose personal histories are each shaped by encounters with trees—from childhood bonds to scientific discovery to ecological activism. As their paths gradually converge, they become part of a larger movement to defend forests from destruction. The novel reveals how human stories are brief branches of a much older, deeper living system, suggesting that the fate of people and trees is inseparable..

Marks out of 10  between only a couple of marks 7 - 8.5

Words used to describe it: rewards the effort, multi-layered,  difficult, too long, 'almighty nature above all'

Next book

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

Next meeting 

30th May at Jackie's

27th June at Carolyn's 

Tender is the Night by Scott F Fitzgerald (195 Mandy)

 

A poignant and lyrical novel set in the glittering world of 1920s and 1930s Europe. It follows the glamorous but troubled lives of Dick and Nicole Diver, a wealthy American couple living on the French Riviera.

Dick, a charming psychiatrist, is married to Nicole, a beautiful heiress recovering from mental illness. Their seemingly perfect life begins to unravel as Dick’s professional ambitions fade and Nicole’s strength grows. The novel explores themes of psychological fragility, moral decay, and the disintegration of love under the weight of personal sacrifice and societal pressure.

Fitzgerald’s final completed novel, it is both a tragic romance and a critique of the American expatriate dream, written with haunting beauty and emotional depth.

Marks out of 10  between 5 -  9 

Words used to describe it: fantastic prose, difficult read, pros

Next book

The Overstory by Richard Powers

Next meeting 

30th April at Cindy's

All that Glitters by Orlando Whitfield (Rowena 194)

All That Glitters is Orlando Whitfield’s sharp, unsettling memoir of his years working inside the contemporary art world — a place he portrays as dazzling, absurd, and quietly corrosive. Beginning as a young gallery assistant full of enthusiasm, Whitfield is gradually drawn into a culture driven by money, status, and manipulation, where relationships are transactional and authenticity is rare.

At the centre of the book is his complicated friendship with a charismatic art dealer whose charm masks a pattern of exploitation and deceit. As Whitfield becomes more entangled in this world, he begins to see how easily ideals can be compromised and how the industry’s glamour often hides moral emptiness. Both personal and observational, the memoir exposes the pressures, illusions, and ethical grey zones of a market that thrives on spectacle. It’s a story about ambition, loyalty, and the cost of looking the other way — and about what happens when the shine finally wears off.

Marks out of 10 between 8 & 9.5 so highly rated. 

Words used to describe it: facinating, interesting, intreguing, droll rose, eye opening, illuminating.

Next book

Tender is the Night Scott F Fitzgerald

Next meeting 

26th March at Naila's

In Ascension by Martin MacInnes (Anna 193)

In Ascension follows the life of Leigh Hasenbosch, a marine biologist from Rotterdam whose childhood is shaped by a tense, emotionally distant family and a deep fascination with the natural world. When Leigh joins an oceanographic expedition to study a mysterious deep‑sea organism, her journey begins to stretch far beyond scientific research and into something more existential. As the mission unfolds, Leigh becomes part of a groundbreaking international project that pushes the boundaries of human exploration — from the deepest trenches of the ocean to the outer reaches of space. The novel gradually expands from intimate personal history to vast cosmic scale, asking what it means to search for origins, connection, and purpose.

MacInnes blends science, philosophy, and quiet psychological insight, creating a narrative that moves from the claustrophobia of family life to the awe of the unknown. In Ascension is ultimately a story about curiosity, survival, and the human desire to understand our place in an immense and ancient universe. The book generated a good discussion into life, and the fact we are all stardust. Interesting the way it wove tech and the storyline, although we felt the female protagonist was not accurate, although an interesting character.

Marks out of 10 - between 5 and 7.5

Words used to describe it: awesome, interesting, irritating, frustrating, turgid, chore - but

Next book

All that Glitters by Orlando Whitfield

Next meeting

February 12th at Mandy's