U3A Book Circles
The six Book Circle Convenors met together at the end of November to share experiences of running our groups and think of ideas for improvement. Topics included the format of our various meetings and exchanging reviews of books read and discussed over the past year. All the meetings are held in members’ homes and due to restrictions on space as well as ease of discussion, membership of each group ranges from eight to ten people. Once members settle in a group vacancies may rarely occur.
However if you would like to participate in this friendly and informal way of sharing a love of reading please contact Gill Jolly Tel: 01730 264 054 because new groups are very easy to form. What about a men’s group! So far, most, though not all of our members have been women.
There are vacancies in 3 of the groups, if anyone
is interested please contact:
Group 1 Shirley Kail 01730 263230 Monthly Monday
Group 3 Marguerite McGuire 01730 267985 Monthly Tuesday
Group 6 Dawn Mason 01730 265184 Monthly Thursday
U3A Book Groups 1,2,4 and 5 Sorry, no additional information
U3A
BOOK CIRCLE No. 3. (November 2010)
Never let it be said that U3A Book Circles are dull! Like many others, our Group is definitely in the Third Age, and so there
is always someone who has “been there” or “done that” or knows that generation when we read a book. In a way, we have
‘added’ to our education, hearing other people’s experiences.
As we are restricted to books on the Petersfield Library special list (which supplies us with 10 copies) there are many we would never think of taking out on our own account. We’ve certainly learned about many other parts of the world: Africa with the Poisonwood Bible,
and Half of a Yellow Sun, America with The Grapes of Wrath, Australia with deported convicts in The Secret River, New Zealand with the gold-diggers and the Raj in Passage to India. For good measure, we have been in England,learning about the life of Jane Austen, discussed a School Scandal, and have also Talked about Kevin. All in all, a varied selection.
I have learned that it’s no good choosing a book which everyone enjoys, (as there will then be no proper discussion!) but to go for books which have been recommended. It says a lot for the Group that very few people fail to finish a book, in spite of the subject or the character being abhorrent. Much discussion usually ensues, needless to say!
We meet in each other’s houses and have a month to read each book. Everyone is encouraged to give their views (one by one – it is very easy to have everyone talking at the same time!)
Unfortunately,at the moment, we have the maximum number, so cannot take new members, but if there is anyone who would like to join a Group, it would be good if they could start another one. It is really so easy to organise, and I would be very happy to talk to anyone who would like advice on this matter.
Marguerite McGuire,
Convenor U3A Book Circle No.3
(Tel. 01730 267985)
U3A Book Group 6 (11/7/08)
On Tuesday 3rd June, some members of the U3A Book Groups attended an evening at the Petersfield Library to discuss the short-listed titles for the Orange Prize for Fiction before the official winner was announced the following day.
The Library had kindly made available copies of the six books in advance. A vote was taken at the beginning to determine the most popular book, although very few people had managed to read all the books in the short time available, and this was followed by brief reviews and general discussion.
At the end, when the vote was taken again, the group had changed their allegiance from 'The Road Home' by Rose Tremain (ultimately the winner for 2008) to 'The Outcast' by Sadie Jones. I hadn't read The Outcast, but have subsequently, and would recommend it to other Book Group members.
It was an enjoyable, informal evening and many thanks to the staff of the Library for organising and hosting the event.
Dawn Mason, Co-ordinator of Book Group 6
U3A Book Group 6 (15/3/08)
This group was started two years ago to accommodate a waiting list of new members. There are now eight members who usually meet on the second Thursday of each month, rotating the venue among the members’ homes. We use the excellent service provided by Petersfield Library in conjunction with Hampshire Library Service to order in sets of books each month. This involves titles being selected well in advance from the wide list of titles available, but has provided us with a very varied selection of books to read from classics to modern prize-winning works with some best-sellers thrown in.
Not surprisingly, we are all avid readers, but we find being part of the group makes our reading more focussed and discussions are lively and fun. It is always interesting and sometimes enlightening to hear very differing opinions. The meetings are rounded off with tea and biscuits (and sometimes cake!) provided by the host of the day.
We have just finished reading ‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd and will shortly be reading Laurie Lee’s ‘As I Walked Out One Midsummer Morning’ – a revisitation for some of us of a book first read many years ago.