Group 1 will be running on the afternoon (2:00 to 3:00) on the second Tuesday of the month and meeting at Crediton Library.

Next Meeting : Septembers book is “Women Talking “ by Miriam Toews.

Books so far this year

August 2026: This month’s book was “Trespasses” by Louise Kennedy
A tragic period in Northern Ireland’s history. Belfast, mid 1970s, The Troubles, sectarian violence. A land of bigots and fanatics where being with the wrong person or being seen in the wrong place could get you in serious trouble, where ordinary people struggled to live normal lives.
Not a book I would have chosen to read but very glad that I did as it did give some new insights into what was happening. The book was enjoyed by most of the group.

July 2026: Our book for July was “The lost lights of St Kilda” by Elizabeth Gifford 
If you have ever visited St Kilda you will realise what a brutal life it must have been. This book fills in the human aspect of a dying society, hide-bound by religious fundamentalism, with a romance laid carefully on top. An enjoyable read as the description of the island was so well written and accurate. 

June 2026: “Way back” by Sara Cox was this month’s book. We concluded that it was a fluffy holiday read and that Sara should perhaps stick to her real job. It was not well received.

May 2026: This month we read Intermezzo, Sally Rooney’s fourth novel.
Intermezzo follows the disparate narratives of 2 brothers, Peter and Ivan Koubek as they navigate their lives following the death of their father, handling grief and despair, love and new opportunities, as well as their complicated relationship with each other.
Some of our group loved it, praising the way it described the two young men’s feelings, some of the group disliked the stream of consciousness style of writing. Definitely a “marmite” book.

April 2026: This month we read “The Fall” by Simon Mawer.
Published in 2003 the story begins as Jamie Mathewson falls to his death on a solo climb better suited to a younger man. Rob Dewer a long ago friend and climbing partner hears of the death and returns to Wales to offer condolences to Jamie's wife and mother. The death stirs up memories for Rob, and he begins telling the story of their boyhood and young adult friendship and climbing adventures. This story is interspersed with the story of their parents during World War II and how they all met and married. This book has everything, love, betrayal, death, humour excitement, and perfectly timed secret revelations.
Lovely descriptions of climbing but a bit of a soap opera.

March 2026: This month we read “Capital” by John Lanchester. The novel follows the lives of the diverse inhabitants of one road , Pepys Road, in South London. It starts in December 2007 and chronicles their lives through the year, the year of the financial crisis. Our group found the book well written, some thought that it was a bit long. Most of us enjoyed it’s sense of humour and the majority of us enjoyed it.

Feb 2026: Our book for February was “The Glassmaker “ by Tracy Chevalier.
This is the second of this author's novels that we have read, but most of us found this one disappointing. It seemed to be trying to achieve two things and not managing either particularly well. The first subject of the book was the life of Orsola Rosso, the Glass Maker of the title, and those of her family and associates. These were followed through many centuries. The second subject was Glassmaking in Venice (principally Murano). Although these two subjects were obviously closely linked, the fact that the family history covered only sixty years and the events going on around covered six hundred years, resulted in the novel failing to serve either adequately.

January 2026: This month we read “The Red Tent" by Anita Diamant. It follows the life of Jacob's daughter, Dinah, who's a minor character in the Book of Genesis. Diamant pretty much expanded Dinah's story and it's told from her point of view. As her story unfolds, you will get to witness the lives of her mothers: Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah, as well. Although a couple of our group members enjoyed it, the majority thought it was a difficult read.