What we’re about
This is a drop-in group so, while hopefully occasionally trying things you might not normally choose, you don't have to feel too pressed to read books you don't like or to finish in a rush if pushed for time (do take yourself off the attendee list if you can't come though, so someone else can take the spot).
Currently, we meet in Islington Townhouse in the small space at the back of the 1st floor.
We vote for books 2 months ahead, all suggestions gratefully entered into the vote at the end of a meeting.
We read two books a month, and we meet on the first and third Tuesdays of the month.
North London Book Group – books of 2024
1 Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Technocrat is a plague on humanity as he saves the world
2 Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kinsolver
Updated Dickens character depends on pharmaceuticals
3 Poor Things by Alasdair Gray
Frankenstein’s monster gets a footnote in which to explain she’s just a very practical health worker.
4Falling Animals by Sheila Armstrong
International drifters, shipping and corpses wash up on Irish beach
Joint 5 Northwoods by Daniel Mason
Eternal forests turn out not to be eternal a the ghosts of future tenants leave their marks
Joint 5 Arthur and George by Julian Barnes
Famous author champions maligned British citizen while finding real life mysteries hard to solve
6 We Spread by Iain Reid
Artist sulks as care home provider encourages residents to grow closer together
7 Fresh Water for Flowers by Valerie Perrin
Cemetery keeper goes a bit zen while mourning child
8 Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
Unremarkable immigrant lives unremarkable life and gets a bit homesick
Joint 9 Possession by A S Byatt
Literature geeks read between the lines while Victorian poets get it on
Joint 9 One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
Hothead fails to comply with mental health pathway, disrupting co-patients’ care
Joint 11 Purge by Sofi Oksanen
Vicious people exploit and undermine, and suffer under, vicious communism and equally vicious capitalism
Joint 11 Empire of the Sun by J G Ballard
Young lad acclimatises a bit too well to camp life in Shanghai, while the adults do a reverse Lord of the Flies
13 I capture the Castle by Dodi Smith
Arty wasters make life difficult for themselves between the wars while beguiling rich Americans
14 Morning and Evening by Jon Fosse
You’re born, you die. It’s all quite metaphysical
15 The Trees by Percival Everett
Lynching victims arise when it’s not just secrets that won’t stay buried
16 After you’d Gone by Maggie O’Farrell
Young widow grieves dramatically while discovering her mum isn’t really that straight laced
17 Final Girls by Riley Sager
Victim support group perilously fails to be supportive
Joint 18 Lady Chatterley’s Lover by D H Lawrence
Young wife gets it on with the help
Joint 18 Mayflies by Andrew O’Hagan
Scottish punk mates go on a city break and fail to survive middle age
20 The Magician’s Nephew by C S Lewis
Children thwart the ambitions of powerful lady as worlds begin and end
Joint 22 Nina Simone’s Gum by Warren Ellis
Musician obsesses artistically
Joint 22 Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
Young solider surprises himself with the randomness of war
Christmas at Cold Comfort Farm
The most mysterious book in the annual voting, as it’s yet to be read, it escapes the judgement of this voting.
Member votes on the Books of 2023
1 Case Study by Graeme MacRae Burnet. 7 March
Multiple personalities go to see a shonky therapist
2 Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkhov. 21 February
Ukrainian author becomes obit writer and unwitting domestic terrorist while caring for unlikely pet
3 Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov. 6 June
Recreating the past for Alzheimer sufferers gets out of hand as Europe goes into throwbacks mania
4 Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin. 18 July
Early game designers flirt uselessly and fall out while running a start up
5 How We Disappeared by Jing Jing Lee. 20 June
Traumatic Singapore rape camp survivor tale and mystery of adopted child’s birth
6 The Marriage Portrait by Maggie O’Farrell. 17 January
Young lass has unfortunate marriage contracted for her in Medieval Italian states
7 Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield. 7 November
Post-aquatic exploration relationship problems
8 The Joke by Milan Kundera. 3 October
Bloke who thinks he’s too clever for his own good falls foul of totalitarian Czech lack of humour.
9 The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia. 1 August
Mexican magical realism as landowners struggle to maintain control over nasty peasants during the flu
10 Beyond Black by Hilary Mantel. 7 February
Travelling psychic is bullied by both her sceptical assistant and her spirit guide
11 (joint) The Overstory Richard Powers 6 December
Tree huggers go wild
11 (joint) The Blue Afternoon by William Boyd. 15 August
Failing architect goes on adventure after discovering her real father who has a tale of murder and intrigue in early 20th Century Manilla
13 (joint) I, Claudius by Richard Graves. 21 November
Disabled Roman historian is surprised to overachieve in murderous imperial succession
13 (joint) Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson, 4 July
Pikey family run glitzy nightclubs in post Great-War London
15 (Joint) The Sea of Tranquillity by St John Mandel. 3 January
Incompetent time traveller pops up around the place, Martian author struggles with book tour and interplanetary plague
15 (Joint) Something Wicked this way comes by Ray Bradbury. 17 October
Young boys destroy fairground
17 The Sunken Land Begins to Rise Again by M John Harrison. 18 April
Shiftless bloke gets involved with conspiracy theorists while penpal lass moves back to Midlands for home improvements and getting back to her (aquatic) roots
18 (Joint) Children of Men by P D James. 19 September
Infertility and aging population make England very unwelcoming as it shuts down
18 (Joint) Lapvona by Ottessa Moshfegh. 5 September
Thoroughly unpleasant peasants are oppressed by thoroughly unpleasant lord on high
20 (Joint) Tell No One by Harlan Coben. 16 May
Bloke surprised to find his dead wife isn’t so dead and is bothered by FBI and nasty murderous villains while being helped by random crack-dealing thug.
20 (Joint) The Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu. 2 May
Chinese scientist struggles through Cultural Revolution and puts mankind’s future in peril by contacting aliens with unfortunate local astronomical conditions.
22 Candy House by Jennifer Egan. 4 April
Bloke markets ultimate social platform – upload your whole consciousness for invasive omniscience
23 Every Man for Himself by Beryl Bainbridge. 21 March
Titanic tragedy
(not on vote as not had meeting yet)
Santaland Diaries by David Sedaris. 19 December
David splashes out the charm with his pithy anecdotes any snarky tales
