BOOK CLUB THURSDAY 30TH JUNE 8.00PM (IRISH TIME)

[lisa]

Hi girls,

Hope your all well, sorry I haven't been around much lately been sooooo busy you've no idea and then the fact the baby is due in 2 and half weeks and Ive another week left in work you can imagine......

Anyway, this months book club in next Thursday 30 June at 8.00pm Irish time and we'll be reviewing and chatting about Sheila Flanagan's "Anyone But Him".

Ive read it myself but will wait to put my comments up nearer the time. Did everyone manage to get a copy of it for the book club?

Hope plenty of ye turn up now next Thursday girls and boys okay....

Thanks guys,

Lisa xxx

[Shirley]

Hi Lisa, it's great to hear from you. I can imagine how hectic everything is at the moment. You must be excited as well with such little time to go! Yep, have Anyone But Him, and I'll be leaving my comments online as well. Take care,
Shirley

[claire]

Thanks for putting it up Lisa, now we know it's definitly going ahead. AND I even read the book!!

[charlene]

Hi Lisa
Great to see you on the board again,I'm reading the book now and will be there on Thursday.

[Leah]

Blast and bummer Lisa - I haven't been able to get my hands on that book yet! God knows WHEN I will be able to now!!! I wonder will either of us be holding our little ones by 30th!!! God it's so exciting innit girl?!!!

I love Sheila Flanagan so if baba hasn't arrived by then I'll pop on and take part

Enjoy your last week at work pet

Leah

[Leah]

Oh I've just spotted my lost likkle bunny rabbit - it's left me and hopped it's way over to Charlene!!! Take care of him girl!!! ;D ;D (he loves brussel sprouts as well as carrots!)

[charlene]

So sorry for taking him I was only rabbit sitting and now I've put him back for you as I feel so bad for taking him
I took great care of him for you

[Joan]

I forgot all about this. Have read the book, but some time ago, so will have to re-read - what a trial! Am reading my first Anita Shreve book at the moment: "The last time we met" and have to say I'm finding it a bit hard to get into - not that keen on her style of writing, probably because I have to concentrate too much on what she's saying! Beginning to enjoy it more now, but I prefer my reading to be a bit lighter in tone and outlook these days, mainly because I don't use much time actually to sit down and read a book, I just do it in between other things and sometimes when I'm doing other things! ;D Edit on Monday: I take that back, and I actually did sit down last night and finish the book, and it certainly left a big impression on me - the ending is not what you expect. Very emotional - was good for me to have a good cry.

Anyway, will definitely try to come on on Thursday (Friday morning our time - better now it's about 11am here. BTW, Nic and Abby and anyone else who lives in a different time zone to Ireland, I found this great little program that sits in your system tray (bottom right corner where your clock is) and tells you what time it is wherever in the world you want to know. Great for me so I know what time it is in Scotland (and Dublin too). You need to have Windows XP, but if you have that, I can thoroughly recommend it. Here's the link:

Time Zone program

Lisa and Leah, all the best to you both - take it easy, both of you.

[Abby]

Hiya Joan,
I think 8pm Irish is 5am here

[Joan]

You're right, Abby - that's what comes of being over here, over there, then over here - I'm totally lost with the times, which is why that little program is so good for me! It's like the blinking indicators ('scuse the pun) and windscreen wipers on the cars - they're on opposite sides in Europe to Australian cars. You should have seen me in the middle of Edinburgh, driving away from the rental car place, having to negotiate a three lane roundabout and it was raining - didn't know which exit to take either! The indicator went on instead of the wipers, and then the wipers went off when I tried to indicate to get off! Luckily Edinburgh drivers are a lot more forgiving than in Sydney - would have been mincemeat here!

Don't think I'll be up at 5am on Friday girls, might look in at 6 or 7 though.

[claire]

It would be great if you could make Joan, and Abby too.

See you then
claire

[lisa]

Hi guys, yep I should be there too belive it or not!!

Coming from the comfort of my own home!! Yayyyyyy!!

Thats if I not huffing and putting in Holles Street Maternity Hospital!!

Leah love, whats your date again?

[claire]

That's where I was born!!

[Leah]

My date is July 11th but doc sure baby will make his/her appearance earlier! In my 39th week now and every morning I wake up thinking could this be the day?! Hospital bag is packed and everything! Yikes!

Labour scares me a bit - Lisa girl this is your third - it'll probably only be four hours for you you lucky duck!

Hope to chat with ye tomorrow night - looking forward to hearing about Sheila's book - the only ones I seem to be glued to these days are pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding books!

[Leah]

Claire babe I was born in the Coombe!

[claire]

leah, the docs don't know everything! it can still take a while yet. Don't be worring about things, it will all be fine. And just because it's your first does not mean that it will be a long labour.

looking forward to tomorrow!

[Shirley]

I won’t be here tonight because I don’t have internet access at home, so I’ll leave my opinions here now.

To summarise the book, it focuses around the lives of two sisters, Andie and Jin, and their reaction to the fact that their mother brings a younger man home with her from a cruise. A much younger man, at that. Their mother, Cora, is 58, and the younger man, Jack, is in his early thirties. The sisters are immediately suspicious of Jack’s motives for coming to Ireland with Cora and moving in with her. However, they also have plenty to worry about in their own lives. Andie’s love life is upside down, and she is also facing up to what she perceives to be a failure in her professional life. Jin is married to a man of means, but can he really give her everything she wants? And can he compensate for the fact that she has given up her career? The lives of the two sisters are poles apart, and neither of them can understand how the other can live in the manner that they do.

I think this book is enjoyable insofar as it’s very easy to get into and very readable. The story flows very well, and I think Andie and Jin are well-developed characters. However, I have to say that the book never really grabbed me. I enjoyed it while I was reading it, but I don’t think this story is going to stick out in my head for any reason. I also didn’t feel that Cora’s character was developed enough, despite the length of the book (it’s 600 pages long, and at times you feel that it could have been made shorter). I think that the author might have decided not to develop Cora more so that the ending of the book wouldn’t be made blatantly obvious, but I never really felt as if I knew Cora in this book at all. The ending is also fairly predictable, and I found myself praying for a big twist at the end.

All in all, I would recommend it for its readability, and also because the premise is quite enjoyable. Why shouldn’t an older lady meet a younger man? Why does everyone seem to have a problem with it? etc. I just don’t think that the book made a lasting impression on me, but I did find it to be a pleasant read.

[susan]

I wont be here either tonight. So here goes anyway:

I hate saying it because I'm a big fan of Sheila's - I did enjoy the book somewhat but I don't think it was as good as her earlier work i.e He's Got To Go.

Her last two books for me just didn't compare with previous ones. Destinations was also a bit iffy. Anybody else?

I agree with you Shirley I don't think we ever got to know the real character of Cora throughout the duration of the book. I think the book was too focused on Jin and Andie and what was going on in their lives.

Don't get me wrong the book was enjoyable and the storyline was contemporary as far as today goes but it just didn't strike accord with me.

It got mixed reviews in the media.

Did you get to finish it Charlie?

Enjoy the evening girls wish I could be there.

[Abby]

Evening All

[charlene]

Hello
Well I havent finished the book I'm up to the bit when Andie has just found out Tom's partner is pregnant

[Abby]

Claire, hows the arm? is it 8 yet there?

[Abby]

G'day Charlie, How you liking it so far

[Abby]

Claire just rembered it should be 9 there shouldn't it?

[charlene]

I'm enjoying the book so far I have never read any others of Shelia's so I can't really compare to her others

[claire]

Well I haven't read He's Got To Go or Destinations yet so I can't compare to them. I did enjoy reading the book and loved the way I got straight back into the story.

It must be me being old-fashioned, can't help it, but I was surrprised when I realised that Andies partner was married. I couldn't believe that she kept it quiet for so long. And no one suspected that there was a man in her life. Surely most mothers notice these things.

I would have liken to have seen more of Cora' s story. More about the relationship with her younger man. Funny how they all thought about the 'wonderful sexlife' she must have had with him. At times I think he was more of a 'comfort' for her and helped her over the death of her husband. I loved when he met all her friends.

Jin and her husband i found irretating. Especially that man, always thinking the worst of people, all out to get him and his money. He was one selfish b**tard. Jin seemed to cop on to him in the end.

what more can i say

[claire]

you know it's taken me 20 mins to type that. when i came on there was nobody here!!


evening all, sound like a copper.
yeah abby it's after 9 here

[Abby]

I did not like Kevin much either. I had always (right from the start I suppoes) wanted Andie to like Jack and get on with him, I was sad each time they almost got along and then she'd go and ask him another silly question

[charlene]

It does seem to be taking me a long time to get through it I don't find it a book where I want to make time to read it, but like you say you can get staight back into it where you left of

[claire]

and good morning abby. not too early for you??

[claire]

i thought too that they would work something out.

but in the end, i think she comes out a stronger person.

not ruining it for you charlie