The world needs more readers. But we'll start with Nottingham first and work our way up.

Our lively, friendly reading group meets on a Tuesday at 7pm every month in the back room at Edin's bistro, Broad Street (opposite the Broadway cinema).

Sometimes we like the book of the month. Sometimes we hate it. Usually we end up ranting about completely random subjects.

Why not join us?

Thursday, December 27, 2012

December 2012: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens

Clank.  Clank.  Clank.

Be not afraid, mortal.  You shall soon be visited by three spirits.  One will tell you your past...one your future...and one...something else.  I can't remember.  I think it'll calculate your BMI or something.  Ooh, these chains aren't half heavy.  Anyway, tara me duck.

Clank.  Clank.  Clank.

Woooo!  Behold, for I am the Ghost of Christmas Past!  Come with me, as we journey back to a cold, wintry night of the 18th of December, in the Year of Our Lord, Twenty Hundred and Twelve.  Heading down Broad Street in the City of Nottingham, we peer in the window of a small café restaurant called Edin's, a rather dark yet welcoming place where it's surprisingly difficult to order a hot chocolate.  Spy in the back room, a table full of people...  They seem to be talking whilst eating - a most disgraceful habit - and have copies of a book lying beside them.  But what the Dickens is it?  Ah yes...something old and somewhat festive, methinks.  Something so instantly familiar, yet so enjoyable to read and reread.  Something with a vividness to its prose which makes its familiar story seem fresh and exciting.  Something which whilst reading one finds oneself being unable to shake off the image of Kermit the Frog playing Bob Cratchitt.  A resounding success, it seems.  What fun!  What joy!  Plus the return of some old faces from a few months back, a year ago, and several years ago!  How appropriate!

Ah, but the image is fading...tis fading...tis fading...tis gone.  Farewell....  Woooo...

....sssssssssssSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSssssssssssss....

...uuuuuuuuuuuhhhhHHHHHHHHhhhhhhuuuuuuuuuuuuu....

...iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII ooh 'ello.  Sorry about that, I was trying to be mysterious and spooky and silent, but that's not gonna work in a text medium.  Never mind.  I'm the Ghost of Christmases Yet To Come.  Not that I'm here to talk about Christmas, oh no sirree; that's far too far in the future.  Instead I'm gonna tell you what's gonna be going on in the next couple of months, and we'll take it from there.

So, basically, in January you all will be meeting on the 22nd to discuss another classic piece of Victoriana...'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle!  He believed in fairies, y'know.  Idiot.  Anyway, it's a classic compendium of crime short stories which will hopefully be full of fun and japes.  Then, on the 19th of February, discussion shall centre on (don't be scared now) science fiction classic 'The Sirens of Titan' by Kurt Vonnegut.  Deep breaths.  It'll be fine, I promise.  And there'll be lots of celebrating, people being opinionated, and it's likely someone will smash a glass.

What?  You're thinking of not bothering to go...?!  The vision is changing...I see now a house full of despairing souls...a fire, turned to ash...a pair of tiny crutches in the corner, long unused...  It's not too late to change your mind, y'know!  What?  Oh, no, I don't understand the term 'emotional blackmail'.

We're all fading now.  If ghosts can fade.  I mean, we're already pretty faded, despite the Christmas pud. Anyhoo, we'll say a fond farewell and wish you all a Happy New Year!

With love,

The Spirits of Christmas Past, Christmas Future, and How Much Weight You've Put On Over Christmas.


Tuesday January 22nd - 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' by Arthur Conan Doyle

Tuesday February 19th - 'The Sirens of Titan' by Kurt Vonnegut

7pm Edin's (in the back room.  Best bring a flashlight.)

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