Great to have such a good turnout for our April session which saw the usual excellent discussion. Exhalation was particularly well received scoring 75 while The Warm Hand of Ghosts left us a little colder with 53.
For May we have two very different books; a coming-of-age story set in Glasgow and a non-fiction look at a one of the great global challenges of today that affects (and involves!) all of us.
And, by way of reminder, we appreciate attendees making a contribution of £1.50 at the meeting to help cover meetup charges.
Happy Reading.
Glasgow Boys by Margaret McDonald (nominated by Charmaine)
Two boys can't remember the last time they had a hug.
Meet Finlay. He's studying for his nursing degree at Glasgow University, against all the odds. But coming straight from care means he has no support network.
How can he write essays, find paid work and NOT fall for the beautiful boy at uni, when he's struggling to even feed himself?
Meet Banjo. He's trying to settle in with his new foster family and finish high school. But he can't forget all that has happened, and his anger and fear keep boiling over.
How can he hold on to the one good person in his life, when his outbursts keep threatening his already uncertain future?
Can Finlay and Banjo let go of the past before it drags them under?
Wasteland: The Dirty Truth About What We Throw Away, Where It Goes, and Why It Matters by Oliver Franklin-Wallis (nominated by David)
When we throw things ‘away’, what does that actually mean? Where does it go, and who deals with it when it gets there? In Wasteland, award-winning journalist Oliver Franklin-Wallis takes us on an eye-opening journey through the global waste industry.
From the mountainous landfills of New Delhi to Britain’s overflowing sewers, from hollowed-out mining towns in the USA to Ghana’s flooded second-hand markets, we meet the people on the frontline of our waste crisis – both those being exploited, and those determined to make a difference.
On the way, we discover the corporate greenwashing that started the recycling movement; the dark truth behind our second-hand donations; and come face to face with the 10,000-year legacy of our nuclear waste.
Both shocking and hopeful, Wasteland is the timely and ultimately human story at the heart of an urgent global issue.
Other books nominated were:
Strong Female Character by Fern Brady
Yumi and the Nightmare Painter by Brandon Sanderson
Long Island by Colm Tóibín
The Outsider by Albert Camus
Tomorrow in the Battle Think on Me by Javier Marías
