We had a fairly good start to a Book Club a year or two ago - then it petered out.    Now I know that with the good weather coming there's not going to be so much time for reading - but can I recommend a book I've found very thought-provoking.

It's called "The Art of Racing in the Rain" by Garth Stein.  

The blurb on the back tells you it is "the capitvating and moving sotry of an extraordinary family, how they almost fell apart and how they were brought back together by the wisest and most loval member - Enzo the dog".

I'm not saying any more about it at the moment - but I do recommend it, and would love to know what others think of it!

Margot

Count me in please!!
~ Thanks for doing this Margot, Fab idea!~
I have an hour and half commute to work now so plenty of book reading time :)
  Like the sound of your book suggestion (Im off to google book it now) also like the idea our starter book is topical.

Will you be suggesting a wine to go with it?? ;)

Like you, HG, I've been reading on the train .....and wine & (long) train journeys don't go together when you've got to drive home from the station!!!   Though I do like to take a nice glass of Rioja or Merlot when I curl up with a book at home :)........

> Will you be suggesting a wine to go with it?? ;-)

lol love that idea

"Pride and Predjudice served on a comfy couch accompanied by a crystalised pastry (yum yum), best served with a glass of chardonney

> "Pride and Predjudice served on a comfy couch accompanied by a crystalised pastry (yum yum), best served with a glass of chardonney <IMG class=qButton title="Quote selected text" height=10 alt="Quote selected text" src="/images/mi_quote.gif" width=20>

Nooo!!  Pride & Prejudice should be served with ratafia biscuits and a small glass of cordial :)

ah, my bad.

perhaps the yum yum and chardonney with a Marian Keyes? or shall we please the author herself and eat Percy Pigs from M+S?

I'm currently reading The Art of Racing in the Rain and I think it may be prove to be a thought provoking one!  I don't get hardly anytime to read what with little ones and the dogs especially when the weather is good and when I do it's 9pm and I'm falling asleep! Kay

YIPPPPEEEE!!!!

Count me in, off to Waterstones at lunch...currently got 3 books on the go but I'm sure I can find room for another!

Will have to look out for 'The Art of Racing in the rain'.
Have you read The Philosopher and the Wolf' by Mark Rowlands? Has anyone read this and if so any thoughts?
I've just read it and also The Lollipop Shoes' by Joanne Harris which I did love, I think her books are brilliant.

Hurry up and read The Art of Racing In The Rain please peeps!..... ive read that one!

Just bought the last copy in Waterstones, will start it tonight...

(( Whoop! )) Got my copy :) "The art of racing in the rain' is on Sainsbury's 'Book Club' list so you can buy in store for £3.49!!

I'm going to start it shortly whilst having a laze in the garden (Baking hot here today!)

Aww man :( I paid £6.99 for my copy, wonder if I can take it back???

Oh I love this book! I've been glued to it all afternoon and had to force myself to put it down!
End of chapter 1 I was in tears (I think there's worse to come is there??) and after that I haven't stopped laughing out loud.
  I laughed soo hard at Enzo's (the dog) Darwin theories and his comment on the Werewolf (A monkey? I think not!)
and his thoughts and his revenge on Crows...((ROFL!)) :-D

oh oh... and the 'Sex crazed Zebra'!!

Gem,

Have you started reading it yet???

Now how long should we give everyone to get through it?????? Shall we say the end of next week before we review it??? (don't want to give anything away, now, do we??)

And what do you think so far HG????

The library's not open till Saturday, and I don't know if they'll even have it! I'll get back to you on this. :-)

> "The art of racing in the rain' is on Sainsbury's 'Book Club' list so you can buy in store for £3.49!!

If that is the case i'll be heading there in the next few days to get my copy!!

Not yet cos I sneekily bought a copy at Sainsbury's last night & have returned my full price copy to Waterstones! Opps! Busted!!  I will however be reading it inbetween painting & tiling my lovely new kitchen over the Easter break so should have it finished in time to discuss! It looks really good thouhg? Are you still enjying it HG?

I'm loving it Gem! Hurry up and start... I'm desperate to talk about it :-D

Jan,

I reckon I'll finish it by tomorrow, could post my copy up to you on Sat (Darn Bank Hol. but should be with you Tuesday?) If thats any good to you let me know.

next week please! i forgot and bought another book "The Other Queen" by Phillipa Gregory instead

Haven't got to Sainsbury's never mind read the book!!!!  Will have to give this one a miss I think.  Reading Mutiny on the Bounty by John Boyne.  I read The boy in the striped pyjamas - he is a very good story teller.

I have such a pile of books to read at the moment (my mother now retired is reading about 2-3 per week then passing them to me) that I cant really warrant going out and spending money on books, but, as its in sainsburys and going cheap I might have to pop in tomorrow and buy it ;)

Afraid our Sainsbury's is not geared up for book sales - very poor - so haven't found it today.  Never mind I will find it to read sometime. 

I got mine today, going to have an early night tonight to make a start on it :)

Got it at last.  Looked in Smiths and then popped into Asda's.  They had plenty on the shelves - £3.89 I think it was.

Ok, I'm in.  Will pick it up tommorow and READ my little socks off to catch up and join in with the chat and review.

Loving this idea.

Dawn R

~ I've finished it! ~

Brilliant choice Margot!! Thanks soo much for recommending it :-D I laughed out loud uproariously many times and cried buckets!!! Caaaaaaan't wait to get talking about it, so many wonderful classic 'Enzo' moments and Enzo-isms!

~ If anyone would like my copy I'm happy to send it Tuesday morning (pm me) Highly recommend it!!

Face your Zebra!
Liv x

            (((((((((((((((((((((( *Is about to B-U-R-S-T!!!* ))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

              Anyone finished it yet??? How we getting on???? what d'you think so far????
                                    ~ I'm dying to talk about it!!! ~
                                                   :-D

Just finished Mutiny on the Bounty this morning - off to bed early to start this one.  If you are going to talk about it I better keep off this thread until I have read it.  Will catch up soon.

Ooooooooooooh I got all excited then!!!!!!!
No... promise I wont say a word til everyone's done :)

.... I'll just be here..... swinging ma legs....... whistling ........ then like the kids.... twitching...and saying "are we there yet??? are we there yet??? every 5 mins!!! :-P

Duh!!!  We said we'd talk about it next week, didn't we (to give the laggards time to read it!) - and I've just realised that I'm up in London Monday through Wednesday - won't be home until 8'ish.........

HG - if you are absolutely bursting about it, you'll have to PM me, and then we can discuss it & you'll have to add my bits :D :D :D

Better idea............
If you're near Earl's court do you fancy Tea in Mets finest 'Caf' (we've got a revolving resteraunt - panoramic views of London and cute men in uniform???)
:-D

Like Ceejay, I am just starting my copy.  No blabbing! :-)

Harrrrrummmph!

I'm about halfway through...cried buckets continuously for about the first 4 chapters (I know...I know...soft sod that I am...my bladder's near my eye at the best of times *rolls eyes*) and was in two minds about continuing but I'm over the worst, managing to sandbag my tear ducts and am loving Enzo :-) 

When are we discussing it (so I know whether to hurry up or read it at my leisure)?

I finished mine yesterday - thought it was brilliant, so well written, its the fastest ive read a book in a long time :)

Great idea, HG - I'll be just off K High Street (in Holland St) - so that's a fantastic idea!  PM me with your no!

Margot

Oooh I've been missing out here.........
Will get hold of a copy and not return to thread untill I've read it.
I love to read. :)
Karen

Finished :-)

Thanks so much for recommending 'The Art of Racing in the Rain', Margot.  I haven't enjoyed a book so much in a long time and I doubt it's one I would have picked up of my own volition :-)

I'm about a third of the way through, and loving it.

Finished this morning in the bath (!) before going to the show.  Had a good sob.  Felt cleansed.

I sobbed my heart out at the end too...I was reading it in the garden and I think my neighbour was quite concerned about me.

I'm about half way through the book: the first chapter I read on way to show this weekend - declared I was suffering from hayfever to excuse the red eyes.

Loving it so far.....................  Will finish in the next day or so, so we can all chat about it - exciting.

Dawn R

I started is ystdy & am about half way through (I couldn't put it down) so hope to have it finished in the next few days, I kept trying to read it when I was ill last week but permanent bliding headache meant I couldn't concentrate on anything! Looking forward to discussing it, loving it do far :)

((((((((((((( When are we going to start discussing then Margot??? ))))))))))))))))
                                              :-D
This week-end??? can we huh? can we!!! can huh??? can we pleeeeeeeeease!!!
     *I'm bursting!!*

(Margot will pm you now, you're just round the corner from me :-D)

Haven't cried buckets over a book for a long time, told my daughter to read it but skip chapter 1 and the last two unless she was prepared for a good sob :-) . Not a book I'd have chosen to read normally -murder more my thing- but it was an excellent read and as Margot said - thought provoking -should I leave the TV on for my girls, is the radio just too boring?:-D Guess we will be discussing from Thursday when Margot gets back - looking forward to it
Marion

Finished!!!!   Glad you haven't all started to talk about it yet - need a while to just 'savour' it.  Don't even feel ready to start another book yet.  Thanks Margot for the recommendation.

FINISHED............................................

Loved it, the 2 final chapters were lovely.

Dawn R