Five Years of the Buckland Book Club.

Earlier this year Buckland Book Club celebrated its fifth birthday. Initially organised by Barbara Fletcher what started out as a group of barely half a dozen villagers tentatively gathered in the village hall on a chilly February evening, has blossomed into a thriving Book Club of 15 members. 

During that time we’ve read 66 books, ranging from contemporary fiction to classics, comedy and sci-fi, such as the intriguingly titled The End of Mr Y. We’ve explored many different cultures from Biafra (Half a Full Yellow Sun) to Bangladesh (Brick Lane) and from South America (The Motor Cycle Diaries) to Easter Island, reflecting the catholic tastes and interests of Book Club members.

Each month members take turns to host a Book Club evening, usually accompanied by wine, soft drinks and nibbles. In the summer months we’ve held poetry evenings over a summer supper and our Christmas gatherings are always accompanied by a delicious meal and a lighter, often comic read, not forgetting Secret Santa!. 

The books provoke lively discussion, some falling into the marmite category - you either love or hate them - whilst others are more universally enjoyed. However different our impressions are, we all agree it’s great to be challenged to read outside our normal comfort zone. We are often pleasantly surprised and it can open us up new authors or genres.

The Book Club has also provided a wonderful opportunity to make new friends with shared interests and, for those living at all ends of the village it’s a great way to become involved in village life.

This summer one of our members moved to France to start a new life. Sad for us, but a testament to the success of the Book Club is the fact that she is already planning to start one in her new village. There are even proposals for a skype link so she can continue to take part in our Book Club and of course she also hopes to host a Buckland Book Club evening next year. No doubt a French author will be chosen for the occasion but that’s another story!

The results of a poll of our top 10 reads in the past 5 years are as follows in alphabetical order: