Bushey Bookclub
Welcome book lover!
Welcome to Bushey Bookclub, a friendly group of avid readers who meet monthly to discuss books we've chosen across a wide range of genres.
One of the largest bookclubs in the Watford area and still growing!
What we are reading now
Yellowface
Authors Juniper Hayward and Athena Liu were supposed to be twin rising stars. But Athena is a literary darling while June is a nobody. Who wants stories about basic white girls?, June thinks. So when June witnesses Athena’s death in a freak accident, she acts on impulse, stealing Athena’s just-finished masterpiece, an experimental novel about the unsung contributions of Chinese laborers during World War I.So what if June edits Athena’s novel and sends it to her agent as her own work? So what if she lets her new publisher rebrand her as Juniper Song—complete with an ambiguously ethnic author photo? This piece of history deserve to be told, whoever the teller. That is what June believes, and The New York Times bestseller list agrees.But June cannot escape Athena’s shadow, and emerging evidence threatens her stolen success. As she races to protect her secret she discovers exactly how far she will go to keep what she thinks she deserves.
Goodreads
What we read in September
Yesteryear
We scored this 7/10
Resulted in one of the longest, funniest and most thought provoking discussions we have had. "The discussion was better than the book", was the general feeling.'My name is Natalie Heller Mills, and I was perfect at being alive…'Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle – and her followers are sick with envy. Her charming farmhouse on her working ranch is artfully cluttered, her husband is a handsome cowboy, her homemade sourdough boules are each more beautiful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers and industrial-grade ovens behind the scenes? What her followers don’t know won’t hurt them.Then, one morning, Natalie wakes up in a strange, horrible version of reality. Her home, her husband, her children―they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Is this a hoax? A reality show? A test from God? Natalie knows just two things for sure: this isn't her perfect life, and she must escape, by any means possible.As darkly funny as it is shocking and gripping, Yesteryear is an electrifying examination of tradition, fame, faith and the grand performance of womanhood, from a thrilling new talent in fiction.
Amazon
What we read in August
Slags
We scored this 5/10
It’s the 1990s. Sarah is 15, obsessed with boy bands, sex and getting drunk on Malibu. Most of all, she’s hung up on her teacher, Mr Keaveney.Fast forward 26 years. Sarah is 41, the last of the party girls. But the mad nights out are losing their shine. And her teenage dreams are now distant, queasy memories.There’s only one thing for it: an adventure. So, Sarah sets off with her sister Juliette on a whisky-fuelled campervan trip across Scotland.The sisters have never been alike, but they know all the dark corners of each other’s history – and it’s time to dig up some demons, kicking and screaming.Because the things that once defined us shouldn’t define us forever, should they?
Amazon
What we read in July
Mythos: The Greek Myths Retold
We scored this 5/10
Mythos―the first installment in the internationally bestselling Greek Myths series―is a witty, vivid retelling of the great stories of Greek mythology by celebrated writer and storyteller Stephen Fry.In Mythos, the ancient stories of the Greek gods are brought thrillingly to life by one of the great storytellers of our time. Beloved writer, actor, and comedian Stephen Fry retells the legendary myths of ancient Greece.Fry’s retellings balance faithful respect for the original myths with a modern voice that makes these ancient stories feel immediate, vivid, and irresistibly entertaining. His distinctive wit and curiosity illuminate both the humor and the darker complexities of the myths, offering fresh insight into stories that have shaped art, literature, and culture for thousands of years.Beautifully produced and featuring classical artwork inspired by the myths, Mythos is both a captivating narrative and a stunning volume to treasure. Whether you are encountering Greek mythology for the first time or rediscovering its timeless tales, this remarkable book offers an unforgettable journey into the origins of Western storytelling. - Goodreads
What we read in June
I Hope This Finds You Well
We scored this 6/10
As far as Jolene is concerned, her interactions with her colleagues should start and end with her official duties as an admin for Supershops, Inc. Unfortunately, her irritating, incompetent coworkers don’t seem to understand the importance of boundaries. Her secret to survival? She vents her grievances in petty email postscripts, then changes the text colour to white so no one can see. That is, until one of her secret messages is exposed. Her punishment: sensitivity training (led by the suspiciously friendly HR guy, Cliff) and rigorous email restrictions.When an IT mix-up grants her access to her entire department’s private emails and DMs, Jolene knows she should report it, but who could resist reading what their coworkers are really saying? And when she discovers layoffs are coming, she realizes this might just be the key to saving her job. The plan is simple: gain her boss’s favour, convince HR she’s Supershops material and beat out the competition.But as Jolene is drawn further into her coworker’s private worlds and secrets, her carefully constructed walls begin to crumble—especially around Cliff, who she definitely cannot have feelings for. Soon she will need to decide if she’s ready to leave the comfort of her cubicle, even if it means coming clean to her colleagues.Crackling with laugh-out-loud dialogue and relatable observations, I Hope This Finds You Well is a fresh and surprisingly tender comedy about loneliness and love beyond our computer screens. This sparkling debut novel will open your heart to the everyday eccentricities of work culture and the undeniable human connection that comes with it. - Goodreads
What we read in May
The Art Thief: A true story of love, crime, and a dangerous obsession
We scored this 5/10.
One of the most remarkable true-crime narratives of the twenty-first the story of the world’s most prolific art thief, Stéphane Breitwieser.In this spellbinding portrait of obsession and flawed genius, the best-selling author of The Stranger in the Woods brings us into Breitwieser’s strange world—unlike most thieves, he never stole for money, keeping all his treasures in a single room where he could admire them.For centuries, works of art have been stolen in countless ways from all over the world, but no one has been quite as successful at it as the master thief Stéphane Breitwieser. Carrying out more than two hundred heists over nearly eight years—in museums and cathedrals all over Europe—Breitwieser, along with his girlfriend who worked as his lookout, stole more than three hundred objects, until it all fell apart in spectacular fashion.In The Art Thief, Michael Finkel brings us into Breitwieser’s strange and fascinating world. Unlike most thieves, Breitwieser never stole for money. Instead, he displayed all his treasures in a pair of secret rooms where he could admire them to his heart’s content. Possessed of a remarkable athleticism and an innate ability to circumvent practically any security system, Breitwieser managed to pull off a breathtaking number of audacious thefts. Yet these strange talents bred a growing disregard for risk and an addict’s need to score, leading Breitwieser to ignore his girlfriend’s pleas to stop—until one final act of hubris brought everything crashing down.This is a riveting story of art, crime, love, and an insatiable hunger to possess beauty at any cost.
What we read in April
Homegoing
We scored this 7/10.
Ghana, eighteenth century: two half sisters are born into different villages, each unaware of the other. One will marry an Englishman and lead a life of comfort in the palatial rooms of the Cape Coast Castle. The other will be captured in a raid on her village, imprisoned in the very same castle, and sold into slavery.Homegoing follows the parallel paths of these sisters and their descendants through eight generations: from the Gold Coast to the plantations of Mississippi, from the American Civil War to Jazz Age Harlem. Yaa Gyasi's extraordinary novel illuminates slavery's troubled legacy both for those who were taken and those who stayed--and shows how the memory of captivity has been inscribed on the soul of our nation.
What we read in March
Small Things Like These
We scored this 7.5/10
It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church.Already an international bestseller, Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers.
What we read in February
The Storied Life of A. J. Fikry: A Novel
We scored this 7/10
A.J. Fikry, the grumpy owner of Island Books, is going through a hard time: his bookshop is failing, he has lost his beloved wife, and his prized possession - a rare first edition book has been stolen. Over time, he has given up on people, and even the books in his store, instead of offering solace, are yet another reminder of a world that is changing too rapidly.But one day A.J. finds two-year-old Maya sitting on the bookshop floor, with a note attached to her asking the owner to look after her. His life - and Maya's - is changed forever.Gabrielle Zevin's enchanting novel is a love letter to the world of books - an irresistible affirmation of why we read, and why we love.
What we read in January
A Fine Balance
We scored this 8/10!Four disparate characters—a widow named Dina, a student named Maneck, and two tailors, Ishvar and Omprakash—whose lives intersect in an unnamed Indian city during the turbulent years of the 1975 State of Emergency. Forced to live together, they form a makeshift family, navigating societal corruption, personal tragedy, and political oppression, and finding moments of both profound despair and enduring hope.
What we read in November
The Housemaid is watching
We scored this 6/10
“You must be our new neighbors!” Mrs. Lowell gushes and waves across the picket fence. I clutch my daughter’s hand and smile back: but the second Mrs. Lowell sees my husband a strange expression crosses her face. In that moment I make a promise. We finally have a family home. My past is far, far behind us. And I’ll do anything to keep it that way…
The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on our street. I’m sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.
- amazon
What we read in October
The Ocean at the End of the Lane
We scored this 4.7/10
A middle-aged man returns to his childhood home to attend a funeral. Although the house he lived in is long gone, he is drawn to the farm at the end of the road, where, when he was seven, he encountered a most remarkable girl, Lettie Hempstock, and her mother and grandmother. He hasn't thought of Lettie in decades, and yet as he sits by the pond (a pond that she'd claimed was an ocean) behind the ramshackle old farmhouse, the unremembered past comes flooding back. And it is a past too strange, too frightening, too dangerous to have happened to anyone, let alone a small boy.A groundbreaking work as delicate as a butterfly's wing and as menacing as a knife in the dark, The Ocean at the End of the Lane is told with a rare understanding of all that makes us human, and shows the power of stories to reveal and shelter us from the darkness inside and out.
What we read in September
We Solve Murders
We scored this 7.6/10
Solving murders. It's a family business.
Steve Wheeler is enjoying retired life. He still does the odd bit of investigation work, but he prefers the pub quiz and afternoons at home with his cat Trouble. His days of adventure are over – that’s his daughter-in-law Amy’s business now.Amy Wheeler thinks adrenaline is good for the soul, which makes being a private security officer to billionaires the perfect job. She’s currently on a remote island keeping world-famous author Rosie D’Antonio alive. Then a dead body, a bag of money and a killer with their sights on Amy have her sending Steve an SOS...As a breakneck race around the world begins, can they stay one step ahead of a deadly enemy?
What we read in August
Mansfield Park
Celebrating 200 years since Jane Austen's death.We scored this 4/10. Sorry Jane we are not fans!.Taken from the poverty of her parents' home in Portsmouth, Fanny Price is brought up with her rich cousins at Mansfield Park, acutely aware of her humble rank and with her cousin Edmund as her sole ally. During her uncle's absence in Antigua, the Crawford's arrive in the neighbourhood bringing with them the glamour of London life and a reckless taste for flirtation. Mansfield Park is considered Jane Austen's first mature work and, with its quiet heroine and subtle examination of social position and moral integrity, one of her most profound.
What we read in July
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian
We scored this 6.7/10A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian," by Marina Lewycka, is a comedic novel focusing on a Ukrainian-British family in England. The story centres around two sisters, Vera and Nadezhda, who must deal with their widowed father's sudden engagement to a younger Ukrainian woman, Valentina. The novel explores themes of family, aging, cultural identity, and the clash between generations. While the novel is humorous, it also delves into darker aspects of European and Ukrainian history, touching on the pasts the characters would rather forget.
What we read in May
Dark Matter
** We scored this 7.45/10**Jason Dessen has been abducted. His life has been stolen. To get it back, he will go on a journey more wondrous and horrifying than anything he could have possibly imagined. Dark Matter is a relentlessly surprising alternate-universe sci-fi thriller from Blake Crouch.Dark Matter is madly fast-moving, made even more so by Crouch’s not un-irritating habit of breaking his narrative up into single-line paragraphs. Like so:“We’re in a simple, finite box again.
Four walls.
A door.
A lantern.
A backpack.
And two bewildered human beings.”
- Alison Flood. The Guardian
What we read in April
Dream Count
We scored this 6/10."The author’s first novel since 2013 – a stately sisterhood saga about a group of women whose lives haven’t turned out quite as planned – continually reframes our understanding of the quartet, practically offering four books for the price of one" - The Guardian
Where we meet
The Villiers Arms
Family run Free House in the heart of Oxhey Village.
108 Villiers Road, Watford, United Kingdom WD19 4AJ
Address
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