Bookclubbin'

Book clubs. My colleague and soul sister Julia (http://sophisticatedbohemian.wordpress.com) half-heartedly belongs to one, but suggested that the two of us strike up our own, cross-country, just-the-two-of-us book club. She sent me the first installment, David Bergen's "The Time in Between" to read. I'll need to finish my current book first - Philippa Gregory's "The Constant Princess" - but once I'm done that, I'll pick up Bergen's book.

This leads me to ponder what my return pick to Julia will be. There are so many options. But, eureka, I think I've just decided what to recommend. I've read this book a number of times since I stumbled upon it at the Strathcona County Library about a decade ago - I picked it up because of its great cover, which just proves what publishers know, that covers are important! - British author Jonathan Coe's (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Coe) "The Winshaw Legacy, or, What a Carve Up".

Coe is critically acclaimed as one of Britain's best "young" (read: under 40, although now he's probably pushing 45) writers, and I'm a huge fan, mostly because he writes satires about Margaret Thatcher's Britain. (I'll forgive him just this once for critiquing the Iron Lady.) So I guess that settles it, "The Winshaw" is my pick. Now I just have to find my copy and mail it to Julia in Toronto. But I'm going to want it back!