Clemo Club has a lot of opinionated people in it and we think you should hear what they think. Each month our book club meet to discuss a book we’ve read, sharing our thoughts and likes, and dislikes. It’s a community we’ve created that I cherish. If you’re reading this from afar, I urge you to join a local book club or start one of your own, I guarantee you’ll meet some fantastic people. Or you can join Clemo Club and catch up with our thoughts in the e-news and WhatsApp chat!
Here’s what we read last year in Clemo Club. SPOILERS AHEAD.
January
Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue
From the author of Room this book retold the young relationship between Anne Lister, and Eliza Raine. Lister’s story, who is also known by Gentleman Jack in popular history, is a fascinating one but a formative relationship was explore in Learned by Heart. Lots of dialogue and description of boarding school life made this novel a slow burn for many members but lots of Clemo Club goers enjoyed the amount of detail that went into the research. The author’s note summarised this – not everyone read that though!
February
Come And Get It by Kiley Reid
Many book club members had read Kiley Reid’s previous novel Such A Fun Age and were slightly disappointed by this follow up which looked at class, taste and money in an American campus setting. Members enjoyed the themes of isolation explored and it made them look back at their own university experiences.
March
Butter by Asako Yuzuki
The international bestseller Butter was a bestseller in Clemo Books and made for interesting discussion at our book club meet up. Many found the descriptions of food and gluttony excessive whilst others enjoyed the descriptions – one Clemo Club member even tried to recreate the soy sauce, rice and butter recipe but only had Flora to hand… Did the ending drag on slightly, perhaps, but we enjoyed it all the same.
April
Hagstone by Sinead Gleeson
Set on an island off the coast of Ireland this novel captured the eeriness surrounding artist Nell perfectly. It involved ominous noises, a cult-like community and a strange commission that tested the protagonist to no end. We loved the writing style but wished we knew the cause of the spooky noise that haunted the island and its inhabitants.
May
Saltblood by Francesca De Tores
This historical novel inspired by pirate Mary Read and her life during the Golden Age of Piracy was so inspiring and refreshing. Francesca De Tores retold Mary’s life from birth to death and how her childhood being raised as a boy to claim monetary gifts from family members shaped her future opportunities during a time when women faced very different circumstances compared to men. The use of language around gender, sexuality and relationships was wonderfully simple and the story was just a real seafaring adventure. It's since won the Wilber Smith Adventure Writing Prize which is well deserved!
June
Whale Fall by Elizabeth O’Connor
Another book following a female protagonist, this time on a fictional Welsh island. Inspired by real life accounts of island dwellers at the start of WWII Whale Fall was a beautifully written book. Childhood, nature and coming of age themes were explored through 18-year-old Manod’s story in a time when the future of the island and life as the people there knew it became uncertain.
July
How To Leave the House by Nathan Newman
A funny tale set within 24 hours, How to Leave The House was a riot of a book. It’s Natwest’s last day before he leaves for university, and there’s only one thing on his mind: the deeply embarrassing package he ordered to his house – which still hasn’t arrived. Some members found the young vocabulary a little irking however maybe that’s just showing our age!
August
God of the Woods by Liz Moore
A slow burn thriller set in a 1970’s American summer camp this book was a page turner from the off. As the second Van Larr child is found by a camp counsellor to be missing local people, campers and police search again for the wealthy family’s child. Unravelling side by side we find out the fate of both Van Larr children in this fantastic time jumping thriller. Book club members enjoyed it (Phoebe definitely did not enjoy it) however there was one scene at the end we all agreed was a bit silly. Some expected the outcome, but others were left guessing the whole way.
September
A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike
Another historical fiction inspired by real events A Little Trickerie was a heartwarming novel with some dark themes. Book club members fell in love with foul-mouthed Tibb as she traveled through Tudor England and found the story involving Christianity and word of mouth gossip a riveting read. Other members found Tibb’s dialect to become a little tiresome.
October
A Sunny Place for Shady People by Mariana Enriquez
Gah! October was the perfect month for a short story collection that sent shivers down our spines. Lots of Clemo Club members enjoyed Mariana Enriquez’s folkloric and creepy stories set in North and South America. Stories that particularly left us leaving the light on included one involving an operation to remove fibroids, a ghoulish pair of children and a deadly wardrobe inherited from an elderly lady. Not a collection to read before bed mind.
November
Medusa of the Roses by Navid Sinaki
A queer love story set in modern-day Iran left Clemo Club members researching more about the country, their values and what it is like to be a gay person living their today. We thought perhaps some of the language used by Navid was for shock value however some members thought nothing of it – it’s nice to be a part of a book club and discover other people’s reactions to a text.
December
Stardust Grail by Yume Kitasei
Described as a thrilling anti-colonial space opera akin to Indiana Jones this made for a wild read with a wholesome friendship at its heart. Maya Hoshimoto was once the best art thief in the galaxy. For ten years, she returned stolen artifacts to alien civilizations – until a disastrous job forced her into hiding. Now she just wants to enjoy a quiet life as a graduate student of anthropology, but she's haunted by persistent and disturbing visions of the future. Book club members loved this one!
Have you read any of the books above? We try and keep past Clemo Club picks in stock in store in Newquay so if ever you’re passing by and fancy picking up the current book club book or one of our past titles do pop in.
If you’d like to join Clemo Club then please do. We meet in Newquay on the first Monday of the month at 7pm. There’s always a fun discussion which often veers into the weird and wonderful.
Finally thank you to our book club members, our meet ups are the best part of my job and I thank you all from the bottom of my heart for supporting this little indie bookshop.
See you again next year for the 2025 Clemo Club recap – time flies when you’re reading good books!
Happy reading, Jaimie x
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