Wow, everyone! What a great week it’s been. The contributions, both in their enthusiasm, number, and variety, have far exceeded everything Karen and I were hoping for.
I’ve been collecting all the reviews on my announcement post, do go and explore them fully; there is much food for thought. Reviews were still coming in late on Sunday, including one from Our Vicar’s Wife of a Stella Gibbons novel, for those who look out for her bookish thoughts.
Do let me know if I’ve missed your review, of course. Between us we covered an astonishing 52 books this week, with quite a few of those getting more than one perspective. It was great to get (alongside literary fiction) children’s books, crime, spy, sci-fi, literary non-fiction, political non-fiction, and more. From big names to people I’d never heard of, this gives such a great overview of the year.
What have we learned about 1938? I think my main takeaway was how the spectre of war didn’t seem all that present in the bulk of what we read – there was plenty of humour, reflection, family drama, murder (!), but less focused on the dramas in Europe than I might have imagined.
Thank you so, so much for participating. There are many books I want to read now – didn’t 1938 turn out to be a stellar year for books? – and I feel as though I understand 1924 and 1938 much better than I did a year ago. And… where’s next?
Karen and I wanted to keep the momentum going by announcing the next Club year today. In October, we warmly invite you to the 1947 Club. We shan’t keep jumping a decade every time, but it was irresistible to see how things have changed soon after the war. And it felt time for an odd number.
Obviously we’ll remind you closer to the time, and there’ll be another badge, but I’m excited already. Roll on 1947!
It’s been amazing, and thanks so much to the two of you for hosting. Can’t wait for 1947!
Hasn’t it been fun, Simon? And it’s been wonderful that so many people have got involved – can’t wait for 1947!
Thank you so much for hosting, it’s been fun & I haven’t even made it through the list of reviews yet. Can’t wait for 1947, must start searching for titles…
this has been a lot of fun and I wish I could have shared a review of the book I read. However I do not have a website to link to. Is there any other way to share reviews? Maybe via Goodreads?
I’ve really enjoyed this, thanks for hosting! I shall start looking out for 1947 titles now, and aim to get more than one book read next time! :)
I already started investigating 1947, and I have two posts from that year already, In a Lonely Place by Dorothy Hughes (noir) and Snow Country by Yasunari Kawabata. Oh! Three, actually, with Sisters by a River by Barbara Comyns. I’ll be interested to pick out something new to read for your club.
This was so much fun — time to start searching for a book from 1947! Thanks again for hosting this.
Simon – Could you please include my review of Simenon’s The Man Who Watched Trains go by? Thanks.
https://lizzysiddal.wordpress.com/2016/04/11/the-man-who-watched-trains-go-by-georges-simenon/
Thanks for co-hosting, Simon, it’s been a fun week. Part of the fun now is in deciding what to read for 1947!
I’ve really enjoyed this, Simon. Thanks for co-hosting it again. Looking forward to the next one. :)
It was a great one to join. I’m already going through my TBR to see what I already have that fits the next Club :)
I really enjoyed squeaking into this one at the last minute and reading a book I REALLY enjoyed. Roll on 1947! I will be better prepared!
I can’t wait to participate in the 1947 event. Please let me know what I need to do.