BYC Book Club

September: ‘After the Silence’ by Louise O’Neill

A decade-old unsolved murder throws up unexpected revelations when a documentary crew start investigating the small island where the crime took place in O’Neill’s unbearably suspenseful psychological thriller.

‘A powerfully atmospheric, darkly compelling mystery characterised by Louise O’Neill’s exquisite writing and powerful psychological insight. Seriously good.’ – Lucy Foley

‘You’ll be absorbed by this chilling tale of controlling and toxic relationships’ – Sunday Mirror

‘A subtle slow-burn, this evocative mystery spins into an intricate portrait of gas-lighting and sacrifice’ – Heat

‘The plot is intricate and intelligent, but the drama gets its real energy from the author’s obvious anger about what men get away with, and why some women always pay the price.’ – Daily Mail

‘O’Neill has made her name as one of Ireland’s foremost feminist writers, and this is a detailed examination of a toxic marriage as well as an absorbing mystery’ – Sunday Times

We will discuss it in the Main Lounge on Thursday, 5th of October at 8pm at the Club Main Bar.

Past reads:

2023

• August – The White Spider, by Heinrich Harrer (to be scored in October)
• July – Lessons in Chemistry, by Bonnie Garmus (Book Club score 8.2/10)
• June – The Book of Form and Emptiness, by Ruth Ozeki (Book Club score 7.2/10)
• May – Snow by John Banville (Book Club score 7.3/10)
• April – Erebus by Michael Palin
• March – Dracula by Bram Stoker (Book Club score 7.5/10)
• February – The Shadowplay by Joseph O’Connor (Book Club score 7.3/10)
• January – The Keeper of Stories by Sally Page (Book Club score 6.6/10)

2022

• December – The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman (Book Club score 6.9/10)
• November – Milkman by Anna Burns (Book Club score  9.8 – of those who finished the book!)
• October – Kon Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl  (Book Club score 7.75/10)
• September – A Woman Made of Snow by Elisabeth Gifford
• August – Wintering by Katherine May (Book Club score 5.25/10)
• July – The Therapist by BA Paris (Book Club score 5.9/10)
• June – Away with the Penguins by (Book Club score 8.1/10)
• May – The Bronze Horseman by Paullina Simons (Book Club score 5.2/10)
• April – Endurance by Aldred Lansing (Book Club score 8/10)
• March – The Glass Cell, by Patricia Highsmith (Book Club score 7/10)
• February – Lily’s Promise, by Lily Ebert and Dov Forman (Book Club score 6.9/10)
• January – The Body, Bill Bryson

2021

• December – The Cuckoo’s Calling, Robert Galbraith
• November –  The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, Mary Ann Shaffer
• October – The Wind Up Bird Chronicles, by Haruki Marakumi
• September – The Waisted Vigil, Nadeem Askam
• August –  The Guest List, Lucy Foley
• July – Hamnet, Maggie O’Farrell
• June – The Lost Man, Jane Harper
• May – The Last Migration, Charlotte McConaghy
• April – A Letter to a Lucky Man, Thomas Jobling
• March – Where the Crawdads Sing, Delia Owens
• February – The Salt Path, Raynor Winn

How the book club works

• Note: the Book Club is only open to members and guests of members (who must be signed in).
• The monthly catch up meeting is the first Thursday of every month at 8pm, meeting at the Club in the Main Bar.
• At the meeting we discuss the previous month’s book. The discussion is guided by a cheerful ’emcee’ and that chat is lively and varied discussing the book’s plot, setting, writing style, issues raised (eg, homelessness in The Salt Path) – and the author. Nobody is put on the spot for their opinion and it is absolutely fine to just listen.
• When we remember, we give the book a score.
• A new book is drawn, blind picking  from the suggestions put forward by members of the book club.
• Members purchase the books at their own expense and of course, if they don’t like the look of a book they are quite welcome to drop out for that month, but most people are in the club to try different genres.
• If you’d like to join in simply sign up here: https://bit.ly/BYC-BookClub and you will be added to the club’s Whatsapp group where you can join the chat, and will then get the link for the Zoom meeting.