Official Review: Just Add Wine - Diary of a Bookclub

[arnaleigh]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Just Add Wine - Diary of a Bookclub" by Julie Lawton and Sue Mortimer.]

The book is about a book club in the United Kingdom consisting of five (sometimes six) members. They meet monthly and discuss the book they have read that previous month. They give each book thumbs up if they loved it, thumbs across it they are unsure and a thumbs down if they didn’t like it.

The book club has been together for over ten years so understandably not every book is included in Just Add Wine. The books chosen to be included vary across all ten years with the title and description of the book followed by how the club rated it and sometimes what their opinions of the book were. After this a brief description of what was going on in their personal lives and other events that were happening around the world in that month. This was my favourite section because it was interesting to look back and think about all that has happened in the past ten years in various places around the world.

The book is quite short in length, with a third of it being an appendix detailing all the books that have been read by the book club up to the publication of Just Add Wine. The appendix incudes the month and year the book was read as well as the title and description of the book. While this may be helpful in finding inspiration for a book to read, it would have been more beneficial if the rating of each book by the book club had been included as well.

While snippets of the personal lives of the members are shown, it was difficult to relate to them and their stories. This was because there are a number of different names to remember including husband and children and then to have to try to recall each individual story progressing over the years.

While I did enjoy the idea of the book I found to it very difficult to relate to the book club members though this could be due to the age difference between them and me as the reader. All the book club ladies are middle aged with children and grandchildren whereas I am a young adult. In saying that reading the description and reviews of books I haven’t heard of was enjoyable.

I would give this book two out of four stars. While I didn’t love it I’m sure older readers would! What I do take away from this book is a quote that can be related to by all book lovers by Alyson Rudd “For years I would, after devouring a great novel, feel low upon finishing it. It was worse than the end of a holiday: I had been part of a whole new world…and then with the turn of a final page, it was gone.”

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Buy "Just Add Wine - Diary of a Bookclub" on Amazon

[Artemisia]

Sounds like an intricate read. Thanks for the review.

[Faina]

Aw, this sounds like such a potentially fascinating topic for a book, it's too bad that it didn't quite work out. I can see why a memoirist might not want to get into emotional detail about their book club friends' lives, but it really does sound like it took the heart out of the book.

[S dot Lennon]

Can I just say that the title is amazing! That alone would make me to stop to read the back cover! I don't know If I would get caught up in the book though, even though the idea sounds interesting.

[KLyons1]

I'm in a book club, and we're always looking for reading suggestions, so I'll have to look into this one.

[arnaleigh]

Yes it will be good for you! They have a list of all books they have read in the back