Shotgun Lovesongs by Nikolas Butler

Don't judge a book by its cover 

This book came highly recommended by our local independent book store – well written and heart warming.  The cover claims it’s gripping, powerful, big hearted and beautifully written .  Surely a winning choice for our Hussies?

We met to discuss this at The Queens Head in Great Whittington, a small village near Hadrian's Wall.   This venue is a Chinese Restaurant housed in a quintessential, stone built, village pub.  The staff were friendly and eager  to please with their extensive menu but the quality of the food was inconsistent.  The duck in cointreau sauce was excellent but other dishes were rather bland - bring out the soy sauce.   Over Chinese tea - apparently the milkman was ill so there was no milk for coffee - the Hussies took out their reading guns to shoot down their latest read.

Undoubtedly well written, with a promising start,  the Hussies were generally disappointed with the pace, plot and character development in this story.   The book describes the maturing relationships and lives of four young men bound by their common experience of growing up in a small mid-west American town.

As readers,  we were embroiled in the relatively unremarkable lives and loves of Kip, Henry, Lee and Ronnie.  Lee, a wealthy musician, and Ronnie, an alcoholic, are the most memorable characters.  Without spoiling the story, it's fair to say that one of the most exciting story lines involved a jar of pickled onions - don't hold your breath.

The author paints a strong picture of life in a small rural town, evoking a life characterised by comfortable familiarity, with time to appreciate sunrise and sunrise.  A life where everyone knows about the milkman being ill.

Sunrise over Hadrian's Wall

However, Butler also shows that some towns can be too small for comfort.  In a city, to quote one of Butler's characters, 

"nobody looks twice at me.  And nobody tells me what to do, and what not to do". 

Cityscape - Newcastle on Tyne  - the nearest city to Hadrian's Wall

In Butler's small town drama,  small is powerfully depicted as suffocating and liberating.   Lee struggles with international success in the search for home, whilst Ronnie, struggling with his own demons, dreams of escape.

Ultimately, the Hussies felt that although Shotgun Lovesongs had some highlights, it -  like their meal - missed some of the vital ingredients which could transform it into an unforgettable banquet.

We are now reading I let you go by Claire Mackintosh.

A man called OVE. by Fredrik Backman

Not quite a happy holiday read.

An excellent story with well drawn characters, this book is not for the emotionally vulnerable, the Hussies were moved to laughter and tears in equal measure. The author portrays life in a small residential area of Sweden, focusing on the trials and tribulations of the loveable protagonist, Ove. 

It is a well written book that slowly reveals Ove's rather tragic life story by weaving events of the past into the present. Ove makes some rather unlikely friendships through out the book raising the question, does the author share the BBC's obsession with representing every sector of society in one show (Balamory). A bitter sweet story with some comic moments, one Hussie found it particularly ridiculous that a cat would go for a walk and  go to a coffee shop with its owner. In order to really enjoy the book its important to remember that it is a work of fiction, its' real appeal is that it can excite a wide range of emotions within the reader. It offers some insight into life in modern day Sweden. Generally a popular book that is easy to read and keeps the reader engaged.

The Rat at Anick provided the back drop for our discussion of the book. A traditional country pub where all the food was of a very high standard, succulent lamb chops with fresh tasty seasonal vegetables really were superb. With a cheese board to share at the end of the meal the Hussies were very impressed, although as ever attention to detail being paramount, it was pointed out that the cheese had not been out of the fridge long enough. Overall a superior meal that definitely warrants a return trip.

This month we will be reading 'Shot Gun Love Songs' by Nickolas Butler.