HOVE BOOK GROUP: End of year review 2023

HOVE BOOK GROUP: End of year review 2023

Hove Book Group's traditional look back at the year that was

HOVE BOOK GROUP: End of year poll 2023

1. Favourite read

*Our book of the year 2023....*

1. Happiness Is Wasted On Me (2020) by Kirkland Ciccone (Hamish) - 11 

    

Congratulations Hamish

2. My Phantoms (2022) by Gwendoline Riley (Nigel) - 6

2. Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (Tristan) - 6

3. Rosewater (2017) by Tade Thompson (Tristan) - 5

3. Coming Through Slaughter (1976) by Michael Ondaatje (Roland) - 5

-

In Our Mad and Furious City (2018) by Guy Gunaratne (Hamish) - 3

The Bloater (1968) by Rosemary Tonks (Keith) - 3

Strangers on a Train (1950) by Patricia Highsmith (Robin) - 3

The Gift of a Radio (2022) by Justin Webb (Nick) - 0

Beautiful Star (1962) by Yukio Mishima (Keith) - 0

*

2. Favourite music 

1. Marquee Moon (1977) by Television (Keith) - 8

2. 20 Golden Greats (1976) by The Beach Boys (Nick) - 7

2. Sly and the Family Stone - Greatest Hits (1970) (Nigel) - 7

3. Negril to Kingston City (2010) by Transdub Massiv (Tristan) - 6

-

Black To The Future (2021) by Sons of Kemet (Roland) - 5

Prospect of Skelmersdale (2016) by Magnetic North (Hamish) - 5

Robin’s Murder playlist - 2

Dozakh: All Lovers Hell by Nadia Tehran (Tristan) - 0

Japanese Alien Human Being Instrumentals by 4ce Finger + DJ Quietstorm (Keith) - 0

-

3. Favourite watch

1. Boyhood (2014) dir by Richard Linklater (Nick) - 12

2. Memento (2000) dir by Christopher Nolan (Robin) - 9

3. Shoplifting (2018) dir by Hirokazu Kore-eda (Nigel) - 8

-

Hit the Road (dir. Panah Panahi, 2021) (Tristan) - 6

Wonderland (1999) dir by Michael Winterbottom - 3

Death and the Maiden (1994) dir by Roman Polanski (Keith) - 2

Neptune Frost (2021) dir by Saul Williams and Anisia Uzeyman (Tristan) - 1

Miles Davis: Birth of the Cool (2019) dir by Stanley Nelson Jr. (Roland) - 1

Boston Kickout (1995) dir by Paul Hills (Hamish) - 0

Before We Vanish (2017) dir by Kiyoshi Kurosawa (Keith) - 0

4. Favourite theme

1. Afro-Futurism (Tristan) - 10

2. New Towns (Hamish) - 8

3. Boyhood (Nick) - 7

-

Iranian Life (Tristan) - 5

Jazz (Roland) - 3

Happy Families (Nigel) - 2

Murder (Robin) - 1

Japanese Alien Human Being (Keith) - 0

Stewart Lee’s Symbols and Symbolists (Keith) - 0

*

Freeform answers....

Nigel 

Best book you read in 2023?

Adele Stripe - Ten Thousand Apologies: Fat White Family and the Miracle of Failure (non fiction)

Cuddy by Benjamin Myers (fiction)

Memorable 2023 HBG moments?

Roland being harassed by his drunken neighbour at the George Payne

Best thing about Book Group in 2023?

A constant in an ever changing world

What defined 2023 for you (news item, something personal etc.)? 

Dancing and grooving whilst the country continues to go to the dogs. General Election now!

How do we make Book Group even better?

Keep on keeping on

What else do you want to say?

I love you guys

*

Robin

Best book you read in 2023?

Strangers on a Train

Memorable 2023 HBG moments?

Devils Dyke adventure and the accident !

Best thing about Book Group in 2023?

We're still all here - longevity

What defined 2023 for you (news item, something personal etc.)? 

Northern Soul

How do we make Book Group even better?

A one off dressing up book club event - fictional characters of course

*

Roland

Best book you read in 2023?

Girl, Women, Other by Bernadine Evaristo

Memorable 2023 HBG moments?

Memorable in wrong way...slow gradual decline in attendance. Nov was alltime low of 3!

Best thing about Book Group in 2023?

Eclectic themes and choices

What defined 2023 for you (news item, something personal etc.)? 

Wet, wet autumn...

How do we make Book Group even better?

Show up

What else do you want to say?

A fabulous group but we need to be vigilant to ensure it stays live for another 25!

*

Nick

Best book you read in 2023?

American Prometheus by Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

Memorable 2023 HBG moments?

always Devils Dyke

Best thing about Book Group in 2023?

Always a wide range of recommendations

What defined 2023 for you (news item, something personal etc.)? 

Rediscovering audiobooks on my early morning dog walk

How do we make Book Group even better?

Better attendance

What else do you want to say?

Ciao

*

Hamish

Best book you read in 2023?

Young Mungo

Memorable 2023 HBG moments?

Tonight's Christmas party!

Best thing about Book Group in 2023?

Hanging round with you guys. And the usual excellent shepherding of cats by Mr Nigel Bailey.

How do we make Book Group even better?

Fix a date for the inaugural HBG walk

*

Keith

Best book you read in 2023?

Rosewater

Memorable 2023 HBG moments?

Car crash on the Downs

Best thing about Book Group in 2023?

Another great year all round!

What defined 2023 for you (news item, something personal etc.)? 

First child entering the world of work!

How do we make Book Group even better?

Like a good wine, it gets better with age

What else do you want to say?

You guys!

*

Tristan

Best book you read in 2023?

Empire of Pain

Memorable 2023 HBG moments?

The car crash by Devils Dyke

Best thing about Book Group in 2023?

Its continuity and continued documenting

What defined 2023 for you (news item, something personal etc.)? 

Mainly negative things: climate change wildfires, Ukraine, Gaza; continuing shitshow of a UK government

How do we make Book Group even better?

Find a consistently good venue?

What else do you want to say?

Nothing