August 2026 – Soul Mountain
August 2026 – Soul Mountain Soul Mountain by Gao XingJian was our read for August 2026. It’s the story of a man in China who receives a devastating diagnosis of terminal lung cancer, only to subsequently find out it was incorrect. The book is a work of fiction overlying an autobiographical aspect, as the author […]
August 2026 – Mother Mary Comes To Me
August 2026 – Mother Mary Comes To Me Book group 2 got together to discuss “Mother Mary Comes to Me” with a mixture of curiosity and anticipation, and it turned out to be a rewarding choice. The book generated plenty of conversation, particularly around Arundhati’s complicated relationship with her mother, and how family experiences shape […]
June 2026 – The Magnificent Ruins
June 2026 – The Magnificent Ruins The Magnificent Ruins by Nayantara Roy Lila De’s orderly life in Brooklyn is upended when her grandfather wills his decaying 5 storey mansion to her, thereby bypassing traditional customs. This sprawling estate is occupied by a joint family of aunts, uncles and cousins who are vocal and resentful. Travelling […]
June 2026 – There Are Rivers In The Sky
June 2026 – There Are Rivers In The Sky There Are Rivers in the Sky – Elif Shafak Elif Shafak’s There Are Rivers in the Sky is a beautifully written and meticulously researched historical epic that spans centuries, cultures and continents while following the journey of a single drop of water through time. Shafak masterfully […]
May 2026 – Falling Leaves
May 2026 – Falling Leaves Falling Leaves by Adeline Yen Mah A universal autobiographical story about resilience and overcoming emotional abuse, yet firmly rooted in Chinese culture. The eight attendees had mixed feelings about this book. Some found it difficult to read about Adeline Yen Mah’s painful childhood, and most did not enjoy the writing […]
May 2026 – The Book of Salt
May 2026 – The Book of Salt The Book of Salt, the debut novel by Vietnamese-American author Monique Truong, is a quietly unusual book. It tells the story of Binh, a Vietnamese cook who finds himself working in the Paris household of Gertrude Stein and Alice B. Toklas in the 1930s. Truong takes a passing […]
April 2026 – The South
April 2026 – The South In April, the two MCG book groups held their annual joint meeting to discuss Tash Aw’s The South. Largely inspired by the author’s own life and family, the novel is the first of a quartet. Its main character is Jay, an urban Chinese Malaysian boy who visits the run-down farm […]
March 2026 – The Stone Woman
March 2026 – The Stone Woman Exploring the Last Days of the Ottoman Empire The Stone Woman is a historical novel by Tariq Ali, set during the waning days of the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century. It was a small group of 7 that met to discuss the book at the RSGC. At […]
March 2026 – The Long Road from Kandahar
March 2026 – The Long Road from Kandahar The Long Road from Kandahar is a reflective novel that goes beyond what you might expect from a story connected to war. At its core, it follows a young boy Raza, whose life has been shaped by conflict, displacement, and the search for identity. As he moves […]
February 2026 – The Daughters of Madurai
February 2026 – The Daughters of Madurai The Daughters of Madurai by Rajasree Variyar This is a deeply moving and thought-provoking novel that explores trauma, identity, and the complex emotional bond between mothers and daughters. Set between Madurai, India, and Sydney, Australia, the story follows Janani and her daughter Nila as they navigate emotional […]