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Interpreter of Maladies - Jhumpa Lahiri (1999)
The book is a cohesive compilation of beautifully written and astutely observed short stories. The thread running through the book is the is the exploration of the complexities of human relationships, particularly within the context of cultural and personal displacement. In each…
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Scoop - Evelyn Waugh (1938)
Grab a copy and get reading. this is a test link At first glance Scoop is s novel of chance, coincidence, and manipulation…. but only at first glance. For inside the cover of SCOOP lies the semi-autobiographical confession of a man shunned by his peers, of a family fallen from…
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TGBC MONTHLY CHALLENGE - #ReadthePlaques
Glossy metal - usually brass, aluminium or similar. Most often rectangular and, if so, about A5 in size. Other shapes, too, but – ironically - rarely large enough to attract attention. Plaques. They occupy corners in communities and hearts across the country. At the same time…
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Metamorphosis and Other Stories - Franz Kafka (1915)
I approached Kafka with some trepidation, having been amused, but largely confounded by The Metamorphosis many years ago. I am naturally an empirical (some would say concrete) thinker. I like knowable truths and tend to approach books (and film, and art, and music…) with an…
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SCOOP - Evelyn Waugh (1938)
At first glance Scoop is s novel of chance, coincidence, and manipulation…. but only at first glance. For inside the cover of SCOOP lies the semi-autobiographical confession of a man shunned by his peers, of a family fallen from grace and rejected by those the author most…
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TGBC Monthly Challenge - #ThugLife
Did you know there are places in your community that provide a safe place out of the elements for you to read, use a computer, have meetings, make a podcast, provide activities for kids, and are staffed by learned superheros who just go out of their way help? Also, they let you…
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Chatswood Chapter Opening
It all starts with Shakespeare. Or possibly a guy named Dave. Let's clarify. While it is true that a lot of the western English-speaking literary canon can be traced back to a playwright from Stra tford-Upon-Avon who had a funny moustache and couldn't spell his name, we're not…
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Camp of the River Lizard
Another year, another great TGBC camp. While a lot of Goons like to write, more of us are readers, so we figured we’d heavily modify a famous work to get across exactly how awesome camp is: It was the best of times, it was the worst best of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was…
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TGBC Monthly Challenge - #BPTest
105/75mmHg See that? That's a blood pressure reading. The first number is systolic pressure, which is the level of pressure against your artery walls when your heart beats. The second number is diastolic pressure, which is the level of pressure between beats when your heart…
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Mayfield Chapter Opening
Mayfield, near Newcastle NSW, is home to one of the newest chapters of the Tough Guy Book Club (TGBC); a network of men’s book clubs held in pubs around the country and overseas, committed to getting men reading, catching up, and putting decent conversation back in the pub. New…
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Metamorphosis and Other Stories - Franz Kafka (1915)
I approached Kafka with some trepidation, having been amused, but largely confounded by The Metamorphosis many years ago. I am naturally an empirical (some would say concrete) thinker. I like knowable truths and tend to approach books (and film, and art, and music…) with an…
Read story
The Outsiders - S. E. Hinton (1967)
I went into the outsiders with no prior knowledge of the book, author or movie and found myself quickly drawn in, finishing the whole book over two days. I can’t say I always take to the “classic” novels but I found this one easy and enjoyable – probably due to being originally…
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