The Friday 56 for Freda's voice.

Page 56 from, 'The Jane Austen Book Club' by Karen Joy Fowler.

'Sylvia had uncorked a nice Petit Syrah, something that went well with cheese and crackers, the rain and the fire. Jocelyn had drunk just enough to feel companionable, not quite enough to feel witty. She was holding up her glass so the firelight came through it. It was a heavy, faceted crystal, a wedding gift once, now unfortunately clouded by thirty-two years of hard water in the dishwasher. If only Sylvia had taken proper care.'

I've just returned from our book club evening so this is a good extract for me to quote. (Although we did ourselves proud and ate considerably more than cheese and crackers!)

I've read this book before and enjoyed it just as much the second time around because it is full of gentle humour and kindness. It concerns a group of disparate people drawn together by their appreciation of Jane Austen's literature. They treat each other with understanding and compassion. I returned to it after reading, 'We Are All Completely Beside Ourselves,' finding it hard to believe that they were written by the same person.
If the cold and rain is getting you down you'll find  Jane Austen's Book Club is a good comfort read!
The same cannot be said for

which I found a powerfully troubling and thought-provoking book. It has an amazing twist quite early on in the story. The only other novel that has given me such a jolt early in the telling is Roth's,  'Human Stain' which is another fantastic read.'

Linking up with Freda's voice.