Thomas Paine -- Common Sense

This short political pamphlet of 1774 - the lead in to the American Declaration of Independence led to a long discussion of politics, rights and history.

A hero in USA , I suspect not studied much in school history here

Confederacy of Dunces -- John Kennedy Toole

A wonderful larger than life series of characters living in New Orleans.

All enjoyed it

Fools Gold -- Gillian Tett

FT journalist Tett has written a readable if at times acronym-filled book about the financial crisis - CDOs, CDSs etc.

This is done through the story of staff at JPMorgan. The group split on the virtues and vices of capitalism in an interesting's evening discussion but we all felt better informed for reading it.

Red Harvest -- Dashiel Hammett

Dashiel Hammet's thriller starts like a Cagney movie but I couldn't keep up the American accent in my head. A nameless narrator cleans up the town. Interesting to have read but few of us will be back for more.

A Hero of Our Time -- Mikhail Lermontov

Different translations highlighted the issue of reading books in translation. Interesting to see the origin of troubles in Chechnya going back 150 years

White Tiger -- Aravind Adiga

O na cold and snow-bound night we discussed this tropical book ; the narrator gets to the top of the slippery pole in a tale set as India changes from a rural and fuedal society to a modern capitalist state .

A good read ... certainly worth the acclaim it has received .

Shanghai Nights -- Juan Marse

For our 75th book in seven years we had a book that pleased the majority. Raising questions of truth and forlorn hope it is an easy to read novel set in Franco's Barcelona and in Shanghai. It just avoids magical realism .