February book club - The Trouble With Goats and Sheep

Just finished the book, found it a good read. I did however get confused and eventually wrote down all the characters names, it was hard to remember each character's story-line. Was that just me?
I liked the two girls, they took me back to being 10 and how we knew every family on our estate and called all the adults Mr and Mrs.
I too remember 1976 very well, I went to Italy for most of August where it was stormy and raining and came home to dry yellow countryside and soon it started raining .
I was keen to get to the end for the conclusion, it didn't disappoint and certainly surprised me.

Thoroughly enjoyed reading your first book Joanna. It held my interest, from start to finish. A brilliant title and concept for a book. Have already recommended it to friends.

Are you happy to share some clues as to the subject matter of your second book? I am looking forward to reading it. I do like your style of writing.

Thank you again Gransnet for giving me the opportunity to read such a page-turner.

Thank you for my copy Gransnet. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole experience. The story made me think of 'Lord of the Flies' in suburbia. The style of writing and the descriptions often made me grin out loud. Like other readers I too was left needing a little more information about Mrs Creasy's disappearance and return. Think I missed something here! Can you enlighten us please Joanna?

Well I thoroughly enjoyed this! I found it to be quite a kind portrayal of the petty small-mindedness often encountered in small communities, perhaps because it was largely seen through Grace's eyes and children tend to be less judgemental.
I loved her description of her mother staring loudly - know just what she means!
I'm still curious about exactly why Margaret went away, and what she was doing. And I didn't quite get why Jesus appeared in the drainpipe?
It was one of those books I couldn't wait to have time to read, so a lot of the housework got put on the back burner .
I would certainly look out for more by this writer.

I found the two girls the best bit of this book and laughed out loud at some of their conversations and antics. It also illustrated how much freedom 10-year olds had in 1976 compared to now. You could not imagine two young girls going round knocking at neighbours' doors these days let alone chatting to them as these two did.

The details of 1970s products were spot on and I would like to ask Joanna if they were from research, anecdote or memory?

I did find it hard to engage with the adult characters and would have hated to live in the claustrophobic, small minded and intolerant street described. It does not reflect my memories of life in 1976 at all. Thankfully.

What a wonderful book, I really didn't want it to end. The writing and story line are superb and I loved the characters Grace and Tilly. It felt so real when I was reading it - especially as I was a teenager myself during the heatwave of 1976. A great whodunit, with a twist, a fantastic debut novel. One of the best books I have read in a long while

Thank you for this book.
I liked the description of it so began reading it immediately. I really enjoyed the first two thirds but got hopelessly confused after the 'drainpipe' incident - won't detail further as want to avoid a spoiler!
The last third just totally lost me. I don't know if I left too big a gap between reading: these days I find the old memory isn't what it was.
There seemed to be no resolution and I was left dangling in the air. If anyone can enlighten me about the disappearance and resurfacing of one character; the state of health of Tilly; the activities directed at the 'goat' of the street. I understand some sheep were goats in sheeps' clothing and that it is, to some degree, a moral tale about making judgments about people but it left me dissatisfied overall.

Just fetched it from the PO and started it in the car before driving home and am already hooked. Thanks Gransnet

This is a wonderful book - I had a few late night/early mornings as I found it hard to put down. I read it months ago as a review copy courtesy of Lovereading.co.uk

I was living in Ireland in 1956 but I can clearly remember that long hot summer.

Quite apart from that, the story is wonderful.

Thank you so much for my copy. I've finished it already, despite its size, because I found it almost impossible to put down. There were so many reminders of a 1970s childhood (I remember making copious quantities of Angel Delight for my three) and that glorious summer of 1976 along with a gripping story. What exactly happened and who was responsible? I loved the way the clues came dripping slowly through the adults' conversations. I hope I haven't given too much away - this is a super book and I thoroughly recommend it.

Received my book two weeks ago; couldn't put it down.

Book is now almost half read. Love the idea of the story being presented through the perspective of a child. I'd forgotten that some children can be very judgemental. Descriptives are full of imagination eg "I stared at the room. It looked as though someone might have served it into the house with an ice cream scoop". My imagination went into riot mode - fantastic. Well done Joanna Cannon! The characters are so interesting. Some I like, some I don't however I must remember as I continue to read that these characters are seen from a child's point of view.

For me Ms Cannon has vividly created a time I remember especially well. By liberally sprinkling the story with the sounds, smells and tastes of the 1970s I felt I had been taken back there in a time machine. I could see and taste the Jamaica ginger cake. Lovely. The plot is fast-paced, full of intrigue and left me wondering how it would all work out in the end which was brilliant. I loved all the complications of the characters, each with their secrets, some much darker than others but all told with much humour. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book.
A couple of questions if I may: Most of the characters are carrying guilty consciences, is this how you see people in real life? Has your work in psychiatry influenced your writing? And lastly why does battenburg cake not get a mention?

I've just finished this amazing book, it kept me entertained, delighted, at times horrified; a great book. I have to thank Gransnet for providing it. All the twists in the story had me guessing until the end, where nothing was as it initially seemed. Certainly one of the best books I've read recently.

Thanks for my copy if was lovely to see it pop though the post box have not had a chance to read it yet but can't wait to start it

Thank you so much GN for my copy of this lovely book, I have enjoyed it tremendously.
Set in 1976, the long hot summer which I remember so well as I was pregnant with my second child who was due at the end of August. What a fantastic social history of the time which was really interesting and accurate even before we start considering the storyline.
What an amazing array of characters, some I found very boring, others quite amusing but there were the ones like Dorothy, Mrs Morton and of course poor Walter Bishop who really needed our sympathy. I actually liked Walter very much and hated the way that he was victimised.
I felt that parts of the novel were delightfully amusing and I think that this was partly achieved by using Grace as the storyteller, we were seeing adult lives from a child's point of view.
Quite a surprise ending but I liked the fact that each chapter was dated so there was no confusion when events of ten years earlier were narrated.
The book certainly made me think how life has changed in forty years and especially that the community spirit of the 70s doesn't really exist in the same way because we all lead such busy lives and don't always have time to communicate with our neighbours.
To sum up I would say that Joanna Cannon has written a fantastic first novel and I shall look out for her future books. I shall lend this copy to friends and family and would certainly recommend it to members of my reading group.

I'm about 1/4 through this book and really enjoying it. The story is really intriguing making it hard to put down. Best of all though are the memories of 1976 that it brings back. My son was born in December 1975 and we moved into a new build house in the spring of 1976. The heat made the new plaster crack and the newly laid turf in the front garden died as we were not allowed to water it. There was talk of stand -pipes as well. DS was a very grumpy baby as the heat was unbearable.
Did the author have a personal reason for choosing this year?

I'm delighted to have received the book and have just finished reading it. It was beautifully written and a truly admirable debut novel. I can't wait to read more from Joanna in the future.

I have one question: why the decision to set the book in such large type with wide line-spacing? It made me feel as if I was reading a children's book as well as making the book itself much larger and heavier. For me, it really detracted from the reading experience.

That said, I loved the cover design.

Thanks again. It is a fabulous book.

There is an interesting article about the author in today's Times.

I am about 1/4 of the way through and am thoroughly enjoying the story. I love the way she describes things in a quirky way, on my wave length. Can't wait to see how things turn out. The child's eye view is so well written. Children come at situations in such a different way to adults and she captures this so well.

Mine arrived a few days ago. I started reading the same evening. I love it! I remember the summer of 1976 so well. My daughter was 6 months old. It was so hot that year. We had no rain for months. The novel is well written and entertaining. Another new writer to look out for!

I didn't get a copy so will have to buy it but there was an article on the author in a Sunday paper and she has led a most interesting, full and eventful life and writing is only one more string to her bow.

Thanks for the book, I was surprised to find that I read it so quickly. This was due to my interest in the developing stories and picking up some of the clues to their relationship. The ending still came as a surprise.

The author managed to describe a serious subject in a flowing, interesting and at times funny manner. Mixing the main thread into the ordinary day to day life of those involved.

I was a bit confused at first by the similarity of the numbers of the two years sometimes missing a year change and having to flick back to check. An outline map of "The Avenue" would have been helpful to show the relative position of the houses.

In summary a good novel. I look forward to Joanna's next one.

Thank you, my book arrived yesterday just in time to take on holiday with me!!

Thank you gransnet . My copy arrived at weekend and I have started reading, ready to post at end of February.