March saw the group tackle Melissa Lucashenko's dual timeline tale of Aboriginal Australia.

Edenglassie principally takes place in the early colonial days of Brisbane, but also includes a modern day section set in an Australia that is still trying to come to terms with that legacy.

For most members, the 19th Century sections were more engaging and successful, with some struggling to relate or connect to the contemporary characters.

Lucashenko's regular use of First Nations language did confuse and act as a barrier for some. There were members who believed the book would have more appeal if it had been avoided.

But members did recognise it added authenticity, and there was admiration for her unwillingness to compromise in a story that was very much about the impact of colonialism.

The number of names in the 19th Century section also left some struggling to stay with the narrative. 

For the most part there was appreciation that this was story that needed to be told, and that it did show the devastating impact of colonialism, though some believed they learned nothing new from it. For some it was important to note that this was part of Britain's imperial history, as well as Australia's.

But some did think the book fell short, with a number of members saying they believed it would have benefited from being longer to allow for more depth and exploration of character.

There was some discussion about the modern-day characters, with some members actively disliking the activist Winona, but for some this was an effective way of exploring the genuine tensions and attitudes of contemporary Australians. Some also appreciated the humour, but others found it fell flat.

There was some division about the ending, and while some found it powerful and emotional, others felt it was a bit of a cop-out and did not allow the book to go out on the right note. Overall, the supernatural elements didn't satisfy some. 

But supporters believed this was an effective portrait of just what horrors colonial exploitation unleashed, with a sense that this was a turning point in Australia's history.

The Tyneside Book Club discussed a rediscovered classic in February. So Long, See You Tomorrow received critical praise and appreciation when it was first published in 1980 but has gained new admirers in recent years.

Despite being a short novel, members found it was a book that required considerable concentration, and needed to be read closely rather than quickly. Some felt this was a book that might repay re-reading.

Some found themselves confused by the array of names and characters, and by the structural approach of Maxwell.

While for some the first half, which dealt with the narrator's own childhood tragedy, was the most compelling, for others, the novel only really took a grip on their attention when it began to deal with the events leading to the murder that's revealed at the opening of the novel.

There were clear signs of its origins as a two-part story in the New Yorker.

Members found this was a book suffused with melancholy and sadness, and it was clear the writer had laid out some of his own autobiographical scars onto its pages.

For the admirers, Maxwell did infuse it with impact and empathy, and there was power to a scene in which the main character feels guilt. There was a vivid picture of a community, and of the human frailties that powered the tragedy at its heart.

For some though, there was a sense of self-indulgence, and they struggled to care much about the main character and the plot.

And whereas some felt So Long, See You Tomorrow did deserve its lauded position in US literature, some felt Maxwell, a former literary editor of the New Yorker, had produced a work which didn't quite match up to the authors he would have reviewed, worked with and profiled.

There was though plenty to discuss for the meeting, and although members were divided about how successful a novel it was, there was appreciation for some fine writing and interesting themes.