Sunday, December 30, 2012
DECEMBER - THE GREAT GATSBY BY F. SCOTT FITZGERALD
LESLEY She was glad it was short. It was written well. Lesley could see the houses, feel the tension of the unlikable shallow characters. They thought they were living the American dream of wealth and parties but they were all unfulfilled and restless. The narrator Nick was not a moral compass either and Lesley did not warm to his character. It was a sad reflection on Gatsby's life that only his father turned up at his funeral with Nick.
PAM said it was a good book. None of the people were very interesting. The language of the book was associated with restlessness with constant references to yawning, flickering and drifting as well as references to ashes, death, powdery etc. Gatsby turned out to be superior morally, taking blame for the death of one of the characters to save Daisy, the love of his life. Daisy married Tom for money and Gatsby had thought he could buy Daisy back with money. This proved unsuccessful. Tom is summed up as most despicable. Nick showed himself to be unreliable and dishonest. He says dishonesty in a woman is quite alright. Pamela loved the book.
WENDY agrees with previous reports. It's well written and she enjoyed it. Gatsby is a make believe person. The book is about a superficial shallow society and Wendy questions "Is anything different today?"
JOAN was interested in the class system, the new money/old money. Joan liked the writing. She was very drawn into the period. The Roaring Twenties or Jazz Age was an era of great change with motor cars, electricity,radio, talking movies, prohibition, women's rights etc. Joan questions whether Gatsby was having illegal grog at his party and was he raided? She enjoyed the descriptions of driving through the badlands (valley of the ashes) to get to New York. She thought the book was excellent.
JANE did not read it but had read the book many years ago. She remembers the decadence and the drinking, the lack of morals. The sad funeral scene seemed to sum up his life. She enjoyed the book.
ROSEMARIE She read it 12mths ago and enjoyed it. She felt it was symbolic of society at the time.
KRIS The book is set in 1922 after the war, in a time known as the Jazz Age or Roaring Twenties. The New York Times noted "gin was the national drink and sex the national obsession".DECEMBE The book is widely regarded as one of the great American novels but was not well regarded at the time. Like Joan I enjoyed the comparison of new money and old money explored in the book. Jay Gatsby, the central character is "new money" and holds lavish parties. There are glimpses of Jay Gatsby's criminal background, the supposed source of his new found wealth. Nick the narrator chooses not to see this. It is a book about shallow, self serving people. It is very well written and worth reading, although there is an aura of sadness and emptiness.
CATHY didn't read the book as she had been away. She may look at the movie after hearing the reviews of the book.
MARIE didn't like first 40 pages. She went to her kindle where she found the book had 4 or 5 stars and there were a few good comments. Marie went back to the book and once it moved into the storyline she started to enjoy it She then wanted to finish the book. The book was not well received at the time it was written. Marie enjoyed it.
KATE agrees with everyone else. The characters were quite shallow. She didn't like or admire any characters.
CONNIE read the very long introduction but couldn't make sense of it. She came back to it after reading the book and it helped put it in context of the era. She didn't like the people in the book and said "she wouldn't have them in her lounge room". "What is a great American novel?" Connie asks. She found the mistakes in geography very frustrating but she could not fault the writing.
JUDY said the book was well written but she felt the emptiness of the book. Judy will see the movie. She felt the language was difficult in some parts and one paragraph had made no sense at all.
ANNE expressed that "Everyone said it all". Anne said some of the language was so lyrical but didn't make sense.
JO She felt the same as everyone else. It was well written. She found the characters shallow and found this annoying. She wondered if it was just her, as it was supposed to be a good book.
JULES said it was supposed to be a great book but she found the first part irrelevant but enjoyed the second half more. Jules is looking forward to seeing the movie saying it should be very lavish.
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Topics for 2013 - January to June
January: Santa Sack
Come along a share something you have received for Christmas or read recently.
February: True Australian Crime - suggested by Joan
March: Booker Prize winners - suggested by Pamela
April: various titles by Graham Greene - suggested by Judy
May: stories involving animals - suggested by Sheila
June: Humorous stories - suggested by Kris
Come along a share something you have received for Christmas or read recently.
February: True Australian Crime - suggested by Joan
March: Booker Prize winners - suggested by Pamela
April: various titles by Graham Greene - suggested by Judy
May: stories involving animals - suggested by Sheila
June: Humorous stories - suggested by Kris
NOVEMBER: Miles Franklin Award Winners
Australia’s most prestigious literary award was established through the
will of the writer Stella Miles Franklin, best known for her novel My Brilliant Career.
The Award is presented each year to a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases.
The Miles Franklin was first awarded in 1957. Since then, the annual announcement of the winner has become an event anticipated and discussed throughout Australia and around the world.
CONNIE: Dirt Music by Tim Winton 2002 winner
His writing is perfect, but she was annoyed at first by the lack of speech marks, making it difficult sometimes to know who was talking. His descriptions of the coast are the same as in other books. She thought that all the people living in the small fishing village had something to hide, and there was none she could get close to. There was nothing happy in the book.
Connie thought the book was too long, with too much description, but it ended the way it should!
Her final comment was that having read several other books by the author, she had 'read enough of Tim Winton'.
MAREE: Shallows by Tim Winton 1984 winner
Maree really couldn't get into the book. She found the story line (around whaling) to be depressing as were the people involved. She thought it wasn't the kind of book she would want to persist with.
JULIA: Breath by Tim Winton 2009 winner
Julia was annoyed by the lack of speech marks and the fact that there were no chapters. The book was written in the first person and included a lot of swearing. It was only in the last 15 pages that the story returned to the present day. She also found that the relationship between a 15 year old boy and a 25 year old woman was too explicit.
JANE: That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott 2011 winner
The story was set in the 1820s on the coast of the Margaret River. Jane found that the story jumped all over the place and so was difficult to follow. So she didn't read it all.
KRIS: The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard 2004 winner
The story of a British war hero is set in Japan in 1947 following the war. He writes his observations of war torn Asia and the impending fall of communism in China. Although he has survived the war, he is feeling very battle scared when he meets an Australian girl, 15 years his junior. He falls in love with her as she grows and changes.
Kris thought that the writing was beautiful, very descriptive even though it was sometimes melancholic.
ROSEMARY: Careful He Might Hear You by Sumner Locke Elliott 1963 winner
The story is set in the times of the Depression with great descriptions of the city, particularly Neutral Bay. Two sisters are involved in a custody battle over their nephew P S. He is currently being raised in Neutral Bay by Lila who is poor but caring and happy. When Vanessa returns from overseas, she is determined to raise the boy as she will be able to bring him up the 'proper way.'
It is written from the point of view of the 6 year old, and what he thinks he hears people saying about him.
Rosemary thought that there were wonderful characters in the story, and the writing gave a great sense of what the city was like. She found the ending quite sad.
ANNE: Tirra Lirra by the River by Jessica Anderson 1978 winner
Although it is a small book it is not a simple read. An elderly lady comes back to Australia after 40 years in London. She reflects on her past life....not a happy childhood, a terrible marriage to a cold and controlling husband. Due to the Depression they live with the mother-in-law from hell and she eventually flees London. Although she is artistic, creating beautiful wall hangings in tapestry work, she doesn't realise how good she is.
The title is a quote from Tennyson's lady of Shalott.
PAMELA:The story is framed very much by Nora's concept of Camelot and the lady of Shalott and something beautiful. People cling to unhappy situations through immersion and fear.
JUDY: The White Earth by Andrew McGahan 2005 winner
The story begins in 1992 on the Darling Downs when a small boy is left fatherless when his father dies in a farm accident. William and his mother are left destitute until a mysterious uncle turns up to take them to live in his derelict old mansion.
The story changes between William's story in the present as he explores the property and the story of his Uncle John's past and his life long obsession to own the land.
Judy thought it was a very moving and powerful story covering many themes, including land rites, aboriginal dispossession, inheritance, family loyalty and quite current Australian politics.
WENDY: The Well by Elizabeth Jolley 1986 winner
Wendy's opening comment...."it is close to the 2nd worse book I've read". She thought it was well written and drew her into the story with well drawn characters.
The main character is running a farm when he goes into town one day and comes home with a 14 year old girl. Hesta is obsessed with her. There is no sexuality in the book, they are both just dotty.
The author describes the the counrtyside well, eg the smell of the coming rain.
She was waiting for the grand finale of an ending , but was disappointed and confused, not being able to work out whether the man in the well was dead!
JOAN: All That I Am by Anna Funder 2012 winner
This is her 2nd book (following the publication of Stasiland) and is set in Germany in 1920s to 1930s. It involves a group of middle class writers, activists and dissidents before and during the time of Hitler. They flee to London, one later goes to New York and another to Sydney. These 4 main characters are based on people who really did exist.
It is written in the 1st person and is reflective on what happened, the intrigue, love, betrayal and spying. But it jumps all over the place and hard to get into.
Joan's opinion was that she should have written a non fiction book about these people.
LESLEY: She was also of the opinion that it should have been a non fiction book, as she is very interested in reading about people in history.
She didn't like any of the characters, they were not appealing. She thought them idealistic, and naive. Even though they were passionate she didn't feel anything for them.
She also didn't like the flashbacks, they were often not clear.
It was a good story but the author didn't present it well. Lesley was not sure if she wanted it to be a historical novel or a love story.
JO: Three Cheers for the Paraclete by Thomas Keneally 1968 winner
The story revolves around a Catholic priest who is constantly in trouble with his superiors over his beliefs and actions. Jo thought it was a good book but don't bother to read it if you are not a Catholic.
The Award is presented each year to a novel which is of the highest literary merit and presents Australian life in any of its phases.
The Miles Franklin was first awarded in 1957. Since then, the annual announcement of the winner has become an event anticipated and discussed throughout Australia and around the world.
CONNIE: Dirt Music by Tim Winton 2002 winner
His writing is perfect, but she was annoyed at first by the lack of speech marks, making it difficult sometimes to know who was talking. His descriptions of the coast are the same as in other books. She thought that all the people living in the small fishing village had something to hide, and there was none she could get close to. There was nothing happy in the book.
Connie thought the book was too long, with too much description, but it ended the way it should!
Her final comment was that having read several other books by the author, she had 'read enough of Tim Winton'.
MAREE: Shallows by Tim Winton 1984 winner
Maree really couldn't get into the book. She found the story line (around whaling) to be depressing as were the people involved. She thought it wasn't the kind of book she would want to persist with.
JULIA: Breath by Tim Winton 2009 winner
Julia was annoyed by the lack of speech marks and the fact that there were no chapters. The book was written in the first person and included a lot of swearing. It was only in the last 15 pages that the story returned to the present day. She also found that the relationship between a 15 year old boy and a 25 year old woman was too explicit.
JANE: That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott 2011 winner
The story was set in the 1820s on the coast of the Margaret River. Jane found that the story jumped all over the place and so was difficult to follow. So she didn't read it all.
KRIS: The Great Fire by Shirley Hazzard 2004 winner
The story of a British war hero is set in Japan in 1947 following the war. He writes his observations of war torn Asia and the impending fall of communism in China. Although he has survived the war, he is feeling very battle scared when he meets an Australian girl, 15 years his junior. He falls in love with her as she grows and changes.
Kris thought that the writing was beautiful, very descriptive even though it was sometimes melancholic.
ROSEMARY: Careful He Might Hear You by Sumner Locke Elliott 1963 winner
The story is set in the times of the Depression with great descriptions of the city, particularly Neutral Bay. Two sisters are involved in a custody battle over their nephew P S. He is currently being raised in Neutral Bay by Lila who is poor but caring and happy. When Vanessa returns from overseas, she is determined to raise the boy as she will be able to bring him up the 'proper way.'
It is written from the point of view of the 6 year old, and what he thinks he hears people saying about him.
Rosemary thought that there were wonderful characters in the story, and the writing gave a great sense of what the city was like. She found the ending quite sad.
ANNE: Tirra Lirra by the River by Jessica Anderson 1978 winner
Although it is a small book it is not a simple read. An elderly lady comes back to Australia after 40 years in London. She reflects on her past life....not a happy childhood, a terrible marriage to a cold and controlling husband. Due to the Depression they live with the mother-in-law from hell and she eventually flees London. Although she is artistic, creating beautiful wall hangings in tapestry work, she doesn't realise how good she is.
The title is a quote from Tennyson's lady of Shalott.
PAMELA:The story is framed very much by Nora's concept of Camelot and the lady of Shalott and something beautiful. People cling to unhappy situations through immersion and fear.
JUDY: The White Earth by Andrew McGahan 2005 winner
The story begins in 1992 on the Darling Downs when a small boy is left fatherless when his father dies in a farm accident. William and his mother are left destitute until a mysterious uncle turns up to take them to live in his derelict old mansion.
The story changes between William's story in the present as he explores the property and the story of his Uncle John's past and his life long obsession to own the land.
Judy thought it was a very moving and powerful story covering many themes, including land rites, aboriginal dispossession, inheritance, family loyalty and quite current Australian politics.
WENDY: The Well by Elizabeth Jolley 1986 winner
Wendy's opening comment...."it is close to the 2nd worse book I've read". She thought it was well written and drew her into the story with well drawn characters.
The main character is running a farm when he goes into town one day and comes home with a 14 year old girl. Hesta is obsessed with her. There is no sexuality in the book, they are both just dotty.
The author describes the the counrtyside well, eg the smell of the coming rain.
She was waiting for the grand finale of an ending , but was disappointed and confused, not being able to work out whether the man in the well was dead!
JOAN: All That I Am by Anna Funder 2012 winner
This is her 2nd book (following the publication of Stasiland) and is set in Germany in 1920s to 1930s. It involves a group of middle class writers, activists and dissidents before and during the time of Hitler. They flee to London, one later goes to New York and another to Sydney. These 4 main characters are based on people who really did exist.
It is written in the 1st person and is reflective on what happened, the intrigue, love, betrayal and spying. But it jumps all over the place and hard to get into.
Joan's opinion was that she should have written a non fiction book about these people.
LESLEY: She was also of the opinion that it should have been a non fiction book, as she is very interested in reading about people in history.
She didn't like any of the characters, they were not appealing. She thought them idealistic, and naive. Even though they were passionate she didn't feel anything for them.
She also didn't like the flashbacks, they were often not clear.
It was a good story but the author didn't present it well. Lesley was not sure if she wanted it to be a historical novel or a love story.
JO: Three Cheers for the Paraclete by Thomas Keneally 1968 winner
The story revolves around a Catholic priest who is constantly in trouble with his superiors over his beliefs and actions. Jo thought it was a good book but don't bother to read it if you are not a Catholic.
Tuesday, October 30, 2012
OCTOBER: Donna Leon
Donna Leon is the American author of a series of crime novels set in Venice and featuring the fictional hero Commissario Guido Brunetti. She has lived in Venice for over 25 years.
The Girl of his Dreams: (17th in series)
Kate: Loved his descriptions of Venice and the everyday life with his family. The story is about the murder of a gypsy girl and highlights the Venetians dislike of tourists.
Ann: She write in a very relaxed style which is still very powerful.
Judy: There is a lot of assumed knowledge in the novel. She'd call it "soft crime"...no lengthy descriptions of violence. Always a sad element to the story line.
She was a little disheartened with the conclusion: sometimes justice doesn't prevail over money and power.
Aqua Alta: (5th in series)
Kris: Really enjoyed the book, found it difficult to put down. It reminded her of Ruth Cracknell's book "Journey from Venice". There is a little bit of violence when the archaeologist is savagely beaten but balanced by the glimpses into his family life with his wife and 2 daughters.
Blood from a Stone: (14th in series)
Judy J: Set in Christmas time in Venice, with wonderful descriptions of the city, the lights and particularly the cold. Brunetti is investigating the murder of an illegal immigrant from Senegal. He continues his investigation (at a fairly leisurely pace) even though his boss wants him off the case. Great descriptions of his favourite coffee places, lunch at home with his wife and his attempts at Christmas shopping! Rather unsatisfactory ending though as everything is 'wrapped up' very quickly and quite improbably.
Jo: Enjoyed the different setting from most books and thought she would read more. She felt for the illegal immigrants and the difficulties they had to live under.
Through a Glass, Darkly: (15th in series)
Claurene: In each of Donna Leon's books she reveals another aspect of the seamy underside of society. In this book it is the illegal disposal of toxic waste...a big problem. This was more interesting than the crime part of the story.
Connie: She enjoyed the writing about the glass factories in Murano, found his family interesting, and the roles of the police, particularly Elettra, made for good reading.
The map was particularly helpful and she had walked along the same streets and been to the same places and done some of the same things.She thought it was nice to read about nice people and happy families, a nice change to reading so much violence.
Wendy: Really enjoyed reading it and particularly liked the characters after she got used to reading the names. She thought it had a very neat ending, which didn't occur to the very last paragraph. She thought she would read her again.
Questions of Belief: (19th in series)
Jane: In this book Venice is suffering from a heatwave, which creates many opportunities for the characters to visit various bars. But as Brunetti is trying to get away from the city a public figure is killed, evidence of court cases being held up is uncovered and Vianello's aunt becomes mixed up with a charlatan horoscope guru. The story lines are quite involved and do become confusing. It would have helped to have had a family tree!
Beastly Things: (21st in series)
Rosemary: Her most recent publication. A male body is found in the canal suffering from Madelung deformity (parts of the body become thicker than normal...chest & lungs). There is a separate investigation of corruption in the slaughterhouse. There are some vivid description of the killing of the animals, but Rosemary still enjoyed it.
About Face: (18th in the series)
Pamela: She had no trouble reading it, but was annoyed by the book. She felt tricked and manipulated because the story was implausible and dishonest. The plot starts off promisingly when a woman undergoes a 'bad' face lift and her husband has some involvement in an illegal waste management system. But it doesn't go any further.
The author kept suggesting plot lines that weren't followed through.
Jules: She enjoyed the book and thought it all came together rather well. Along the way you learnt quite a lot about his wife's parents and her in-laws.
Doctored Evidence: (13th in the series)
Joan: In the genre of crime fiction, she is a good writer. All the books seem to have the same characters and themes. Similarities in all books....coffee, food, vaporetto, all add to the scene she paints and the feel of Venice.
Following the finding of of an elderly female body, conflict develops between the different levels of the police.When her carer, an illegal immigrant fled to Rumania, the local police think they have solved the crime. But Brunetti comes in and sorts it all out.
She enjoyed it but feels she wont have to read any more because they all are very similar....
Suffer the Little Children: (16th in the series)
Maree: Unfortunately wasn't able to get the book finished. She found it difficult to 'get into' the book as there was a lot of implied knowledge about the background of the characters. She needed a map to maintain her interest in the book.
The story involved a pediatrician, illegal adoption and the Carabinieri taking the children away.
Uniform Justice: (12th in the series)
Dianne: A boy is found hanging in a posh military academy. Is it murder or suicide? There is no justice in the ending.
Dianne became very frustrated in the way Brunetti investigates. He wont use the internet, forgets his phone, only seems to work about 4 hours a day. She also thought the writing was very verbose.
Death at La Fenice: (1st in the series)
Jules: She has now read 3 of her books. Although this is the author's first book, they can be read in any order.
This book is set in the opera theatre, and gives an indication as to why she began writing the series. The maps in the front are very useful.
Drawing Conclusions: ( 20th in the series)
Margaret: The writing is good and the stories always had a moral aspect to them which is unusual in most crime novels. But sometimes there seems to be problems with her plots...Margaret felt they were a bit soft.
Other recommendations:
Pamela:
The Red Chamber by Pauline A Chen...problems and customs within a Chinese family
The Rose Grower by Michelle de Krester
Joan:
The Favoured Daughter by Favzia Koofi ...she is the first woman speaker in the Parliament and she writes to her two daughters about her life.
Jo:
Heaven Is For Real .....a beautiful story about a little boy, who, while undergoing a procedure, goes to heaven for 3 minutes, before he comes back. He writes, among other things, about what angels are like and people he has met in heaven.
The Girl of his Dreams: (17th in series)
Kate: Loved his descriptions of Venice and the everyday life with his family. The story is about the murder of a gypsy girl and highlights the Venetians dislike of tourists.
Ann: She write in a very relaxed style which is still very powerful.
Judy: There is a lot of assumed knowledge in the novel. She'd call it "soft crime"...no lengthy descriptions of violence. Always a sad element to the story line.
She was a little disheartened with the conclusion: sometimes justice doesn't prevail over money and power.
Aqua Alta: (5th in series)
Kris: Really enjoyed the book, found it difficult to put down. It reminded her of Ruth Cracknell's book "Journey from Venice". There is a little bit of violence when the archaeologist is savagely beaten but balanced by the glimpses into his family life with his wife and 2 daughters.
Blood from a Stone: (14th in series)
Judy J: Set in Christmas time in Venice, with wonderful descriptions of the city, the lights and particularly the cold. Brunetti is investigating the murder of an illegal immigrant from Senegal. He continues his investigation (at a fairly leisurely pace) even though his boss wants him off the case. Great descriptions of his favourite coffee places, lunch at home with his wife and his attempts at Christmas shopping! Rather unsatisfactory ending though as everything is 'wrapped up' very quickly and quite improbably.
Jo: Enjoyed the different setting from most books and thought she would read more. She felt for the illegal immigrants and the difficulties they had to live under.
Through a Glass, Darkly: (15th in series)
Claurene: In each of Donna Leon's books she reveals another aspect of the seamy underside of society. In this book it is the illegal disposal of toxic waste...a big problem. This was more interesting than the crime part of the story.
Connie: She enjoyed the writing about the glass factories in Murano, found his family interesting, and the roles of the police, particularly Elettra, made for good reading.
The map was particularly helpful and she had walked along the same streets and been to the same places and done some of the same things.She thought it was nice to read about nice people and happy families, a nice change to reading so much violence.
Wendy: Really enjoyed reading it and particularly liked the characters after she got used to reading the names. She thought it had a very neat ending, which didn't occur to the very last paragraph. She thought she would read her again.
Questions of Belief: (19th in series)
Jane: In this book Venice is suffering from a heatwave, which creates many opportunities for the characters to visit various bars. But as Brunetti is trying to get away from the city a public figure is killed, evidence of court cases being held up is uncovered and Vianello's aunt becomes mixed up with a charlatan horoscope guru. The story lines are quite involved and do become confusing. It would have helped to have had a family tree!
Beastly Things: (21st in series)
Rosemary: Her most recent publication. A male body is found in the canal suffering from Madelung deformity (parts of the body become thicker than normal...chest & lungs). There is a separate investigation of corruption in the slaughterhouse. There are some vivid description of the killing of the animals, but Rosemary still enjoyed it.
About Face: (18th in the series)
Pamela: She had no trouble reading it, but was annoyed by the book. She felt tricked and manipulated because the story was implausible and dishonest. The plot starts off promisingly when a woman undergoes a 'bad' face lift and her husband has some involvement in an illegal waste management system. But it doesn't go any further.
The author kept suggesting plot lines that weren't followed through.
Jules: She enjoyed the book and thought it all came together rather well. Along the way you learnt quite a lot about his wife's parents and her in-laws.
Doctored Evidence: (13th in the series)
Joan: In the genre of crime fiction, she is a good writer. All the books seem to have the same characters and themes. Similarities in all books....coffee, food, vaporetto, all add to the scene she paints and the feel of Venice.
Following the finding of of an elderly female body, conflict develops between the different levels of the police.When her carer, an illegal immigrant fled to Rumania, the local police think they have solved the crime. But Brunetti comes in and sorts it all out.
She enjoyed it but feels she wont have to read any more because they all are very similar....
Suffer the Little Children: (16th in the series)
Maree: Unfortunately wasn't able to get the book finished. She found it difficult to 'get into' the book as there was a lot of implied knowledge about the background of the characters. She needed a map to maintain her interest in the book.
The story involved a pediatrician, illegal adoption and the Carabinieri taking the children away.
Uniform Justice: (12th in the series)
Dianne: A boy is found hanging in a posh military academy. Is it murder or suicide? There is no justice in the ending.
Dianne became very frustrated in the way Brunetti investigates. He wont use the internet, forgets his phone, only seems to work about 4 hours a day. She also thought the writing was very verbose.
Death at La Fenice: (1st in the series)
Jules: She has now read 3 of her books. Although this is the author's first book, they can be read in any order.
This book is set in the opera theatre, and gives an indication as to why she began writing the series. The maps in the front are very useful.
Drawing Conclusions: ( 20th in the series)
Margaret: The writing is good and the stories always had a moral aspect to them which is unusual in most crime novels. But sometimes there seems to be problems with her plots...Margaret felt they were a bit soft.
Other recommendations:
Pamela:
The Red Chamber by Pauline A Chen...problems and customs within a Chinese family
The Rose Grower by Michelle de Krester
Joan:
The Favoured Daughter by Favzia Koofi ...she is the first woman speaker in the Parliament and she writes to her two daughters about her life.
Jo:
Heaven Is For Real .....a beautiful story about a little boy, who, while undergoing a procedure, goes to heaven for 3 minutes, before he comes back. He writes, among other things, about what angels are like and people he has met in heaven.
Friday, October 5, 2012
SEPTEMBER - books by Joanna Trollope
KATE: Spanish Lover
This is the story of twins who have chosen to live very different lives. One seems to have the 'perfect life' with a happy marriage, children and successful business while the other is single and working in her own business. But when the perfect life starts to crumble and the other's business begins to succeed, the relationship and expectations between them change. This is especially so when the single twin, very much out of character, goes to Spain, has an affair with a married man and chooses to get pregnant. The whole dynamics of their relationship is now changing.
Kate enjoyed reading it.
JOAN: Daughters In Law
The story concerns a husband and wife and their 3 adult sons. As each of them marry we see the demise of the mother's power and the raising of the power of the daughters in law. It is told from the mother's point of view as she struggles to accommodate the changing role she has with her sons.
"I couldn't stand it...." speed reading required!
WENDY: Next of Kin
The setting is rural England in the 1950s when life in the countryside is very difficult. As the farmers and their families go through hardship, depression, suicide etc it is the women who show their strength, they are the hope for the future and they will change it.
It was not a depressing book and Wendy will read more by this author.
PAMELA: The Rector's Wife
The title embodies the main theme of the novel - a small community can deny a person's individuality. They also can have preconceived notions of role and obligations. There are no heroes or villains. The rector is devastated after he is unsuccessful with an expected promotion and his disappointment becomes inward looking.
His wife takes a job at the local grocer to earn a bit of money to help out her kids and this is seen by the parish and community as an act of undermining her husbands ability to provide for her and his family.
JUDY: A Soldier's Wife
This seems like a modern day version of the previous books with many similarities in plot and characters. This time the main character is a soldier returning from Afghanistan. While he has had a successful tour, he is unwilling and unable to talk to his wife about this, as well as being unable to leave the routine and security of the soldier's life behind. Well meaning friends and relatives try to help but probably make the situation worse. It is not until his wife changes direction with her life, is there any possibility that the marriage can be saved.
Both books featured long suffering wives who must make many sacrifices for their husband to continue with their careers.
KRIS: Girl from the South
A change in setting for this novel...switching between southern USA and London. It follows the lives of several couples, their families and friends. Few of them are able to make a commitment and others find it difficult to fit into their expected life style. Over the year in which the book is set, these dysfunctional characters grow and change.
ROSEMARY & ANNE: Friday Nights
Eleanor is a retired, childless spinster (by choice). Looking out of her window she sees 2 women passing and eventually invites them in and so Friday nights begin. Gradually various others join the group and their children become friends.
When one of them meets a man, the group dynamics change, and gradually their lives also change.
It was easy to read but with no real plot though.
JANE: Marrying the Mistress
An older judge has been having an affair with a younger councillor. He goes home to the wife in the country, she to the modern flat in the city.
Earlier in their marriage, the judge had given his wife the opportunity to have a career but she doesn't want it and goes on to play the long suffering, martyr role. So when the affair is discovered there is no sympathy for the wife.
The story gets bogged down in detail (eg description of the cottage garden) which seems to be used as padding. Again it is a variation of similar themes used in other books by the author.
JO: The Choir
The story is based around a boy's choir in a cathedral town, the internal politics and scandal surrounding it. One of the choir boy's mother is having an affair with the choirmaster, his grandfather, a councillor, wants more say in the running of the cathedral. The boys are pulled in different directions according to what people want them to be. Eventually the cathedral needs money for extensive renovation and so the choir must go.
Jo's opinion was that even though it had been made into a mini series it was only "OK".
JULES also had begun this book, but couldn't finish it.
CLAURINE: Other People's Children
The story is about 3 interconnected families all with interconnected children.
It is very simple writing, but she finished it only because of guilt feelings over not finishing other books.
CONNIE: Brother and Sister
Two children have been adopted and grow up in a loving and secure family. When one of them (later in adult life) decides to look for her birth mother, loyalties and relationships within the families and marriages are tested and changed.
In Connie's opinion, the story really didn't really end. She thought the couples may have got back together again but the book really didn't say.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
Judy: The Chalk Girl by Carol O'Connell....strong female character, murders set in New York
Judith: Choir Man by Jonathon Welsh....Choir of hard Knocks, inspirational and entertaining
Connie: Shatter by Michael Robotham ....psychological thriller but quite violent
Pamela: White Heat by M J McGrath....murder set in the cold, bleak tundra of the Canadian Arctic
Is similar to Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg.....mystery thriller, very good read
Joan: Stasiland by Anna Funder....her research for this is used in next book"All That I Am"
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn ....a missing wife, a thrilling story
This is the story of twins who have chosen to live very different lives. One seems to have the 'perfect life' with a happy marriage, children and successful business while the other is single and working in her own business. But when the perfect life starts to crumble and the other's business begins to succeed, the relationship and expectations between them change. This is especially so when the single twin, very much out of character, goes to Spain, has an affair with a married man and chooses to get pregnant. The whole dynamics of their relationship is now changing.
Kate enjoyed reading it.
JOAN: Daughters In Law
The story concerns a husband and wife and their 3 adult sons. As each of them marry we see the demise of the mother's power and the raising of the power of the daughters in law. It is told from the mother's point of view as she struggles to accommodate the changing role she has with her sons.
"I couldn't stand it...." speed reading required!
WENDY: Next of Kin
The setting is rural England in the 1950s when life in the countryside is very difficult. As the farmers and their families go through hardship, depression, suicide etc it is the women who show their strength, they are the hope for the future and they will change it.
It was not a depressing book and Wendy will read more by this author.
PAMELA: The Rector's Wife
The title embodies the main theme of the novel - a small community can deny a person's individuality. They also can have preconceived notions of role and obligations. There are no heroes or villains. The rector is devastated after he is unsuccessful with an expected promotion and his disappointment becomes inward looking.
His wife takes a job at the local grocer to earn a bit of money to help out her kids and this is seen by the parish and community as an act of undermining her husbands ability to provide for her and his family.
JUDY: A Soldier's Wife
This seems like a modern day version of the previous books with many similarities in plot and characters. This time the main character is a soldier returning from Afghanistan. While he has had a successful tour, he is unwilling and unable to talk to his wife about this, as well as being unable to leave the routine and security of the soldier's life behind. Well meaning friends and relatives try to help but probably make the situation worse. It is not until his wife changes direction with her life, is there any possibility that the marriage can be saved.
Both books featured long suffering wives who must make many sacrifices for their husband to continue with their careers.
KRIS: Girl from the South
A change in setting for this novel...switching between southern USA and London. It follows the lives of several couples, their families and friends. Few of them are able to make a commitment and others find it difficult to fit into their expected life style. Over the year in which the book is set, these dysfunctional characters grow and change.
ROSEMARY & ANNE: Friday Nights
Eleanor is a retired, childless spinster (by choice). Looking out of her window she sees 2 women passing and eventually invites them in and so Friday nights begin. Gradually various others join the group and their children become friends.
When one of them meets a man, the group dynamics change, and gradually their lives also change.
It was easy to read but with no real plot though.
JANE: Marrying the Mistress
An older judge has been having an affair with a younger councillor. He goes home to the wife in the country, she to the modern flat in the city.
Earlier in their marriage, the judge had given his wife the opportunity to have a career but she doesn't want it and goes on to play the long suffering, martyr role. So when the affair is discovered there is no sympathy for the wife.
The story gets bogged down in detail (eg description of the cottage garden) which seems to be used as padding. Again it is a variation of similar themes used in other books by the author.
JO: The Choir
The story is based around a boy's choir in a cathedral town, the internal politics and scandal surrounding it. One of the choir boy's mother is having an affair with the choirmaster, his grandfather, a councillor, wants more say in the running of the cathedral. The boys are pulled in different directions according to what people want them to be. Eventually the cathedral needs money for extensive renovation and so the choir must go.
Jo's opinion was that even though it had been made into a mini series it was only "OK".
JULES also had begun this book, but couldn't finish it.
CLAURINE: Other People's Children
The story is about 3 interconnected families all with interconnected children.
It is very simple writing, but she finished it only because of guilt feelings over not finishing other books.
CONNIE: Brother and Sister
Two children have been adopted and grow up in a loving and secure family. When one of them (later in adult life) decides to look for her birth mother, loyalties and relationships within the families and marriages are tested and changed.
In Connie's opinion, the story really didn't really end. She thought the couples may have got back together again but the book really didn't say.
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS:
Judy: The Chalk Girl by Carol O'Connell....strong female character, murders set in New York
Judith: Choir Man by Jonathon Welsh....Choir of hard Knocks, inspirational and entertaining
Connie: Shatter by Michael Robotham ....psychological thriller but quite violent
Pamela: White Heat by M J McGrath....murder set in the cold, bleak tundra of the Canadian Arctic
Is similar to Miss Smilla's Feeling for Snow by Peter Hoeg.....mystery thriller, very good read
Joan: Stasiland by Anna Funder....her research for this is used in next book"All That I Am"
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn ....a missing wife, a thrilling story
Sunday, July 22, 2012
July: Daphne du Maurier
ROSEMARY & WENDY both read 'Rebecca'
Set in southern Cornwall in an area she had visited and knew from her childhood at a house called Mandalay. Both enjoyed reading it: romance, intrigue, and who 'dunnit'. Rosemary found the ending a little confusing and needed to reread the beginning.
Connie: the book had been written in the 1st person with Rebecca the narrator and other characters based on the author's family. The question was asked whether Rebecca was bi-sexual reflecting rumours about the author's life.
MARGARET also read the book, commenting that it was an epic tale set in a grand house.
Through her writing you can visualize what you read. Parts of it seemed quite dated and the characters didn't have much depth.
GINNY: House on the Strand
This was one of her last novels written in the swinging sixties, at the height of the drug culture, when the author was 60. In this novel the protagonist Dick Young agrees to test out a drug which his old university friend, Magnus, has developed. Dick takes the drug and is transported back in time to the fourteenth-century and is immersed in a world of intrigue, adultery, and murder.
Ginny enjoyed reading it, as it was different from many other stories written by the author.
JO: The Glass Blower
Set during the French Revolution, this book gives insights into du Maurier's ancestors who were glass blowers. The story is set in a small village where the whole population is involved in the industry. As times gets tough everyone in the village is affected. It was a traumatic time to live. Jo did enjoy reading it though.
ENID & SHEILA : Rendezvous and Other Stories
Enid: Short stories require a particular skill to write them..the opening sentence or paragraph must grab you. These were entertaining stories, often with the ending containing a sardonic twist. The author has a penetrating ability to assess characters and and her descriptions are very good.
Sheila: The stories were very dated but the more she read, the more she enjoyed them. She thought they were beautifully written and all the subjects were different.
PAMELA: Frenchman's Creek
Pamela thought the descriptions in this book were very good especially those of the sea and ships, but the plot was ridiculous. It would be a good book for an 'uncritical' reader to pick up.
CONNIE & ANNE: My Cousin Rachel
Connie: She had read the book as a teenager and loved it then, the drama and the scenery! But reading it now, she felt that she was 'someone else'. She has a different view of life now, found the plot became ridiculous after awhile and admitted that reading about the 'class system' in society was very disturbing. The description of the scenery was very realistic though.
Anne: Anne was also rereading it and quite enjoyed it, but thought that the ending was unconvincing, and not sure whether Rachel was good or bad.
KRIS: Scapegoat
This book is set after the war and concerns an Englishman, fluent in French, an historian with no family, rather unhappy and on holiday in France. There he bumps into a 'doppelganger' and learns that he is a French aristocrat who is also unhappy with his life! What happens next is an interesting series of events that occur over a relatively short time frame which somewhat spoils the whole idea.
JULIA:
SCAPEGOAT...tried it but couldn't really get into it!
I'LL NEVER BE YOUNG AGAIN...horror, suspense, romance- didn't like it
DON'T LOOK NOW: 5 short stories all from a different genre eg mystery, supernatural events and family confrontations. Although she enjoyed reading them, she found them rather old fashioned.
KATHY: The Parasites
She didn't like the beginning, but continued on and eventually it was 'OK'. The story is about a family involved in the world of the theatre. When the children are accused of being 'parasites' on the talent of their parents the story goes back through each of their childhoods to see why they have become like they are. Kathy found it confusing sometimes to identify the narrator. She felt the book had parallels with the author's own life - grew up in the theatre, and she had 3 children whom she was not close to.
MAREE, JOAN & JUDY: Jamaica Inn
Again the comments about this book were similar to others...her descriptive writing is excellent, you could feel the cold and fog on the moors. She creates great atmosphere with her writing.
The story is set on the moors in Cornwall and concerns a bunch of fairly desperate characters who are 'wreckers' ie they force ships to beach and then steal their cargo and kill the crew if necessary. A young niece who comes to stay at the Inn sees what is going on and tries to stop it.
All thought the ending was a little far fetched and came about after some amazing detective work!
A common comment was that this book also seems very dated.
OTHER BOOKS TO BE RECOMMENDED:
CLAURENCE: Cold Light by Frank Moorhouse
This is the third in the Edith Trilogy and tells her story of working at the League of Nations before, during and after World War 2.
ROSEMARY: Escape From Camp 14 by Blaine Harden
It is the true story of a young boy born in a North Korean Camp, his life and his eventual escape to the USA.
JOAN: The man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin
Tells the story of how a low-level KGB operative rose to the position he now holds.
NEIL: The Lotus eaters by Tatjana Soli
Set at the end of the Vietnam War, an American journalist must leave the conflict but her emotions are torn because of her feelings for the country and her Vietnamese lover.
Set in southern Cornwall in an area she had visited and knew from her childhood at a house called Mandalay. Both enjoyed reading it: romance, intrigue, and who 'dunnit'. Rosemary found the ending a little confusing and needed to reread the beginning.
Connie: the book had been written in the 1st person with Rebecca the narrator and other characters based on the author's family. The question was asked whether Rebecca was bi-sexual reflecting rumours about the author's life.
MARGARET also read the book, commenting that it was an epic tale set in a grand house.
Through her writing you can visualize what you read. Parts of it seemed quite dated and the characters didn't have much depth.
GINNY: House on the Strand
This was one of her last novels written in the swinging sixties, at the height of the drug culture, when the author was 60. In this novel the protagonist Dick Young agrees to test out a drug which his old university friend, Magnus, has developed. Dick takes the drug and is transported back in time to the fourteenth-century and is immersed in a world of intrigue, adultery, and murder.
Ginny enjoyed reading it, as it was different from many other stories written by the author.
JO: The Glass Blower
Set during the French Revolution, this book gives insights into du Maurier's ancestors who were glass blowers. The story is set in a small village where the whole population is involved in the industry. As times gets tough everyone in the village is affected. It was a traumatic time to live. Jo did enjoy reading it though.
ENID & SHEILA : Rendezvous and Other Stories
Enid: Short stories require a particular skill to write them..the opening sentence or paragraph must grab you. These were entertaining stories, often with the ending containing a sardonic twist. The author has a penetrating ability to assess characters and and her descriptions are very good.
Sheila: The stories were very dated but the more she read, the more she enjoyed them. She thought they were beautifully written and all the subjects were different.
PAMELA: Frenchman's Creek
Pamela thought the descriptions in this book were very good especially those of the sea and ships, but the plot was ridiculous. It would be a good book for an 'uncritical' reader to pick up.
CONNIE & ANNE: My Cousin Rachel
Connie: She had read the book as a teenager and loved it then, the drama and the scenery! But reading it now, she felt that she was 'someone else'. She has a different view of life now, found the plot became ridiculous after awhile and admitted that reading about the 'class system' in society was very disturbing. The description of the scenery was very realistic though.
Anne: Anne was also rereading it and quite enjoyed it, but thought that the ending was unconvincing, and not sure whether Rachel was good or bad.
KRIS: Scapegoat
This book is set after the war and concerns an Englishman, fluent in French, an historian with no family, rather unhappy and on holiday in France. There he bumps into a 'doppelganger' and learns that he is a French aristocrat who is also unhappy with his life! What happens next is an interesting series of events that occur over a relatively short time frame which somewhat spoils the whole idea.
JULIA:
SCAPEGOAT...tried it but couldn't really get into it!
I'LL NEVER BE YOUNG AGAIN...horror, suspense, romance- didn't like it
DON'T LOOK NOW: 5 short stories all from a different genre eg mystery, supernatural events and family confrontations. Although she enjoyed reading them, she found them rather old fashioned.
KATHY: The Parasites
She didn't like the beginning, but continued on and eventually it was 'OK'. The story is about a family involved in the world of the theatre. When the children are accused of being 'parasites' on the talent of their parents the story goes back through each of their childhoods to see why they have become like they are. Kathy found it confusing sometimes to identify the narrator. She felt the book had parallels with the author's own life - grew up in the theatre, and she had 3 children whom she was not close to.
MAREE, JOAN & JUDY: Jamaica Inn
Again the comments about this book were similar to others...her descriptive writing is excellent, you could feel the cold and fog on the moors. She creates great atmosphere with her writing.
The story is set on the moors in Cornwall and concerns a bunch of fairly desperate characters who are 'wreckers' ie they force ships to beach and then steal their cargo and kill the crew if necessary. A young niece who comes to stay at the Inn sees what is going on and tries to stop it.
All thought the ending was a little far fetched and came about after some amazing detective work!
A common comment was that this book also seems very dated.
OTHER BOOKS TO BE RECOMMENDED:
CLAURENCE: Cold Light by Frank Moorhouse
This is the third in the Edith Trilogy and tells her story of working at the League of Nations before, during and after World War 2.
ROSEMARY: Escape From Camp 14 by Blaine Harden
It is the true story of a young boy born in a North Korean Camp, his life and his eventual escape to the USA.
JOAN: The man Without a Face: The Unlikely Rise of Vladimir Putin
Tells the story of how a low-level KGB operative rose to the position he now holds.
NEIL: The Lotus eaters by Tatjana Soli
Set at the end of the Vietnam War, an American journalist must leave the conflict but her emotions are torn because of her feelings for the country and her Vietnamese lover.
Monday, July 9, 2012
FUTURE BOOK CLUB TOPICS
August: author Peter Robb - Death in Brazil & Midnight in Sicily
September: author Joanna Trollope - various titles
October: author Donna Leon - Crime theme
November: a Miles Franklin Award winner
December: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
January: 'Santa Sack' a book you have recently received/read
February: True crime
March: author Jeanette Winterson
September: author Joanna Trollope - various titles
October: author Donna Leon - Crime theme
November: a Miles Franklin Award winner
December: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
January: 'Santa Sack' a book you have recently received/read
February: True crime
March: author Jeanette Winterson
JUNE: LARRY McMURTRY
This month the topic for our discussion was the work of American author Larry McMurtry.
Following is a selection of the comments made and shared by those present.
SHEILA: Sin Killer
An American western that was unreadable!
JO: The Late Child
599 pages...she read the whole book but with great difficulty. It concerned a family of screwed up people...not recommended.
ANNE: Some Can Whistle
Danny Deeks is the main character who has made plenty of money writing TV series. He is an eccentric character who 'picks up' boys in summer, and girls in winter. Love affairs are carried on via answering machine and a daughter turns up out of the blue. Book is full of baudy humour.
JUDY: Rhino Ranch
One of the author's last books, bringing back a number of previous characters. They are all older, sadder and gradually one by one they disappear or die. A female billionaire attempts to sets up a ranch to save the black rhino. Too many horny old men, an absurd storyline, but some good observations of life in a small town.
MERILYN:
She began book 3 from a series...didn't make sense. Picked up another book but didn't read it.
JOAN & KATHY: Telegraph Days
Both had read the same book. After tough times the 2 surviving members of a family set off across the country arriving in a small town called Rita Blanca. Jackson becomes Deputy Sheriff, while Nellie goes on to run the local newspaper, writes a successful novel as well as "romping" with any bloke available. A number of the great gunslingers come into their lives including Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Jessie James and their families and they meet them again when they turn up just before the shoot out at the OK Corral.
JEWELS: When the Light Goes Out
This is the story of a man whose wife has been killed and how he coped with the situation. There were so many explicit descriptions of a sexual nature that it really became too much. She quickly read through the book just to get it finished.
DIANNE: The Last Picture Show
Dianne described the author as an old man who couldn't get his head above his navel. His attitude to women is that they are there just for man's pleasure! The film was brilliant but she hated the book. It really depicted the sad, hopelessness of small towns where the only way out was to join the army. She couldn't recommend it.
ENID: Zeke and Ned
Enid had hoped that this book would tell her more of the history of the American Indians but she was disappointed that this was not the case.
The plot is somewhat Shakespearean with feuding families, murder, revenge and immorality.
The setting is the plight of the Indians as they are pushed onto reserves. Tragedy unfolds between Zeke and Ned because of Zeke's loyalty to Ned. They are uneducated, living in poverty and have many children.
The plight of the Indians trying to live under Western conditions has many similarities with the current aboriginal problem.
PAMELA: Dead Man's Walk
This is the prequel to Lonesome Dove and involves a group of misfits who are ill trained Texan Rangers out in Cheyenne country. They are led by a Major with 2 weeks training but a great shot.
Another character is a 200 pound whore who is killing a snapping turtle! As the story became more ridiculous Pamela decide she had better things to read.
LESLEY and GINNY: By Sorrow's River
Again, Lesley only read some of it. Its the story of Lord Berrybender, an English fool, and his dysfunctional family as they try to conquer the west. Along the way they come across many fictional characters. Is it a farce or is he serious?
Lesley questioned who the intended audience really is... probably not "us" but possibly those who live in small towns and fantasize over what the West was like!
Ginny had thoughts and comments similar to Lesley's. She only read half way through the book and found it blood thirsty (Indians slicing off ears or left feet) and quite ridiculous.
KRIS: Loop Group
The 2 characters, Maggie and Connie are two sixty year olds, single and lusty as ever. They provide the sound effects for B grade movies to make a living. Following a hysterectomy and pining for her womb, Maggie is joined by Connie and take off to visit an aunt in Texas, drinking, smoking and carrying on along the way.
They live a pathetic and depressing life, not acting their age or accepting what life gives them.
WELCOME to new member Rosemary currently reading Anna Funder's 'All That I Am'
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
Following is a selection of the comments made and shared by those present.
SHEILA: Sin Killer
An American western that was unreadable!
JO: The Late Child
599 pages...she read the whole book but with great difficulty. It concerned a family of screwed up people...not recommended.
ANNE: Some Can Whistle
Danny Deeks is the main character who has made plenty of money writing TV series. He is an eccentric character who 'picks up' boys in summer, and girls in winter. Love affairs are carried on via answering machine and a daughter turns up out of the blue. Book is full of baudy humour.
JUDY: Rhino Ranch
One of the author's last books, bringing back a number of previous characters. They are all older, sadder and gradually one by one they disappear or die. A female billionaire attempts to sets up a ranch to save the black rhino. Too many horny old men, an absurd storyline, but some good observations of life in a small town.
MERILYN:
She began book 3 from a series...didn't make sense. Picked up another book but didn't read it.
JOAN & KATHY: Telegraph Days
Both had read the same book. After tough times the 2 surviving members of a family set off across the country arriving in a small town called Rita Blanca. Jackson becomes Deputy Sheriff, while Nellie goes on to run the local newspaper, writes a successful novel as well as "romping" with any bloke available. A number of the great gunslingers come into their lives including Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, Jessie James and their families and they meet them again when they turn up just before the shoot out at the OK Corral.
JEWELS: When the Light Goes Out
This is the story of a man whose wife has been killed and how he coped with the situation. There were so many explicit descriptions of a sexual nature that it really became too much. She quickly read through the book just to get it finished.
DIANNE: The Last Picture Show
Dianne described the author as an old man who couldn't get his head above his navel. His attitude to women is that they are there just for man's pleasure! The film was brilliant but she hated the book. It really depicted the sad, hopelessness of small towns where the only way out was to join the army. She couldn't recommend it.
ENID: Zeke and Ned
Enid had hoped that this book would tell her more of the history of the American Indians but she was disappointed that this was not the case.
The plot is somewhat Shakespearean with feuding families, murder, revenge and immorality.
The setting is the plight of the Indians as they are pushed onto reserves. Tragedy unfolds between Zeke and Ned because of Zeke's loyalty to Ned. They are uneducated, living in poverty and have many children.
The plight of the Indians trying to live under Western conditions has many similarities with the current aboriginal problem.
PAMELA: Dead Man's Walk
This is the prequel to Lonesome Dove and involves a group of misfits who are ill trained Texan Rangers out in Cheyenne country. They are led by a Major with 2 weeks training but a great shot.
Another character is a 200 pound whore who is killing a snapping turtle! As the story became more ridiculous Pamela decide she had better things to read.
LESLEY and GINNY: By Sorrow's River
Again, Lesley only read some of it. Its the story of Lord Berrybender, an English fool, and his dysfunctional family as they try to conquer the west. Along the way they come across many fictional characters. Is it a farce or is he serious?
Lesley questioned who the intended audience really is... probably not "us" but possibly those who live in small towns and fantasize over what the West was like!
Ginny had thoughts and comments similar to Lesley's. She only read half way through the book and found it blood thirsty (Indians slicing off ears or left feet) and quite ridiculous.
KRIS: Loop Group
The 2 characters, Maggie and Connie are two sixty year olds, single and lusty as ever. They provide the sound effects for B grade movies to make a living. Following a hysterectomy and pining for her womb, Maggie is joined by Connie and take off to visit an aunt in Texas, drinking, smoking and carrying on along the way.
They live a pathetic and depressing life, not acting their age or accepting what life gives them.
WELCOME to new member Rosemary currently reading Anna Funder's 'All That I Am'
OTHER RECOMMENDATIONS
- The Reunion by Sue Walker - a psychological thriller, you'll never guess the ending
- Oranges Aren't the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
- Bird Cloud: A Memoir by Annie Proulx
- Deception: The Story of Mark Standen's Downfall
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
MAY -- AUTOBIOGRAPHIES AND BIOGRAPHIES
FRED HOLLOWS - MEMORIES BY PAT FISH AND MICHAEL JOHNSON
JO read this biography and said it was a very good book but would have preferred his autobiography with Peter Corris. It was written after interviews with many patients and people who worked with him. She enjoyed it.
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE BY GERALDINE BROOKS
ANN thought this autobiography would have been more about Geraldine's life as a foreign correspondent rather than her life as a lonely child who had been sick with rheumatic fever. She had few friends and started to collect overseas penfriends to whom she corresponded for many years, among them one from Israel, one from Paris and one from America. It became the road map for her life and it influenced her to go overseas to visit her penfriends.
WHY BE HAPPY WHEN YOU COULD BE NORMAL BY JEANETTE WINTERSON
CLAURENE thought this was a terrific book. It is semi autobiographical. Jeanette was adopted into a strange family of Pentecostals. Her adopted mother, who came from the North of England was horrific and Jeanette left home at 16. Her mother used to say "the devil lead me to the wrong creche". Libraries and book saved her life. She started from A and worked her way through the books She eventually got into Cambridge. Claurene said Jeanette Winterson writes beautifully.
JUDY DENCH -"WITH A CRACK IN HER VOICE" BY JOHN MILLER
CONNIE was very interested in the first part as it told about Judy Dench's life in York, England. Connie could imagine it as she was brought up in the midlands and born in the same year, 1934. Judy Dench was the youngest in a family of Quakers. Her two much older brothers went off to act when she was quite young. She eventually went to art school but decided she wanted to be an actress. She went to all the plays at the old Vic. She played Ophelia and one critic said she was too young and immature. She took this to heart and worked hard to improve it. She always made it a happy cast and nothing was too much for her. Acting was her whole life. Connie does not normally like autobiographies or biographies but enjoyed the first part of this book The last half was mostly about the plays.
BILLY BY PAMELA STEPHENSON
GINNY had been to see Billy Connolly perform and thought he was such a hoot. The author is his wife, Pamela Stephenson who is a psychologist. She helped him with the problems of his abusive childhood. He was brought up by his aunt Mona who was very cruel and beat him. His aunt was committed to an asylum when a neighbour reported the abuse. His father was also abusive, yet he was still devastated by losing both father and aunt.
STEVE JOBS BY WALTER ISAACSON
KRIS would not normally have chosen this biography but is thoroughly enjoying it.(only 2/3 into it) It is a biography requested by Steve Jobs but he wanted no control over it's content and did not want to read it before publication. He, along with his friend Steve Wozniak, a brilliant engineer with no business sense was the founder of Apple Computers. He was a very eccentric man who thought he did not need to wash or wear deodorant because of his strict vegetarian diet. He was rude and lied and sulked and even cried when he did not get his own way but he had a way of making people believe they could achieve the impossible. He had what they called a reality distortion field. The book is based on over 40 interviews with hundreds of family members, friends, colleagues and competitors. It's a riveting story of a man with an intense personality and a passion for artistry and perfection. Well written.
AGATHA CHRISTIE - AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
JEWELS thought this was a very good read. It was published in 1977 after Agatha Christie's grandson unearthed her tapes. She died in 1976. He compiled the book from tapes first made in the 1950's. It follows her romances, two marriages, the time she disappeared. She also writes about her second husband and her travels with him on archeological expeditions to places like Egypt. It was her work in a dispensary handling poisons, when she was younger, that gave her the idea to write murder mysteries. She adored her first husband and was very affected when he left her for another woman and it was at this time she disappeared. Although Jewels hasn't finished the book she finds it interesting.
HERO OF EVEREST - A BIOGRAPHY OF TENZING NORGAY by ED DOUGLAS
KATE found this book fascinating. It is a biography of Tenzing Norgay written by Ed Douglas. He was the Tibetan born Sherpa who accompanied Edmund Hilary on his successful climb to the summit of Mt Everest. He was considered one of the best. The first photo at the summit was of Tenzing as Hilary did not trust him with the camera.
DAPHNE DU MAURIER BY MARGARET FORSTER
MARGARET is not a big fan of biographies or autobiographies. Daphne du Maurier was born in1907 and died at 81. She was brought up in London, the second of three girls. Her father was an actor. She was talented, shy and slightly odd. She went to finishing school at Paris. She loved Paris. She later stayed with a teacher in Paris and developed a lesbian relationship. When she returned to London she was introduced to society but it was not what she wanted. She felt women needed to be independent and were powerless without their own money. The first books she wrote were short bleak stories about men and women. Her anger at her father having affairs may have been an influence. She did marry and have children but had a nanny so she could continue to write books and newspaper articles. The battle between her two personas, loving men or women may have fueled her creativity.
BAD BLOOD BY LORNA SAGE
DIANE found every page a joy. It's an exquisite personal memoir spanning the generations. Her grandfather was a well educated vicar who married an ignorant woman from South Wales. She did not cook, do housework or continue marital relations so eventually her grandfather became a philanderer. Lorna learned everything from her grandfather who was a Latin scholar. Lorna loved Latin. Lorna's mother was the same as her grandmother and they lived in a council house. Lorna got pregnant young and Lorna's mother brought up the baby girl. Both Lorna and her boyfriend wanted an education so went on to university. Dianne was taken back to her time growing up in post war England and the changing times for women. She said it was beautifully written.
CLEMENTINE CHURCHILL- A BIOGRAPHY OF A MARRIAGE BY MARY SOAMES
WENDY read this book . It was a special book for her as an aunt sent it to her when Wendy's husband died 12 years ago. Wendy could not read it at the time. Clementine did not have a privileged childhood. Her father threw her mother out with the three children when she had a fling. Her father was a nasty man. Clementine was a private woman. She married Winston Churchill who was 11years older than her. She was his confidant. Winston gambled quite a bit and she was forced to sell jewellery to pay the bills. When Winston was forced out of politics he returned to the army and was sent to the front line. They wrote many letters to each other. Politics was his mistress and he was eventually back in politics. Clementine was his strength and they had a great love for each other.
THE MYSTERY OF THE BAYOUX TAPESTRY
PAMELA does not like biographies or autobiographies so she chose a story of a famous tapestry. It is a pictorial narrative describing the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Pamela found it endlessly fascinating. It is not actually a tapestry but a wool embroidery on linen strips sewn together to form a continuous panel. The final panel is missing. Although it is not definitely known who did the embroidery, it is believed to be English women as they were considered the best and nobody did that type of embroidery on the continent. Nobody knows who the patron is but may have been a Norman French. The last 1/3 of the tapestry is about the war and would be a great anti war statement.
LEONARDO DA VINCI - THE FLIGHTS OF THE MIND BY CHARLES NICHOLL
MERILYN only got to page 58 where he was about to start his apprenticeship. The story followed his life as an illegitimate child who lived with his father and then later his mother. He wrote fables. It waffled on a bit and Merilyn was not interested enough to finish it.
FRED HOLLOWS - AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY with PETER CORRIS
SHEILA said this was well written. It was almost like Fred Hollows speaking the words. Fred Hollows was a very interesting man born in New Zealand. His great grandfather, a miner came to New Zealand in 1870 .Fred's father was a railway man. Fred was born in Dunedin in 1929. His family were progressive in the Church of Christ. At 18 he did not know what to do. He studied art and then became a divinity student but felt suppressed. He got a job as a temporary assistant in a mental asylum and stopped being a christian. He then became a humanitarian. He changed to a medical course. He went to England in 1961 and studied eye medicine. He moved to Australia in 1965. He was a rough diamond. He was very interested in Aboriginal health and eye problems. He was an outspoken and outrageous man. Sheila thought he was a great man.
ENID our new member had also read Fred Hollows- An Autobiography with Peter Corris and really enjoyed it. She said it was like Fred Hollows talking to me. She said Peter Corris was skillful in the way he edited the book.
JO read this biography and said it was a very good book but would have preferred his autobiography with Peter Corris. It was written after interviews with many patients and people who worked with him. She enjoyed it.
FOREIGN CORRESPONDENCE BY GERALDINE BROOKS
ANN thought this autobiography would have been more about Geraldine's life as a foreign correspondent rather than her life as a lonely child who had been sick with rheumatic fever. She had few friends and started to collect overseas penfriends to whom she corresponded for many years, among them one from Israel, one from Paris and one from America. It became the road map for her life and it influenced her to go overseas to visit her penfriends.
WHY BE HAPPY WHEN YOU COULD BE NORMAL BY JEANETTE WINTERSON
CLAURENE thought this was a terrific book. It is semi autobiographical. Jeanette was adopted into a strange family of Pentecostals. Her adopted mother, who came from the North of England was horrific and Jeanette left home at 16. Her mother used to say "the devil lead me to the wrong creche". Libraries and book saved her life. She started from A and worked her way through the books She eventually got into Cambridge. Claurene said Jeanette Winterson writes beautifully.
JUDY DENCH -"WITH A CRACK IN HER VOICE" BY JOHN MILLER
CONNIE was very interested in the first part as it told about Judy Dench's life in York, England. Connie could imagine it as she was brought up in the midlands and born in the same year, 1934. Judy Dench was the youngest in a family of Quakers. Her two much older brothers went off to act when she was quite young. She eventually went to art school but decided she wanted to be an actress. She went to all the plays at the old Vic. She played Ophelia and one critic said she was too young and immature. She took this to heart and worked hard to improve it. She always made it a happy cast and nothing was too much for her. Acting was her whole life. Connie does not normally like autobiographies or biographies but enjoyed the first part of this book The last half was mostly about the plays.
BILLY BY PAMELA STEPHENSON
GINNY had been to see Billy Connolly perform and thought he was such a hoot. The author is his wife, Pamela Stephenson who is a psychologist. She helped him with the problems of his abusive childhood. He was brought up by his aunt Mona who was very cruel and beat him. His aunt was committed to an asylum when a neighbour reported the abuse. His father was also abusive, yet he was still devastated by losing both father and aunt.
STEVE JOBS BY WALTER ISAACSON
KRIS would not normally have chosen this biography but is thoroughly enjoying it.(only 2/3 into it) It is a biography requested by Steve Jobs but he wanted no control over it's content and did not want to read it before publication. He, along with his friend Steve Wozniak, a brilliant engineer with no business sense was the founder of Apple Computers. He was a very eccentric man who thought he did not need to wash or wear deodorant because of his strict vegetarian diet. He was rude and lied and sulked and even cried when he did not get his own way but he had a way of making people believe they could achieve the impossible. He had what they called a reality distortion field. The book is based on over 40 interviews with hundreds of family members, friends, colleagues and competitors. It's a riveting story of a man with an intense personality and a passion for artistry and perfection. Well written.
AGATHA CHRISTIE - AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
JEWELS thought this was a very good read. It was published in 1977 after Agatha Christie's grandson unearthed her tapes. She died in 1976. He compiled the book from tapes first made in the 1950's. It follows her romances, two marriages, the time she disappeared. She also writes about her second husband and her travels with him on archeological expeditions to places like Egypt. It was her work in a dispensary handling poisons, when she was younger, that gave her the idea to write murder mysteries. She adored her first husband and was very affected when he left her for another woman and it was at this time she disappeared. Although Jewels hasn't finished the book she finds it interesting.
HERO OF EVEREST - A BIOGRAPHY OF TENZING NORGAY by ED DOUGLAS
KATE found this book fascinating. It is a biography of Tenzing Norgay written by Ed Douglas. He was the Tibetan born Sherpa who accompanied Edmund Hilary on his successful climb to the summit of Mt Everest. He was considered one of the best. The first photo at the summit was of Tenzing as Hilary did not trust him with the camera.
DAPHNE DU MAURIER BY MARGARET FORSTER
MARGARET is not a big fan of biographies or autobiographies. Daphne du Maurier was born in1907 and died at 81. She was brought up in London, the second of three girls. Her father was an actor. She was talented, shy and slightly odd. She went to finishing school at Paris. She loved Paris. She later stayed with a teacher in Paris and developed a lesbian relationship. When she returned to London she was introduced to society but it was not what she wanted. She felt women needed to be independent and were powerless without their own money. The first books she wrote were short bleak stories about men and women. Her anger at her father having affairs may have been an influence. She did marry and have children but had a nanny so she could continue to write books and newspaper articles. The battle between her two personas, loving men or women may have fueled her creativity.
BAD BLOOD BY LORNA SAGE
DIANE found every page a joy. It's an exquisite personal memoir spanning the generations. Her grandfather was a well educated vicar who married an ignorant woman from South Wales. She did not cook, do housework or continue marital relations so eventually her grandfather became a philanderer. Lorna learned everything from her grandfather who was a Latin scholar. Lorna loved Latin. Lorna's mother was the same as her grandmother and they lived in a council house. Lorna got pregnant young and Lorna's mother brought up the baby girl. Both Lorna and her boyfriend wanted an education so went on to university. Dianne was taken back to her time growing up in post war England and the changing times for women. She said it was beautifully written.
CLEMENTINE CHURCHILL- A BIOGRAPHY OF A MARRIAGE BY MARY SOAMES
WENDY read this book . It was a special book for her as an aunt sent it to her when Wendy's husband died 12 years ago. Wendy could not read it at the time. Clementine did not have a privileged childhood. Her father threw her mother out with the three children when she had a fling. Her father was a nasty man. Clementine was a private woman. She married Winston Churchill who was 11years older than her. She was his confidant. Winston gambled quite a bit and she was forced to sell jewellery to pay the bills. When Winston was forced out of politics he returned to the army and was sent to the front line. They wrote many letters to each other. Politics was his mistress and he was eventually back in politics. Clementine was his strength and they had a great love for each other.
THE MYSTERY OF THE BAYOUX TAPESTRY
PAMELA does not like biographies or autobiographies so she chose a story of a famous tapestry. It is a pictorial narrative describing the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings in 1066. Pamela found it endlessly fascinating. It is not actually a tapestry but a wool embroidery on linen strips sewn together to form a continuous panel. The final panel is missing. Although it is not definitely known who did the embroidery, it is believed to be English women as they were considered the best and nobody did that type of embroidery on the continent. Nobody knows who the patron is but may have been a Norman French. The last 1/3 of the tapestry is about the war and would be a great anti war statement.
LEONARDO DA VINCI - THE FLIGHTS OF THE MIND BY CHARLES NICHOLL
MERILYN only got to page 58 where he was about to start his apprenticeship. The story followed his life as an illegitimate child who lived with his father and then later his mother. He wrote fables. It waffled on a bit and Merilyn was not interested enough to finish it.
FRED HOLLOWS - AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY with PETER CORRIS
SHEILA said this was well written. It was almost like Fred Hollows speaking the words. Fred Hollows was a very interesting man born in New Zealand. His great grandfather, a miner came to New Zealand in 1870 .Fred's father was a railway man. Fred was born in Dunedin in 1929. His family were progressive in the Church of Christ. At 18 he did not know what to do. He studied art and then became a divinity student but felt suppressed. He got a job as a temporary assistant in a mental asylum and stopped being a christian. He then became a humanitarian. He changed to a medical course. He went to England in 1961 and studied eye medicine. He moved to Australia in 1965. He was a rough diamond. He was very interested in Aboriginal health and eye problems. He was an outspoken and outrageous man. Sheila thought he was a great man.
ENID our new member had also read Fred Hollows- An Autobiography with Peter Corris and really enjoyed it. She said it was like Fred Hollows talking to me. She said Peter Corris was skillful in the way he edited the book.
Tuesday, May 1, 2012
APRIL:-Medievil Times
The books that members chose this month are all set in Medieval Times. This was a genre that many had not read before, but many would agree that they enjoyed what they had read and even discovered new authors they will continue to read.
ANNE: One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters
This is the second in the series of the Brother Cadfael Mysteries. During the Civil War between Stephen and Maud and following the siege of the Shrewsbury Castle, 94 survivors of the turncoat garrison are executed. When the bodies are taken for burial, Bro Cadfael counts them and realises there are not 94 but 95 bodies...1 corpse too many.
There is betrayal, treason, buried treasure, a duel, fugitives and romance. She thought it a really good story and enjoyed reading it again.
JO:
Jo had also read the same book and agreed with Anne's opinions.
She also mentioned that Ellis Peters had written the George Felse Mysteries set in Scotland Yard in modern times.
PAMELA:
Pamela had also read One Corpse Too Many and commented on the accuracy of the writing regarding the times and places. The moral corruption of the Civil War meant that men would often change sides for the slightest gain.
JOAN: Heart of the Lion by Jean Plaidy
At the age of thirty-two, Richard the Lionheart has finally succeeded Henry II to the throne. And, against her father's wishes, he intends to make Berengaria, daughter of the King of Navarre, his Queen. But first he must fulfil his vow to his country to win back Jerusalem for the Christian world. Leaving England to begin his Crusade, Richard's kingdom is left in the hands of his brother, John, who casts covetous eyes on the crown, and his sister, Joanna, who is willing to defy even a king.
Jean Plaidy is a wonderful storyteller who has written a huge number of books using many pen-names but always bases on good historical research.
MERILYN: The White Queen by Philippa Gregory
This story tried to explain the mystery of what happened to the two princes in the Tower of London.
Due to other circumstances she hadn't finished it, but thought it would have been worth reading.
knowledge of herbs. It is these rituals that Connie enjoyed reading about.KRIS: Smoke in the Wind by Peter Tremayne
Sister Fidelma is the protagonist in this Celtic mystery, one of 10 in the series. Set in South Wales, the whole community goes missing and Sister Fidelma is asked to investigate. She is a very strong and interesting character, a qualified dalaigh, or advocate of the law courts of Ireland, thus wielding a lot of power.
KATHY: Wheel of Fate by Kate Sedley
Roger the Chapman (pedlar) solves mystery and murder in his family. Up until almost the last page it was not possible to work out who the murderer was, in fact Kathy was shocked when the truth was revealed. While there is not a lot of historical fact it was certainly an enjoyable read.
KATE: The Heretic's Apprentice by Ellis Peters
MAREE: The Wicked Winter by Kate Sedley
Roger the Chapman (pedlar) meets Brother Simeon an itinerant preacher whose firey sermons are the talk of the countryside. The two join up, although somewhat unwillingly to solve a murder which has occurred at Cederwell Manor.
It was very enjoyable to read, told in a tongue in cheek way. It seemed like a modern day murder mystery but written in the language of the time with many twists and turns.
SHEILA: Dancing with Demons by Peter Tremayne
In this story, the High King, Sechnussach, is assassinated. The murderer, unable to make his escape, turns his knife on himself. Fidelma is summoned to Tara to discover not who murdered the High King, for that was obviously Dubh Dun, whose body was found with the king's, but why the King was murdered.
Although she was originally reluctant to read the book, Sheila opinion having read it, was now that it was a super historical 'who dunnit'.
DIANNE: Apothecary Rose by Candace Robb
After the village apothecary is murdered, Owen Archer, recently retired captain of the Archers is given the job to investigate the crime.
Although she loves the era, Dianne didn't like the author's style of writing and found she really couldn't get into the book.
WENDY: Prince of Darkness by Jean Plaidy
The
untimely death of Richard Coeur de Lion left his nephew Arthur and his
younger brother John in contest for the throne of England. Reluctantly
the barons chose John and their choice brought years of evil upon the
realm. His unbridled sensuality, his fierce and terrible temper, his
cruelty, idleness and injustice made King John hated and feared. Men
came to believe that the House of Anjou was tainted by the devil's
blood, that the loathsome monarch was himself Evil Incarnate, the very
Prince of Darkness...
He was king by divine right only. CONNIE: The Holy Thief by Ellis Peters
This is the 19th book of the Bro Cadfael mysteries and they really should be read in order as other minor characters appear and reappear and the struggle of the Civil War continues.
The story involves the theft of the remains of the Welsh Saint Winifred during a flood and the seemingly related subsequent murder of young Brother Anselm. Bro Cadfael is called upon to investigate, eventually solving the crime using the rituals of the church as well as his extensive This is the 18th book in the series, and Kate enjoyed it so much she went on to read others by the same author.
She also read Medieval People by Eileen Power. This was a factual description of life in those times eg the town revolved around the abbey
the struggle for power among the monks
the religious influence on the people was very strong
the social history about ordinary folk very good
JUDY: Brother Cadfael's Penance
This is the 20th and final book in this series.
With the
background of the civil war between King Stephen and Empress Maud, both
arrogant as they literally rip the country apart to gain the throne of England,
we have Philip, son of Robert of Gloucester, Maud’s most trusted advisor and
half-brother. Philip switches loyalties from Maud to Stephen in an attempt to
sway the balance in Stephen’s favour and end the war. Brother Cadfael is
finally able to discover the location of his son Olivier, whose fate is
intertwined with that of Philip’s.
We now have a
story that involves murder, jealousy, father/son relationships, political loyalties,
and personal ambition and woven through all this is Cadfael’s personal struggle
with his devotion to the church and the possibility that this may be denied him
in the future if he continues on this search for his son.
Judy really enjoyed the combination of history and a good mystery.
JULIA: A Trust Betrayed by Candace Robb
This is the first of the Margaret Kerr mysteries set in the 1300s and the war between England and Scotland. Her husband has gone to Edinburgh and been missing for a year and when she goes to find out what has happened she gets herself into all sorts of trouble. A light but enjoyable read.
OTHER RECOMMENDED READS:
Joan: Saving Private Sarbi by Sandra Lee
The story of the dog missing in action in Afghanistan.
Pamela: The Night Circus by Harvil Secker
Behind the scenes of the circus tents, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between
two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since
childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors.
Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left
standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of
imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco
tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights
flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
Wendy: They Came to Baghdad by Agatha Christie
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee by Dee Brown
An American perspective of the injustices and betrayals of the US Government.
Brown views the government's dealings as continued efforts to destroy
the culture, religion, and way of life of Native American peoples.
Thursday, March 22, 2012
TOPICS FOR APRIL MAY JUNE & JULY
APRIL: medieval stories
MAY: Choose your own Biography or Autobiography
JUNE: author Larry McMurtry
JULY: author Daphne du Maurier
Please ask at the Library desk for assistance in finding these books.
MAY: Choose your own Biography or Autobiography
JUNE: author Larry McMurtry
JULY: author Daphne du Maurier
Please ask at the Library desk for assistance in finding these books.
MARCH:- Geraldine Brooks
The topic for our March meeting was Australian author, Geraldine Brooks. While most members chose "The People of the Book", others had read her most recent publication "Caleb's Crossing". Following are a selection of their comments.
We welcomed several new members and include their thoughts and other book recommendations.
JOAN:
Joan wasn't 'crazy' about the book. She loved the detail about the treasure and the focus on the manuscript but couldn't stand all the other detail. She thought the author had tried to include too much.
KRIS:
Kris had similar feelings and it was the first book written by this author that she had read. She normally prefers to read non fiction so she was intrigued by the many facts and was fascinated by the Jewish prayer book.
KATE:
Kate didn't mind the book and was glad she had read it. She also made the comment that she thought that the mother got the comeuppance that she deserved.
LYN:
Lyn is a new member who liked the parallel writing of being in the present and the past. She thought the other bits of trivia and detail lightened up the story. If it had just been the history of the book, she thought she wouldn't have read it.
MARGARET:
For Margaret the book was too Jewish and she didn't understand all the connotations. She felt a bit uncomfortable with the sheer tragedy of all the stories but she loved the writing.
MERRILYN:
Due to lack of time Merrilyn had only read the first 50 and the last 20 pages, but she liked what she had read.
SHEILA:
This was the second time that Shirley had read the book and she enjoyed it more this time. From the first page, the writing was clear and you knew the author was Australian.
Shirley added to a previous comment re the Jewishness of the book: evidently the author has now become a Jew, her husband is Jewish and they live in the USA.
Returning to the book, she thought it was a 500 year mixture of fiction and fact and it was amazing that there was always someone who took it upon themselves to hide the book regardless of the tragedies that surrounded it.
PAMELA:
Pamela thought it was brilliantly plotted. She decided that the mother was very extraneous to the story.
CONNIE:
Connie was intrigued by the book and kept forgetting that the stories were fiction. She doesn't usually choose books of fiction based on history though. She added that it was like reading a series of short stories so she found it difficult to get the flow. But in the end it all came together.
KATHIE:
While others liked the combination of fact and fiction, Kathie thought it added to her confusion and raised more questions.
Where does the book belong...in Israel or Sarajevo?
Did a black Muslim woman illustrate a Jewish book?
But for Kathie the most powerful part of the book was this idea....to be a human being matters more than being a Catholic, Jew, Muslim etc.
KATE:
Kate liked the book when she first began to read it, but she soon found the 'chopping and changing' difficult to handle. Her suggestion was to have a glossary or the story to be told in chronological order.
MAREE:
Maree admitted that she hadn't allowed enough time to read the book so she started to skim read. This was not very satisfying, so she is determined to reread it, giving herself time to read it properly.
JULIA:
Julia didn't like the book and suggested it would have been helpful if she could see a picture of the Haggadah.
JO:
Jo was very enthusiastic in her praise of the book stating that it was 'the most incredible thing out'.
JUDY & ANNE:
Having recently read "The People of the Book", both decided to read "Caleb's Crossing".
MAGGIE:
Maggie is another new member who loves to read, devouring books in great numbers. She had previously read "The People of the Book", loving the author's craft of moving you through the complicated story.
HEATHER:
Heather was here visiting friends, and had recently discovered the author Alexander McCall Smith and especially his "44 Scotland Street" stories. These are perfect reads for traveling she said, easy to dip in and out of.
Another recommendation from Pamela: Stephen Fry's "The Book of General Ignorance (A Quite Interesting Book)" It is something you can pick up every now and again, full of interesting stuff.
We welcomed several new members and include their thoughts and other book recommendations.
JOAN:
Joan wasn't 'crazy' about the book. She loved the detail about the treasure and the focus on the manuscript but couldn't stand all the other detail. She thought the author had tried to include too much.
KRIS:
Kris had similar feelings and it was the first book written by this author that she had read. She normally prefers to read non fiction so she was intrigued by the many facts and was fascinated by the Jewish prayer book.
KATE:
Kate didn't mind the book and was glad she had read it. She also made the comment that she thought that the mother got the comeuppance that she deserved.
LYN:
Lyn is a new member who liked the parallel writing of being in the present and the past. She thought the other bits of trivia and detail lightened up the story. If it had just been the history of the book, she thought she wouldn't have read it.
MARGARET:
For Margaret the book was too Jewish and she didn't understand all the connotations. She felt a bit uncomfortable with the sheer tragedy of all the stories but she loved the writing.
MERRILYN:
Due to lack of time Merrilyn had only read the first 50 and the last 20 pages, but she liked what she had read.
SHEILA:
This was the second time that Shirley had read the book and she enjoyed it more this time. From the first page, the writing was clear and you knew the author was Australian.
Shirley added to a previous comment re the Jewishness of the book: evidently the author has now become a Jew, her husband is Jewish and they live in the USA.
Returning to the book, she thought it was a 500 year mixture of fiction and fact and it was amazing that there was always someone who took it upon themselves to hide the book regardless of the tragedies that surrounded it.
PAMELA:
Pamela thought it was brilliantly plotted. She decided that the mother was very extraneous to the story.
CONNIE:
Connie was intrigued by the book and kept forgetting that the stories were fiction. She doesn't usually choose books of fiction based on history though. She added that it was like reading a series of short stories so she found it difficult to get the flow. But in the end it all came together.
KATHIE:
While others liked the combination of fact and fiction, Kathie thought it added to her confusion and raised more questions.
Where does the book belong...in Israel or Sarajevo?
Did a black Muslim woman illustrate a Jewish book?
But for Kathie the most powerful part of the book was this idea....to be a human being matters more than being a Catholic, Jew, Muslim etc.
KATE:
Kate liked the book when she first began to read it, but she soon found the 'chopping and changing' difficult to handle. Her suggestion was to have a glossary or the story to be told in chronological order.
MAREE:
Maree admitted that she hadn't allowed enough time to read the book so she started to skim read. This was not very satisfying, so she is determined to reread it, giving herself time to read it properly.
JULIA:
Julia didn't like the book and suggested it would have been helpful if she could see a picture of the Haggadah.
JO:
Jo was very enthusiastic in her praise of the book stating that it was 'the most incredible thing out'.
JUDY & ANNE:
Having recently read "The People of the Book", both decided to read "Caleb's Crossing".
Caleb’s Crossing tells the story of Caleb Cheeshahteaumauk, a member of the Wampanoag tribe of Martha’s Vineyard, born around 1646 and the first Native American to graduate from Harvard College. Using these few facts, Geraldine Brooks has created a fictional account of his life and uses a fully fictional character Bethia Mayfield to narrate the story, based on her diaries. Several other characters are loosely based on people she came across during her research.
While they enjoyed this story both felt that "The People of the Book" was a superior read.
DIANNE:
Dianne had been absent last month and so had not read any Geraldine Brooks' books.
She has recently read Simon Winchester's The Man Who Loved China (Bomb Book and Compass) - a good read.
She also read Kate Grenville's "Sarah Thornhill" but was disappointed with it describing it as 'chick lit'.
GENEVIEVE:
A new member, Genevieve had recently read and enjoyed "The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society" written by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows. She described it as a very sweet book, told through letters and a good holiday read.MAGGIE:
Maggie is another new member who loves to read, devouring books in great numbers. She had previously read "The People of the Book", loving the author's craft of moving you through the complicated story.
HEATHER:
Heather was here visiting friends, and had recently discovered the author Alexander McCall Smith and especially his "44 Scotland Street" stories. These are perfect reads for traveling she said, easy to dip in and out of.
Another recommendation from Pamela: Stephen Fry's "The Book of General Ignorance (A Quite Interesting Book)" It is something you can pick up every now and again, full of interesting stuff.
Thursday, February 23, 2012
FEBRUARY - CHARLES DICKENS
As a recognition of the 200th anniversary of the birth of Dickens, our choices this month are taken from the large number of books he has written.
VIRGINIA:
Virginia had borrowed "The Haunted House" but as she doesn't like ghost stories, decided not to finish it. Instead she read "An Open Book" by Monica Dickens (great grand daughter of Charles Dickens).
This is her autobiography. She had lead an interesting life, traveled widely and described the era in which she lived with maids and other luxuries.
Monica Dickens had written many other books, mainly fiction and including the "Follyfoot Series" for children.
KATHY:
Kathy chose "David Copperfield" which she had read previously. She said it was nice to re-read it and reacquaint herself with the characters. It really could be his autobiography.
MARGARET:
Margaret started to read Nicholas Nickelby. But once she began to read about the maltreatment of the boys, she couldn't go on. She said she gets too emotional with this kind of writing.
JUDY:
Judy thought she would like to read "Little Dorrit" having enjoyed the recent television series. But 863 pages proved too much of a challenge, and so borrowed a DVD. This turned out to be the original BBC production which presented the story from Arthur Clennam and Amy Dorrit's points of view, leaving out many characters and parts of the story. She commented on the number of themes that are common to this story and many others, even those written today..eg the importance of social status, money being the root of all evil, revenge, illegitimate children and blackmail. She also mentioned that the book was written from personal experience, as Dickens' father had spent time in a debtor's prison and this had left a lasting impression on him.
MAREE:
Maree had only found out in the last few days what the topic was....so she related stories of visiting a Dickens Museum in Bath that she come across while on the Jane Austen trail.
CONNIE:
Connie remembered being read "Little Nell" by a teacher when she was about 10 years old and had cried so much she wanted to reread it. In the introduction it calls the story 'a comedy' Why?
Apart from all the sad things that happen to Little Nell, there are also some silly characters who hit and punch and fall over each other, like in a pantomime.
Little Nell dies in the end at only 16 years of age. It's not a happy ending.....a silly comedy with a lot of sorrow.
AMELIA:
Amelia chose to read "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" which has as its main character a murderer. Through very cunning and implied writing, the murder isn't actually described, but it can be the only assumption as to what had taken place.
This was the last book written by Dickens who died before it was finished. But he left notes and a summary of the ending to his friend and biographer John Forster.
SHEILA:
Sheila 'failed' to read anything. Not what she likes to read!
MERILYN:
Merilyn thought she would read "Bedside Dickens" which had excerpts from a dozen of his books. Unfortunately she couldn't get past the first few pages and decided there were too many other books she wanted to read.
JOAN:
Joan had unexpected and great delight reading "Mrs Lirriper's Lodgings" one of Dickens' novellas. It is the story of a child abandoned on the doorstep of the guest house that Mrs Lirriper runs. She looks after and raises the child with the help of the other lodgers. The characters are all genuine and empathetic towards one another.
A light read and she loved it.
LESLEY:
Lesley chose to read "The Battle of Life", another of Dickens' novellas. The story is set in an English village that was the site of an historic battle. The battle comes to symbolize the struggle these characters face in their daily lives.
There is a lot of flowery 'stuff' (a love story of 2 sisters and 1 man) that leaves you wondering how it all happened. Still, it had a hook in the ending when all the pieces came together.
His images are amazing and the characters so well drawn you can really picture the English village and the people who lived there.
ANNE:
Anne also selected "Little Dorrit". As she had read it and loved it as a child, she decided this time to watch the DVD. It's a book full of 'goodies and baddies' with Amy Dorrit being almost impossibly so good to everyone. She also commented on the way the prison was shown on the DVD, clean and quite comfortable, life there didn't seem so bad. Everyone also seemed to be well clothed and fed. This is probably not a realistic interpretation of the original story that Dickens had written.
JO:
Jo also chose Nicholas Nickleby and after watching the DVD commented on the way the boys were treated. It made her very angry and sad, but grateful she didn't live in those times.
JULIA:
Julia was able to find a children's book which had adapted 5 well known stories written by Dickens and presented with beautiful illustrations. The book, "Illustrated Stories from Dickens" was easy to read and a lovely way to introduce the writing of Dickens to children. She felt it gave her a good understanding of each story and she didn't feel like a child reading it.
VIRGINIA:
Virginia had borrowed "The Haunted House" but as she doesn't like ghost stories, decided not to finish it. Instead she read "An Open Book" by Monica Dickens (great grand daughter of Charles Dickens).
This is her autobiography. She had lead an interesting life, traveled widely and described the era in which she lived with maids and other luxuries.
Monica Dickens had written many other books, mainly fiction and including the "Follyfoot Series" for children.
KATHY:
Kathy chose "David Copperfield" which she had read previously. She said it was nice to re-read it and reacquaint herself with the characters. It really could be his autobiography.
MARGARET:
Margaret started to read Nicholas Nickelby. But once she began to read about the maltreatment of the boys, she couldn't go on. She said she gets too emotional with this kind of writing.
JUDY:
Judy thought she would like to read "Little Dorrit" having enjoyed the recent television series. But 863 pages proved too much of a challenge, and so borrowed a DVD. This turned out to be the original BBC production which presented the story from Arthur Clennam and Amy Dorrit's points of view, leaving out many characters and parts of the story. She commented on the number of themes that are common to this story and many others, even those written today..eg the importance of social status, money being the root of all evil, revenge, illegitimate children and blackmail. She also mentioned that the book was written from personal experience, as Dickens' father had spent time in a debtor's prison and this had left a lasting impression on him.
MAREE:
Maree had only found out in the last few days what the topic was....so she related stories of visiting a Dickens Museum in Bath that she come across while on the Jane Austen trail.
CONNIE:
Connie remembered being read "Little Nell" by a teacher when she was about 10 years old and had cried so much she wanted to reread it. In the introduction it calls the story 'a comedy' Why?
Apart from all the sad things that happen to Little Nell, there are also some silly characters who hit and punch and fall over each other, like in a pantomime.
Little Nell dies in the end at only 16 years of age. It's not a happy ending.....a silly comedy with a lot of sorrow.
AMELIA:
Amelia chose to read "The Mystery of Edwin Drood" which has as its main character a murderer. Through very cunning and implied writing, the murder isn't actually described, but it can be the only assumption as to what had taken place.
This was the last book written by Dickens who died before it was finished. But he left notes and a summary of the ending to his friend and biographer John Forster.
SHEILA:
Sheila 'failed' to read anything. Not what she likes to read!
MERILYN:
Merilyn thought she would read "Bedside Dickens" which had excerpts from a dozen of his books. Unfortunately she couldn't get past the first few pages and decided there were too many other books she wanted to read.
JOAN:
Joan had unexpected and great delight reading "Mrs Lirriper's Lodgings" one of Dickens' novellas. It is the story of a child abandoned on the doorstep of the guest house that Mrs Lirriper runs. She looks after and raises the child with the help of the other lodgers. The characters are all genuine and empathetic towards one another.
A light read and she loved it.
LESLEY:
Lesley chose to read "The Battle of Life", another of Dickens' novellas. The story is set in an English village that was the site of an historic battle. The battle comes to symbolize the struggle these characters face in their daily lives.
There is a lot of flowery 'stuff' (a love story of 2 sisters and 1 man) that leaves you wondering how it all happened. Still, it had a hook in the ending when all the pieces came together.
His images are amazing and the characters so well drawn you can really picture the English village and the people who lived there.
ANNE:
Anne also selected "Little Dorrit". As she had read it and loved it as a child, she decided this time to watch the DVD. It's a book full of 'goodies and baddies' with Amy Dorrit being almost impossibly so good to everyone. She also commented on the way the prison was shown on the DVD, clean and quite comfortable, life there didn't seem so bad. Everyone also seemed to be well clothed and fed. This is probably not a realistic interpretation of the original story that Dickens had written.
JO:
Jo also chose Nicholas Nickleby and after watching the DVD commented on the way the boys were treated. It made her very angry and sad, but grateful she didn't live in those times.
JULIA:
Julia was able to find a children's book which had adapted 5 well known stories written by Dickens and presented with beautiful illustrations. The book, "Illustrated Stories from Dickens" was easy to read and a lovely way to introduce the writing of Dickens to children. She felt it gave her a good understanding of each story and she didn't feel like a child reading it.
Monday, January 23, 2012
JANUARY -- OUR OWN CHOICE
JEWELS
Jewels choice was "Red Mist" by Patricia Cornwell. She said you would need to read her previous book first. Jewels also read "Echoes" by Danielle Steele. Jewels normally does not like her books as most are very predictable love stories. This was different to her normal stories and she found it very enjoyable. The story was about the experiences of some Jewish people during the war, with an intricate tale of a mother and daughter. It was set mostly in Switzerland and other parts of Europe.
CONNIE
Connie read "House of Silk" by Anthony Horowitz who also wrote "Foyles War". The author wrote it as if he was Arthur Conan Doyle. He used the characters from Sherlock Holmes and it was a typical Sherlock Holmes mystery set in 1890 with an original story woven into one of Sherlock Holmes stories. Connie expected it to be modern and didn't think she would like the
story, but she thoroughly enjoyed it.
MARGARET
Margaret is a new member. She read "Once upon a Time" by J Randy Taraborrelli. This is a biography of Grace Kelly, an actress who was born in Philadelphia in 1929 and died in 1982. She became Princess Grace when she married Prince Ranier of Monaco. Its very well researched and a compelling read. It looks at her life as a princess but also as a parent of two difficult teenage daughters. She also read an excellent book called "Presumed Innocent" a crime fiction by Scott Turow.
KATE
Kate read "Prodigal Sister" by Laura Elliott. The book is set in Dublin and is a book about four sisters. There are various intrigues. The parents are killed in a car accident and the eldest sister tries to be the mother whilst still trying to have her own life. There is a betrayal by one of the sisters and after time apart they meet up again in New Zealand twenty years later. Kate said it was a great read, especially for women.
KATHY
Kathy read a psychological thriller called "Before I go to Sleep" by S. J. Watson. The main character wakes up beside her husband but does not recognize him and doesn't know who she is either. Her husband, Ben tells her she wakes up every day not remembering who she is, but is this man really her husband? She has flashbacks. Her doctor tells her to write everything down in a journal at night before bed where she writes "don't trust Ben". Kathy said it was very intriguing.
WENDY
Wendy read "Death comes to Pemberley" by P. D. James. She didn't really like the book. It was "Jane Austen" like. She also read "Brotherhood" by Y.A. Erskine. She did not enjoy this one either and felt if they deleted the bad language you would delete 1/3 of the book. It's a crime fiction. Wendy says it was faction. It is set in modern times and is about the police force in Tasmania. It concerns the murder of a police officer by an Aboriginal. It shows double standards.
ANNE
Anne also read "Before I go to Sleep" by S.J. Watson. It's written in the first person. Anne said it was really well written and you could feel the panic and anxiety of the main character. It was very compelling.
PAMELA
Pamela read the "Surgeon of Crowthorne" by Simon Winchester. It's a story about the life of the surgeon but also his part in the 70 year effort of producing the Oxford English Dictionary, started in 1857. Volunteers from all over the world were involved and it shows what an amazing feat it was to create this dictionary. It's the first descriptive dictionary with quotations illustrating every word. The book is about the two most important volunteers, both American. One was Dr William Chester Minor who was the Surgeon of Crowthorne and Dr. Fitzedward Hall who was an authority on Sanskrit.
KRIS
Kris read "The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul" by Deborah Rodriguez, who married an Afghan man and lived for some time in Afghanistan. Although fiction, some of the book is loosely based on her experiences there. It's a story of five strong women from different backgrounds coming together in a cafe in Afghanistan. Sunny, an American is the proprietor of the cafe. Halajan, a 60 yr old Afghan woman, owns the building. Yasmina, a young pregnant woman is rescued by Sunny after being thrown from a car. The last two characters are Candice, an American, who has an Afghan lover and Isabelle an English journalist. Some parts of the book are a bit frivolous but the stories of life in Afghanistan are very interesting. A good read.
JOAN
Joan read "Clarence Darrow - Attorney for the Damned" by John Farrell. Clarence came from a poor family and always felt shame at being poor. His father thought education was important. Clarence became an attorney and could have been very successful. It was a time of very wealthy industrialists but he chose to represent the poor, the unions and the downtrodden. He was a great speaker and literary person. He came unstuck as he was sent to trial for bribing jurors. There was a question of legal ethics 100 years ago. He got off but there was a cloud over his innocence. He was also a womanizer and hopeless with money. Joan's favourite books are true crime so she really enjoyed the cases of true crime discussed in this story.
JO
Jo read "Deck the Halls" by Mary and Carol Higgins Clark. They are both authors and teamed up to write this christmas story. It is a light hearted story about a private investigator whose father, with his driver, is kidnapped by a couple of amateurs and subsequently locked up in a leaking houseboat. There is also a romance involving the detective from the major crime squad.
SHEILA
Sheila read Briny Cafe by Susan Duncan, an Australian author, who wrote Salvation Creek. Sheila liked Salvation Creek but not this book. She said it was light reading and too saccharin.
She also read "Keeper of the Secrets" by Judith Cutler an English author. It is set in 1810 and the main character is Parson Tobias Campion . He is an aristocratic gentleman in his first parish. Most of the parish is very poor. He doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. One of the maids from the "big house" disappears and the story is about the tracking down of who killed her and why? It is a good story.
Jewels choice was "Red Mist" by Patricia Cornwell. She said you would need to read her previous book first. Jewels also read "Echoes" by Danielle Steele. Jewels normally does not like her books as most are very predictable love stories. This was different to her normal stories and she found it very enjoyable. The story was about the experiences of some Jewish people during the war, with an intricate tale of a mother and daughter. It was set mostly in Switzerland and other parts of Europe.
CONNIE
Connie read "House of Silk" by Anthony Horowitz who also wrote "Foyles War". The author wrote it as if he was Arthur Conan Doyle. He used the characters from Sherlock Holmes and it was a typical Sherlock Holmes mystery set in 1890 with an original story woven into one of Sherlock Holmes stories. Connie expected it to be modern and didn't think she would like the
story, but she thoroughly enjoyed it.
MARGARET
Margaret is a new member. She read "Once upon a Time" by J Randy Taraborrelli. This is a biography of Grace Kelly, an actress who was born in Philadelphia in 1929 and died in 1982. She became Princess Grace when she married Prince Ranier of Monaco. Its very well researched and a compelling read. It looks at her life as a princess but also as a parent of two difficult teenage daughters. She also read an excellent book called "Presumed Innocent" a crime fiction by Scott Turow.
KATE
Kate read "Prodigal Sister" by Laura Elliott. The book is set in Dublin and is a book about four sisters. There are various intrigues. The parents are killed in a car accident and the eldest sister tries to be the mother whilst still trying to have her own life. There is a betrayal by one of the sisters and after time apart they meet up again in New Zealand twenty years later. Kate said it was a great read, especially for women.
KATHY
Kathy read a psychological thriller called "Before I go to Sleep" by S. J. Watson. The main character wakes up beside her husband but does not recognize him and doesn't know who she is either. Her husband, Ben tells her she wakes up every day not remembering who she is, but is this man really her husband? She has flashbacks. Her doctor tells her to write everything down in a journal at night before bed where she writes "don't trust Ben". Kathy said it was very intriguing.
WENDY
Wendy read "Death comes to Pemberley" by P. D. James. She didn't really like the book. It was "Jane Austen" like. She also read "Brotherhood" by Y.A. Erskine. She did not enjoy this one either and felt if they deleted the bad language you would delete 1/3 of the book. It's a crime fiction. Wendy says it was faction. It is set in modern times and is about the police force in Tasmania. It concerns the murder of a police officer by an Aboriginal. It shows double standards.
ANNE
Anne also read "Before I go to Sleep" by S.J. Watson. It's written in the first person. Anne said it was really well written and you could feel the panic and anxiety of the main character. It was very compelling.
PAMELA
Pamela read the "Surgeon of Crowthorne" by Simon Winchester. It's a story about the life of the surgeon but also his part in the 70 year effort of producing the Oxford English Dictionary, started in 1857. Volunteers from all over the world were involved and it shows what an amazing feat it was to create this dictionary. It's the first descriptive dictionary with quotations illustrating every word. The book is about the two most important volunteers, both American. One was Dr William Chester Minor who was the Surgeon of Crowthorne and Dr. Fitzedward Hall who was an authority on Sanskrit.
KRIS
Kris read "The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul" by Deborah Rodriguez, who married an Afghan man and lived for some time in Afghanistan. Although fiction, some of the book is loosely based on her experiences there. It's a story of five strong women from different backgrounds coming together in a cafe in Afghanistan. Sunny, an American is the proprietor of the cafe. Halajan, a 60 yr old Afghan woman, owns the building. Yasmina, a young pregnant woman is rescued by Sunny after being thrown from a car. The last two characters are Candice, an American, who has an Afghan lover and Isabelle an English journalist. Some parts of the book are a bit frivolous but the stories of life in Afghanistan are very interesting. A good read.
JOAN
Joan read "Clarence Darrow - Attorney for the Damned" by John Farrell. Clarence came from a poor family and always felt shame at being poor. His father thought education was important. Clarence became an attorney and could have been very successful. It was a time of very wealthy industrialists but he chose to represent the poor, the unions and the downtrodden. He was a great speaker and literary person. He came unstuck as he was sent to trial for bribing jurors. There was a question of legal ethics 100 years ago. He got off but there was a cloud over his innocence. He was also a womanizer and hopeless with money. Joan's favourite books are true crime so she really enjoyed the cases of true crime discussed in this story.
JO
Jo read "Deck the Halls" by Mary and Carol Higgins Clark. They are both authors and teamed up to write this christmas story. It is a light hearted story about a private investigator whose father, with his driver, is kidnapped by a couple of amateurs and subsequently locked up in a leaking houseboat. There is also a romance involving the detective from the major crime squad.
SHEILA
Sheila read Briny Cafe by Susan Duncan, an Australian author, who wrote Salvation Creek. Sheila liked Salvation Creek but not this book. She said it was light reading and too saccharin.
She also read "Keeper of the Secrets" by Judith Cutler an English author. It is set in 1810 and the main character is Parson Tobias Campion . He is an aristocratic gentleman in his first parish. Most of the parish is very poor. He doesn't seem to fit in anywhere. One of the maids from the "big house" disappears and the story is about the tracking down of who killed her and why? It is a good story.
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