PAT: "ORANGES ARE NOT THE ONLY FRUIT" BY JEANETTE WINTERSON
This book was made into a television series by BBC television. It was published in 1985. It is semi-autobiographical. Jeanette was born in 1959 in the north of England. She was adopted by an evangelistic couple and educated at home. Her mother was obsessed with religion and Jeanette was already preaching all the time at the age of eight. She didn't fit in and felt very lonely until she met another girl called Melanie. She felt sexual love but knew it was wrong. She told her mother who arranged an exorcism. When Jeanette was in hospital her mother sent her an orange instead of visiting her, hence the name of the book. At the age of sixteen Jeanette left home after identifying herself as a lesbian. Her mother did not want her anymore.
BETH: "THE BOOK THIEF" BY MARKUS ZUSAK
Beth didn't think the movie was as good as the book.
JUDY d T "LIGHT BETWEEN OCEANS" by M.L.STEDMAN
After returning from WWI, Tom Sherbourne marries and takes up a position as a lighthouse keeper on a remote island off Western Australia. His wife loses many babies and when a boat washes offshore with a dead man and a crying baby, they decide to keep the baby. This brings devastating consequences. Judy thought it was badly written, too wordy and the first part was slow. The ending was terrific and she thinks it will make an excellent movie which will possibly be released in 2016 or 2017.
PAMELA: "GUNS OF NAVARONE" BY ALISTAIR MACLEAN
1,200 British soldiers are stranded on an island off the Turkish coast. They need to get the men back or they will die. The Germans have control of the island of Navarone. The British army choose a team of men to destroy the guns so the stranded soldiers can be saved by the Navy. The man chosen to lead is a well renowned mountaineer. Some of the other men included a strong Greek( a former Colonel), an American saboteur, an explosive expert and another mountain climber. The book was made into a film but Pamela did not think it would be as good as the book.
CONNIE: "THE BRIDGES OF MADISON COUNTY" BY ROBERT JAMES WALLER
Connie loved the book. She said the movie was excellent. A lot of the words were exactly the same. The story is set in Iowa and takes place over four days. An Italian woman, married to an American soldier she met in Italy, comes back to live in Madison County in Iowa. It's not the life she expected and she feels she has missed out in life. She is left on her own for four days while her husband and two children (12 + 14) go to the fair. A fellow comes to town to photograph the bridges for the National Geographic. She absolutely falls in love with him. There is nothing sleazy. It's delicately done. She is tempted to go with him.
JOAN: "OUT OF AFRICA" BY ISAK DINESEN
Joan set the scene with the beautiful music from the film Out of Africa.
Karen Blixen is the narrator. She relates her experience of her life when she moves to British East Africa in 1913 to marry Baron Blixen. They buy farmland and grow coffee but the altitude is too high for coffee. Her husband is away a lot and after separating they divorce in 1925. Her husband was a womaniser and he gave her syphillis. He was also a bad businessman. Karen takes over the running of the farm. Dennis Finch-Hatton becomes her lover. Joan said her engagement with the animals and the landscape was beautiful. She eventually was forced to move back to Denmark.
The movie starred Meryl Streep as Karen and Robert Redford as Dennis. The book is predominantly the love affair of a strong woman. The beauty is in the writing and the beautiful descriptions of the landscapes and animals. Joan thought the best part of the film was when Karen gets shouted a drink in an all male club in Nairobi. She liked both the book and the film but she found the book marginally better.
JUDY: "LOST CHILD OF PHILOMENA" BY LEE MARTIN SIXSMITH
The story is set in Ireland. The story is about an Irish woman who has kept her secret of giving up her child many years ago. She decides to search for her son. She had to give up her baby as she was not married. The nuns were very cruel. At age three her son was virtually sold to an American couple. The film is very different and quite inaccurate. Up to this point the story is the same. She confronts the nuns in Ireland. She goes to America to find her son but he has died. She also finds out he was gay. In the book Philomena never actually went to America. She knew he was dead already as most of the research was done on the internet. Her son was very clever and politically active. He joined the Republican party. He was a homosexual who died of Aids in 1995 aged 43. 75% of the book is about the son's life whereas the film is more about Philomena's life. Philomena's role is played by Judy Dench.
LAURA: "TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY" BY JOHN le CARRE
The book is a cold war thriller involving Russian double agents. The main character, George Smiley has to identify a Russian double agent and kill him. Laura thought there were too many characters and she could not keep track of them. She watched the movie as well and said it was pretty true to the story. It was an okay thriller. There wasn't a surprise ending but there should have been. She thought on it's own it would have been difficult to follow. Laura also didn't like the fact that the book was set in Hong Kong but the film was moved to Turkey. She said neither the book nor the film were great.
ANNE: "WILD" BY CHERYL STRAYED
Anne really enjoyed the book. It was well written with warmth and humour. At 26 Cheryl decided to hike the Pacific Crest trail, 1100 miles in the wilderness of Mexico to Canada. Her purpose was to become the person she used to be when she was 22 before the death of her mother, the heroin use, the failure of her marriage due to the number of men she slept with during that time and the unfinished degree and student debt. Anne found the book really moving. Cheryl was in pain all the time but she had lots of adventures and there was a great camaraderie with the people she met on her journey. anne did not see the movie to compare.
TAM: "THE LONGEST RIDE" BY NICHOLAS SPARKS
This is a romance written by the author of Notebook. A 91 year old man is involved in a car crash. His mind is fading and he has a vision of his long dead wife. She has been dead for fifteen years. She recounts the story of their life together. Meanwhile another love story is developing when a young girl Sophie meets Luke, a rodeo driver and falls in love. The parties collide but not until the end. The young couple find Ira on the roadside. He lives for another four or five days. The ending is amazing. Tam would like to see the movie.
MELANIE: "ROOM" BY EMMA DONOGHUE
Melanie only read 53 pages. She didn't feel like being depressed. She found it annoying. The mother and five year old child are held captive in one room by Nick (woman's partner). It is narrated by the child and Melanie didn't like language of the child. She found it unbelievable and the ending predictable. She didn't see the movie. It was nominated for a Golden Globe Award but Melanie did not want to see it.
LESLEY: "STILL ALICE" BY LISA GENOVA
Lesley thoroughly enjoyed the book. She said it didn't make you sad. The story is narrated by Alice. She is fifty, hugely intelligent and comes from a high powered family. She gets hit with Alzheimer's and said she wished she had got cancer. She said you could fight cancer but you can't see Alzheimer's. It's very poignant. She writes lists to help herself to remember. Her husband is crumbling. Lesley also liked the film which she saw first. The only difference in the movie is that you see more of the other characters, whereas the book is more about Alice. Both are worthwhile.
DIANNE: "BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP" BY S.J.WATSON
This is the author's first book and it is a thriller, from page one until the last page. You have to read it right to the end. A woman wakes up in bed thinking she has just had a one night stand. She doesn't recognize the man beside her. He says he is her husband named Ben. This happens everyday. She finds out she has forgotten everything. She starts to see a doctor who tells her to beware of Ben. Dianne won't say anymore so as not to reveal the ending. It is a book you cannot put down. She hasn't seen the movie. It stars Nicole Kidman and Colin Firth.
JO: "WALK IN THE WOODS" BY BILL BRYSON
Jo said it was interesting. It was a good book but a bit annoying. It is about a man and his mate who walk the Appalachian trail carrying huge backpacks. She said it was up one mountain and down the other, up another mountain and down the other side. It made her tired reading it. She didn't see the movie.
BEV: "MONUMENTS MEN" BY ROBERT EDSEL
Bev didn't finish it due to time constraints. She saw the movie and liked it. The book put the movie into perspective. It's based on a true story about a group of American and British art lovers who wanted to form a unit in World War II to rescue important artwork. There were twelve men, aged forty plus years who stole a jeep that was left behind by the Germans. She liked the descriptions of the artworks.
PAULINE: "TREE GROWS IN BROOKLYN" BY BETTY SMITH
The book was written in 1943 and the movie was made in 1945. Pauline didn't see the film but she enjoyed reading the book, although she prefers Ruth Park's books. It is the story of the Nolan family who live in the slums of Brooklyn from 1902 to 1911. The protagonist is Francis, aged eleven and it follows her life until she goes to college at seventeen. They live in terrible poverty. She has great admiration for her father but he is often drunk. She would like an improved relationship with her mother who is distant. The family have an Irish background as the grandparents emigrated from Ireland to America many years before. It represents immigrant's hope to rise above poverty. There is a very strong resemblance to Harp in the South by Ruth Park.
ROSEMARIE: "CHILD 44" BY TOM ROB SMITH
This is a murder/thriller extraordinary. It is set in 1950's Stalinist Russia. It is a true story of someone who killed 52 children. The writing is excellent. Leo is the main character. The story is vile, violent, bleak and brutal but it is also a great insight into life in Russia at the time. There is a twist. Rosemarie also saw the movie. She said it was a dreadful movie, disjointed and the main twist wasn't in the movie. It bombed at the box office.
ED: "THE DRESSMAKER" BY ROSALIE HAM
Ed loved both the book and the movie. It's the author's first published novel.
WENDY: "BREAKFAST AT TIFFANYS" BY TRUMAN CAPOTE
Wendy saw the film and read the book. The main character, a young girl from a bad background remakes herself as a girl about town. She is inwardly lonely, naive and scared. It ends with a romance. The movie is light, cute and funny. Wendy thought Audrey Hepburn was the wrong person for the role. She felt the character in the book was a beautiful character, more vunerable and raw than portrayed in the movie. The ending was also different in the movie. Wendy said the book was much better.
PRUE: "WOOL" BY HUGH HOWEY
This is the author's first book. It's a dystopian novel. It was also a serial which has been turned into a movie but not released yet. There are people living in an underground silo with no lift. There are many different levels. They can't go out as their world has been ruined. There are 140 levels with a spiral staircase. People are not told the truth and things are hidden from them. One lady becomes a sheriff and she discovers there are many other silos where people live. Prue couldn't put the book down. She found it fascinating.
CLAURENE: "ME AND EARL AND THE DYING GIRL" BY JESSE ANDREWS
The narrator is Greg, a 17 year old boy. He has only one friend, Earl, a negro boy who comes from a dysfunctional family. A girl they know, Rachel is dying with leukemia. Greg has known her since he was a child. Greg and Earl are making a movie and show it to Rachel in hospital. The language is pretty rough and Claurene said she wouldn't recommend the book. It's a weird book she said. Reviews were mixed even from teenagers. Claurene hasn't seen the movie.
JULIA: "GONE GIRL" BY GILLIAN FLYNN
Julia read the book first and then she saw the movie. She felt the movie was better than the book as it was easier to follow.
DIANN: "MY SISTER'S KEEPER" BY JODI PICOULT
Diann could not attend today but instead sent an email. She read the book My Sister's Keeper and then saw the movie. She said the movie was very similar to the book.
Saturday, December 26, 2015
Sunday, November 22, 2015
NOVEMBER - SUB CONTINENT BOOKS by various authors.
The lively discussions that filled our book club room this month covered a wide range of feelings and emotions. Some members just loved their chosen book and felt they had gained a better understanding and appreciation of its country, people and culture. Others were pleased to put their book down, unfinished, never to return! As always we all enjoyed listening to each others views. Here are our condensed comments.
JOAN - THE WHITE TIGER by Aravind Adiga. A debut novel by Adiga that won the Man Booker prize in 2008. Highlights the caste system and the quest for freedom by those who are suppressed and oppressed by the system. The story is narrated by an impoverished village boy from a lowly caste who is a sweet maker. The boy calls himself "white tiger" as this is symbolic of power and freedom. He is bright, works hard and has well developed entrepreneurial flair which sees him succeed in rising above his social status. Along the way though he has to make many tough, unpleasant decisions, his morality highlighting social, cultural and political issues. The story is told through a series of letters, using satire and dark humour. The author notes he wanted to show the massive underclass of India not as 'just weaklings' as they are often portrayed. He wanted to give them a strong voice. Joan thought the book came alive and was easy to read.
ED - couldn't attend on the day but sent a report that Julia read out. She too read THE WHITE TIGER. Ed didn't like the book at all, and thought it depressing. She thought India came across as a dirty, horrible place to be.
WENDY - THE WHITE TIGER. Wendy struggled to read the book. She said it was very descriptive with the themes of class struggles plus rapid changes in technology evident. Wendy thought the secondary characters were clique's, plastic and stereotypical. The main character threw away his relationships in order to rise out of poverty. Wendy didn't like the way the novel was written as a series of letters - she found it confusing however came to realise the writing style was really a vehicle in order to tell the story.
CLAURINE - THE WHITE TIGER. Claurine had read this novel some years ago and loved it. She thought the use of the 'letter' was a clever way of structuring the storyline for the reader.
PRU - THE WHITE TIGER. Pru has nearly finished the book. She felt the struggles for the main character in the book would be true in real life. Pru said the book was a rollicking good yard that revealed many social injustices. It could be compared to China, hinting that many of the social obstacles would be true there as well.
JUDY D - THE WHITE TIGER. Judy didn't like the letter format of the novel. She thought it improbable that someone so lowly born could or would write this way. Judy thought it would have been better if the boy had just 'spoken' or told his story directly. The graphic descriptions eg being in the sewer, were very gritty and were perhaps an allegory for having to take charge and get out of deeply unpleasant situations yourself. Reading about amoral conduct, corruption and social injustice led Judy to dislike the book.
BETH - A FINE BALANCE by Rohinston Mistry. Didn't engage Beth, she struggled to stick with the story. It was about the extreme difficulties of living in crowded cities.
TAMMY - A FINE BALANCE. Tammy loved the book. She thought the characters were so real. It was set in the 1970's where 4 unlikely characters all end up being drawn together, their 'stories' and fates becoming linked. The author showed how political decisions, made up high, have serious impacts upon those much lower down the economic and social chain. There were back stories of arranged marriages, tailors who fortunes rise and fall as political changes impact on their lives, moments of hope followed by depressing events. The balance was like a chess board where life was a game - who wins? An ongoing theme was a quilt made using the scraps of materials from the tailors. The quilt was like the pieces of life, rich, thick and colourful at times then drab, rough and harsh. Rich v poor, village life v city, hope v despair.
JO - A FINE BALANCE. She thought it a depressing novel full of sad events. It seemed like 'rush hour' never ended in the lives of the characters.
DIANNE F - MIDNIGHTS CHILDREN by Salman Rushdie. She didn't like what she read and found it very wordy.
PAULINE - MIDNIGHTS CHILDREN. Set in 1947 at the moment India gained independence from British Colonialism. The children born close to midnight on this day all had special powers such as the ability to read minds. Stories are told about the ancestors thus providing the outline for how and why India has emerged. The chapters seemed to be randomly placed with no overriding story. A strange novel but Pauline does intend to persevere with it.
LESLEY - MIDNIGHTS CHILDREN. Salman Rushdie born in India, and educated in England. He now lives in USA. This book won the Man Booker Prize in 1981, and gained further awards for the 25th & 40th anniversary celebrations of the Man Booker Prize. Penguin listed Midnights Children as one of the great reads of the 20th century. Saleem is born at midnight on 15th August 1947, at the time of Independence of India plus the partition of India - both significant moments in India's history. He has special powers and as he grows decides to contact all the children also born at midnight. There are 1001. He brings them together to see if they - the future of India - can bridge the troubled gaps of gender bias, social injustice, political/religious/economic/cultural differences and statehood. The plan is to use these children positively so India can move forward so all will prosper. The book is verbose and written with a very "Indian" voice. It is a historical fantasy novel and tends to jump around in time. Not an easy book to read.
KRIS - HEAT AND DUST - by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Won the Booker Prize in 1975. Written in 1st person the story is about a young woman who goes to India to find out more about her late English step grandmother Olivia. The time is the 1920's when Britain's influence & power in India was strong. Olivia, stifled by English society and norms, and married to a weak husband, becomes mesmerised by Indian culture and meets a lowly Prince with whom she had an affair. A scandal follows when she discovers she is pregnant to the Indian Prince. Kris thought the book needed to resolve the many issues raised during the story telling. It was unsatisfactory as it didn't seem to 'go anywhere'.
ROSEMARY - HEAT AND DUST. Rosemary had little to say about this book as it wasn't riveting at all.
CONNIE - HEAT AND DUST. Like the others, she too was waiting for the book to go 'somewhere' but it didn't. The issues of suppression, underlying concerns for women's welfare, male dominance etc were displayed but nothing concluded.
JULIA - HEAT AND DUST. She agreed with the others that the book didn't seem to go anywhere.
ANNE - AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED by Khaled Hosseini. Anne loved this book, set in Afghanistan. She enjoyed it and thoroughly recommends it.
MEL - PHOTOGRAPH by Ringo Starr. A conversational book by Ringo, describing his life, filled with many photographs. Really well done.
PAMELA - A BACKWARD PLACE by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. An ironic text about aspirations v truth, appearance v reality. About 5 expats - 2 Germans and 3 older English women who all make India their home. The reasons for them being there are varied - a fading beauty but with little money who has previously relied on her looks to attract men with money, an English women married to an attractive artistic Indian, one who wants glamour and another who just wants a simple life. Set in the 1970's, the characters weren't very nice people so Pamela just didn't care about them!
Lesley
JOAN - THE WHITE TIGER by Aravind Adiga. A debut novel by Adiga that won the Man Booker prize in 2008. Highlights the caste system and the quest for freedom by those who are suppressed and oppressed by the system. The story is narrated by an impoverished village boy from a lowly caste who is a sweet maker. The boy calls himself "white tiger" as this is symbolic of power and freedom. He is bright, works hard and has well developed entrepreneurial flair which sees him succeed in rising above his social status. Along the way though he has to make many tough, unpleasant decisions, his morality highlighting social, cultural and political issues. The story is told through a series of letters, using satire and dark humour. The author notes he wanted to show the massive underclass of India not as 'just weaklings' as they are often portrayed. He wanted to give them a strong voice. Joan thought the book came alive and was easy to read.
ED - couldn't attend on the day but sent a report that Julia read out. She too read THE WHITE TIGER. Ed didn't like the book at all, and thought it depressing. She thought India came across as a dirty, horrible place to be.
WENDY - THE WHITE TIGER. Wendy struggled to read the book. She said it was very descriptive with the themes of class struggles plus rapid changes in technology evident. Wendy thought the secondary characters were clique's, plastic and stereotypical. The main character threw away his relationships in order to rise out of poverty. Wendy didn't like the way the novel was written as a series of letters - she found it confusing however came to realise the writing style was really a vehicle in order to tell the story.
CLAURINE - THE WHITE TIGER. Claurine had read this novel some years ago and loved it. She thought the use of the 'letter' was a clever way of structuring the storyline for the reader.
PRU - THE WHITE TIGER. Pru has nearly finished the book. She felt the struggles for the main character in the book would be true in real life. Pru said the book was a rollicking good yard that revealed many social injustices. It could be compared to China, hinting that many of the social obstacles would be true there as well.
JUDY D - THE WHITE TIGER. Judy didn't like the letter format of the novel. She thought it improbable that someone so lowly born could or would write this way. Judy thought it would have been better if the boy had just 'spoken' or told his story directly. The graphic descriptions eg being in the sewer, were very gritty and were perhaps an allegory for having to take charge and get out of deeply unpleasant situations yourself. Reading about amoral conduct, corruption and social injustice led Judy to dislike the book.
BETH - A FINE BALANCE by Rohinston Mistry. Didn't engage Beth, she struggled to stick with the story. It was about the extreme difficulties of living in crowded cities.
TAMMY - A FINE BALANCE. Tammy loved the book. She thought the characters were so real. It was set in the 1970's where 4 unlikely characters all end up being drawn together, their 'stories' and fates becoming linked. The author showed how political decisions, made up high, have serious impacts upon those much lower down the economic and social chain. There were back stories of arranged marriages, tailors who fortunes rise and fall as political changes impact on their lives, moments of hope followed by depressing events. The balance was like a chess board where life was a game - who wins? An ongoing theme was a quilt made using the scraps of materials from the tailors. The quilt was like the pieces of life, rich, thick and colourful at times then drab, rough and harsh. Rich v poor, village life v city, hope v despair.
JO - A FINE BALANCE. She thought it a depressing novel full of sad events. It seemed like 'rush hour' never ended in the lives of the characters.
DIANNE F - MIDNIGHTS CHILDREN by Salman Rushdie. She didn't like what she read and found it very wordy.
PAULINE - MIDNIGHTS CHILDREN. Set in 1947 at the moment India gained independence from British Colonialism. The children born close to midnight on this day all had special powers such as the ability to read minds. Stories are told about the ancestors thus providing the outline for how and why India has emerged. The chapters seemed to be randomly placed with no overriding story. A strange novel but Pauline does intend to persevere with it.
LESLEY - MIDNIGHTS CHILDREN. Salman Rushdie born in India, and educated in England. He now lives in USA. This book won the Man Booker Prize in 1981, and gained further awards for the 25th & 40th anniversary celebrations of the Man Booker Prize. Penguin listed Midnights Children as one of the great reads of the 20th century. Saleem is born at midnight on 15th August 1947, at the time of Independence of India plus the partition of India - both significant moments in India's history. He has special powers and as he grows decides to contact all the children also born at midnight. There are 1001. He brings them together to see if they - the future of India - can bridge the troubled gaps of gender bias, social injustice, political/religious/economic/cultural differences and statehood. The plan is to use these children positively so India can move forward so all will prosper. The book is verbose and written with a very "Indian" voice. It is a historical fantasy novel and tends to jump around in time. Not an easy book to read.
KRIS - HEAT AND DUST - by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. Won the Booker Prize in 1975. Written in 1st person the story is about a young woman who goes to India to find out more about her late English step grandmother Olivia. The time is the 1920's when Britain's influence & power in India was strong. Olivia, stifled by English society and norms, and married to a weak husband, becomes mesmerised by Indian culture and meets a lowly Prince with whom she had an affair. A scandal follows when she discovers she is pregnant to the Indian Prince. Kris thought the book needed to resolve the many issues raised during the story telling. It was unsatisfactory as it didn't seem to 'go anywhere'.
ROSEMARY - HEAT AND DUST. Rosemary had little to say about this book as it wasn't riveting at all.
CONNIE - HEAT AND DUST. Like the others, she too was waiting for the book to go 'somewhere' but it didn't. The issues of suppression, underlying concerns for women's welfare, male dominance etc were displayed but nothing concluded.
JULIA - HEAT AND DUST. She agreed with the others that the book didn't seem to go anywhere.
ANNE - AND THE MOUNTAINS ECHOED by Khaled Hosseini. Anne loved this book, set in Afghanistan. She enjoyed it and thoroughly recommends it.
MEL - PHOTOGRAPH by Ringo Starr. A conversational book by Ringo, describing his life, filled with many photographs. Really well done.
PAMELA - A BACKWARD PLACE by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala. An ironic text about aspirations v truth, appearance v reality. About 5 expats - 2 Germans and 3 older English women who all make India their home. The reasons for them being there are varied - a fading beauty but with little money who has previously relied on her looks to attract men with money, an English women married to an attractive artistic Indian, one who wants glamour and another who just wants a simple life. Set in the 1970's, the characters weren't very nice people so Pamela just didn't care about them!
Lesley
Friday, September 18, 2015
SEPTEMBER - BOOKS BY SOMERSET MAUGHAM
WENDY: CAKES AND ALE (ALSO KNOWN AS SKELETON IN THE CUPBOARD)
The narrator is William Ashenden. As he knew the Driffields well when they were young, he is contacted by the author chosen to write the official biography of Edward Driffield. Driffield had become a famous author. His first wife was Rosie. She was flirtatious and had various affairs. (The Skeleton in the Cupboard). Will they sanitize the biography to keep his reputation? It is a satire on London literary society. It caused a stir at the time as they thought it was based on Thomas Hardy. The theme is popularity versus posterity. Wendy found it amusing, very readable and witty. It was Maugham's favourite book and Rosie was his favourite character. She was based on a female friend.
PAMELA:
Pamela also read Cakes and Ale. She told us the title came from a line in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night". She agrees with Wendy but didn't like it quite as much. She was a bit annoyed the way Driffield was portrayed. He was nothing more than a cardboard character in the book. You never found out his attitude to Rosie's infidelity. There was a lot of class snobbery and Rosie was refreshing, never apologizing for her background. She wouldn't want to read a lot more of Maugham. She felt it was a bit dated but easy to read.
TAM:
Tam also read Cakes and Ale. She said Pamela and Wendy said it all. She quite liked it. She told us a bit about Maugham's early life and how she felt it was reflected in his writing. He was good at social criticism and had a good understanding of human nature.
SHEILA: COLLECTED SHORT STORIES VOLUME II
"Vessel of Wrath" was one of the short stories Sheila liked. She said he writes beautifully although she couldn't stand some of the stories. She felt the people in the stories were described in too much detail. Some she found quite difficult and tedious. She didn't think his books would attract readers today. Sheila had never read Somerset Maugham before.
PAT: COLLECTED SHORT STORIES VOLUME I
Pat said he wrote stories about places he had travelled to and he always took notes while travelling. She enjoyed his stories but did find the snobbery at that time very difficult.
JUDY: COLLECTED SHORT STORIES VOLUME IV
Judy said there were thirty stories ranging from 40,50 and 60 pages. They were very hard to read. The print was too small. She couldn't miss the slightest line as you wouldn't be able to follow it. One story is set in Malay before WWII. The English there lived as they did in England, sitting around drinking gins and tonics etc. but eventually becoming out of touch with England. He wrote about people who had more interesting lives. Some of the stories had a twist. She doesn't think she would read anymore and said she had read enough.
CONNIE: THE NARROW CORNER
Connie started reading Somerset Maugham when she was a teenager. Through all of his books he can't help putting in a bit of philosophy. Connie hadn't read this book before. This story is set in the East where the author spent a lot of time. It's about an English doctor who lived in China, not sure of the era but before 1930. He's a popular doctor who treats the Chinese people. He is taken by sailing ship to treat a fellow on an island. There's lots of adventure. There's a gale and it's explained so well. Connie loves how Maugham puts his words together. One of the crew on the yacht has done something bad but you don't find out until the end of the book. Connie enjoyed the book.
JULIA AND KRIS: UP AT THE VILLA
They both read the same book and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a mystery with a bit of a twist. It's a 1941 novella. It's the story of a young and very beautiful English widow who is staying at a friend's villa in Tuscany. An old family friend has asked her to marry him. He is a much older man but after being married to a very unreliable man, she finds the stability appealing. She is left to think it over while he is in India where he has been offered a governorship. She is very confused and can't make a decision. One night, after dining with friends, she gives a lift to an young Austrian refugee. What happens next will change her life forever.
LAURA: MOON AND SIXPENCE
Laura had read Razor's Edge previously and loved it but she was disappointed with Moon and Sixpence. The story is very loosed based on Paul Gauguin. The character, Charles Strickland is a merchant banker and one day he vanishes, leaving a note and he is going off to Paris. There is very little about the main character except that he is a tortured soul who has to paint. The narrator goes back to England. He starts meeting people who know Charles Strickland and gets their stories. Laura can't recommend this book. She said "it's a short book and you don't suffer too long".
ED: PAINTED VEIL
The main character, Kitty has a mother who is very ambitious for Kitty. She is expected to marry a titled man, as her sister did. She goes to lots of parties but has to say no to any man who does not have a title. Eventually she meets Walter, a bacteriologist and as she is now 25 and considered old, she accepts his marriage proposal. He gets a job in Hong Kong. After three months she decides it's a mistake. She finds him boring. She meets the colonial secretary, Charlie, with whom she has an affair. He's a married man. When Walter finds out, Kitty asks for a divorce. Walter agrees, if Charlie will get a divorce and they get married within a week. Charlie won't divorce his wife and Kitty realizes she can't get a divorce. She has to accompany Walter to a remote village where there is a Cholera epidemic. She thinks Walter is trying to kill her.. She finds out she is pregnant but does not know who is the father of her child. Ed enjoyed it. She knew nothing about Somerset Maugham.
JO:
Jo read Painted Veil as well. She began by hating it but it grew on her. It was all about snobbery. When Kitty started working for the nuns Jo found it more interesting. She probably wouldn't read another book by Somerset Maugham.
PRUE:
Prue also read Painted Veil. The introduction was great but she left it as she realized she had seen the movie. She said she knew the story but it is totally different to the movie. The writing was of his period. It is a history and record of how society was at that time. He has a concise use of words. His descriptions were fascinating. She thought a man writing a woman's point of view (Kitty) was expertly done.
DIANN: THE TREMBLING OF THE LEAF
This book is eight individual stories - not related. They are set in the South Pacific. It is supposed to be an idyllic life. They are very very short stories. The first part is welcoming you to the Pacific. Diann thinks Somerset Maugham must have been very sad when he was in the Pacific as all his stories are sad. Some stories are only seven pages. The last story, Envoy sounds very depressing. She found it a challenge and would try a book next time, not short stories.
PAULINE: THEATRE
Pauline had read it a while ago. It is written in 1937. It is the story of a famous actress, Julia who is married to Michael, an actor of lesser ability. Michael runs an acting school. He loves Julia but has a less passionate nature than Julia and she eventually realizes she doesn't love him anymore. She has a relationship with their 23year old accountant, Tom. This provides a lot of gossip. Julia has acted and manipulated her way through life and her 18 year old son decides he doesn't know who she is anymore and doesn't want anything to do with her anymore. Pauline was very disappointed. She didn't like the characters and the story was mundane. It was lacking descriptive style.
DI: CATALINA
Di has good memories of Somerset Maugham and has three on her bookshelf but she didn't enjoy this book. It was the last novel he ever wrote. She thought he might have been too old. She didn't finish it. The story is about Catalina, a crippled girl who sees a vision of the Virgin Mary. She goes back home to her family who are deeply religious She is miraculously cured. Although she did not like this book of Somerset Maugham's, Di values the books she owns.
BEV: ASHENDEN
This book is loosely based on Maugham's time as a British agent during World War I. It not a story but about one of Ashenden's assignments. He goes to Spain, then back to Switzerland and then back to England. It's disjointed. He didn't know what was coming next but then realizes why at the end. Bev didn't madly enjoy it but she also didn't hate it. Maybe a novel might have given her a different opinion.
The narrator is William Ashenden. As he knew the Driffields well when they were young, he is contacted by the author chosen to write the official biography of Edward Driffield. Driffield had become a famous author. His first wife was Rosie. She was flirtatious and had various affairs. (The Skeleton in the Cupboard). Will they sanitize the biography to keep his reputation? It is a satire on London literary society. It caused a stir at the time as they thought it was based on Thomas Hardy. The theme is popularity versus posterity. Wendy found it amusing, very readable and witty. It was Maugham's favourite book and Rosie was his favourite character. She was based on a female friend.
PAMELA:
Pamela also read Cakes and Ale. She told us the title came from a line in Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night". She agrees with Wendy but didn't like it quite as much. She was a bit annoyed the way Driffield was portrayed. He was nothing more than a cardboard character in the book. You never found out his attitude to Rosie's infidelity. There was a lot of class snobbery and Rosie was refreshing, never apologizing for her background. She wouldn't want to read a lot more of Maugham. She felt it was a bit dated but easy to read.
TAM:
Tam also read Cakes and Ale. She said Pamela and Wendy said it all. She quite liked it. She told us a bit about Maugham's early life and how she felt it was reflected in his writing. He was good at social criticism and had a good understanding of human nature.
SHEILA: COLLECTED SHORT STORIES VOLUME II
"Vessel of Wrath" was one of the short stories Sheila liked. She said he writes beautifully although she couldn't stand some of the stories. She felt the people in the stories were described in too much detail. Some she found quite difficult and tedious. She didn't think his books would attract readers today. Sheila had never read Somerset Maugham before.
PAT: COLLECTED SHORT STORIES VOLUME I
Pat said he wrote stories about places he had travelled to and he always took notes while travelling. She enjoyed his stories but did find the snobbery at that time very difficult.
JUDY: COLLECTED SHORT STORIES VOLUME IV
Judy said there were thirty stories ranging from 40,50 and 60 pages. They were very hard to read. The print was too small. She couldn't miss the slightest line as you wouldn't be able to follow it. One story is set in Malay before WWII. The English there lived as they did in England, sitting around drinking gins and tonics etc. but eventually becoming out of touch with England. He wrote about people who had more interesting lives. Some of the stories had a twist. She doesn't think she would read anymore and said she had read enough.
CONNIE: THE NARROW CORNER
Connie started reading Somerset Maugham when she was a teenager. Through all of his books he can't help putting in a bit of philosophy. Connie hadn't read this book before. This story is set in the East where the author spent a lot of time. It's about an English doctor who lived in China, not sure of the era but before 1930. He's a popular doctor who treats the Chinese people. He is taken by sailing ship to treat a fellow on an island. There's lots of adventure. There's a gale and it's explained so well. Connie loves how Maugham puts his words together. One of the crew on the yacht has done something bad but you don't find out until the end of the book. Connie enjoyed the book.
JULIA AND KRIS: UP AT THE VILLA
They both read the same book and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a mystery with a bit of a twist. It's a 1941 novella. It's the story of a young and very beautiful English widow who is staying at a friend's villa in Tuscany. An old family friend has asked her to marry him. He is a much older man but after being married to a very unreliable man, she finds the stability appealing. She is left to think it over while he is in India where he has been offered a governorship. She is very confused and can't make a decision. One night, after dining with friends, she gives a lift to an young Austrian refugee. What happens next will change her life forever.
LAURA: MOON AND SIXPENCE
Laura had read Razor's Edge previously and loved it but she was disappointed with Moon and Sixpence. The story is very loosed based on Paul Gauguin. The character, Charles Strickland is a merchant banker and one day he vanishes, leaving a note and he is going off to Paris. There is very little about the main character except that he is a tortured soul who has to paint. The narrator goes back to England. He starts meeting people who know Charles Strickland and gets their stories. Laura can't recommend this book. She said "it's a short book and you don't suffer too long".
ED: PAINTED VEIL
The main character, Kitty has a mother who is very ambitious for Kitty. She is expected to marry a titled man, as her sister did. She goes to lots of parties but has to say no to any man who does not have a title. Eventually she meets Walter, a bacteriologist and as she is now 25 and considered old, she accepts his marriage proposal. He gets a job in Hong Kong. After three months she decides it's a mistake. She finds him boring. She meets the colonial secretary, Charlie, with whom she has an affair. He's a married man. When Walter finds out, Kitty asks for a divorce. Walter agrees, if Charlie will get a divorce and they get married within a week. Charlie won't divorce his wife and Kitty realizes she can't get a divorce. She has to accompany Walter to a remote village where there is a Cholera epidemic. She thinks Walter is trying to kill her.. She finds out she is pregnant but does not know who is the father of her child. Ed enjoyed it. She knew nothing about Somerset Maugham.
JO:
Jo read Painted Veil as well. She began by hating it but it grew on her. It was all about snobbery. When Kitty started working for the nuns Jo found it more interesting. She probably wouldn't read another book by Somerset Maugham.
PRUE:
Prue also read Painted Veil. The introduction was great but she left it as she realized she had seen the movie. She said she knew the story but it is totally different to the movie. The writing was of his period. It is a history and record of how society was at that time. He has a concise use of words. His descriptions were fascinating. She thought a man writing a woman's point of view (Kitty) was expertly done.
DIANN: THE TREMBLING OF THE LEAF
This book is eight individual stories - not related. They are set in the South Pacific. It is supposed to be an idyllic life. They are very very short stories. The first part is welcoming you to the Pacific. Diann thinks Somerset Maugham must have been very sad when he was in the Pacific as all his stories are sad. Some stories are only seven pages. The last story, Envoy sounds very depressing. She found it a challenge and would try a book next time, not short stories.
PAULINE: THEATRE
Pauline had read it a while ago. It is written in 1937. It is the story of a famous actress, Julia who is married to Michael, an actor of lesser ability. Michael runs an acting school. He loves Julia but has a less passionate nature than Julia and she eventually realizes she doesn't love him anymore. She has a relationship with their 23year old accountant, Tom. This provides a lot of gossip. Julia has acted and manipulated her way through life and her 18 year old son decides he doesn't know who she is anymore and doesn't want anything to do with her anymore. Pauline was very disappointed. She didn't like the characters and the story was mundane. It was lacking descriptive style.
DI: CATALINA
Di has good memories of Somerset Maugham and has three on her bookshelf but she didn't enjoy this book. It was the last novel he ever wrote. She thought he might have been too old. She didn't finish it. The story is about Catalina, a crippled girl who sees a vision of the Virgin Mary. She goes back home to her family who are deeply religious She is miraculously cured. Although she did not like this book of Somerset Maugham's, Di values the books she owns.
BEV: ASHENDEN
This book is loosely based on Maugham's time as a British agent during World War I. It not a story but about one of Ashenden's assignments. He goes to Spain, then back to Switzerland and then back to England. It's disjointed. He didn't know what was coming next but then realizes why at the end. Bev didn't madly enjoy it but she also didn't hate it. Maybe a novel might have given her a different opinion.
Saturday, August 29, 2015
AUGUST, 2015 -- COURTROOM DRAMAS
JO: FINAL JEOPARDY BY LINDA FAIRSTEIN
The main character, Alexandra Cooper, Assistant District Attorney is in all sorts of trouble. Jo said it was a really good story with lots of excitement. She thoroughly enjoyed it and said it was well written. She would really recommend the book.
WENDY: THE EVANGELINE BY D.W. BUFFA
The author is an American who was a lawyer for ten years. He is well known for his Joseph Antonelli novels. This is his eighth novel and was considered his best novel at the time. It is a story of a captain of a luxury yacht that is shipwrecked. Some of the passengers get away on the only lifeboat left and kill some of the others to eat. When rescued, the captain of the yacht is charged with murder. The action is exclusively in the courtroom with the main character an older lawyer with poor health. The defendant doesn't necessarily want to be found innocent as he suffers guilt. The book explores the moral and ethical dilemma of how to survive. The book is easy to read but some parts are a bit contrived. The plot is lean but it has enough twists to be a page turner. Wendy probably wouldn't read anymore of his books.
ANNE: THE FIFTH WITNESS BY MICHAEL CONNELLY
The author has written about twenty books and Anne has read most of his books. Micky Haller is normally a criminal lawyer but has no cases at the moment. Instead he is doing foreclosure cases. His office is in the backseat of his car. A client, Lisa Trammel, is driving him crazy. She is a loud, obnoxious ex-teacher. She is noisily threatening her bank manager and a restraining order is taken out. When the bank manager is murdered, Lisa is charged and Haller now has a criminal case. At first he doubts her innocence but comes to believe her. There are twists during the court case and after the trial. This is not one of Anne's favourites. Anne prefers the Bosch series.
JOAN: AND THE SEA WILL TELL BY VINCENT BUGLIOSI
The first 200 pages or so follow the true crime and the rest is the courtroom drama. The crime setting is a beautiful, uninhabited tropical island called Palmyra in the Pacific Ocean. In 1974 two couples, quite independently, set out to stay on the island. The first are a wealthy American couple sailing on their yacht "Seawind". The second couple, who are unmarried, are on a reconditioned old sloop. The male has been in prison. In August the young couple sailed back to Hawaii on the Seawind which they repainted and renamed. They were charged with theft of the yacht and then murder. Vincent Bugliosi was a prosecutor for many years but changed to defence attorney. He thinks Jennifer may be innocent and decides to defend her. Joan found it interesting in relation to the differences in courts here and in America, as well as finding the case very interesting. It is 730 pages long but it is gripping. Joan really enjoyed it.
PRUE: THE KING OF LIES BY JOHN HART
John Hart won two Edgar Allen Poe awards for best novel, one in 2008 and the other in 2010. This book was his first book written in 2006. The author trained as an accountant and lawyer so the story rings very true. It is written in the first person. It is a faced paced easy read, although a little gruesome in parts. The book is set in the American south. Jackson is the son of a" rags to riches" lawyer who married an "old money" girl. Jackson's sister and father have an argument and the mother intervenes and falls down the stairs. She breaks her neck. His father disappears and is found dead. Jackson and his sister become suspects. There is a real turn around regarding the will. Prue said she would read the rest of his books.
ROSEMARY: THE STREET LAWYER BY JOHN GRISHAM
Rosemary has never read his books. She was told by a friend it was not one of his better books but she enjoyed it and found it interesting. The main character, Michael is an up and coming greedy lawyer in a huge Washington company. He is taken hostage with other colleagues. The homeless man who took them hostage is killed and Michael discovers a whole new world of homelessness. He becomes a street lawyer. Rosemary said she would read another John Grisham novel.
PAULINE: PRESUMED INNOCENT BY SCOTT TUROW
This book was published in 1987. It is set in a fictional mid western county in America. The chief deputy prosecuting attorney, Rusty Sabich is asked to look into the murder of Carolyn Polhemus, another attorney, who has been raped and murdered. It is an inconvenient time for Rusty's boss as he is in a campaign for re-election. Rusty is not keen because he has had an affair with Carolyn. A lot of evidence points to Rusty, including fingerprints on a glass. Rusty is arrested and then there is a trial. There are sub plots as well. Pauline said it was well written. She was quite impressed and it had a lot of detail.
BEV: FIRST DEGREE BY DAVID ROSENFELT
This is the second book in the series and the main character, Andy Carpenter, a lawyer, is now famous. His girlfriend was a policewoman who reported a corrupt cop. She had to resign and she became Andy's investigator. The corrupt cop is found decapitated and she is framed for the murder. The rest of the book is the court case. The sarcastic sense of humour in the book appealed to Bev. There were cover ups right up to the FBI and the army so they couldn't get access to records etc. Bev said she really enjoyed it and it was an easy read.
LAURA: THE TRIAL BY FRANZ KAFKA
The book was written in 1914 and the author is Czech. It was originally written in German. It is a strange book but it is meant to be strange.Joseph K is placed under arrest when he goes for breakfast in the boarding house where he lives. He doesn't know why. He is told there will be a trial but he goes to work as normal. Nobody knows when the trial will take place. He eventually goes to court but it is held in an apartment block. The judge doesn't know what Joseph is charged with. Nobody knows what is going on. It is like a bad dream and he becomes paranoid. The court process happens while Joseph's work life is going on as normal. Laura enjoyed the book, although it wasn't a page turner. She found the main character arrogant. Laura felt it provoked thought but it left you up in the air.
PAT: THE ATTORNEY BY STEVE MARTINI
The author is a former attorney. The book is a courtroom thriller but Pat didn't find it a thriller. The main character is a lawyer who has relocated his practice to San Diego. A previous wealthy client has followed him. The client is the legal guardian to his granddaughter but the client's daughter has decided she wants her back. She abducts her with the help of a "do-gooder", who is then later found murdered. Everything points to the grandfather and there is a trial. Pat said it was an okay read. She found it very realistic.
SOFYA: RED NOTICE: A TRUE STORY OF HIGH FINANCE, MURDER AND ONE'S MAN FIGHT FOR JUSTICE BY BILL BROWDER
This is a true story but reads like a thriller. Bill is an American. He works in investment. He invests in Eastern Europe, Poland and then Russia. He made a fortune heading the largest investment fund in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. After revealing corruption and contacting newspapers who published the corruption, he got into trouble. He received a "Red Notice" which Interpol issues. He wasn't allowed in to Moscow and didn't know why. He hired a young emancipated tax lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky to defend the case while he watched from London. Sergei uncovers corruption and is arrested and then put in prison. Sophia said all the judges were corrupt. She enjoyed the book but found it difficult.
SHEILA: THE PELICAN BRIEF BY JOHN GRISHAM
Sheila didn't like the beginning but kept at it and it suddenly caught her attention. A supreme court judge is murdered. Nobody can understand why it happened. The American legal system is full of greed and corruption. A student female lawyer prepares a legal brief. The brief gets into the hands of someone who doesn't like it and somebody tries to murder her. Sheila said it was written well and came together beautifully. She also said the book had "grits".
PAMELA: THE MAGNA CARTA OF KING JOHN AD 1215
Instead of a book, Pamela brought in a copy of the Magna Carta for us to discuss. It was written 800 years. It is in Latin. One of the clauses translates to read "To no-one will we sell, to no-one will we deny or delay right or justice." (meaning there cannot be a trial without evidence, presumed innocence before trial). It also led to the Writ of Habeas Corpus Act. It eventually sank into the English consciousness and it created a culture of the rule of law. It was an interesting way to look at the effect The Magna Carta had on our present day justice system. It is often seen as the basis of liberty and justice.
CONNIE: JUDGE AND JURY BY JAMES PATTERSON AND ANDREW GROSS
A well known New York detective has just captured a leading Mafia boss. He is sent to goal. There is a trial. Each juror is sworn in. The Mafia henchmen are trying to blackmail the jurors.The jury must be sequestered. They are kept at a hotel and taken by bus back and forth to the court. One of the jurors, a single mum, has a son who is allowed to visit under escort. The Mafia arrange to put a bomb under the bus and the mother of the boy is the only survivor. The mother and the detective get together and decide to get the member of the Mafia who put the bomb under the bus. Connie said she enjoyed the trial but not the rest of the book.
KRIS: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD BY HARPER LEE
The novel was published in 1960 just before the American Civil Rights Act of 1965. It won the Pulitzer prize in 1961. The narrator is Scout Finch, an unusually intelligent and confident girl. It covers the period from the age of about five to nine years old. She lives with her father Atticus, a prominent and well respected lawyer and her brother Jem in Maycomb, a small town in Alabama. It's set during the great depression but the Finch family are a little better off then most. Atticus agrees to defend a Negro named Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping a white woman from an extremely poor family. The woman's father hates Negroes. Atticus is a man of great integrity and although the townspeople cannot understand why he would defend a black man, they have a great respect for him. The story shows the threat that hatred, prejudice and ignorance pose to innocent people like Tom Robinson.
JUDY: UNDER YOUR SKIN BY SABINE DURRANT
Sabine is an English writer. Judy said she was waiting for the court scene but it did not come. It's a murder mystery-psychological thriller. Two of the main characters are a female television presenter who has an ideal existence and her husband, a financial guru. They come from poor backgrounds but have done well. They have one daughter, a perfect child. They have a surly Czech nanny. It is written in first person by Gabi, the television presenter. She is jogging on the common and finds a body. There is no evidence to link her to the body but she is arrested. She does not bother to call a lawyer as she doesn't see it as a problem. Her husband is overseas and unable to be contacted. There are a few interesting twists and a quick conclusion but Judy didn't like the ending.
JULIA: PRIOR BAD ACTS BY TAMI HOAG
Tami Hoag is Julia's favourite author. The book is also known as "The Dead Sky". It involves a brutal crime. She said it was a really good book and she could not put it down. Another book written by Tami Hoag that Julia found good was actually two books in one. The first was called "Night Sins". It was about the kidnapping of a boy in a small American town. The second book is called "Guilty as Sin" involving a second kidnapping. The same country attorney is one of the main characters in both stories. Judy said "it's good the way the two books are together as you find out what happens".
BETH: THE PERFECT KILL - 21 LAWS FOR ASSASSINS
Beth didn't read it as she said "she doesn't want to be an assassin" but she did read many other books for comparison. The first was The Disappearance of Peter Falconi, followed by Unsolved Murders in Victoria, Unsolved Murders in US, Corrupt Police NSW, Stalker in America and History of Norfolk Island. After reading these books she said people have feet of clay, they are sometimes incompetent and self serving and not always nice to the people they love.
DIANN: THE CHINESE MAZE MURDERS BY ROBERT VAN GULIK
Diann said "don't read it". It's too hard to read. If you like crime you may like the challenge.
DIANE: PRESUMED GUILTY BY BRETT CHRISTIAN
The story begins in Western Australia where many innocent people were still being convicted wrongly because of the police culture. Many returned servicemen joined the police force. There was a tribal culture. The police protected each other. There were no consequences to the police because of their mistakes. The wrongly convicted were never compensated when found innocent. Di wondered how many people were innocent but she thought it was a really good read. She said it was a brilliant book.
TAM: THE AUSTRALIAN BOOK OF GREAT TRIALS BY JEREMY STOLJAR
The book covers twelve historic trials from 1788 onwards. It included the first trial, the trial of Ned Kelly, Lindy Chamberlain and Jihad Jack. Tam did not read all twelve but she enjoyed what she did read. She said the book builds characters and the defence was brilliant. The author is a lawyer and writes well.
In September we will read and discuss various titles by the author Somerset Maugham
The main character, Alexandra Cooper, Assistant District Attorney is in all sorts of trouble. Jo said it was a really good story with lots of excitement. She thoroughly enjoyed it and said it was well written. She would really recommend the book.
WENDY: THE EVANGELINE BY D.W. BUFFA
The author is an American who was a lawyer for ten years. He is well known for his Joseph Antonelli novels. This is his eighth novel and was considered his best novel at the time. It is a story of a captain of a luxury yacht that is shipwrecked. Some of the passengers get away on the only lifeboat left and kill some of the others to eat. When rescued, the captain of the yacht is charged with murder. The action is exclusively in the courtroom with the main character an older lawyer with poor health. The defendant doesn't necessarily want to be found innocent as he suffers guilt. The book explores the moral and ethical dilemma of how to survive. The book is easy to read but some parts are a bit contrived. The plot is lean but it has enough twists to be a page turner. Wendy probably wouldn't read anymore of his books.
ANNE: THE FIFTH WITNESS BY MICHAEL CONNELLY
The author has written about twenty books and Anne has read most of his books. Micky Haller is normally a criminal lawyer but has no cases at the moment. Instead he is doing foreclosure cases. His office is in the backseat of his car. A client, Lisa Trammel, is driving him crazy. She is a loud, obnoxious ex-teacher. She is noisily threatening her bank manager and a restraining order is taken out. When the bank manager is murdered, Lisa is charged and Haller now has a criminal case. At first he doubts her innocence but comes to believe her. There are twists during the court case and after the trial. This is not one of Anne's favourites. Anne prefers the Bosch series.
JOAN: AND THE SEA WILL TELL BY VINCENT BUGLIOSI
The first 200 pages or so follow the true crime and the rest is the courtroom drama. The crime setting is a beautiful, uninhabited tropical island called Palmyra in the Pacific Ocean. In 1974 two couples, quite independently, set out to stay on the island. The first are a wealthy American couple sailing on their yacht "Seawind". The second couple, who are unmarried, are on a reconditioned old sloop. The male has been in prison. In August the young couple sailed back to Hawaii on the Seawind which they repainted and renamed. They were charged with theft of the yacht and then murder. Vincent Bugliosi was a prosecutor for many years but changed to defence attorney. He thinks Jennifer may be innocent and decides to defend her. Joan found it interesting in relation to the differences in courts here and in America, as well as finding the case very interesting. It is 730 pages long but it is gripping. Joan really enjoyed it.
PRUE: THE KING OF LIES BY JOHN HART
John Hart won two Edgar Allen Poe awards for best novel, one in 2008 and the other in 2010. This book was his first book written in 2006. The author trained as an accountant and lawyer so the story rings very true. It is written in the first person. It is a faced paced easy read, although a little gruesome in parts. The book is set in the American south. Jackson is the son of a" rags to riches" lawyer who married an "old money" girl. Jackson's sister and father have an argument and the mother intervenes and falls down the stairs. She breaks her neck. His father disappears and is found dead. Jackson and his sister become suspects. There is a real turn around regarding the will. Prue said she would read the rest of his books.
ROSEMARY: THE STREET LAWYER BY JOHN GRISHAM
Rosemary has never read his books. She was told by a friend it was not one of his better books but she enjoyed it and found it interesting. The main character, Michael is an up and coming greedy lawyer in a huge Washington company. He is taken hostage with other colleagues. The homeless man who took them hostage is killed and Michael discovers a whole new world of homelessness. He becomes a street lawyer. Rosemary said she would read another John Grisham novel.
PAULINE: PRESUMED INNOCENT BY SCOTT TUROW
This book was published in 1987. It is set in a fictional mid western county in America. The chief deputy prosecuting attorney, Rusty Sabich is asked to look into the murder of Carolyn Polhemus, another attorney, who has been raped and murdered. It is an inconvenient time for Rusty's boss as he is in a campaign for re-election. Rusty is not keen because he has had an affair with Carolyn. A lot of evidence points to Rusty, including fingerprints on a glass. Rusty is arrested and then there is a trial. There are sub plots as well. Pauline said it was well written. She was quite impressed and it had a lot of detail.
BEV: FIRST DEGREE BY DAVID ROSENFELT
This is the second book in the series and the main character, Andy Carpenter, a lawyer, is now famous. His girlfriend was a policewoman who reported a corrupt cop. She had to resign and she became Andy's investigator. The corrupt cop is found decapitated and she is framed for the murder. The rest of the book is the court case. The sarcastic sense of humour in the book appealed to Bev. There were cover ups right up to the FBI and the army so they couldn't get access to records etc. Bev said she really enjoyed it and it was an easy read.
LAURA: THE TRIAL BY FRANZ KAFKA
The book was written in 1914 and the author is Czech. It was originally written in German. It is a strange book but it is meant to be strange.Joseph K is placed under arrest when he goes for breakfast in the boarding house where he lives. He doesn't know why. He is told there will be a trial but he goes to work as normal. Nobody knows when the trial will take place. He eventually goes to court but it is held in an apartment block. The judge doesn't know what Joseph is charged with. Nobody knows what is going on. It is like a bad dream and he becomes paranoid. The court process happens while Joseph's work life is going on as normal. Laura enjoyed the book, although it wasn't a page turner. She found the main character arrogant. Laura felt it provoked thought but it left you up in the air.
PAT: THE ATTORNEY BY STEVE MARTINI
The author is a former attorney. The book is a courtroom thriller but Pat didn't find it a thriller. The main character is a lawyer who has relocated his practice to San Diego. A previous wealthy client has followed him. The client is the legal guardian to his granddaughter but the client's daughter has decided she wants her back. She abducts her with the help of a "do-gooder", who is then later found murdered. Everything points to the grandfather and there is a trial. Pat said it was an okay read. She found it very realistic.
SOFYA: RED NOTICE: A TRUE STORY OF HIGH FINANCE, MURDER AND ONE'S MAN FIGHT FOR JUSTICE BY BILL BROWDER
This is a true story but reads like a thriller. Bill is an American. He works in investment. He invests in Eastern Europe, Poland and then Russia. He made a fortune heading the largest investment fund in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. After revealing corruption and contacting newspapers who published the corruption, he got into trouble. He received a "Red Notice" which Interpol issues. He wasn't allowed in to Moscow and didn't know why. He hired a young emancipated tax lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky to defend the case while he watched from London. Sergei uncovers corruption and is arrested and then put in prison. Sophia said all the judges were corrupt. She enjoyed the book but found it difficult.
SHEILA: THE PELICAN BRIEF BY JOHN GRISHAM
Sheila didn't like the beginning but kept at it and it suddenly caught her attention. A supreme court judge is murdered. Nobody can understand why it happened. The American legal system is full of greed and corruption. A student female lawyer prepares a legal brief. The brief gets into the hands of someone who doesn't like it and somebody tries to murder her. Sheila said it was written well and came together beautifully. She also said the book had "grits".
PAMELA: THE MAGNA CARTA OF KING JOHN AD 1215
Instead of a book, Pamela brought in a copy of the Magna Carta for us to discuss. It was written 800 years. It is in Latin. One of the clauses translates to read "To no-one will we sell, to no-one will we deny or delay right or justice." (meaning there cannot be a trial without evidence, presumed innocence before trial). It also led to the Writ of Habeas Corpus Act. It eventually sank into the English consciousness and it created a culture of the rule of law. It was an interesting way to look at the effect The Magna Carta had on our present day justice system. It is often seen as the basis of liberty and justice.
CONNIE: JUDGE AND JURY BY JAMES PATTERSON AND ANDREW GROSS
A well known New York detective has just captured a leading Mafia boss. He is sent to goal. There is a trial. Each juror is sworn in. The Mafia henchmen are trying to blackmail the jurors.The jury must be sequestered. They are kept at a hotel and taken by bus back and forth to the court. One of the jurors, a single mum, has a son who is allowed to visit under escort. The Mafia arrange to put a bomb under the bus and the mother of the boy is the only survivor. The mother and the detective get together and decide to get the member of the Mafia who put the bomb under the bus. Connie said she enjoyed the trial but not the rest of the book.
KRIS: TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD BY HARPER LEE
The novel was published in 1960 just before the American Civil Rights Act of 1965. It won the Pulitzer prize in 1961. The narrator is Scout Finch, an unusually intelligent and confident girl. It covers the period from the age of about five to nine years old. She lives with her father Atticus, a prominent and well respected lawyer and her brother Jem in Maycomb, a small town in Alabama. It's set during the great depression but the Finch family are a little better off then most. Atticus agrees to defend a Negro named Tom Robinson who has been accused of raping a white woman from an extremely poor family. The woman's father hates Negroes. Atticus is a man of great integrity and although the townspeople cannot understand why he would defend a black man, they have a great respect for him. The story shows the threat that hatred, prejudice and ignorance pose to innocent people like Tom Robinson.
JUDY: UNDER YOUR SKIN BY SABINE DURRANT
Sabine is an English writer. Judy said she was waiting for the court scene but it did not come. It's a murder mystery-psychological thriller. Two of the main characters are a female television presenter who has an ideal existence and her husband, a financial guru. They come from poor backgrounds but have done well. They have one daughter, a perfect child. They have a surly Czech nanny. It is written in first person by Gabi, the television presenter. She is jogging on the common and finds a body. There is no evidence to link her to the body but she is arrested. She does not bother to call a lawyer as she doesn't see it as a problem. Her husband is overseas and unable to be contacted. There are a few interesting twists and a quick conclusion but Judy didn't like the ending.
JULIA: PRIOR BAD ACTS BY TAMI HOAG
Tami Hoag is Julia's favourite author. The book is also known as "The Dead Sky". It involves a brutal crime. She said it was a really good book and she could not put it down. Another book written by Tami Hoag that Julia found good was actually two books in one. The first was called "Night Sins". It was about the kidnapping of a boy in a small American town. The second book is called "Guilty as Sin" involving a second kidnapping. The same country attorney is one of the main characters in both stories. Judy said "it's good the way the two books are together as you find out what happens".
BETH: THE PERFECT KILL - 21 LAWS FOR ASSASSINS
Beth didn't read it as she said "she doesn't want to be an assassin" but she did read many other books for comparison. The first was The Disappearance of Peter Falconi, followed by Unsolved Murders in Victoria, Unsolved Murders in US, Corrupt Police NSW, Stalker in America and History of Norfolk Island. After reading these books she said people have feet of clay, they are sometimes incompetent and self serving and not always nice to the people they love.
DIANN: THE CHINESE MAZE MURDERS BY ROBERT VAN GULIK
Diann said "don't read it". It's too hard to read. If you like crime you may like the challenge.
DIANE: PRESUMED GUILTY BY BRETT CHRISTIAN
The story begins in Western Australia where many innocent people were still being convicted wrongly because of the police culture. Many returned servicemen joined the police force. There was a tribal culture. The police protected each other. There were no consequences to the police because of their mistakes. The wrongly convicted were never compensated when found innocent. Di wondered how many people were innocent but she thought it was a really good read. She said it was a brilliant book.
TAM: THE AUSTRALIAN BOOK OF GREAT TRIALS BY JEREMY STOLJAR
The book covers twelve historic trials from 1788 onwards. It included the first trial, the trial of Ned Kelly, Lindy Chamberlain and Jihad Jack. Tam did not read all twelve but she enjoyed what she did read. She said the book builds characters and the defence was brilliant. The author is a lawyer and writes well.
In September we will read and discuss various titles by the author Somerset Maugham
Sunday, July 26, 2015
JULY: Family Sagas
PAMELA: The Fortunes of Richard Mahony by Henry Handel Richardson
The book was originally published in 3 volumes: 1917 Australia Felix, 1925 The Way Home, and 1929 Ultima Thule. It is set in the 1850s in the goldfields of Ballarat and follows the changing fortunes of the Mahonys . They are a semi-aristocratic family who came here during the gold rush times. They have a difficult marriage and find it difficult to settle in this "rude country". They decide to return to Britain but are unhappy there too (Vol2) only to come back to Australia to still be very unhappy. Richard Mahony is a restless man, elsewhere is always better.
Pamela described it as a long, intense book which gathers momentum around its many characters.
It’s also a stunning portrait of a marriage, and an incredibly detailed account of colonial Australia, Ballarat, Melbourne, the bush and the seaside. A recommended read.
KRIS: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Kris described the story as totally absorbing and compelling and involves a young child who is found abandoned on an Australian wharf in 1913.This is a little hard to believe but she is taken in by a family and given the name Nell. On her 21st birthday her father tells her the real story of her early life and she leaves and spends the rest of her life trying to discover her parents.
There are great female characters and the story moves backwards and forwards between England and Australia, and the 20th century, 1970 and 2005.
Kris really enjoyed it.
JOAN: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
One Hundred Years of Solitude is the story of seven generations of the BuendÃa Family in the town of Macondo. The founding patriarch of Macondo, José Arcadio BuendÃa, and Úrsula Iguarán, his wife (and first cousin), leave Riohacha, Colombia, to find a better life and a new home.
The genre is magical realism which originated in Latin America in the 20th century.
Joan said it was very difficult to get into the story and to describe, but found it fascinating and thoroughly recommends it.
SOFYA:
She had also read it, enjoyed it and found it fascinating. She thought the story was about the troubles that one generation has are passed onto the next generation.
Another 'family saga' that she recommended was Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy describing it as a classic family drama with a controversial ending.
PRUE: The Azure Bowl by Anita Burgh
The author had come from a poor family but had married a Lord. For this she was disowned by both families. The divides between elements of society feature in this first of three books from the Daughters of the Granite Land series. There were many twists and turns after the son of an aristocratic family in Cornwall drowns. The mother can't cope and so returns to London while the daughter remains in the house and becomes involved in village life.
Prue enjoyed it so much, and not withstanding the length (600 pages), she is keen to read the other books in the series.
TAM: Lonely Girl by Josephine Cox
Rosie is a young girl living on an isolated farm. Her mother is a horrible person and very cruel to her child, while her father dotes on and tries to protect her. After her father is tragically killed you wonder what will happen to Rosie.
Tam described it as a simple book, a quick and easy read, good for a cold winter's day. The ending was lovely with a very unexpected twist.
JULIA: The Wildflowers by Virgina Andrews
The story revolves around four teenage girls who all come from dysfunctional families and divorced parents. Under the guidance of the psychiatrist, they share their stories and soon realise they are not alone in their situation. Julia was surprised at how much she enjoyed the book.
LAURA: The Philanthropist by John Tesarch
The author had been a gifted cellist when an allergy to rosin forced him to give this away. A successful career as a barrister followed until tongue cancer forced him into another career change.
He then turned his hand to writing and The Philanthropist is his first novel.
When a rich and successful business man suffers a heart attack and nearly dies, he begins to reflect on his life, his relationship with family and friends and past mistakes.
Laura thought it was an intelligent and thoughtful read, a family saga exploring what family is all about.
JO: Seagull Bay by Janet Tanner
When Dawn Stephens’ parents are killed in an accident, she has to move from her home in Canada to the small seaside town of Sturvendor in Somerset, to live with her uncle and aunt. She makes friends with her cousin Serena, and soon settles in well at the local school. But Dawn still feels very alone in this strange new world.
Jo thought it a really good book about different relationships and emotions.
ROSEMARY: The Past is Another Country by Lois Battle
Three women who had been at school together meet again. One is now a successful Hollywood director, another is a nun and the third is married and lives in Australia.
Rosemary found the story to be slow and boring and so decided not to continue reading.
BEV: Liverpool Angels by Lyn Andrews
The story is set in the working class area of Liverpool. As WW1 breaks out, two cousins decide to leave their family tragedies behind and train as nurses to work on the Western Front. Here they encounter hardship and tragedy of a different kind as they work under dreadful conditions and amongst the imaginable suffering of the soldiers. Both girls find romance among all the chaos of war, but their future is uncertain as the war continues. Bev enjoyed this easy to read story.
JUDY: The House by the Fjord by Rosalind Laker
Anna had married a Norwegian pilot while he was on leave in England. He didn't survive the war, so his widow journeys to Oslo to meet his family and friends. Her father in law is not particularly welcoming but pressures her to stay and take possession of a small house on the fjord. The more she learns about the family and the house the more she is drawn to it and reconsiders her future. There are beautiful descriptions of the countryside, some snippets of information about the German occupation, but the story is very predictable with too many improbable happenings to be believable.
ANNE: Though the Heavens May Fall by E V Thompson
Set in Cornwall in the 1850s when smuggling was rife. Following a series of murders, a Cornish detective working in Scotland Yard is sent to investigate. According to Anne, all that happens next is very predictable. She probably would have enjoyed it when she was 14!
WENDY: Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides
This Pulitzer Prize winning novel tells the story of three generations of a Greek-American family. Following the fall of Cyprus they eventually end up in Detroit, USA during the Prohibition era.
Wendy found the first part, describing their move out of Europe to be very interesting but was disappointed with the pace and depth of the second half of the story. This part centers around the uncovering of a guilty family secret involving their incestuous genetic and social history.
CLAURINE also read the book, enjoying it and generally agreeing with Wendy's comments.
DIANNE: The Burning Land by Bernard Cornwell
Dianne couldn't recommend this book which tells of the Viking and Anglo Saxon battles to gain control of England. All the men were warriors and the women were good sorts!
DIANN: Jams and Roses by Mary Gibson
The book tells the story of three sisters growing up in Dockland area of London in the 1920s. The girls work in the local jam factory but at home they must put up with the rages and abuse of their tyrannical father.
The book realistically describes the hard life the girls endured, and their treatment as second class citizens. Despite being very depressing and bleak at times, highlighting that families are not perfect, Diann described it as good reading.
CONNIE: Moving On by Rosie Harris
While not really a 'family saga', this is a simple little story of a grandmother, having recently moved into a small retirement flat, must take on responsibility for her rebellious seventeen year old granddaughter following the death of her son.
Connie thought it a rather shallow book with little character or story development. Things just happened.
BETH:
Beth compared family sagas set in England and Australia.
She read Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts by Mary Gibson; describing the survival of a poor family
Cavendon Hall by Barbara Taylor Bradford; love and betrayal between aristocratic families
One Sunday by Joy Dettman; small country town in Australia where the local policeman investigates a murder
Beth felt she could relate more to the Australian characters and the language used. The regimented way of life and society in England was unfamiliar.
SHEILA: Indian Summer by Marcia Willett
A very English story set in beautiful Devon. It took you on a long, slow and peaceful journey.
She also recommended Blast Radius by R L McKinney
The story of a soldier returning to live in Scotland after serving in Afghanistan and now suffering from PTS. Sheila found it funny, truthful, well written and worth reading.
In August we will be reading and discussing Legal and Courtroom Dramas.
The book was originally published in 3 volumes: 1917 Australia Felix, 1925 The Way Home, and 1929 Ultima Thule. It is set in the 1850s in the goldfields of Ballarat and follows the changing fortunes of the Mahonys . They are a semi-aristocratic family who came here during the gold rush times. They have a difficult marriage and find it difficult to settle in this "rude country". They decide to return to Britain but are unhappy there too (Vol2) only to come back to Australia to still be very unhappy. Richard Mahony is a restless man, elsewhere is always better.
Pamela described it as a long, intense book which gathers momentum around its many characters.
It’s also a stunning portrait of a marriage, and an incredibly detailed account of colonial Australia, Ballarat, Melbourne, the bush and the seaside. A recommended read.
KRIS: The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton
Kris described the story as totally absorbing and compelling and involves a young child who is found abandoned on an Australian wharf in 1913.This is a little hard to believe but she is taken in by a family and given the name Nell. On her 21st birthday her father tells her the real story of her early life and she leaves and spends the rest of her life trying to discover her parents.
There are great female characters and the story moves backwards and forwards between England and Australia, and the 20th century, 1970 and 2005.
Kris really enjoyed it.
JOAN: 100 Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
One Hundred Years of Solitude is the story of seven generations of the BuendÃa Family in the town of Macondo. The founding patriarch of Macondo, José Arcadio BuendÃa, and Úrsula Iguarán, his wife (and first cousin), leave Riohacha, Colombia, to find a better life and a new home.
The genre is magical realism which originated in Latin America in the 20th century.
Joan said it was very difficult to get into the story and to describe, but found it fascinating and thoroughly recommends it.
SOFYA:
She had also read it, enjoyed it and found it fascinating. She thought the story was about the troubles that one generation has are passed onto the next generation.
Another 'family saga' that she recommended was Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy describing it as a classic family drama with a controversial ending.
PRUE: The Azure Bowl by Anita Burgh
The author had come from a poor family but had married a Lord. For this she was disowned by both families. The divides between elements of society feature in this first of three books from the Daughters of the Granite Land series. There were many twists and turns after the son of an aristocratic family in Cornwall drowns. The mother can't cope and so returns to London while the daughter remains in the house and becomes involved in village life.
Prue enjoyed it so much, and not withstanding the length (600 pages), she is keen to read the other books in the series.
TAM: Lonely Girl by Josephine Cox
Rosie is a young girl living on an isolated farm. Her mother is a horrible person and very cruel to her child, while her father dotes on and tries to protect her. After her father is tragically killed you wonder what will happen to Rosie.
Tam described it as a simple book, a quick and easy read, good for a cold winter's day. The ending was lovely with a very unexpected twist.
JULIA: The Wildflowers by Virgina Andrews
The story revolves around four teenage girls who all come from dysfunctional families and divorced parents. Under the guidance of the psychiatrist, they share their stories and soon realise they are not alone in their situation. Julia was surprised at how much she enjoyed the book.
LAURA: The Philanthropist by John Tesarch
The author had been a gifted cellist when an allergy to rosin forced him to give this away. A successful career as a barrister followed until tongue cancer forced him into another career change.
He then turned his hand to writing and The Philanthropist is his first novel.
When a rich and successful business man suffers a heart attack and nearly dies, he begins to reflect on his life, his relationship with family and friends and past mistakes.
Laura thought it was an intelligent and thoughtful read, a family saga exploring what family is all about.
JO: Seagull Bay by Janet Tanner
When Dawn Stephens’ parents are killed in an accident, she has to move from her home in Canada to the small seaside town of Sturvendor in Somerset, to live with her uncle and aunt. She makes friends with her cousin Serena, and soon settles in well at the local school. But Dawn still feels very alone in this strange new world.
Jo thought it a really good book about different relationships and emotions.
ROSEMARY: The Past is Another Country by Lois Battle
Three women who had been at school together meet again. One is now a successful Hollywood director, another is a nun and the third is married and lives in Australia.
Rosemary found the story to be slow and boring and so decided not to continue reading.
BEV: Liverpool Angels by Lyn Andrews
The story is set in the working class area of Liverpool. As WW1 breaks out, two cousins decide to leave their family tragedies behind and train as nurses to work on the Western Front. Here they encounter hardship and tragedy of a different kind as they work under dreadful conditions and amongst the imaginable suffering of the soldiers. Both girls find romance among all the chaos of war, but their future is uncertain as the war continues. Bev enjoyed this easy to read story.
JUDY: The House by the Fjord by Rosalind Laker
Anna had married a Norwegian pilot while he was on leave in England. He didn't survive the war, so his widow journeys to Oslo to meet his family and friends. Her father in law is not particularly welcoming but pressures her to stay and take possession of a small house on the fjord. The more she learns about the family and the house the more she is drawn to it and reconsiders her future. There are beautiful descriptions of the countryside, some snippets of information about the German occupation, but the story is very predictable with too many improbable happenings to be believable.
ANNE: Though the Heavens May Fall by E V Thompson
Set in Cornwall in the 1850s when smuggling was rife. Following a series of murders, a Cornish detective working in Scotland Yard is sent to investigate. According to Anne, all that happens next is very predictable. She probably would have enjoyed it when she was 14!
WENDY: Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides
This Pulitzer Prize winning novel tells the story of three generations of a Greek-American family. Following the fall of Cyprus they eventually end up in Detroit, USA during the Prohibition era.
Wendy found the first part, describing their move out of Europe to be very interesting but was disappointed with the pace and depth of the second half of the story. This part centers around the uncovering of a guilty family secret involving their incestuous genetic and social history.
CLAURINE also read the book, enjoying it and generally agreeing with Wendy's comments.
DIANNE: The Burning Land by Bernard Cornwell
Dianne couldn't recommend this book which tells of the Viking and Anglo Saxon battles to gain control of England. All the men were warriors and the women were good sorts!
DIANN: Jams and Roses by Mary Gibson
The book tells the story of three sisters growing up in Dockland area of London in the 1920s. The girls work in the local jam factory but at home they must put up with the rages and abuse of their tyrannical father.
The book realistically describes the hard life the girls endured, and their treatment as second class citizens. Despite being very depressing and bleak at times, highlighting that families are not perfect, Diann described it as good reading.
CONNIE: Moving On by Rosie Harris
While not really a 'family saga', this is a simple little story of a grandmother, having recently moved into a small retirement flat, must take on responsibility for her rebellious seventeen year old granddaughter following the death of her son.
Connie thought it a rather shallow book with little character or story development. Things just happened.
BETH:
Beth compared family sagas set in England and Australia.
She read Custard Tarts and Broken Hearts by Mary Gibson; describing the survival of a poor family
Cavendon Hall by Barbara Taylor Bradford; love and betrayal between aristocratic families
One Sunday by Joy Dettman; small country town in Australia where the local policeman investigates a murder
Beth felt she could relate more to the Australian characters and the language used. The regimented way of life and society in England was unfamiliar.
SHEILA: Indian Summer by Marcia Willett
A very English story set in beautiful Devon. It took you on a long, slow and peaceful journey.
She also recommended Blast Radius by R L McKinney
The story of a soldier returning to live in Scotland after serving in Afghanistan and now suffering from PTS. Sheila found it funny, truthful, well written and worth reading.
In August we will be reading and discussing Legal and Courtroom Dramas.
Monday, June 29, 2015
JUNE: Autobiography/Biography
In June we returned to one of our favourite topics, Autobiography/Biography.
SHEILA:
Storyteller by Zoe Daniel
Zoe Daniel is the ABC’s South-East Asia correspondent, based in Bangkok with her husband and young family. She reports on nine countries across Southeast Asia filing copy and stories for TV, radio, online and social media. She was the Africa correspondent from 2005 until 2007 and spent 2009 covering the Khmer Rouge war crimes trials from Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Zoe’s frank and brave memoir, Storyteller, deals with the effects of her work (with its stresses and its constant travel) on her marriage, with the physical and psychological effects of a dangerous, confronting job, and the difficulty of slipping back into her ‘regular’ life after witnessing deeply disturbing events.
Sheila described it as very worthwhile reading as you see the background to many of the reports we see on the nightly news.
PAT:
Ugly my Memoir by Robert Hoge
Robert was born with a massive tumor on his head, distorted facial features and twisted, useless legs. His mother didn't want him!
Pat found she couldn't read it as she didn't like the way it was written.
La Prisionierre by Malika Oufkir & Michele Fitoussi
Malika was born into a proud Berber family, the eldest daughter of the King of Morocco's closest aide. She was adopted by the king to be a companion to his little daughter, and at the royal court of Rabat, Malika grew up locked away in a golden cage, among the royal wives and concubines. But when Malika was eighteen, her father was arrested after an attempt to assassinate the king. He was executed. Malika, her mother and her five younger brothers and sisters were seized and thrown into an isolated desert jail. For fifteen years, they had no contact with the outside world, and lived in increasingly barbaric and inhumane conditions but Malika showed incredible coping strategies.
Pat described it as an amazing story, partly because it all occurred during recent times.
BETH:
The Map that Changed the World by Simon Winchester
A lovely book about William Smith, the first geologist to map England and Wales.
Sex, Drugs and Meditation by Mary-Lou Stephens
Her life was in a mess and so she went on a 10 day silent meditation in Queensland. The only contact she had was 1 hour each day with her counsellor.
David Suzuki by David T Suzuki
He organises his story according to the places in the world he's had a relationship with. Beth found this a bit disjointed but did get used to it.
Dalai Lama: Man, Monk, Mystic by Mayank Chhaya
Beth thought it told more about Tibet than his life, but he is the voice of Tibet.
How I Rescued My Brain by David Roland
This book tells you how to retrain your brain through meditation and mindfulness.
BEV:
Planet Elephant by Tammie Matson
After a gap year holiday in Zimbabwe, the author dedicates her life to solving the human-elephant conflict around the world. As well as her research she must also juggle the demands of motherhood and that of being a noted conservationist. A very worthwhile read.
CONNIE:
In the Midst of Life by Jennie Worth
The book begins with her memoirs of working in a hospice for cancer patients where the outcomes are always sad. She later gave up nursing to study music and teach piano and singing.
Just before the book was published she was diagnosed with oesophagous cancer and wrote that she had no fears, worries or regrets about what was to come.
Connie enjoyed reading the book but felt she needed some frivolity afterwards!
JO:
Helen Keller by Emma Carlson Berne
When she was only very young, Helen Keller suffered from scarlet fever which left her blind, deaf and mute. Jo described it as a beautiful story with lovely pictures.
Judy: A Dog in a Million by Damien Lewis
Judy was the mascot on a Royal Navy ship in World War 11. After many acts of bravery and kindness, she found herself in a Japanese POW camp still trying to keep up the spirits of the other prisoners. A heartwarming story.
ANNE:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer who died at 31. But her cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization, and more. Henrietta’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can’t afford health insurance.
Her story is one of the many examples of unethical behaviour by the medical profession.
JOAN:
Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self by Claire Tomalin
Samuel Pepys was born in London in 1633 and died in 1703. During his life he was a Naval Administrator as well as a member of Parliament. But for 10 years, between 1660 and 1669 he wrote his diaries, a very detailed account of life in those times. Events that occurred during this Restoration period included the Great Fire of London and The Plague.
Joan described the book as a very interesting and thoroughly enjoyable read.
DIANN:
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
Helen Macdonald is an English naturalist, writer and academic and following the death of her father channelled her grief into training a falcon called Mabel. Diann found the book difficult to read, with the author's work coming through the book but not an inviting read. She described it as 'lush with words', and needing a dictionary as it read more like a nature book.
JUDY J:
The Ballad of Les Darcy by Peter FitzSimmons
Peter FitzSimmons writes mainly about Australian history, retelling stories he wishes were more widely known. Les Darcy was born in 1895 in Maitland, the 2nd eldest of 12 children, his parents being poor Irish immigrants. He is best known for his brief and stellar boxing career, but this was cut short when WW1 begun. Darcy was vilified by some for not enlisting in the war and denied a passport to go to the USA to fight for the official world title. Feeling he had no other way out, he stowed away on a ship to New York.
Like many who did go to war he also did not get the chance to reach his full potential.
KRIS:
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
Azar Nafisi is now a US citizen but this memoir tells of her time living in Iran during the Revolution 1978-81. Every week she would meet (in secret) with 7 of her students to read and discuss banned Western classics. Through these books they shared their own stories and hopes for a different future.
Kris commented on how lucky we are to have the freedom to read and think as we like.
WENDY:
Through the Wall: Reflections on Leadership, Love and Survival by Anna Bligh
Anna Bligh grew up in Queensland, the daughter of a single parent and rose to become premier of the state. She lived a varied life and selected amusing anecdotes to highlight this. Wendy described her as a great storyteller who writes with resilience and good humour. She didn't resort to gossip or backstabbing. It was a great book to read.
LAURA:
Bossyboots by Tina Fey
Tina Fey is a comedienne, but Laura didn't find the book funny at all. The stories she tells were not that interesting, although the author thinks they were. Maybe that's the problem.
TAM:
The Never, Um, Ending Story of Life, Countdown and Everything in Between by Molly Meldrum
Tam enjoyed reading the Molly Meldrum story and amazed at the number of famous people he seem to know. He was always late, very messy but everyone seem to love him, probably because he never took himself seriously. Although he didn't seem to have any musical talent himself, he could certainly pick it in others and was very influential in the development of the musical industry.
PRU:
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama
This memoir first published in 1995 and recounts his life up until his enrollment in Harvard Law School.
He was born in Hawaii and had little to do with his father who soon after returned to Kenya. He later lived in Indonesia with his mother only later returning to Hawaii to continue his schooling, living with his grandmother. Through this book Obama is trying to find who he is despite of his race and because of the different cultures he has been brought up in and the people who have influenced him.
Pru described it as beautifully written, so easy to read and yet it makes you think.
JULIA:
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Julia really enjoyed reading this part memoir and part guide book for those wanting to be a writer. It gave lots of good ideas and tips on becoming a writer with references to many of his books.
He always had been a Science Fiction fan and so he writes what he knows and loves.
NEXT MONTH: July Family Sagas
Don't forget to join us for 'Christmas in July' lunch at the Ever Green Cafe following our Book Club discussions. All welcome!
SHEILA:
Storyteller by Zoe Daniel
Zoe Daniel is the ABC’s South-East Asia correspondent, based in Bangkok with her husband and young family. She reports on nine countries across Southeast Asia filing copy and stories for TV, radio, online and social media. She was the Africa correspondent from 2005 until 2007 and spent 2009 covering the Khmer Rouge war crimes trials from Phnom Penh in Cambodia. Zoe’s frank and brave memoir, Storyteller, deals with the effects of her work (with its stresses and its constant travel) on her marriage, with the physical and psychological effects of a dangerous, confronting job, and the difficulty of slipping back into her ‘regular’ life after witnessing deeply disturbing events.
Sheila described it as very worthwhile reading as you see the background to many of the reports we see on the nightly news.
PAT:
Ugly my Memoir by Robert Hoge
Robert was born with a massive tumor on his head, distorted facial features and twisted, useless legs. His mother didn't want him!
Pat found she couldn't read it as she didn't like the way it was written.
La Prisionierre by Malika Oufkir & Michele Fitoussi
Malika was born into a proud Berber family, the eldest daughter of the King of Morocco's closest aide. She was adopted by the king to be a companion to his little daughter, and at the royal court of Rabat, Malika grew up locked away in a golden cage, among the royal wives and concubines. But when Malika was eighteen, her father was arrested after an attempt to assassinate the king. He was executed. Malika, her mother and her five younger brothers and sisters were seized and thrown into an isolated desert jail. For fifteen years, they had no contact with the outside world, and lived in increasingly barbaric and inhumane conditions but Malika showed incredible coping strategies.
Pat described it as an amazing story, partly because it all occurred during recent times.
BETH:
The Map that Changed the World by Simon Winchester
A lovely book about William Smith, the first geologist to map England and Wales.
Sex, Drugs and Meditation by Mary-Lou Stephens
Her life was in a mess and so she went on a 10 day silent meditation in Queensland. The only contact she had was 1 hour each day with her counsellor.
David Suzuki by David T Suzuki
He organises his story according to the places in the world he's had a relationship with. Beth found this a bit disjointed but did get used to it.
Dalai Lama: Man, Monk, Mystic by Mayank Chhaya
Beth thought it told more about Tibet than his life, but he is the voice of Tibet.
How I Rescued My Brain by David Roland
This book tells you how to retrain your brain through meditation and mindfulness.
BEV:
Planet Elephant by Tammie Matson
After a gap year holiday in Zimbabwe, the author dedicates her life to solving the human-elephant conflict around the world. As well as her research she must also juggle the demands of motherhood and that of being a noted conservationist. A very worthwhile read.
CONNIE:
In the Midst of Life by Jennie Worth
The book begins with her memoirs of working in a hospice for cancer patients where the outcomes are always sad. She later gave up nursing to study music and teach piano and singing.
Just before the book was published she was diagnosed with oesophagous cancer and wrote that she had no fears, worries or regrets about what was to come.
Connie enjoyed reading the book but felt she needed some frivolity afterwards!
JO:
Helen Keller by Emma Carlson Berne
When she was only very young, Helen Keller suffered from scarlet fever which left her blind, deaf and mute. Jo described it as a beautiful story with lovely pictures.
Judy: A Dog in a Million by Damien Lewis
Judy was the mascot on a Royal Navy ship in World War 11. After many acts of bravery and kindness, she found herself in a Japanese POW camp still trying to keep up the spirits of the other prisoners. A heartwarming story.
ANNE:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Her name was Henrietta Lacks, but scientists know her as HeLa. She was a poor black tobacco farmer who died at 31. But her cells—taken without her knowledge in 1951—became one of the most important tools in medicine, vital for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization, and more. Henrietta’s cells have been bought and sold by the billions, yet she remains virtually unknown, and her family can’t afford health insurance.
Her story is one of the many examples of unethical behaviour by the medical profession.
JOAN:
Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self by Claire Tomalin
Samuel Pepys was born in London in 1633 and died in 1703. During his life he was a Naval Administrator as well as a member of Parliament. But for 10 years, between 1660 and 1669 he wrote his diaries, a very detailed account of life in those times. Events that occurred during this Restoration period included the Great Fire of London and The Plague.
Joan described the book as a very interesting and thoroughly enjoyable read.
DIANN:
H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald
Helen Macdonald is an English naturalist, writer and academic and following the death of her father channelled her grief into training a falcon called Mabel. Diann found the book difficult to read, with the author's work coming through the book but not an inviting read. She described it as 'lush with words', and needing a dictionary as it read more like a nature book.
JUDY J:
The Ballad of Les Darcy by Peter FitzSimmons
Peter FitzSimmons writes mainly about Australian history, retelling stories he wishes were more widely known. Les Darcy was born in 1895 in Maitland, the 2nd eldest of 12 children, his parents being poor Irish immigrants. He is best known for his brief and stellar boxing career, but this was cut short when WW1 begun. Darcy was vilified by some for not enlisting in the war and denied a passport to go to the USA to fight for the official world title. Feeling he had no other way out, he stowed away on a ship to New York.
Like many who did go to war he also did not get the chance to reach his full potential.
KRIS:
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
Azar Nafisi is now a US citizen but this memoir tells of her time living in Iran during the Revolution 1978-81. Every week she would meet (in secret) with 7 of her students to read and discuss banned Western classics. Through these books they shared their own stories and hopes for a different future.
Kris commented on how lucky we are to have the freedom to read and think as we like.
WENDY:
Through the Wall: Reflections on Leadership, Love and Survival by Anna Bligh
Anna Bligh grew up in Queensland, the daughter of a single parent and rose to become premier of the state. She lived a varied life and selected amusing anecdotes to highlight this. Wendy described her as a great storyteller who writes with resilience and good humour. She didn't resort to gossip or backstabbing. It was a great book to read.
LAURA:
Bossyboots by Tina Fey
Tina Fey is a comedienne, but Laura didn't find the book funny at all. The stories she tells were not that interesting, although the author thinks they were. Maybe that's the problem.
TAM:
The Never, Um, Ending Story of Life, Countdown and Everything in Between by Molly Meldrum
Tam enjoyed reading the Molly Meldrum story and amazed at the number of famous people he seem to know. He was always late, very messy but everyone seem to love him, probably because he never took himself seriously. Although he didn't seem to have any musical talent himself, he could certainly pick it in others and was very influential in the development of the musical industry.
PRU:
Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama
This memoir first published in 1995 and recounts his life up until his enrollment in Harvard Law School.
He was born in Hawaii and had little to do with his father who soon after returned to Kenya. He later lived in Indonesia with his mother only later returning to Hawaii to continue his schooling, living with his grandmother. Through this book Obama is trying to find who he is despite of his race and because of the different cultures he has been brought up in and the people who have influenced him.
Pru described it as beautifully written, so easy to read and yet it makes you think.
JULIA:
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
Julia really enjoyed reading this part memoir and part guide book for those wanting to be a writer. It gave lots of good ideas and tips on becoming a writer with references to many of his books.
He always had been a Science Fiction fan and so he writes what he knows and loves.
NEXT MONTH: July Family Sagas
Don't forget to join us for 'Christmas in July' lunch at the Ever Green Cafe following our Book Club discussions. All welcome!
Saturday, May 23, 2015
MAY: AUSTRALIAN AUTHOR - MARELE DAY
Dianne: Mrs Cook by Marele Day
Dianne had never heard of the author before. This book is fiction based on fact. Dianne is not keen on faction and could not work out what parts were real and not real. Mrs. Cook lived into her nineties but her husband Captain James Cook had died over 50 years earlier. They had six children, all of whom eventually died. Apparently Captain Cook had health problems with digestion and this affected his decision making. It was an amazing story and Dianne enjoyed the book.
Judy: Mrs Cook by Marele Day
Judy felt the same as Dianne regarding faction. Judy felt James Cook was not happy at home. He was never there. He had six children (one girl and five boys). He was not at home when the babies were born. Mrs. Cook knew how important he was to history and she suffered a lot. Judy was not sure what was fact and what was fiction.
Wendy: Mrs. Cook by Marele Day
Wendy enjoyed the book, although she said there was no chance of drama or tension and the opportunity to resolve the tension as the reader already knows the outcome i.e. the death of Captain Cook. Most contentious part is James Cook's illness and the affect on his judgment. Mrs Cook comes across as stoic, faithful and resilient. The book was easy to read.
Jayne: Mavis Levack Private Investigator by Marele Day
This book is ten short stories written early in the author's career. It seemed cute in the beginning but started to grate on her. Mavis Levack fancies herself as a private investigator but her husband thinks she is just a snoop. Her favourite show is "Murder She Wrote". It's a lightweight book and you can have a few laughs. There are references to Australian culture which are quite funny.
Prue: Mavis Levack Private Investigator by Marele Day
Prue felt exactly the same as Jayne. She thought it was silly. One example was when Mavis's husband ended up in a club in Kings Cross dressed up in a feather boa. She said it was easy to read and did enjoy the connections to the culture etc.
Prue also read The Case of the Chinese Boxes by Marele Day. This is the second book in the series with Claudia Valentine as the main character. She said it was a decent read. There were enough characters and sub plots to give twists and turns. It was a tiny bit predictable. Prue said the author uses words to emphasize things and there were nice bits of humour. The first book turned her off but this book encouraged her to read more of Marele Day's books.
ED: The Seabed by Marele Day
Ed also read the same book as Prue and Jayne, Mavis Levack, P.I. and felt it was silly but a light, easy read. The main character, Mavis Levack thought she was solving all these crimes but not really solving anything.
She also read The Seabed by Marele Day. It was published in 2009. It was a bit strange to begin with and the characters didn't have names and she was not sure where it was. The story is about an old monk that wants his ashes taken to the sea when he dies and he asks a young monk to do this for him. Ed thinks it may be in Japan. When the younger monk sets off to do this he meets women who are abalone divers. He is fascinated and mesmerized by the girls who do this job. A mystery connecting the old monk to the women comes to no conclusion but Ed still enjoyed it and read another two of Marele Day's novels. Ed liked The Case of the Chinese Boxes most.
Rosemarie O: Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender by Marele Day
This is the first book in a series of four with Claudia Valentine, private investigator as the main character. From the first page Rosemarie was thoroughly confused as she thought the Private investigator was a man and perhaps the "blond in the bed" was a woman. She then realized it was a man. The nosy parker in the book, Mavis Levack, thinks she is going to solve crimes. The Sydney descriptions are interesting. Rosemarie thought it was a bit corny and although she did enjoy it, probably wouldn't read another one.
Laura: Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender by Marele Day
Laura said it was a fast, easy read but would not read another one. She thought it was lame, stuck between 1940's and 1980's. She's not sure if there was a murder or a conspiracy but just didn't care. If she had stopped in the middle she wouldn't have been left wondering.
Bev: Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender by Marele Day
Bev was a bit confused. There seemed to be two stories, one of the private investigator, Claudia Valentine and the story of Harry Lavender intermingled. The book did take her back to the Sydney of her youth. She didn't mind it. It was an easy read.
Kris: Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender by Marele Day
The book was published in 1988. It is written from a narrative perspective. Our narrator is Claudia Valentine, the private investigator. She is bright, tough and unconventional and challenges the stereotype of private investigators in crime fiction. An old school friend contacts Claudia about the death of her brother, Mark Bannister. She wants Claudia's help. Mark was a writer who was found dead at his computer, believed to be from natural causes. His sister is suspicious. The story takes you into Sydney's underworld. A cat and mouse games is played between Claudia and Harry Lavender, a polish immigrant, turned menacing crime lord. The book is fast paced and the author is very descriptive in her portrayal of the characters. Easy to read.
Claurene: Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender by Marele Day
Claurene didn't like it. She thought maybe the author got better as this was her first book.
Anne: Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender by Marele Day
Anne didn't finish the book.
Pamela: Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender by Marele Day
Pamela likes the author Marele Day. She enjoys the word games she plays. The author was influenced by Dashiell Hammett, the American writer of detective stories in the 1930's. Pamela recognizes a lot of the places in the book.
Julia: The Last Tango of Dolores Delgado
There are no four letter words. It is the third book in the series of four with Claudia Valentine, private investigator as the main character. It was published in 1993. She is acting as a bodyguard for a dancer in a club. Dolores Delgado, the dancer gets killed. There is an autopsy and it's discovered she was actually born a man. He has had a sex change. Julia said it was not quite her "cup of tea". Julia also read Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender, the first in the series. She said it was a light read with good descriptions. As well, Julia read The Case of the Chinese Boxes. She enjoyed it.
Tam: The Last Tango of Dolores Delgado
Claudia Valentine is a Private Investigator hired by Dolores Delgado. Dolores slept all morning, shopped all day and danced all night. The setting is the steamy world of intrigue in Kings Cross and the inner suburbs. The book is told in the first person. Tam was taken into the world of cross gender etc. She enjoys that as it is so different from her life in the suburbs.
Connie: The Disappearance of Madelana Grimaldi
This book was written in 1994. It is the fourth book in the Claudia Valentine series. Connie like it and she liked Claudia Valentine, the main character. Connie thought she was a great person. She's divorced with two children who are with her ex husband. Claudia is hired to investigate the disappearance of a young girl who didn't get home from school. While this is happening, Claudia's mother tells her that Claudia's father has died and she is remarrying an old friend. Claudia starts thinking about how her father died. When she decides to find out where and how her father died she is taken into the sleazy areas of Sydney. It was a surprise what happened to her father. Connie liked to the book because there was no real violence, just puzzles to work out.
Sheila: The Disappearance of Madelana Grimaldi
Sheila thought Claudia Valentine was quite good. Sheila knew a lot of the places in Sydney that Marele Day wrote about. They were the places where she grew up. The book grabbed her right from the start. She thought it was well crafted and she likes books set in Australia. There was a murder and mystery but it didn't have the viciousness and nastiness of more modern books. The book was light, fun to read and ended well.
Rosemarie: The Case of the Chinese Boxes by Marele Day
Rosemary enjoyed it. She liked the familiarity of the location and the fact it is a Whodunit. The book mentions the Malay Restaurant. This was the place Rosemarie had her first real adventure into Asian food. It's based very loosely on a real crime that occurred in Chinatown in Sydney. It was a well executed crime where safety boxes were stolen from a bank on the eve of the Bicentenary. The noise from the fireworks and the crowds masked the robbery. She believes the perpetrators were never found.
Joan: Lambs of God by Marele Day
Joan said "what an imagination the author has?" It's about an enclosed order of nuns on an island. There are only two nuns left and sheep (all with names) wandering about the island. The Bishop wants the land to make money, possibly building a resort on the island. The Bishop and the Father (his secretary) come across these nuns but think they are gypsies. They look like savages, unkempt, yellow teeth, close cropped hair and no shoes. One of the nuns realizes what the Father is up to and Joan find it quite comic. You have to read it to find out what happens to the priest and the concept of a resort. Joan said "it has dazzling originality". She thought it was brilliant and said Marele Day was a very good writer.
Dianne: Mrs Cook by Marele Day
Dianne had never heard of the author before. This book is fiction based on fact. Dianne is not keen on faction and could not work out what parts were real and not real. Mrs. Cook lived into her nineties but her husband Captain James Cook had died over 50 years earlier. They had six children, all of whom eventually died. Apparently Captain Cook had health problems with digestion and this affected his decision making. It was an amazing story and Dianne enjoyed the book.
Judy: Mrs Cook by Marele Day
Judy felt the same as Dianne regarding faction. Judy felt James Cook was not happy at home. He was never there. He had six children (one girl and five boys). He was not at home when the babies were born. Mrs. Cook knew how important he was to history and she suffered a lot. Judy was not sure what was fact and what was fiction.
Wendy: Mrs. Cook by Marele Day
Wendy enjoyed the book, although she said there was no chance of drama or tension and the opportunity to resolve the tension as the reader already knows the outcome i.e. the death of Captain Cook. Most contentious part is James Cook's illness and the affect on his judgment. Mrs Cook comes across as stoic, faithful and resilient. The book was easy to read.
Jayne: Mavis Levack Private Investigator by Marele Day
This book is ten short stories written early in the author's career. It seemed cute in the beginning but started to grate on her. Mavis Levack fancies herself as a private investigator but her husband thinks she is just a snoop. Her favourite show is "Murder She Wrote". It's a lightweight book and you can have a few laughs. There are references to Australian culture which are quite funny.
Prue: Mavis Levack Private Investigator by Marele Day
Prue felt exactly the same as Jayne. She thought it was silly. One example was when Mavis's husband ended up in a club in Kings Cross dressed up in a feather boa. She said it was easy to read and did enjoy the connections to the culture etc.
Prue also read The Case of the Chinese Boxes by Marele Day. This is the second book in the series with Claudia Valentine as the main character. She said it was a decent read. There were enough characters and sub plots to give twists and turns. It was a tiny bit predictable. Prue said the author uses words to emphasize things and there were nice bits of humour. The first book turned her off but this book encouraged her to read more of Marele Day's books.
ED: The Seabed by Marele Day
Ed also read the same book as Prue and Jayne, Mavis Levack, P.I. and felt it was silly but a light, easy read. The main character, Mavis Levack thought she was solving all these crimes but not really solving anything.
She also read The Seabed by Marele Day. It was published in 2009. It was a bit strange to begin with and the characters didn't have names and she was not sure where it was. The story is about an old monk that wants his ashes taken to the sea when he dies and he asks a young monk to do this for him. Ed thinks it may be in Japan. When the younger monk sets off to do this he meets women who are abalone divers. He is fascinated and mesmerized by the girls who do this job. A mystery connecting the old monk to the women comes to no conclusion but Ed still enjoyed it and read another two of Marele Day's novels. Ed liked The Case of the Chinese Boxes most.
Rosemarie O: Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender by Marele Day
This is the first book in a series of four with Claudia Valentine, private investigator as the main character. From the first page Rosemarie was thoroughly confused as she thought the Private investigator was a man and perhaps the "blond in the bed" was a woman. She then realized it was a man. The nosy parker in the book, Mavis Levack, thinks she is going to solve crimes. The Sydney descriptions are interesting. Rosemarie thought it was a bit corny and although she did enjoy it, probably wouldn't read another one.
Laura: Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender by Marele Day
Laura said it was a fast, easy read but would not read another one. She thought it was lame, stuck between 1940's and 1980's. She's not sure if there was a murder or a conspiracy but just didn't care. If she had stopped in the middle she wouldn't have been left wondering.
Bev: Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender by Marele Day
Bev was a bit confused. There seemed to be two stories, one of the private investigator, Claudia Valentine and the story of Harry Lavender intermingled. The book did take her back to the Sydney of her youth. She didn't mind it. It was an easy read.
Kris: Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender by Marele Day
The book was published in 1988. It is written from a narrative perspective. Our narrator is Claudia Valentine, the private investigator. She is bright, tough and unconventional and challenges the stereotype of private investigators in crime fiction. An old school friend contacts Claudia about the death of her brother, Mark Bannister. She wants Claudia's help. Mark was a writer who was found dead at his computer, believed to be from natural causes. His sister is suspicious. The story takes you into Sydney's underworld. A cat and mouse games is played between Claudia and Harry Lavender, a polish immigrant, turned menacing crime lord. The book is fast paced and the author is very descriptive in her portrayal of the characters. Easy to read.
Claurene: Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender by Marele Day
Claurene didn't like it. She thought maybe the author got better as this was her first book.
Anne: Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender by Marele Day
Anne didn't finish the book.
Pamela: Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender by Marele Day
Pamela likes the author Marele Day. She enjoys the word games she plays. The author was influenced by Dashiell Hammett, the American writer of detective stories in the 1930's. Pamela recognizes a lot of the places in the book.
Julia: The Last Tango of Dolores Delgado
There are no four letter words. It is the third book in the series of four with Claudia Valentine, private investigator as the main character. It was published in 1993. She is acting as a bodyguard for a dancer in a club. Dolores Delgado, the dancer gets killed. There is an autopsy and it's discovered she was actually born a man. He has had a sex change. Julia said it was not quite her "cup of tea". Julia also read Life and Crimes of Harry Lavender, the first in the series. She said it was a light read with good descriptions. As well, Julia read The Case of the Chinese Boxes. She enjoyed it.
Tam: The Last Tango of Dolores Delgado
Claudia Valentine is a Private Investigator hired by Dolores Delgado. Dolores slept all morning, shopped all day and danced all night. The setting is the steamy world of intrigue in Kings Cross and the inner suburbs. The book is told in the first person. Tam was taken into the world of cross gender etc. She enjoys that as it is so different from her life in the suburbs.
Connie: The Disappearance of Madelana Grimaldi
This book was written in 1994. It is the fourth book in the Claudia Valentine series. Connie like it and she liked Claudia Valentine, the main character. Connie thought she was a great person. She's divorced with two children who are with her ex husband. Claudia is hired to investigate the disappearance of a young girl who didn't get home from school. While this is happening, Claudia's mother tells her that Claudia's father has died and she is remarrying an old friend. Claudia starts thinking about how her father died. When she decides to find out where and how her father died she is taken into the sleazy areas of Sydney. It was a surprise what happened to her father. Connie liked to the book because there was no real violence, just puzzles to work out.
Sheila: The Disappearance of Madelana Grimaldi
Sheila thought Claudia Valentine was quite good. Sheila knew a lot of the places in Sydney that Marele Day wrote about. They were the places where she grew up. The book grabbed her right from the start. She thought it was well crafted and she likes books set in Australia. There was a murder and mystery but it didn't have the viciousness and nastiness of more modern books. The book was light, fun to read and ended well.
Rosemarie: The Case of the Chinese Boxes by Marele Day
Rosemary enjoyed it. She liked the familiarity of the location and the fact it is a Whodunit. The book mentions the Malay Restaurant. This was the place Rosemarie had her first real adventure into Asian food. It's based very loosely on a real crime that occurred in Chinatown in Sydney. It was a well executed crime where safety boxes were stolen from a bank on the eve of the Bicentenary. The noise from the fireworks and the crowds masked the robbery. She believes the perpetrators were never found.
Joan: Lambs of God by Marele Day
Joan said "what an imagination the author has?" It's about an enclosed order of nuns on an island. There are only two nuns left and sheep (all with names) wandering about the island. The Bishop wants the land to make money, possibly building a resort on the island. The Bishop and the Father (his secretary) come across these nuns but think they are gypsies. They look like savages, unkempt, yellow teeth, close cropped hair and no shoes. One of the nuns realizes what the Father is up to and Joan find it quite comic. You have to read it to find out what happens to the priest and the concept of a resort. Joan said "it has dazzling originality". She thought it was brilliant and said Marele Day was a very good writer.
Tuesday, March 24, 2015
In March we chose to read EMMA by Jane Austen. Being the 200th anniversary of EMMA being published, we thought the timing was appropriate.
KRIS - Enjoyed the book. It was easy to read and well written. Social status, breeding and wealth were so important for a woman at that time. The conversations between the characters were long and complex. Emma's meddling in Harriet's love life showed how restricted and boring the lives of women could be.
JULIA - wondered if there were different versions of the book. She saw many of the situations as a power game with others emotions. Some characters were seen as egotistical and selfish. There was comedy in the book as well as a journey for Emma of self discovery.
PAMELA - her favourite book! Extremely funny, many comedic instances, it was also a moral education of Emma as there was a gap between her conduct and her consciousness. The insensitivity of Mr Elton and Mrs Weston was a modern day theme. The book revealed tremendous wit and the acerbic comedy of the author.
SHEILA - didn't read too much of the book. She thought it tedious and torturous. Sheila thought perhaps a discussion of each chapter with others would help her.
CONNIE - loved the introduction of the heroine "whom no one but myself would like". The conversations between people were very good. Emma revealed no hint about how the lower classes lived.
JOAN - said manners and decorum were extremely important, people had to know their places in society and keep it. She described a 'parlour boarder' as someone who could be a wealthy widow who lived permanently with another family. Particular crimes during the time of the story were valued differently - property was sacrosanct so its theft was dealt with harshly.
BEV - fell asleep so stopped at 40 pages.
TAMMY - loves Jane Austen. She loved the refined language used and the colloquialisms. She also watched the movie to provide her with visuals and to further enjoy the story.
PAT - read very little.
PAULINE - found it difficult to read. She needed to reread sections as she missed understanding parts. Still it was interesting.
JO - read to page 70. Thought the women in the book had no life. Emma not good as she judged others.
DIANNE - said the book was verbose but written beautifully. She loved the period it was set in but was infuriated with the social class system.
JANE - had read it previously when her son, in Year 12, studied the text.
CLAURINE - found the writing very small! She only read to page 123 as she had a far more enjoyable book to read!
PRU - also thought it hard to read and didn't read it all. Being set in the Napoleonic era, it showed the social class of the time. Emma never finished a project eg art, embroidery, she was always looking for things to do as she was bored.
ROSEMARY - proudly finished the book. She thought Emma put her nose into others' business, found Mrs Elton obnoxious and the text heavy to read.
WENDY - really enjoyed the book. It was a great observation of society. She loved really understanding how the class system worked. The responses of Emma and her peers were acceptable and appropriate for the time. Children were farmed out to be raised by others (Harriet, Jane, Churchill). There was a pragmatic nature to this system. Even today it is still a modern book.
LESLEY - enjoyed the book but had to keep rereading to make sure she understood it. She found the conversations quite complex at times with very little real meaning! Mr Woodhouse irritated her, along with the Bates women. Emma was very indulged and selfish but, put in context, she had been raised in a social strand that provided her with little stimulation. There was so little of the larger world for her mentally explore.
JULIA - wondered if there were different versions of the book. She saw many of the situations as a power game with others emotions. Some characters were seen as egotistical and selfish. There was comedy in the book as well as a journey for Emma of self discovery.
PAMELA - her favourite book! Extremely funny, many comedic instances, it was also a moral education of Emma as there was a gap between her conduct and her consciousness. The insensitivity of Mr Elton and Mrs Weston was a modern day theme. The book revealed tremendous wit and the acerbic comedy of the author.
SHEILA - didn't read too much of the book. She thought it tedious and torturous. Sheila thought perhaps a discussion of each chapter with others would help her.
CONNIE - loved the introduction of the heroine "whom no one but myself would like". The conversations between people were very good. Emma revealed no hint about how the lower classes lived.
JOAN - said manners and decorum were extremely important, people had to know their places in society and keep it. She described a 'parlour boarder' as someone who could be a wealthy widow who lived permanently with another family. Particular crimes during the time of the story were valued differently - property was sacrosanct so its theft was dealt with harshly.
BEV - fell asleep so stopped at 40 pages.
TAMMY - loves Jane Austen. She loved the refined language used and the colloquialisms. She also watched the movie to provide her with visuals and to further enjoy the story.
PAT - read very little.
PAULINE - found it difficult to read. She needed to reread sections as she missed understanding parts. Still it was interesting.
JO - read to page 70. Thought the women in the book had no life. Emma not good as she judged others.
DIANNE - said the book was verbose but written beautifully. She loved the period it was set in but was infuriated with the social class system.
JANE - had read it previously when her son, in Year 12, studied the text.
CLAURINE - found the writing very small! She only read to page 123 as she had a far more enjoyable book to read!
PRU - also thought it hard to read and didn't read it all. Being set in the Napoleonic era, it showed the social class of the time. Emma never finished a project eg art, embroidery, she was always looking for things to do as she was bored.
ROSEMARY - proudly finished the book. She thought Emma put her nose into others' business, found Mrs Elton obnoxious and the text heavy to read.
WENDY - really enjoyed the book. It was a great observation of society. She loved really understanding how the class system worked. The responses of Emma and her peers were acceptable and appropriate for the time. Children were farmed out to be raised by others (Harriet, Jane, Churchill). There was a pragmatic nature to this system. Even today it is still a modern book.
LESLEY - enjoyed the book but had to keep rereading to make sure she understood it. She found the conversations quite complex at times with very little real meaning! Mr Woodhouse irritated her, along with the Bates women. Emma was very indulged and selfish but, put in context, she had been raised in a social strand that provided her with little stimulation. There was so little of the larger world for her mentally explore.
Thursday, February 19, 2015
FEBRUARY BOOKS - YOUNG ADULT LITERATURE.
February saw the members of the Book Club read and discuss books written for Young Adults. As usual, a wide variety of books were chosen. The conversations and discussions surrounding the books were reflective and interesting.
SHEILA - SHALLOWS by Tim Winton. Characters were miserable and didn't really seem to be aimed at young adults. Not an enjoyable read.
DIANNE - THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman. This author was not known to Dianne at all. Set in the world of the living dead, in a graveyard, it begins with the murder of a mother and daughter. The murderer - called The Man Jack - fails in an attempt to kill a baby also in the house. The baby escapes, gets to a graveyard where he is protected & raised by numerous 'souls' who have come from many past centuries. Well illustrated but not liked by the reader!
LAURA - OKAY FOR NOW by Gary D Schmidt. A young boy, raised in a very tough environment and bullied by family members, moves with his family to different locations. As he grows, rather than turning into a bully himself and thus continuing negative learnt behaviours, he tries to change his ways and break away from his harsh family environment. Told through the boys eyes it was a good read, filled with hope.
PRU - VIRALS by Kathy Reichs. A quick read, short chapters, many themes that are relevant to young readers. Tory Brennan - main character - loses her mother & goes to live with her father a micro biologist. They live on an island with a number of other scientists & a few children. The children bond & as happens they are from very diverse cultural backgrounds. Exploring, Tory and her friends find old dog tags & begin a search to see to whom they belonged. They discover a secret lab, find a captive wolf cub & take it with them. Sickness emerges & it appears the wolf cub, having parvo virus, infects the children. They present with canine qualities of better hearing and a heightened sense of smell - but only when very anxious or stressed. The mystery continues.
JUDY - A MAN CALLED OVE by Frederik Backman. A Swedish author, the book is slow to start but worth the perseverance. Well written, the story moves between past and present & reveals the life of the man OVE and what he is actually trying to do.
PAULINE - THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT TIME by Mark Hadden. A murder mystery, the narrator has Aspergers. The sentence structure is simple, even mundane. However the story about a boy who finds a murdered dog & sets out to solve the mystery reveals a lot about the behaviours, thought processes and relationships of people with Aspergers.
CONNIE - TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN by John Marsden. Seven 17 year olds go away for a few days deep into rural Victoria. When they begin their return journey they find the town has no electricity, no people, no sound. Puzzled, the children do not reveal their presence as they discover that the residents have all been captured & held in a compound. The story is full of survival, excitement, relationships, leadership and tactics. Connie now wants to read more in the series.
WENDY - TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN also. Enthralled, could not put the book down. She went on to read the next 2 books in the series. The characters were believable, had their faults but found it interesting to see the characters develop.
PAMELA - BRIAR ROSE by Jane Yolen. Briar Rose is another name for the fable Sleeping Beauty. A grandmother - Gemma - tells the story of sleeping beauty, with some changes. Gemma dies early in the story but makes her daughter and granddaughter (Rebecca) promise to find a mysterious Prince and a Castle. Rebecca finds an unknown box in her grandmothers things, a picture showing her grandmother is revealed. Using this, Rebecca tracks down someone who knows about the photograph and so a mystery, fantasy is revealed. Endings in fables are not always happy or predictable.
JOAN - CHINESE CINDERELLA AND THE MYSTERY OF THE SONG DYNASTY PAINTING by Adeline Yen Mah. The painting is real & is on display, on silk, in the Imperial Palace Beijing. The story is about a 12 year old girl in China who joins a secret society, away from parents. The group helps rescue 4 American pilots at the end of WW2. The main character, CC, has an accident, is in a coma & part of her treatment is hypnotherapy. During this she goes back 800 years, to the time when the painting was created & reveals the story behind the artwork. Cultural practices, Chinese history, the power of the Emperor and the role of eunuchs are all revealed in the tale.
KRIS - PAPER TOWNS by John Green. A mystery definitely aimed at youth. 18 year old Quentin, a nerdy boy thinking always of girls, lives next door to Margo - an unattainable girl. She disappears & he tries to find her & what has happened. He uses a poem by Walt Whitman to gain clues as to her disappearance.
LESLEY - THREE SUMMERS by Judith Clarke. The 'summers' refer to different stages of the main characters life ie Secret Places when she is a younger girl, her past story & how she is anxiously awaiting the results of her HSC. She hopes to win a scholarship to Sydney University so she can leave the small, country town she has grown up in. But - there is an interesting, sexy young man who catches her eye just before she intends to leave town. The next summer moves the story along quickly & is told through Ruth's letters to her best friend from school days - Fee. Fee chose to stay in the town, marry the boy next door & produce 5 sons. The last summer - The Real True Thing has Ruth back in the town, retired, happy, single, fostering a troubled young woman. There are many connections throughout the story - it's well written, interesting & very readable.
PAT - LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI by Melinda Marchetta. A 17 year old girl, struggling with cultural clashes of her family in the Australian context deals with complex relationships in a growing mature way. Very well written.
JUDY J - CANNILY, CANNILY by Simon French. Trevor, son of hippies, is dragged around the country by his parents. They like a unrestricted, free lifestyle and live in a Combie, picking fruit to earn a few dollars when needed. Trevor goes to many schools. When in 6th class the school he is placed in has a very narrow minded, cruel teacher - Mr Fuller. He ostracises, humiliates & punishes Trevor is any way he can. Trevor overcomes many of these difficulties, other children actually start to stand up for him & even other parents are supportive. But - his parents decide its time to move again, just as Trevor is making friendships.
ANNE - ME AND MR STENNER by Evan Hunter. 1976. An 11 year old girl, Abigail, watches as her parents go through a divorce & has to deal with all the emotional baggage that it brings. Her mother finds a new companion - Mr Stenner. Abigail is torn between liking Mr Stenner & her loyalty to her father. Change is part of life.
JULIA - HATING ALISON ASHLEY by Robin Klein. 2 girls are the main characters but there are many incidents that provide a humorous, entertaining look at primary school children. One girl thinks she is the star, on stage, at her school - talented & popular. Alison arrives at school very pretty, rich, clever and well behaved. School Camp provides the setting for more adventures for the 2 girls.
ROSEMARY - NONA AND ME by Claire Atkins. Set in a mining town, Nona is an Aboriginal girl who is best friends with Rosie - a white girl living with her mum in an Aboriginal part of town. One girl leaves the town for a number of years & returns when in Year 10. Things have changed as have both girls. Also set during the time of the Intervention, the relationships and issues that surround the girls are well explored. Well written.
JO - THEODORE BOON by John Grisham. A very clever 13 year old boy, son of lawyers, sees his life surrounded by lawyers, judges & the law. He sets out to find a witness in a serious crime - & does so. Well written.
BEV - THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner. SciFi. Thomas, 16 years old, awakes from a sleep & finds himself in a lift. When it opens he is in a concrete environment, surrounded by teenage boys who all have set jobs to do to survive. Each night they all must be back inside the compound, gates closed, as there are mechanical beasts outside who are ready to kill them. The maze changes daily & some are tasked to find the pattern in the maze. Enter a very bright girl with a message - 'I am the Last'. What does all that mean? Boys begin to die, the gates don't shut. The maze has clues as does all the codes they see.
ROSEMARY - THE MINISTRY OF PANDEMONIUM - Chris Wentworth. Set in the spiritual world, a young boy has the job of checking the machine that shows who are the next souls to pass over. He thinks he sees his mothers name on the next list & so steals the card with her information - hoping to stop her dying. Consequences result from him tampering with the machines order.
DEATH BOY AND CO by Di McClune (?). Another spiritual book about a boy who is involved with being a guardian of souls. The 3 Fates - being born, living and dying - are all supposed to keep a balance of how many souls there are, but one of the Fates starts taking too many souls away.
SHEILA - SHALLOWS by Tim Winton. Characters were miserable and didn't really seem to be aimed at young adults. Not an enjoyable read.
DIANNE - THE GRAVEYARD BOOK by Neil Gaiman. This author was not known to Dianne at all. Set in the world of the living dead, in a graveyard, it begins with the murder of a mother and daughter. The murderer - called The Man Jack - fails in an attempt to kill a baby also in the house. The baby escapes, gets to a graveyard where he is protected & raised by numerous 'souls' who have come from many past centuries. Well illustrated but not liked by the reader!
LAURA - OKAY FOR NOW by Gary D Schmidt. A young boy, raised in a very tough environment and bullied by family members, moves with his family to different locations. As he grows, rather than turning into a bully himself and thus continuing negative learnt behaviours, he tries to change his ways and break away from his harsh family environment. Told through the boys eyes it was a good read, filled with hope.
PRU - VIRALS by Kathy Reichs. A quick read, short chapters, many themes that are relevant to young readers. Tory Brennan - main character - loses her mother & goes to live with her father a micro biologist. They live on an island with a number of other scientists & a few children. The children bond & as happens they are from very diverse cultural backgrounds. Exploring, Tory and her friends find old dog tags & begin a search to see to whom they belonged. They discover a secret lab, find a captive wolf cub & take it with them. Sickness emerges & it appears the wolf cub, having parvo virus, infects the children. They present with canine qualities of better hearing and a heightened sense of smell - but only when very anxious or stressed. The mystery continues.
JUDY - A MAN CALLED OVE by Frederik Backman. A Swedish author, the book is slow to start but worth the perseverance. Well written, the story moves between past and present & reveals the life of the man OVE and what he is actually trying to do.
PAULINE - THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT TIME by Mark Hadden. A murder mystery, the narrator has Aspergers. The sentence structure is simple, even mundane. However the story about a boy who finds a murdered dog & sets out to solve the mystery reveals a lot about the behaviours, thought processes and relationships of people with Aspergers.
CONNIE - TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN by John Marsden. Seven 17 year olds go away for a few days deep into rural Victoria. When they begin their return journey they find the town has no electricity, no people, no sound. Puzzled, the children do not reveal their presence as they discover that the residents have all been captured & held in a compound. The story is full of survival, excitement, relationships, leadership and tactics. Connie now wants to read more in the series.
WENDY - TOMORROW WHEN THE WAR BEGAN also. Enthralled, could not put the book down. She went on to read the next 2 books in the series. The characters were believable, had their faults but found it interesting to see the characters develop.
PAMELA - BRIAR ROSE by Jane Yolen. Briar Rose is another name for the fable Sleeping Beauty. A grandmother - Gemma - tells the story of sleeping beauty, with some changes. Gemma dies early in the story but makes her daughter and granddaughter (Rebecca) promise to find a mysterious Prince and a Castle. Rebecca finds an unknown box in her grandmothers things, a picture showing her grandmother is revealed. Using this, Rebecca tracks down someone who knows about the photograph and so a mystery, fantasy is revealed. Endings in fables are not always happy or predictable.
JOAN - CHINESE CINDERELLA AND THE MYSTERY OF THE SONG DYNASTY PAINTING by Adeline Yen Mah. The painting is real & is on display, on silk, in the Imperial Palace Beijing. The story is about a 12 year old girl in China who joins a secret society, away from parents. The group helps rescue 4 American pilots at the end of WW2. The main character, CC, has an accident, is in a coma & part of her treatment is hypnotherapy. During this she goes back 800 years, to the time when the painting was created & reveals the story behind the artwork. Cultural practices, Chinese history, the power of the Emperor and the role of eunuchs are all revealed in the tale.
KRIS - PAPER TOWNS by John Green. A mystery definitely aimed at youth. 18 year old Quentin, a nerdy boy thinking always of girls, lives next door to Margo - an unattainable girl. She disappears & he tries to find her & what has happened. He uses a poem by Walt Whitman to gain clues as to her disappearance.
LESLEY - THREE SUMMERS by Judith Clarke. The 'summers' refer to different stages of the main characters life ie Secret Places when she is a younger girl, her past story & how she is anxiously awaiting the results of her HSC. She hopes to win a scholarship to Sydney University so she can leave the small, country town she has grown up in. But - there is an interesting, sexy young man who catches her eye just before she intends to leave town. The next summer moves the story along quickly & is told through Ruth's letters to her best friend from school days - Fee. Fee chose to stay in the town, marry the boy next door & produce 5 sons. The last summer - The Real True Thing has Ruth back in the town, retired, happy, single, fostering a troubled young woman. There are many connections throughout the story - it's well written, interesting & very readable.
PAT - LOOKING FOR ALIBRANDI by Melinda Marchetta. A 17 year old girl, struggling with cultural clashes of her family in the Australian context deals with complex relationships in a growing mature way. Very well written.
JUDY J - CANNILY, CANNILY by Simon French. Trevor, son of hippies, is dragged around the country by his parents. They like a unrestricted, free lifestyle and live in a Combie, picking fruit to earn a few dollars when needed. Trevor goes to many schools. When in 6th class the school he is placed in has a very narrow minded, cruel teacher - Mr Fuller. He ostracises, humiliates & punishes Trevor is any way he can. Trevor overcomes many of these difficulties, other children actually start to stand up for him & even other parents are supportive. But - his parents decide its time to move again, just as Trevor is making friendships.
ANNE - ME AND MR STENNER by Evan Hunter. 1976. An 11 year old girl, Abigail, watches as her parents go through a divorce & has to deal with all the emotional baggage that it brings. Her mother finds a new companion - Mr Stenner. Abigail is torn between liking Mr Stenner & her loyalty to her father. Change is part of life.
JULIA - HATING ALISON ASHLEY by Robin Klein. 2 girls are the main characters but there are many incidents that provide a humorous, entertaining look at primary school children. One girl thinks she is the star, on stage, at her school - talented & popular. Alison arrives at school very pretty, rich, clever and well behaved. School Camp provides the setting for more adventures for the 2 girls.
ROSEMARY - NONA AND ME by Claire Atkins. Set in a mining town, Nona is an Aboriginal girl who is best friends with Rosie - a white girl living with her mum in an Aboriginal part of town. One girl leaves the town for a number of years & returns when in Year 10. Things have changed as have both girls. Also set during the time of the Intervention, the relationships and issues that surround the girls are well explored. Well written.
JO - THEODORE BOON by John Grisham. A very clever 13 year old boy, son of lawyers, sees his life surrounded by lawyers, judges & the law. He sets out to find a witness in a serious crime - & does so. Well written.
BEV - THE MAZE RUNNER by James Dashner. SciFi. Thomas, 16 years old, awakes from a sleep & finds himself in a lift. When it opens he is in a concrete environment, surrounded by teenage boys who all have set jobs to do to survive. Each night they all must be back inside the compound, gates closed, as there are mechanical beasts outside who are ready to kill them. The maze changes daily & some are tasked to find the pattern in the maze. Enter a very bright girl with a message - 'I am the Last'. What does all that mean? Boys begin to die, the gates don't shut. The maze has clues as does all the codes they see.
ROSEMARY - THE MINISTRY OF PANDEMONIUM - Chris Wentworth. Set in the spiritual world, a young boy has the job of checking the machine that shows who are the next souls to pass over. He thinks he sees his mothers name on the next list & so steals the card with her information - hoping to stop her dying. Consequences result from him tampering with the machines order.
DEATH BOY AND CO by Di McClune (?). Another spiritual book about a boy who is involved with being a guardian of souls. The 3 Fates - being born, living and dying - are all supposed to keep a balance of how many souls there are, but one of the Fates starts taking too many souls away.
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