Kris: The Library Book by
Susan Orlean
In 1986 a fire destroyed
much of the Los Angeles Public Library. While it was never proved by whom or
why the fire was lit, this book explores, through little snippets, the
importance of the Library to the community and the many roles it plays. While
not a riveting book, it certainly was a ‘lovely read’.
Rosemary: Dignity by Alys
Conran
This is the 2nd
novel by this young Welsh writer and it covers both the 20th century
in India at the time of the Raj, and a modern day 21st century UK
town. It sways beautifully between the two, and you have no trouble determining
which era you are currently in.
Joan:
To bring an
element of coolness to the heat of this summer, Joan shared a poem, The
Cremation of Stan McGee, written by Robert M Service. It was published in 1907 and concerns the
cremation of a prospector who freezes to death in Yukon, Canada, as told by the
man who cremates him.
Bev: Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan
Anthony Peardew is the ‘keeper of lost things’. Forty years
ago he lost a keepsake of his fiancé, who unexpectedly died later that day. So
he began collecting lost things, taking them home and cataloguing them. He had
so many he had to get an assistant, Laura. When he died, she has to carry out
his last wish, to reunite these objects with their owners. Bev described it as
a sweet story.
Jo: Owl be Home for Christmas by Donna Andrews
This is the 26th book in the Meg Langslow series,
a lighthearted murder mystery set around Christmas. In a snow storm people are
worried about getting home in time!
Wendy L: The Weekend by Charlotte Wood
The story concerns three older women who have been friends
for 40 years. A fourth member has just died so they go to her beach house to
clean it out to get it ready for sale. They explore their friendships, some bubbling
tensions arise and secrets are revealed. Beautiful characters in a terrific
book.
Lesley: The Handmaid’s Tale
by Margaret Attwood
Having seen the
TV series, Lesley thought she should read the book. She thought the book was
good but glad she had seen the series. She was particularly interested in the
notes at the end. Reflecting on these, the comment was that you can’t judge on
what has happened in the past.
Connie: The Little Paris
Bookshop by Nina George
From the first
page she enjoyed it! Jean Perdu buys a barge on the Seine and turns it into a
bookshop. As he takes it down the river he advises people what to read to sort
out their problems. He meets so many interesting people, and sorts them all out,
except himself.
Judy J: The Girl with Seven
Names by Hyeonseo Lee
This is her
story of growing up in North Korea, a secretive and brutal totalitarian regime.
Eager to see what life was like in China, she crosses the border at night. The
true story of her survival, not only in China, but eventually in South Korea, is
remarkable. It was twelve years before she was able to meet her family again
and help them escape to join her.
Julia: Good Girl, Bad Girl
by Michael Robotham
The author has a
new protagonist in Cyrus Haven, also a criminal psychologist. Evie Cormac is a
girl without a past, found in a secret room after a shocking crime. Julia liked
the way the book is written, with one chapter told by Evie, the next by Cyrus. Michael
Robothan is recognized as great crime writer.
Ed: Where the Crawdads Sing
by Delia Owens
Kya is a young
girl who lives in an old shack in the marshes in North Carolina. She is left to
look after herself but also learns so much about the gulls and other creatures
in the area. Eventually this knowledge changes her life. A very heartwarming
story of resilience, survival, hope, love and much more.
Prue: The Digger’s Rest
Hotel by Geoffrey McGeachin
This is the first
of three ‘Charlie Berlin’ crime novels and won the Ned Kelly award for best
fiction in 2011. Charlie Berlin
is a Melbourne police detective who served as a WW11 pilot, was shot down and
did time as a POW. On his return to the police force he didn’t quite ‘fit in’ so
was sent to Wodonga to solve a series of crimes. Prue enjoyed it so much, she
is in the process of finishing the remaining books in the series.
Diann: Cesha’s Story by
Cesha Glazer
Cesha Glazer’s story is remarkable. Born near Warsaw,
Cesha was a blonde young woman who was easily able to pass as a
Christian. She spoke Polish with no trace of an accent. This,
combined with her ingenuity and ability to retain her composure, even in the
face of extreme danger, enables her to act as a courier from the Warsaw Ghetto
and later to live ‘in plain sight’ in Warsaw. Cesha’s Story is a devastating picture
of life in wartime Poland. But it also shows how individuals were able to
rebuild their lives in Australia and to find meaning in their survival by telling
their stories in the hope of ensuring that no such horror occurs again.
Charis: Pacifica by Kirsten Simmons
Set in the future when the ice has melted and plastics in
the ocean have formed an island. The world is divided into two groups at war
with each other, and one of these groups live on the ‘plastic island’.
In this dystopian world, everything we haven't done
to save the environment has taken its toll. Global warming went to an extreme;
all the icebergs in the world melted; miles and miles of rubbish make the seas
almost inhabitable!
Claurene: Rather his Own Man by Geoffrey Robertson
This is the second
part of his memoir, and is absolutely a fun, fascinating, very witty and
poignant memoir. Good fun to read
and a fantastic book.
Tam: The Versions of Us by
Laura Barnett
The book has a
very different format – in 1958 a young couple meet after she fell off her
bike. Three different versions of what could have happened are told. The same
people make different decisions in each part. Tam found it quite interesting.
Pat: The Art of Happiness
by Dalai Lama
Pat found it a
really interesting and different book.
Most people
associate happiness with things, but it has to come from within you, not
material things.
Sheila: The House on the
Hill by Susan Duncan
This is the third
book of her memoirs. She is at the age where she has decided there is no point
sweating on long term ramifications; there aren’t any. She is aging gracefully,
building a house, grappling with floods and droughts and sorting out things
from her family’s past.
Sheila thought
the first two books were better though.
Pamela: The Sound and the
Fury by William Faulkner
Its not an easy
read, with four stories that happen to members of the Compson family, in one
day but in different years. Everyone is complicated and with a different point
of view. Published in 1929, it was the author’s fourth novel.
January 2020 ~ ‘Santa
Sack’
At our first
Book Club meeting for the year, we will share books we have received for
Christmas and/or read over this holiday period.
No comments:
Post a Comment