December: 2022 Favourite book of the Year

Pamela: Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

The book tells and retells the story of The Sleeping Princess and is set in a Polish neighbourhood of Massachusetts, USA and in Poland. One of the themes of the book is that fairy stories don’t always have happy endings. Others are that life isn’t always as pleasant as you think and despite that, love can conquer all.

The fairy story is revealed through the book which requires very careful reading.

Pamela described it as a very good book and worth reading.

 

Sheila: Agatha by Ann Cathrine Boman

This is the first novel by this Danish author and Sheila was expecting a ‘cold book’ but was pleasantly surprised. 

An old physiatrist is not looking forward to retirement and is counting down the patients he must see. Agatha is client 72 and he falls in love with her.

The book is about loneliness and what it means to make friends at any stage of life.  

A charming and beautifully written novella set in Paris in the 1940’s and translated from Danish.

 

Val Adams: The Gifts of Reading. ESSAYS on the JOYS of READING, GIVING and RECEIVING BOOKS.

Several authors write about how important books are to them in many ways. Each author also lists 5 books they would give as gifts.

It’s an easy and delightful read with the profits going to a not-for-profit organisation that supply books to primary schools and girls in high schools, in third world countries.

 

Prue: Cry Wolf by Hans Rosenfeldt

This is the first book in a new series by the creator of ‘The Bridge’ , writer for ‘Wallander’ and other successful television productions.

This crime and mystery thriller is set in northern Sweden in a town past its glory days.

It begins with the discovery of a dead wolf containing the human remains of the Finish/Russian survivor of a drug bust gone wrong. Then the search begins for the drugs and money, and events rapidly escalate.

Prue thought it was well written, with good character development and not predictable.

 

Jocelyn: A Long Petal of the Sky by  Isabel Allende

A poetic saga of people, politics and place but also delicate, detailed and complicated.

With the Civil War raging in Spain during the 1930s, many people were forced to flee and made the dangerous trek over the mountains. In fear of their lives, some emigrated to Chile where they were not welcome but still made a life for themselves.

Isabel Allende, with family in high places in Chilean politics, and with the aid of memories of a 103-year-old Chilean friend, has written an absorbing and convincing story of these times. A very good book.

 

Jo: A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie

This is book 18 featuring Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his wife, Detective Inspector Gemma James. They have been invited to a weekend in a stately home in the Cotswolds.

A well-known chef is coming to oversee the food, but a car accident and several murders mean it won’t be a quiet weekend the guests thought they were going to have.

Jo really enjoyed it and has all the books in the series.

 

Lesley: The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

Based on the true story of the librarians at the American Library in Paris during the Nazi occupation. They risked their lives to keep the library open and to provide  books to  Jews (in hiding) and send boxes of books to frontline soldiers where possible.

In 1983, Lily a student in Montana, must interview an older person for school. She chooses her neighbour Odile, very reserved and almost reclusive. Lily slowly discovers Odile’s past, her passion for books and her secrets about her job in the Paris Library.

A lovely story even with the sadness, futility of war, betrayal, courage and secrets.

 

Joan: BAD BLOOD – Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Start-up by John Carreyrou

This is the true story of a scandalous fraud and legal intimidation. Liz Holmes began a company that would make blood tests significantly faster and easier.

She managed to get funding from many high-profile businessmen to the extent that the company  was valued at $9 billion. There was only one problem, the technology didn’t work.

Eventually whistle blowers, including this author, broke the story in the Wall Street Journal.

The rise and fall of Liz Holmes ( who is now in jail) is a gripping read, and a real page turner.

 

Diann: Circle of Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini

Based on the  Elm Creek Quilters, this is number 9 in the series. Some of the quilters share their story of how they came to quilting as the group tries to find 2 members to take over the running of the group. Many of the stories are very moving and emotional but it is still such an enjoyable read.

 

Pat: Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

A woman named Elle has an affair with a childhood friend, Jonas, when they meet up while on holidays. Elle must choose between her good life with her husband or the imagined life she could have had with Jonas if a tragic event hadn’t changed their lives forever.

Pat really enjoyed this page turner.

 

Judy A: A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson

The book is set in a small town in northern Ontario in the early 70s. A family is in crisis and 16year old angry and rebellious Rosie, had a fight with her mother and has run away from home. Eight-year-old Clara stands at the window when she can, waiting for her return.

Meanwhile she’s keeping watch over the next door’s house and feeding the cat. Old Mrs Orchard has gone to  hospital but said she would be back.

Then much to her dismay and astonishment, a stranger (Liam Kane) moves in next door. Why is he there and what he is doing?

The narrative moves between Clara, Liam and Mrs Orchard.

A beautiful story by this Canadian author.

 

Bev: Before the Poison by Peter Robinson

After years of success in Hollywood composing music for films, and following the death of his wife, Chris Lowdes returns to Yorkshire. He buys an isolated house, sight unseen, as he comes to terms with his grief. 

But Kilnsgate House is more than he expected. He learns that a man died there 60 years ago and his wife was hanged for his murder. He becomes obsessed with whether she was guilty or not and plays amateur detective and starts his own investigation whichs gets further than he thought.

The author seems to have a fascination with music and alcohol, while the book has an interesting ending.

 

Julia: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Olsen

Book 1 in the series. They don’t have to be read in order, but the characters appear in each story. The books are a bit of fun.

 

Rosemary: The Bullet that Missed by Richard Olsen (Bk 3)

The stories are set in a retirement village with 4 characters making up the Murder Club. They solve cold case murders. The cases are real but the way they solve them is quite unreal and impossible. With each case, more snippets of their lives are revealed which makes it very interesting.

They are light reading with many amusing passages.

 

Lyn: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Gamus

Basically it’s about women’s lives and their struggle for empowerment in the late 50s and early 60s. Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant scientist struggling in a ‘man’s world’. But the only man who supports her and falls in love (with her mind) is Calvin Evans, a Noble Prize nominee.

Some years later when she finds herself a single mum, she is forced to leave the company to find a better paying job.

Through unusual circumstances, she ends up as the host of a successful cooking show. As well as teaching the art of cooking, she is really challenging women to change the status quo.

Lyn described it as a ‘must read’, hard to put down and held her interest throughout.

 

Kris: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

The story is set in Minnesota in the early 1960s. Jeremiah Land is raising his three children after his wife left him. He has a deep Christian faith and believed by some to perform small miracles.

The story is narrated by Reuben, Jeremiah’s asthmatic 11year old son who struggles with his own faith.

The older brother Davy flees after being charged with the murder of two locals who have terrorised the family. He feels he won’t be treated fairly. So Jeremiah takes the family on a journey across the Badlands of Dakota in search of the fugitive.

Kris was very moved by this book as it evoked similar feelings that she had about Atticus Finch, the strength of character and that great certainty in his beliefs, against all odds.

 

Judy J: Last Girl to Die by Helen Fields

In search of a new life, 16-year-old Adriana Clark’s family move from the USA to the ancient, ocean-battered Isle of Mull, far off the coast of Scotland. She then goes missing. Faced with the hostile locals and indifferent police, her desperate parents turn to  private investigator, Sadie Levesque from Canada. Her specialty is runaway teenagers.

After finding Adriana’s body in a cliffside cave with a seaweed crown carefully arranged on her head, she knows she’s dealing with something she’s never encountered before.

Family secrets, witchcraft, more murders, romance and the geography of this isolated island move the story along very quickly until it finishes with the most unexpected ending!

Reviews described the author as the ‘new Anne Cleeves’, I’m not sure that she is there yet.

 

Judy D: Careless in Red by Elizabeth George

Following the murder of his wife, Inspector Lynley leaves the Police Force and goes home to  Cornwall.

While on a walk he finds the body of a young man, dead from a fall. While Lynley is not in charge of the investigation this time, he is a witness and possibly a suspect.

Judy described it as a typical murder story, but well written with an easy-to-read style.

 

 

 

  

NOVEMBER 2022 - NON FICTION BOOKS

 

Lyn - Noor's Story. My Life in District 6. By Noor Ebrahim. 1999.

District 6 on the outskirts of Cape Town was, according to Noor, a mix of cultures that had formed a large community and lived in harmony. There were many festivals, parades, activities that saw the inhabitants mix and enjoy their lifestyle. Until 1966 when it was declared that all inhabitants of District 6 had to be white. Noor, and all of the residents who were not white were forced to move. When the bulldozers arrived families were given 1 month to leave. His story tells of the fun, enjoyment and good times prior to apartheid.

Jocelyn - Gods and Demons. Deborah Cassrels. 2020.

In 2006 Foreign Correspondent Deborah went to live in Bali. Her book reveals numerous complex issues and dilemmas that the Balinese face. Part of the 170,000 islands that make Indonesia, there are multiple religions, corruption at all levels of government, terrorism, rampant crime, scams, scandals, mixed marriages, tourism issues etc that affect all who live there. Deborah, owing to her journalist profession accessed many contacts who provided insights into life in Bali. The book was illuminating but hard to read.

Jo - Snowy: The Making of Modern Australia. Brad Collins. 1991.

A marvellous engineering feat - 16 dams, 100,000 workers migrated from Europe. Such hard work tunnelling through the mountains, building and installing hydro electric turbines to capture the water from inland. Many accidents and a huge cost. Each dam, during 1950's and 1960's cost $38 million. Nowadays they would cost billions of dollars.

Diann - The Soul of a Woman. Isabel Allende 2020.

A tribute to the women in her life, the book is self reflective. The times jump forward and backward as the author ponders love, children, marriage (she has been married 3 times), violence against women, aging and equality.  Diann really enjoyed it.

Val - Growing up in Country. Rick Morton. 2022.

A compilation of essays how about a cross section of society generally feel about growing up in the country.  Isolation, loneliness and boredom are considered. Val gave examples of the views of 2 interviewees. A man from Karachi (Pakistan) and his family lived in Northam on the outskirts of Perth. There were 2 pubs, 1 Chinese restaurant and a servo. His comment - the food was better in the servo. He now lives in Melbourne, slowly adjusting to a far more busy lifestyle however during the Pandemic and lockdowns he reflected that the quiet, empty streets reminded him of Northam and was grateful for the peace. Another - an Iranian journalist lived in Deniliquin. A drive into a bigger town was a big event. He still packs dates and naan bread for road trips.

Pru - Dingo. Brad Purcell. 2010.

The book was written as an extension of his PHD work and as such had a lot of references, graphs, scientific details and technical jargon. Many facts were very interesting - Dingo's are an Australian icon however they are both a pest and a protected species. Pure bred dingoes are not dogs, they only breed once a year. Native animals in areas where dingoes inhabit are better protected as dingoes attack their predators. However they also attack live stock so a conundrum exists. A very interesting story.

Judy A - Empire of Pain. Patrick Radden Keefe. 2020.

The Sackler Dynasty - 3 brothers, all doctors, originally in marketing positions bought a company, Purdue Pharma and moved into pharmaceutical field promoting pain relief drugs such as Oxycontin. They were the founders of medical advertising. Medical professionals were aggressively encouraged to prescribe a variety of pain relief drugs. Long term use and large doses resulted in addictions, mental health disorders and was seen as a key cause of the opioid epidemic in the States. The Sackler family's wealth vastly increased and they turned to philanthropy. However growing unrest about the serious effects of the drugs promoted by the Sackler's resulted in major backlashes, with their names being removed from buildings, and foundations and organisations refusing to accept their patronage. Judy found the read enthralling and gave it 5 out of 5.

Judy J - Kidnapped. Mark Tedeschi.  2015.

Australia's only known kidnapping and ransom of a child. The family won the Opera House Lottery in 1960. Their details were published in newspapers. Graeme was abducted from Bondi and a ransom of $20,000 was made. Sadly Graeme's body was found shortly after. The Kidnapper, a Hungarian immigrant, was envious of the family's win. He planned the abduction but did not intend to kill Graeme. The book covers in detail the solving of the crime, the many police and investigators involved, the use of early forensic processes and Australia's laws.  Interestingly in 1961 there was no law against kidnapping so the police had to pursue it as a murder case. Also it was the first time women were allowed to participate in jury duty. Whilst a guilty verdict was reached and the perpetrator went to jail, both families lives were destroyed by the after effects of heinous crime.

Julia - The Australian Woman's Weekly. 2002.

Julia enjoyed the article about the Queen Mother and the beautiful photo's of the time.

 

Rosemary - Australian Midwives. Paula Heelan. 2016.

13 chapters covering a variety of midwives - why and how they came into the profession, the challenges (a number were in remote areas), fly in fly out nurses, accommodating differing cultural expectations and traditions. They, with great courage, really are pioneers all trying to make life better for women in the outback. Amazing what they do! Rosemary found it very interesting.

Kris - The Invention of Russia. Arkayda Ostrovsky. 2015.

Gorbachevs freedom to Putin's War. Journalist Arkayda looks at the last 25 years of Russia's history from the Cold War to the disintegration of the Soviet Union. He blames massive media domination and interference that had led to ex KGB agent Putin now in command. Very interesting.

Pamela - The Colour code. Paul Simpson. 2021.

Quite interesting how the scientific information and social conventions blend to provide many facts about colour. Paul looks at 11 colours and examines how they influence how we think. Yellow/Orange - sacred in some religions. Red - danger, anger, but in Asia red in lucky, brings prestige. Green - poisonous, Brown drab. Why are there blue bloods? Very interesting.

Sheila - Ghost Empire. Richard Fidler. 2016.

A father and son adventure through the Byzantium empire (centred on Constantinople),  learning about the clashes of civilizations, the rise of Christianity, Roman rule, murder, wild times - the book brings people alive. Plus the deepening of the relationship with his son. Not hard to read and very enjoyable.

Lesley - Take Six Girls. Laura Thompson. 2015.

A group biography of the Mitford sisters, 6 women born into a privileged, upper class family, they received virtually no formal schooling however all were well read. This and the company they kept, allowed strong political and social views to develop. The family were outspoken, outlandish in many behaviours, bored and indulged. Nancy became a successful author however her razor sharp wit was cruel. Diana married the leader of the British Fascist Party, had her wedding at the home of Goebbels, Hitler was a guest and frequently mixed with the Nazi hierarchy. She spent time interred during the war years for her beliefs and never repented concerning her views of the Holocaust. Jessica was also an outspoken fascist. Pamela enjoyed country life but married a high profile homosexual who had been married 6 six times. Unity, in love with Hitler, also spent time in Germany and mixed freely with those in the Nazi  Party. Brother Tom died during WW2. Deborah married the Duke of Devonshire and went on to restore Chatsworth House. The book jumps forward and backward often, there are too many other characters involved and it really needs a family tree to sort out who is being referred to and how they fit into the overall picture. A high profile but quite unlikeable family.

 

 

DECEMBER:  We will be reading our favourite book of the year

 

Don't forget to wrap a pre loved book as a Christmas gift and get dressed up for our Christmas lunch.

 

OCTOBER, 2022 - VARIOUS TITLES BY RUDYARD KIPLING

 Rudyard Kipling was born in British India in 1865 and died in London in 1936.  He was an English short-story writer, poet and novelist.  He is well known for his celebration of British imperialism and his stories and poems of British soldiers in India.  Living in British India inspired most of his writing, as well as his delight in human eccentricities and the animal world. He also wrote stories for children. His Just So Stories were written for his beloved daughter, Josephine.  The book was published in 1902  three years after she died from pneumonia.  In 1907 he received a Nobel Prize for literature.

SHEILA did not read a book but said she remembered her father carried a small book of Rudyard Kipling stories.

PAMELA read  SHORT STORIES.  

Most of the stories are set in Britain.  MRS BATHURST was very good.  It's a story told to men working in South Africa about an officer who fled with Mrs. Bathurst, a young widow.  It was considered ingenious.  Another is WAYSIDE COMEDY.  It's set on a station in India where everyone has to get on with each other.  It's very funny.  THE GARDENER  has to be read carefully.  Pamela said Rudyard Kipling is a sophisticated writer.

CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS

JUDY D ploughed through the book. Kipling wrote it as if he was the person speaking.  She had to go back regularly as it was difficult to read and understand.  The story was about a very spoiled young man who had a rich father.  He was on a cruise with his mother.  He's pushed overboard and presumed drowned.  It's mostly about fishing for cod in the ocean.  Judy found it boring.

ROSEMARY didn't finish.  The language was too difficult to get her head around. 

Rosemary also read JUST SO STORIES  and commented on the illustrations in the book done by Rudyard Kipling.  His father was an artist.  Each story was very short.  As it was Rosemary's own book she said it was lovely to reminisce. 

JUST SO STORIES

KRIS  read some of the stories including How the Leopard got his spots, How the Rhinoceros got his skin, How the Whale got his throat, the Elephant's child and the Cat that walked by himself.  The stories are whimsical, imaginative, eccentric and very clever.  They would delight most children of that era with stories of far away places and jungle creatures.  The language is extraordinary.  He told the stories to his daughter.  It is considered a classic of children's literature.

CONNIE  told us that Kipling sometimes changed the words when he read the book to his daughter.  When his daughter realised he had changed the words she would say "Tell it Just So Daddy".  This is why Kipling called it Just So Stories.  Connie thoroughly enjoyed the stories.

LESLEY enjoyed them but didn't read them all.   He wrote one of the stories about the kangaroo. He came to Australia in the 1990's.  She said the stories had a fable like quality.

JO liked the poems after each story and said Kipling had a very good imagination.  She also liked the ideas he came up with, especially the story about the young elephant with a very short nose. He becomes curious about meeting a crocodile. He sets off to find one and when he does, the crocodile gets the young elephant to come closer and pulls his nose to drag him into the water.  Instead the nose becomes longer and longer as the elephant pulls back.  His nose stretches and stretches and becomes a long trunk.

JULIA started to read it.  She read How the Whale got his Throat.  She showed us the illustration.  She also read How the Camel got his Hump but she couldn't really get into the stories.

LYN read this book ten years ago but didn't enjoy the stories.    She tried to read it again but didn't have the time.

BEV read SHORT STORIES

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING  is the longest story in the book.  It's a story about a journalist who has a crazy scheme to set up two British adventurers in British India to become kings in a remote part of Afghanistan and then rob the locals.  One of the kings gets killed when the locals realise he is not a God and the other one comes back in rags.  She found it too long, the print too small and the story boring.

JUDY A: read SHORT STORIES

RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI is the story of a mongoose living in  a yard.  It manages to kill a cobra to save a little boy.

KIM

JOAN read KIM, a very old book with yellow pages and very small writing.  It was published in 1901.  Joan only got to about page 130.   It's the story of the orphan son of an Irish soldier.  Although Kim is white he was born in India. Kim and an old Lama go on a quest to find the Holy River.  Neither completely British nor completely Indian, he struggles to create an identity for himself.  He becomes educated in the British system and is secretly being trained as a spy.  This is Kipling's most famous novel and very famous for the poem "If".  She said she needed to finish the book.

VAL tried to read it but didn't get it.  She found the constant need to explain an Indian God etc. irritating.  She thought the second half might be better.

TAM did not Rudyard Kipling.  She read a book by the author Joy Dettman.  The story is set in a small country town in Australia.  Tam said she really enjoyed the book and said it would be a good choice for our book club.

PAT did not read Rudyard Kipling. She read a book about Andrew Thompson, the young Scottish man who was transported to Australia in 1792.  She found the information on the floods, at that time, very interesting. 

 

 Kris

 

NOVEMBER:  We will be reading NON FICTION 

 

 

 

 

 

SEPTEMBER BOOK CLUB: Autobiography or Biography

 Connie: A Star on her Door.  The Life and Career of June Bronhill by Richard Davis

While Connie is generally not a fan of biographies, she chose this one because of her love of music and a personal connection with the subject.

But again she was disappointed, as after detailing Brownhills brilliant career, her later life was plagued by illness, money problems and a failing career before her death in 2005. This was not the way she wanted to remember her. 

She wished she had read her autobiography. 

 

Ed: Daring to Fly by Lisa Millar

Lisa Millar grew up in country Queensland and through her career as a journalist spent many years overseas as a foreign correspondent. Here she witnessed firsthand many tragedies and much human suffering.  Her fear of flying was beginning to jeopardise her career and lifestyle until she found the strength and resistance to overcome it.

There is much more in this book, and it comes highly recommended.

 

Pat: Sam Bloom: Heartache & Birdsong by Bradley Trevor Greive, Cameron Bloom, Samantha Bloom

Sam and her husband live on the northern beaches of Sydney, living a lifestyle of surfing and travelling. On a trip to Thailand she was severely injured following the collapse of a balcony, ending up a paraplegic,

 devasting for such an active person.

What Pat liked about the book was that Sam never coated her situation and was honest with her feelings and how hard everything was. But this didn’t stop her from returning to canoeing and surfing, representing Australia and winning world titles.

When one of her sons brings home an injured magpie, they name it Penguin. She looked after it and this relationship certainly helped with her recovery.

Pat described it as a lovely read with amazing photos taken by her photographer husband.

 

Judy A: Leaping into Waterfalls: the enigmatic Gillian Mears by Bernadette Brennan 

The Australian writer Gillian Mears died by suicide aged 51 in 2016. She had been living with MS for 5 years. Her biography, written by Bernadette Brennan won this year’s National Biography Award.

Judy chose this biography for a couple of reasons. Her novel, Foal’s Bread is one of her very favourite books. After hearing her speak about her biography, she was keen to read more of her books. Also, Mears grew up in Grafton, going to the same High School as Judy and she enjoyed reading a book set in a place she was familiar with.

 

Judy J: Rogues: Trues Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks by Patrick Radden Keefe.

The author is an investigative journalist who writes mainly for magazines such as The New Yorker. These are previously published essays about people whose name we wouldn’t know although we may have heard of their crime.

One of these stories is titled The Avenger. David Dornstein was a young American living in Israel. His return flight to America was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988.

Although one Libyan man was charged over the bombing, his brother Ken spent the next 30 years trying to find and bring to justice others who were involved in the death of his brother. His dedication and his perseverance are outstanding.

Another story tells of Judy Clarke, a lawyer who defends only the ‘worst of the worst’. These are men whose crimes will lead to the death penalty.

Here she defends the younger of 2 brothers who left bombs near the finishing line of the Boston Marathon in 2013, killing 3 people and injuring 264 .She believes that people are not born evil and is a staunch advocate against the death penalty.

 

Julia: David Jason, My Life by David Jason

David has been a popular television personality for many years and appearing in many successful shows and series including Only Fools and Horses and Frost.

It’s a very amusing read with lots of great photos.

 

Rosemary: Speaking Tongues by Tom Tilly

Tom Tilly is a well-known and successful journalist, and his fascinating memoir tells of his early life growing up in Mudgee. His life revolved around football, his family, and the Pentecostal Church.

The close-knit community church was very restrictive leading to many conflicts and doubts in Tom’s mind. Foremost was the need to be able to ‘speak in tongues’.

He was torn between the life he had to live and the life he wanted to live.

A very interesting story said Rosemary.

 

Kris: Isabelle, The Life of Isabelle Eberhardt by Annette Kobak

An illustrated biography of Isabelle Eberhardt who, although she died young, became a legend in her own lifetime. Using her diaries and many previously unpublished letters, the author tells of her childhood in Geneva, her adventures in the North African desert and her identification with the Arabs. Although she died at the age of 27, she became known as “The Amazon of the Sahara”. Several books and a movie have been made of her very colourful  life.

 

Pamela: Grimmish by Michael Winkler

This self-published and very strange book was short listed for the 2022 Miles Franklin Awards. Although unsuccessful, it has now been picked up a publisher and has become a cult favourite.

Joe Grim was an Italian /American boxer who came to Australia about 1908.

He didn’t win any fights but could absorb an incredible amount of pain, humiliating boxers because they couldn’t knock him out.

The book is partly non-fiction and partly meta fiction, the author breaking the tradition of fiction, for example, with a goat as the narrator. Sometimes it was difficult to know when fiction became the truth.

Pamela said it was not a depressing but quite funny. Joe Grim was a paid pain artist!

 

Val: Russian Roulette: The Life and Times of Graham Greene by Richard Greene

 

Val’s first comment was that she was struggling with the book but enjoying it. As Richard Greene (no relation) retells the story of Greene’s life, many scenarios and characters in his books can be identified.

As a manic depressive, Greene lived life on the edge and so deliberately put his life at risk, visiting countries at war and suffering from disease.

He knew so many influential people including politicians, royalty, actors and spies.

He was not a very nice man but had lived a fascinating life.

 

Joan: Boris Johnston: The Gambler by Tom Bower

Boris Johnson was born in New York where his father was a banker. His early life is well documented as are his marriages and career path until he becomes Prime Minister in 2019. While he is a very divisive and colourful character, the book is an excellent but long and fascinating read.

He was an overprivileged young man, but had a violent upbringing in his family.

Where will his career take him next?

 

Claurene:  True Colours; My Life by Adam Gilchrist

Claurene loves biographies and is a great cricket fan, so this was an obvious book for her to choose.

She liked it because Gilchrist talks about his life beginning as a 10-year-old and he then documents his cricketing career, the different countries he played in and all the great players he played against and with.

He is also very honest with his opinion about many situations and characters.

600 pages of great reading.

 

 

Jo: The Barefoot Surgeon; The inspiring Story of Dr Sanduk Ruit by Ali Gripper

As a boy in lived in the mountains of Nepal, one of the poorest and most isolated countries in the world.

From the age of 7 he was away at boarding school and so had little to do with his family. His sister died when she was very young, so Sanduk decided he would become a doctor.

Not only did he do this, but studied further to become an ophthalmologist, working among the poor in his country. He has said he was inspired by Australia’s Fred Hollows.

A marvellous, beautiful story and very inspirational.

 

 

Next month’s author is Rudyard Kiplng