JULY - THE TUDOR PERIOD

 At our July Book Club meeting we had a lively and interesting discussion about the "Tudors".  It was a fascinating period in history.  We had a large group today.  It was also our annual "Christmas in July" lunch after the meeting.

 SHEILA:  Elizabeth and Mary by Jane Dunn (Cousins, Rivals and Queens)

This book is historical non fiction.  By the second page Sheila was enjoying this book and said it was an extremely good read.  She had to read some of it and then go away to think about.  It is historically true.  It gives a human face to the two women.  Sheila thought that some of the men who were vying for either woman were horrible.  She found the story riveting.

MARIE:   Mary Queen of Scots by Jacob Abbott

This book is historical non fiction.  Marie thought it would be statistical but it wasn't. Marie found it very enjoyable.

JUDY DE LA TORRE:  The Tudors by G.J. Meyer

Judy said this book was a beautiful written history, mostly about King Henry VIII and his second wife, Anne Boleyn.  It was engrossing, engaging and well presented.  She would thoroughly recommend it to anyone.

JOAN:  The Tudor Age by Jasper Ridley

This book was also historical non fiction.  Jasper Ridley is a barrister turned author.  Joan didn't think the author was as good a writer as others have mentioned but the book had some very interesting facts about medicine, fashion, housing, food etc.  The book begins in 1485 with Henry VII and ending in 1603 with the death of Queen Elizabeth I. Some of the facts mentioned by Joan were: London was a walled city with London Bridge being the only bridge over the Thames river, prisoners were brought by barge to the Tower of London and many of the houses built at the time are still standing.

CONNIE:  A History of English Speaking People's by Winston Churchill

Connie just read the section on Queen Mary I, daughter of King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon and half sister to Elizabeth. Mary was a devout Catholic.  She was considered illegitimate as Henry VIII had his marriage annulled. Henry changed the religion from Catholic to Protestant. Before Henry died he decreed his successor would be his son and if Edward was childless, it would be Mary and if she was childless, Elizabeth would be next.  Mary was the first queen to reign in her own right in 1553.  The first thing she did was to change the religion back to Catholic.  She became known as Bloody Mary for the number of Protestants she had put to death. She married Philip II of Spain in 1554.  She eventually died childless.  Connie enjoyed reading it.

JUDY 4:  Henry VIII by Alison Weir

 This is an historical non fiction - a biography of Henry VIII's life and after his death. Henry's son, Edward takes the throne as Edward VI after his father's death and in his will he excludes his half sisters, Mary and Elizabeth from succession and nominates his cousin, Jane Grey, a granddaughter of Henry VII.  When Edward dies Jane Grey is on the throne for nine days until Mary declares herself Queen. Judy enjoyed it so much.

PAMELA:  The Constitutional History of Modern Britain 1483-1951 by L. Keir

This book is historical non fiction.  When Henry VIII died his son, Edward, born to Jane Seymour, comes to the throne age 10.   His uncle was Lord Protector. Edward wrote a will and made Jane Grey, his cousin and granddaughter to Henry VII, his successor instead of Mary his half sister. Lady Jane Grey was married to the Duke of Northumberland's son.  When Edward dies Lady Jane Grey becomes Queen.  Mary had travelled 90 miles just after Edward died and with a large Catholic following, she was proclaimed Queen. Lady Jane Grey was Queen for only nine days and then she was taken to the Tower of London.  Pamela said the history is interesting.
 From 1547 to 1603 there were 3 Queens and a King.

PRUE:  The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

This book is historical fiction.  It is about Catherine of Aragon. She is promised to the King of England to make a bond between Spain and England.  When Arthur dies, he asks his wife to promise to marry Henry, his younger brother.  She is a little bit older than Henry who becomes Henry VIII after his brother's death.  Prue said it was an entertaining story and she enjoyed it.

ED:  Last Queen of Spain by C. W. Gortner

This book is historical fiction.  It is about Juana the the younger sister of Catherine of Aragon  and the third child of Isabella and Ferdinand of Spain.   Her two brothers died fighting when trying to unite Spain. She is sent to marry the Duke of Flanders, sole heir to the Hapsburg empire at the age of sixteen.  When her mother dies and she becomes heir to the Spanish throne, she is thrown into battle with her power hungry husband. She is strong and intelligent but she becomes known as Juana La Loca, Spain's mad queen.

KRIS:  The Confessions of Catherine de Medici by C.W. Gortner

Most historical novels depict Catherine de Medici, the Italian born French Queen in the 16th century as an evil woman.  This book depicts her as a determined woman who wants to protect her acquired realm and her children's right to the throne.  She is betrothed, at the age of 14 to Henri, the King of France's son, who was also 14. Catherine is widowed, aged 40 to bring up six young children as regent of a kingdom torn apart by religious discord and the ambitions for power by the treacherous nobility, particularly the de Guise family.  Eventually the Guise's control is diminished when Philip of Spain's Armada against England is defeated by Queen Elizabeth's navy.  Philip of Spain had funded the Guise family to rid the country of Protestants.  Kris enjoyed the book.  It was fast paced and the subject was interesting.

DIANE:   Elizabeth and Leicester (Power, Passion and Politics) by Sarah Gristwood

This is historical fiction.  Diane said she wasn't sure what was true.  Elizabeth was the virgin queen.  She was surrounded by so many men but she loved the Earl of Leicester (Robert Dudley). 
They were both really well educated.  Why didn't she marry him? Did she get pregnant as rumours suggested?  Di was intrigued. She didn't like the writing but was fascinated with the subject.

DIANN:  The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

This is historical fiction.  Diann said it was a good read.  It's loosely based on Mary Boleyn, Anne Boleyn's sister who was a mistress of King Henry VIII.   The book is a mixture of historical fact and fun.

TAM:  Earthly Joys by Philippa Gregory

This book is historical fiction, although not of the Tudor period. There are three main characters.  The first is a talented gardener to the dukes and other nobles and is aware of the goings on in the court.  The story is told from his perspective.  The second character is the irresistible Duke of Buckingham, who was a homosexual.  The third character is King Charles of England, son of James I. He was also homosexual.  He was a weak king and he was married to a Frenchwoman who dominated him. Tam said it was a good read.

JO:  Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots by Carolly Erickson

This is a fictional memoir.  The book begins with the beheading of Mary Queen of Scots.  Her lover was the Earl of Bothwell.  They had a little girl which was kept a secret.  She was married at 16.  She was tall for her age and had lovely red hair.  She married Francis, son of King Henri and Queen Catherine of France.  Francis was a sickly boy.  Jo read the whole book and loved it.  She said it was a fantastic story.

BEV:  Blood and Roses by Helen Castor

This book follows the story of the Paston family.  They were originally a peasant family but with generations of families falling dead with plague, the Paston family rose up to become quite rich.  The book is based on Paston letters following four generations.  Helen Castor spent ten years researching the letters which were found in 2004.  Bev hasn't finished the book yet.

PAT:  Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette by Carolly Erickson

This book is historical fiction, although not of the Tudor period. Pat said it was interesting, a combination of embellished fact and fiction.  It is a journal of Marie Antoinette's time in Austria and then her time as queen until her imprisonment and death during the French revolution.  Marie Antoinette was an Austrian who was sent off to King Louis of France at age 14.  He wasn't interested in her.  He was a weak husband and she was strong.  She was blamed for everything.  Pat said it was a good read and she found it very interesting.

LAURA:  The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory

This is historical fiction.  It is a romance and Laura doesn't enjoy romance but she liked the history.  It is about Catherine Parr, King Henry VIII's last wife.  Laura didn't feel she found out anything about her.  The characters were two dimensional.  Catherine was so intelligent and kind and madly in love with another man.  Laura didn't find the story believable.

JUDY 1:   The Last Wife of Henry VIII by Carolly Erickson

This book is historical fiction.  It is written as from Catherine Parr's perspective.  She was forthright and opinionated which was unusual in those days.  Henry often went to her for advice as he trusted her.  She was married twice before she married Henry and was in love with Thomas Seymour.  This led to much intrigue at the court.  From what she writes Henry had a strong affection for her and often left her in charge.  Judy said, although it was not as historically accurate as it could be, it was a good overview.

ROSEMARIE:  The Boleyn Inheritance (The Tudor Court Novels) by Philippa Gregory

This is historical fiction.  Rosemarie said it was easy to read.  It is the first person narratives of Anne of Cleaves, Katherine Howard and Jane Boleyn..  Both Katherine and Jane were related to Anne Boleyn.  Anne of Cleaves and Katherine Howard were the 4th and 5th wives of Henry VIII.

JULIA:  Royal Inheritance (Secrets of the Tudor Court) by Kate Emerson

Kate Emerson writes many history novels.  Julia really enjoyed it and will read more of her books, although Julia is not sure what is true in the story.  A young girl is sent to live with the tailor of King Henry VIII.  All Tudors have red hair so the young girl becomes intrigued as she has red hair as well.  She suspects she may be the illegitimate offspring of Henry VIII.  Julia said there were maps in the back.  She also liked the fact that the all the characters were listed on the back of the book.

WENDY:  Heartstone by C J Sansom

There are five in this series of historical crime fiction and this book is no 5.  Wendy says she is addicted. She said it is well researched and the stories are fascinating.  The main character is a lawyer at the time of King Henry VIII, who is getting very old at this time.  It's set against the French war.  It's written amazingly well and it is very informative about life at the court, the intrigue and the plots.

ANNE:  Dissolution by C J Sansom

This is book 1 of the series mentioned previously.  It is the author's first published novel. It is an historical mystery. King Henry VIII is still mourning Jane Seymour. Thomas Cromwell, King Henry VIII's vicar general is shutting down the monasteries.  One of his commissioners is killed and Cromwell sends another emissary, a lawyer to investigate the murder.  Anne enjoyed it and found life at the monastery interesting.

IN THE MONTH OF AUGUST WE WILL BE READING BOOKS ABOUT HORSES

JUNE : Dystopia

This month we read from a selection of 4 novels from the genre, Dystopia.
These were The Road by Cormac McCarthy
                   1984 by George Orwell 
                   Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
                   Wool by Hugh Howey

Dystopia is defined by the Oxford Dictionaries as 'An imagined place or state in which everything is unpleasant or bad, typically a totalitarian or environmentally degraded one. The opposite of utopia. It's extremely difficult to imagine a realistic dystopia because we're so tempted to create a caricature'.
 
 Some of the comments by those who read these books:

 The Road by Cormac McCarthy

• Sheila described it as a harrowing story, just a few survivors after the world has been blown to smithereens.  A father and his son are always hiding from other survivors who roam around in marauding gangs. There are touches of love throughout the book, the father lives for the boy and to get him to survive. A story of man's inhumanity.
• Laura thought it relentlessly depressing but beautiful writing. There is a tender relationship between the father and son who is full of compassion and wants to take care of other people.
• Julia mentioned the format of the book, no chapters, lack of grammar, lacking some punctuation. Despite the conditions they found themselves in, they always found food, although it was becoming more difficult.
• Anne thought the son was traumatized by their situation and was worried that the father was turning into one of the bad guys!
• Jasmine commented that in Dystopian stories there is usually some hope but here there was none. The father knew there was no hope.
• Judy J wanted more details of the situation, what had caused the apocalypse, where it had taken place and more about the characters of the father and son.
• Jo thought the book depressing but one of the highlights was time the father and son were able to spend in 'the bunker' and enjoy a better range of food and such luxuries as a bath.
• Diane found the book uplifting. She worried about their fate and continued to read on for fear of what might happen to them.
• Maree was amazed at how the man and his son survived injuries, illnesses, dangers from other people, lack of food and water etc. They were totally drained and devastated but uplifted by love and a little hope.   
• Rosemary and Judy also read the book and joined in the discussion.                                                                                                               

1984 by George Orwell

•  Connie found this book thoroughly depressing in that you could see what was happening but you don't want it to happen. She thought that every generation looks after itself  so she can't worry too  much about the future. She has more hope than they have in the book and that each generation will work it out as best they can.
• Ed enjoyed reading it.
• Kris found it interesting that the author was a socialist. She thought the novel was bleak but not graphic like so much of today's writing. It is surprising and frightening that so much of what happened in the book is happening today. You always hope there are good people in the world.
• Judy D thought the book showed the negative side of politics as being dark and depressing. Everything was controlled by the state and there was a need to destroy the past and feelings.
• Jasmine noted that the society was very patriarchal, squashing newness and creativity.
• Laura added that 'power for power's sake' was one of the themes of the book.                            

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel

• Laura explained that 98% of the population died within 48 hours due to swine flu. Society broke down and survivors started wandering and forming into small communities.  The story follows a traveling troop providing music and theatre.  When you take away all societal norms you only have human nature left.
• Prue found it difficult to get into the book, but after much discussion was encouraged to persevere with it.
• Tam loved it and couldn't put it down. She commented on a number of examples symbolism. Shakespeare - art survived the plague and gave beauty to people and lifts their hope. Survival is insufficient, is life just about survival? What does sustain us, fame and beauty or relationships? Community survives because of relationships.
• Diann thought the book made us realise how fragile our civilization is where one catastrophe could destroy it. Natural disasters happen every day. The reality is how to survive them. The book is fantasy reading, but it has elements of reality for us today.                                            

Wool by Hugh Howey

• Diann explained the setting for the story - a number of very large cylinders are in the ground and stratas of society live there. All seem to be happy and it's a very beautiful place. The characters and the plot are defined early in the book and nobody knows what is outside. She didn't find it depressing, but described it as uplifting.
• Wendy thought the first section was very good having been originally written as a short story and self published on the internet. The characters were well described. But as new characters arrived in the second section, the book lost sequence and its flow.   Control was maintained over the people through lack of knowledge (as in 1984), they never knew what happened outside. When reading these types of books you have to suspend logic and accept that this is how things are done.
• Laura commented that there was a 3 class system as in '1984'. Peace was maintained by keeping the people ignorant but happy even with limited resources. Everything was restricted, even access to other levels so people couldn't intermingle, were kept apart and couldn't ask questions. It sets up an interesting world.
• Prue enjoyed this book and mentioned others in the series and that a movie version of the story will soon be available. There was much tension in the book as some people were becoming wise and questioning things. This was frowned upon. There was an interesting twist at the end. 

 

                    BOOK CLUB NEXT MONTH ~ STORIES FROM THE TUDOR PERIOD
                                                                                                

MAY ~ Indigenous Writers

 SHADOW LINES by Stephen Kinnane

JOAN: 
Published in 2003, it is a creative interpretation of a love story caught up in the back story of the Stolen Generation. A O Neville was an English administrator who for 25 years was The Chief Protector for Aborigines in Western Australia. During this time the policy of bringing half castes into the white population was carried out even though it was massively underfunded.
It was only later in his autobiography that A O Neville acknowledged the fault of what they had done although he still claimed they were following policy reinforced by the Royal Commission.
Joan found it very interesting, but hard to get into in the beginning.

She recommended Ruby Langford's DON'T TAKE YOUR LOVE TO TOWN as a lighter read about the Aboriginal mob and their culture.

JUDY also read it, echoing the comments that it was a difficult read but well worth it. She also thought it was repetitive and ponderous.
She identified 3 streams to the story.
Firstly the grandmother's story of a young aboriginal girl taken from her family at a young age, and later then falling in love and marrying a young Englishman. Their love story was held up as an example of mixed marriage.
Secondly there is A O Neville's story and the history of discrimination in Western Australia.
Thirdly is the author's story and trying to find his own roots.

SWALLOW THE AIR by Tara June Winch

WENDY: 
She described it as a contemporary account of a disjointed, urban aboriginal society.
It the author's first book and a terrific one. It consists of short stories some of which were published separately. They are not completely linked but are sequential.
She uses vivid language, with wonderful descriptions of the surroundings.
Her main characters are resourceful and resilient.

JO: 
Jo found the book very depressing because there was so much violence, drugs and alcohol. Her own experience in the north of Western Australia in the 1980's did not reflect this.

DENISE:
Her response to the book was..... we have imposed our (white) ways through colonization. Is the white way the best way?
The author has Afghan and English heritage. Her beautiful writing brings up so many pictures,
and is very even handed and not judgemental.

JUDY J:
The story focuses on the reality of life for much of the contemporary aboriginal community.
It doesn't attempt to offer any answers to the problems of poverty, violence, racial intolerance, drugs, alcohol etc.
May, the main character is a fair skinned aboriginal trying to find her place in her culture as someone who was raised very much in the white culture. To her, aboriginality is not about skin colour nor is it a matter of degrees. You can't be half an aboriginal.
The book is currently an HSC text. An eye-opening read.

LESLEY:
A short, strong novel about a young Aboriginal girl - May. She and her brother Billie watch their mother die whilst still young and they are raised by a loving and increasingly alcoholic and gambling possessed aunt.
The visual imagery was strong, clear and succinct. She liked the way Aboriginal English was used so May's 'voice' was heard not just in what she said but the way.

ED:
Ed also began the book, finding it rather sad and depressing.

PRUE:
Prue thought it a beautiful book, and the author a gutsy young lady with an interesting heritage.
Her writing was natural and had a grace to it which made it very vivid to read. She raised social issues without pushing them.


BUSTED OUT LAUGHING by Dot Collard.

SHEILA:
The book tells her story, born in 1923, she seems to have had a reasonably happy life.  She had 9 children and women seem to carry the load, they had the children to protect and raise. In her sixties she began acting and is now considered a National Treasure.
Even though her first husband was white, when they married he was classified as black, meaning it was difficult to work anywhere. It was demeaning the way he was treated even having to apply for citizenship.

ROSEMARY:
She thought the book was poorly written and didn't like the writing.
An interesting aspect though were forms and letters which were included in the book.

 JULIA:
Julia enjoyed the book, finding it easy to read but sad.


 PARIS DREAMING by Anita Heiss

CONNIE:
Much to her surprise, this turned out to be an example of 'Chick Lit'!
A young lady who works at the National Gallery in Canberra gets the opportunity of moving to Paris (in an exchange of cultures) to take up her dream job.
But once there the story revolves around fashion, handbags, shoes etc until she happens to meet a young aboriginal man and they fall in love.....

She also read THAT DEADMAN DANCE by Kim Scott.
The book tells the story of a young aboriginal boy in Western Australia at the beginning of colonisation. His tribe is very welcoming, teaching the British how to find food and sharing their language. He danced the stories of the aboriginal people which Connie found fascinating.
But you could see it was not always going to be compatible and eventually the two races were forced to separate which was quite sad.

MY PLACE by Sally Morgan

 JUDY G had enjoyed reading it in the 1980s and was blissfully ignorant of the real situation. She now reread it with different eyes.
The Drake-Brockmans have disputed Sally Morgan's story. Did she write it just for money, and why wont she take a DNA test?
Their 2 stories are so far apart in every way.

THE OLD FRANGIPANI TREE AT FLYING FISH POINT by Trina Saffioti

DIANN
Her opening comment was that this was the most uplifting 5 minute story that she'd read.
This delightful picture book tells of a young girl whose family gathers around while she finds something to wear to a school fancy dress carnival.
It illustrates peer pressure, co-operation, family ties, resilience, growing up and improvisation.
So much in a children's book!!

JULIA:
The dedication is the moral of the story. At the heart of it, family is so important.

APRIL - a slightly smaller group of readers met (it was the school holidays) and discussed our readings for the month - either Biographies or Autobiographies. The subject matter offerred for discussion was varied and very interesting.

PAMELA - Sir Thomas More by his son in law William Roper. Sir Thomas was uncompromising in his dealings with Henry V111 and Cardinal Wolsey. No one knew security even if they were in the Kings favour. Whilst Henry had been married to Catherine for 28 years and had fathered 6 children, he badly needed a healthy son to succeed him. Anne Boleyn's presence offered him that chance - provided they could marry. Henry urged Cardinal Wolsey to persuade the Pope to grant an annulment but this was not to be. Sir Thomas, by now Lord Chancellor was pressured as well to find a suitable arrangement that would allow the King to marry again. By 1534 Henry had become Supreme Head of the Church with absolute control - Sir Thomas, a deeply religious man, could not accept Henry's actions in wanting an annulment. By refusing to swear allegiance to the King (he acknowledged the Supremacy of the Pope) Thomas was imprisoned and ultimately beheaded in 1535. A man of strong moral conviction.

SHEILA - Running with Scissors by Augusten Burroughs. An American author, he had a sad childhood. The writing was not funny or entertaining and she didn't enjoy the book.

A time to Dream, a Time to Weep by Rummer Godden. Rummer grew up in India, a child of very unconventional parents. A remarkable woman, writing was one of the few vocations available to her. Abandoned by her weak, stock broker husband and left with 2 young children she moved to the Himalaya's, an area she loved, and was befriended by a Maharajah who helped her. She experienced many different aspects of life in India and her writings conjure beautiful images and also insightful perspectives on life.

JOAN - I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou. Maya was a writer, singer, actress and civil rights activist. Set during the Depression she was raised in the deep south - Stamp in Arkansas - where her grandmother owned a store. 1930s - 1940s was a time when segregation was entrenched, strong views were held regarding the differences between black and white people and there was much fear between those with power and those without. The Ku Klux Klan was high profile. Maya, attacked aged 8, becomes mute for a number of years. She later believes that during this period of silence it allowed her to reflect, clarify her thoughts and strengthen her resolve and focus. The title is a metaphor of Maya's life. The story is about racism and displacement.

LAURA - Hitch 22 by Christopher Hitchens. Author, essayist, literary journalist, political speech writer and rabid communist as well. Laura thought this book would be interesting. The author had collapsed during the book launch and later died. However the theme is mainly about death (of various people) his miserable childhood and his bitter and twisted countenance. Not recommended.

DIANE F - Burt Bacharach - Anyone who had a Heart - by Robert Greenfield. Burt had 70 top 40 hits, won Grammy awards, married a few times, plus many of his songs have been recorded by very famous singers. It was an easy read, very informative, relaxing and insightful. Many well known names are dropped into the dialogue which all adds to the interest. His working relationship and major split with Hal David is discussed.

PRUE - Carrie Fisher - Wishful Drinking. Prue had read previously Postcards from the Edge which was made into a 1 woman stage show. Carrie writes of her parents Eddie Fisher and Debbie Reynold  plus her brother Ted. She grew up surrounded by famous people and was often on movie sets and theatre stages. After the success of her role in Star Wars as Princess Leia, she struggled with alcohol and drug issues, had electro compulsive therapy, a failed marriage to Paul Simon and was finally diagnosed with manic depression and bi-polar disorder. A rough and tumble life. Prue felt the writing was sometimes trashy and harsh, with Carrie showing a self deprecating view of her life. A child of the stars.

DIANN - Phillip Adams - The Ideas Man by Philip Luker. Phillip had a terrible upbringing, his mothers 2nd husband was a psychopath, there was abuse and he was sent to live with his grandmother in Victoria. Leaving school at 15 we worked, very successfully, for an ad agency and was part of many well known ad campaigns. He was friends with the late Bob Ellis and his partner his environmentalist and author Patrice Newell.

BEV - Chasing Shadows - the Life and death of Peter Roebuck by Tim Lane and Elliot Cartledge. Peter Roebuck as an extremely intelligent man, moody, complex and lacked many social skills. Whilst educated in England, he showed great promise as a cricketer but lacked the ability to be part of a team. He became a very good sports journalist but had disagreements with management so moved to Zimbabwe. Here he became embroiled in a number of shady and unsavoury situations and sadly died mysteriously only a few years ago.

ED - The Other Side of the Rainbow by Michael Freedland. An interesting biography of Judy Garland - her birth name being Frances Ethel Gumm. Her talent for singing was evident very early and she was exploited by many along the way. Her life seemed to be on show to the public with many using her for their own advancement. Drugs and alcohol nearly destroyed her whilst she was at the peak of her career. Judy tried hard to overcome all her issues but her personal life was in turmoil and she died 1969.

KRIS - Flesh Wounds by Richard Glover. Richard had a most bizarre upbringing, his parents never showed any affection and he had a solitary childhood. He did form an attachment to a nanny when he was living in New Guinea (his father had established a newspaper in NG). Kris found it uplifting how successful and balanced his life seems to be considering his background.

ANNE - Flesh Wounds. Anne added that Richard Glovers mother used to say his father was a very important person in his career (as an aide to Winston Churchill), where really his father had been in prison a number of times. She also denied Richard knowledge of his 2 sisters.

JANE - Helena Rubenstein. Really interesting social history (via the development of use of makeup), revealing the end of the Edwardian era. At the end of the century really only prostitutes and actresses wore makeup. This all changed with the pioneering efforts of Helena R. A Polish Jew, she migrated to Australia in 1896 and brought with her pots of creams and lotions, used by her mother in previous times. Helena was not only clever in makeup development, she was innovative and a leader in marketing - employing unusual creative imagery to sell her products. She worked very hard, became a huge success and conquered Paris and New York.

JULIA - Never Say Die - Chris O'Brien. Wonderful head and neck surgeon, made famous in his role on RPA, pioneering doctor and positive role model. Sadly in a cruel twist of fate he developed a brain tumour himself, the public read and watched his struggle and ultimate demise in 2006. Sad but an interesting read.

ROSEMARY - This is Gail - by Gail O'Brien. Wife of Chris O'Brien, she had been a physiotherapist but was happy to be in the background of her husbands working life. After his diagnosis, she had to raise her public face, deal with much higher profile issues and many powerful people. Unfortunately their son died 2 years after Chris however her faith and inner strength have given her support.

JUDY 4 - The Wright Brothers - David McCulloch. Passionate readers, their family owned a bike shops in Ohio. It took years to develop the mechanics of a plane but they were obsessed. Neither married, their sister looked after them both. They were humble and very ordinary men.

PAULINE - Testament of Youth - Vera Brittain. Pauline was in awe of the power of expression and writing ability of Vera, an English nurse during WW1 and a pacifist, feminist and writer. Vera was determined to go to Oxford University, started but war broke out so she left to join the VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment). She documented her life during this time and watched as her much loved brother and his 3 close mates all perished in the war. The book provided a true insight into relationships, with the war raging all around and also how to overcome the heartache of death. The film didn't do the book justice.

LESLEY - Travelling to Infinity - Jane Hawking. A cathartic book written by Jane Hawking, wife of astrophysicist Stephen Hawking. They were together 25 years, produced 3 children, Stephen's genius saw him highly decorated and feted by all in the world of science while his body was slowly and cruelly destroyed by Motor Neutron Disease. Jane, a passionate, clever, supportive but naïve woman struggled to understand why no matter how much she did, how hard her life was living with the growing stardom of her husband she never felt valued, important or equal. The snobbishness of some in academia and the huge void between the public face and the private image are all recounted. A very dense book to read, it seems that she needed to pour out in great detail many of the finer aspects of her life with Stephen.

LESLEY

In MARCH our ever growing band of happy book readers chose to focus on an author,
Rachel Joyce.

Rachel is a British writer who has written over 20 plays for BBC Radio plus major classical adaptations for TV. Her debut novel, The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry, became an international best seller and was shortlisted for the Commonwealth Book Prize plus the Man Booker Prize in 2012. A lively discussion filled with many insightful comments and thoughtful expressions of ideas resulted in a very enjoyable meeting.

The following group all read THE UNLIKELY PILGRIMAGE OF HAROLD FRY.

JUDY De - thoroughly enjoys the work of the author. She felt the pilgrimage of Harold (walking hundreds of miles to Scotland) gave him a purpose in life ie to get to see his friend to say both 'sorry' and 'thank you'.

SHEILA - was initially annoyed by the storyline and wondered was it was all about. As she continued reading she realised the characters, behaving in very peculiar ways, all were extremely depressed and had mental health issues. The book then made sense to her and Sheila thought it was a well constructed story.

ED - thought the relationship between Harold and his wife and son was terrible. Even the pilgrimage to see his friend, Queenie, revealed another unhappy connection.

ROSEMARY - saw Harold and his wife as 'empty nesters' who now felt they had no purpose in life. Just what life is like for some people.

CLAURENE - read 165 pages then gave up as she was bored.

JOAN - said the story showed the routineness and predictability of life. Harold found a purpose, something that was lacking in his circumstances. The pilgrimage gave him a freedom that he didn't have in his 'beige' life. It was a sad but very worthwhile read.

JUDY (our newest Judy) - listened to an audio reading of the book, the voice of Jim Broadbent bringing to life the story. The heartache and loneliness of Harold was so apparent in the reading. The experience was very enjoyable.

ANNE - didn't finish the story but intends to. She enjoyed what she had read and thought it well written. Anne liked the gentle humour and the eccentricity of the characters.

JAYNE - was half way through by the time of our meeting. She usually likes fiction that is very visual but this book really grabbed her attention. She could relate to the long walks, the way the mind wanders and overcomes sore feet, blisters etc. She liked the way, on the journey, the various characters appeared just at the right time to help and support Harold. Jayne found the novel fascinating.

DIANE - travelled, mentally, to many of the places as Harold passed through them. She liked the song by John Bunyan and 'sang' along. Whilst a depressing storyline, she became passionate about Harold's issues and thought the descriptions very real.

PAULINE - declared it was soapy, unbelievable and ridiculous! (our group really does enjoy diverse opinions.) How could a man walk 500 miles, in only the clothes he left home in, be joined by a series of misfits only to say goodbye to an old friend. Definitely not the type of book Pauline enjoys.

BEV - felt there has been a dearth of books about people going on long walks or pilgrimages eg Bill Bryson and meeting characters along the way. To her the book was bland, repetitive and not worth it.

PRU - didn't even open the book.

JUDY J - enjoyed the book very much. She thought Harold was walking away from all his problems and liked the journey.

JUDY G - was unsure why other people were brought into the walk, it confused her. However Harold had a reason for walking plus a definite destination so she didn't mind the book.

The next group all read PERFECT.

KRIS - Thought the story, filled with eccentric people was poignant. It explored class structure, loneliness, anxieties, friendships and timeless issues about life. She found it fascinating.

WENDY -  enjoyed the story. She liked how the relationships were slowly revealed, how the mother kept doing what (her husband and society) expected of her but gradually unravelled. The surface life of the family was beautiful but underneath there was a very unpleasant underbelly.

JO - said the book was both funny and sad. It interested her and she liked the twist at the end.

LAURA - loved the story and the writing style. The setting on the Moors was descriptive and enhanced the story. It was not a plot driven book but rather character driven filled with anxious people. An uncomfortable story but very worth while.

LESLEY - kept wondering why 2 parallel stories were being told with no clear link between them. Eventually, with an interesting twist at the end, the book made sense but was glad there was a twist or else it would have been quite a tedious read. There was a sadness as the mother slowly declined, not being able to keep up the charade of having a perfect family and life. The 2 young boys - both with emotions and thoughts they couldn't control made her wonder how life eventually would treat them.

The 3rd group read - THE LOVE SONG OF MISS QUEENIE HENNESSY.

TAM - felt she should have read The Pilgrimage of Harold Fry first so she could better understand the relationship between Harold (and his background) and Queenie. Queenie, at the end of her life battling terminal cancer, had loved Harold, never told him and felt guilt about this. She had however become involved in Harold's son life and that gave her some comfort. The other characters in the nursing home were all so excited that Harold was on his way to see Queenie that it gave them a reason to struggle on. Tam saw an analogy with the jig saw puzzle in the story. She thought it represented all the pieces of her life slowly being put together as her health declined.

JULIA - didn't say much about the book.

DENISE - said the characters in the hospice gave the story colour and humanity, whereas Harold Fry was bland with a seemingly inconsequential life.  At least his visit to Queenie achieved something.

PAMELA - was reading War and Peace so definitely found no time for Rachel Joyce.

PAT - confused her reading list and so read an autobiography - I AM PIGMY by Isaac Bacirongo. A true account of a man, from the Congo, who wanted to better himself. Isaac came from a pigmy tribe and was born into very humble beginnings. With great drive and resourcefulness he managed to educate himself, leave his homeland and succeed in todays world. Pat found it amazing what he has been able to achieve and that his story is still so current in todays world.

Lesley

FEBRUARY: Ghost Stories

ROSEMARY: A Sudden Light by Garth Stein

The story is set in 1990 and told by 14 year old Trevor who is trying to save his parent's marriage. He and his father move into the old family home Riddell House. It is the ghosts who also occupy the house who reveal many family secrets.

Rosemary commented that there was not too much ghostly activity and would describe it more as a family saga. There were enough twists and turns and a satisfying ending; an enjoyable read.

ED: Ghosts a la Mode (Ghosts of Granny Apples Mystery 1) Sue Jaffarian

Granny is noted for her apple pies and had wrongly been accused of the murder of her husband.

When her great great grand daughter Emma Whitecastle joins in a séance, she teams up with her to prove her innocence and solve other murders. The story involves gold, land grabs, family rivalry and characters alive and dead.

 Ed described it as an easy read it was “all right”.

PAULINE: The Small Hand by Susan Hill

Published in 2010 and narrated by Adam Snow a dealer in old books who stumbles across an abandoned house. It is in disrepair with an overgrown garden and while inside he feels the presence of a small child’s hand with his own.

This leads to other incidents, nightmares and panic attacks as he tries to unravel the mystery. Pauline described it as easy and fun to read.

KRIS: Mozart’s Ghost by Julie Cameron

Anna is 30+ and lives in New York. She is a median that reunites loved one but keeps this a secret. Edward is a classical pianist who moves into the building and eventually they fall in love.

The ghost who comes into her life is Mozart.

Kris described it as a light book, a lovely easy read.

PAMELA: The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Although only 120 pages this is certainly not a ‘quick read’.

A young governess is employed to look after 2 small children and is given absolute control of them. The ghost of a former valet (a rather unsavoury character) and a former governess haunt the place. Both had had a lot to do with the children and not always in their best interests. A creepy setting with creepier children.

The story was originally published in 12 weekly episodes with a hook at the end of each one.

Pamela described it as a creepy story with many ambiguous twists and turns and critics still argue who is responsible, what happens and why! 

 

SHEILA: The Beginner’s Goodbye by Anne Tyler

When a tree falling on their house kills Dorothy, her husband Aaron is distraught. They are fairly ordinary people living ordinary lives. Aaron who was born with a crippled arm and leg only finds some peace when Dorothy comes back from the dead and appears to him and they engage in short conversations.

Sheila was not particularly impressed with the book but thought little gems of insight into the subject saved it.

JUDY De La TORRE: Longest Ride by Nicholas Spark

The story involves the love affair of a mismatched couple, Luke a former champion bull rider and Sophie an art student heading for New York. When they meet Ira an old man reflecting on his life and loves it has an impact on their relationship.

Judy thought the solution was a bit contrived.

MEL: The Waiting Room by F J Cotton

Mel admitted to reading only up to Chapter 3, being too scared to continue!

A haunted railway station is on a rock star’s property. The psychic he hires to get rid of the ghosts is a fake but too scared to say so. The ghosts are soldiers from the war. The descriptions of their death were very difficult to read.

Mel described the characters as being corny, cliqued and didn’t feel anything for them. The only thing going for the story was that it was so scary!

DENISE: An Aunty Dimity Mystery by Nancy Atherton

This is a series of books featuring Aunty Dimity who is a romantic ghost in England involved in romantic mysteries.

In this story the ghost corresponds with a couple through the journal while the archeologists are on a dig in a picturesque village. It is a lighthearted story , one of 20 in the series.

JULIA: Ghost Walk by Heather Graham

Julia only managed to get half way through this book finding it very disjointed as well not liking the paranormal aspects in the story.

 

CLAURENCE: The Cat Who Talked to Ghosts by Lillian Jackson Braun

This is the 10^th novel in this series about the life of James Qwilleran and his 2 Siamese cats Koko and Yum Yum who help solve mysteries. They all live in Pickax in Moose County.

The stories are light hearted, amusing and easy to read.

In this one, Qwilleran gets a call in the dead of night from a terrified Iris Cobb. By the time Qwill arrives to help her, he finds her dead and suspects foul play with good reason.

Each of the books covers some part of his life and often with quirky characters from other stories.

WENDY: Playing Beattie Bow by Ruth Park

Wendy described it as a beautiful book about a 14 year old girl who, while playing in the park sees a little girl, an apparition, and follows her, time travelling back into the 1880s.

It is a coming of age novel, engaging, well paced and balanced. The characters both historical and current are well drawn. Historically it is accurate in the description of the Rocks now and then.

Going to the other world gives Abigail a chance to deal with the problems she is going through.

JO: Maybe this Time by Jennifer Cruise

Jo described this as fantastic, a really good read and some of the scenes were just hilarious.

Two orphaned children are on their own in this creepy house with 2 ghosts. Andie has been asked by her ex-husband North to look after them for a month and get them ready to leave the house. While wanting to move on with her new relationship, Andie now finds herself being drawn closer to her ex-husband as she learns to love these children.

Many of life’s lessons are covered in this book.

JOAN: Ghosting by David Poyer

Dr Jack Scales is a very successful neurosurgeon at the height of his career. But his very busy lifestyle has taken a toll on his family. His wife is having an affair, his son hears voices to self mutilate and murder and his teenage daughter is rebellious.  His solution is to take a family cruise to Bermuda, where he is not really prepared for the challenges of the sea.

Joan described it as a very gripping story having read it in one sitting! It was gruesome and an unexpectedly good read.

CONNIE: Woman in Black by Susan Hill

A young solicitor goes to an old house to make an inventory of the deceased estate. But he sees and hears strange things, a cart and a child’s cry. He can’t leave because the tide had come in and the marsh is underwater.

Connie thought the writing was excellent and she likes to read about the environment and the countryside, which was so well described. The situations were believable, the characters were interesting and nice and the ending was fantastic. It almost converted her to reading ghost stories.

BETH: Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

A 14 year old girl was raped and murdered. The book is her story after she died, her heaven and what happened to the rest of the people in her life. The characters are gentle and sweet. She watches over them and how their lives have turned out.

PRUE: Breathe by Cliff McNish

This is a Junior Adult Book but very easy to read. Sarah takes her son Jack to live in an old farmhouse to get over the loss of his father. He loves old things. In the house he finds 4 ghost children and Isabella a ghost who has passed over 150 years ago.  He also finds a ghost mother, Abigail’s mother. She looks after ghost children and breathes in the souls of the children.

Prue found it quite creepy, a good yarn for teenagers. It’s a book about obsessive love, the ghost mother versus the real mother.

BEV: Ghouls Gone Wild- A Ghost Hunter Mystery #4

M J Holliday is a psychic who forms a company to help people out. They travel to Edinburgh, Scotland, to film the first installment of their new cable TV show Ghoul Getters. They find that centuries ago a plague had killed many villagers. The rich blamed the poor and so burnt many of them. Each year 7 ghosts come back and murder 7 people. It is the Ghoul Getters job to solve the problem.

JUDY J: Black Dog Summer by Miranda Sherry

The recently dead Sally, murdered on a farm in South Africa, narrates the story. Her 14 year old daughter Gigi is found cradling her mother’s body.

When Gigi goes to live with her mother’s sister, Sally, who is not really a ghost, but stuck between the here and now and the after life, watches over her daughter. She is able to see story threads and has to communicate with the next-door neighbor (a witch doctor) to see that the truth of the murder comes out!

Judy described it as an easy read, a story about murder but not crime, with black magic but no horror and narrated by a dead woman who is not a ghost.

 

ANNE: The Shepherd by Frederick Forsyth

This novella was published in 1975 and tells the story of a young pilot flying home from Germany to spend Christmas with his family. Part way through the flight, a fog rolls in, radio contact is lost and his compass goes haywire. After several desperate moments a World war 11 bomber appears below him and guides him to a safe landing. But where has he landed and who was this ‘shepherd’?

Anne found the story to be well written, and technically very interesting.

JAYNE:  The Life and Many Deaths of Harry Houdini by Ruth Brandon

Harry Houdini was an escapologist who created defying stunts that not only captivated the public but also subdued his own raging psychological demons. In later life he had become interested in the supernatural.

When his mother died, he tried through a séance to get in touch with her. This was unsuccessful so he tried to expose those involved. His fascination with death even led him to selecting a code of 10 words for people to contact him after his death!

MARIE:  The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Marie was hooked after 2 pages!

The story is set in post war Britain as the way of life of the ‘upper class’ is crumbling. The doctor, whose mother had worked at the mansion when he was young, is the narrator. When he is called to treat a patient in the Hundred Halls Mansion, he finds not only the house in ruins, the gardens overgrown, clocks permanently stopped at twenty to nine but the family struggling to cope with the current times.

Marie described it as a slow but satisfying build up in the story; what is haunting the house is revealed to be closely entwined with the doctor’s own life.

DIANN:  The Uninvited by Cath Winters

The story is set in 1918 and revolves around the effect the war had on a small rural USA town.

Ivy has the ‘gift’ that has been passed on from her grandmother and some of the men have just killed a German in town.

Diann gave up at page 156…. A ghost had finally appeared, the story didn’t flow, the characters lacked depth and the ghosts weren’t frightening.

 

TAM: The Uninvited Guests by Sadie Jones

While a household is preparing for a 20^th birthday party, a dreadful accident occurs nearby. Following this, a group of mysterious and rather unsavory characters take shelter in the large ramshackle mansion. But they are ghosts!

As the party continues into the night, games are played which begin to expose secrets from the past.

Tam described it as a good holiday read, even though some of the characters were a little corny.

JANUARY - OUR OWN CHOICE

CLAURENE:  "CHASING SHADOWS, LIFE AND DEATH OF PETER ROEBUCK" 
BY TIM LANE AND ELLIOT CARTLEDGE

This book is about the well known cricketer, Peter Roebuck.  Claurene said it was an awful, dreadful book.  It was badly written and after reading only 82 pages decided to read another book called
ELISABETH MURDOCH, two lives by JOHN MONKS.  It is the biography of Elisabeth Murdoch  following her life from the time she married Keith Murdoch when he was 43 and she was 19. Their son is Rupert Murdoch.  The book paints a vivid picture of another age in Melbourne.  Elisabeth did a lot of charity work when her husband died.  There are many photographs in the book and Claurene found it very interesting.  She enjoyed the book very much.

WENDY: " NATURAL WAY OF THINGS" BY CHARLOTTE WOOD

This is Charlotte Wood's fifth novel.  The story revolves around ten young women imprisoned in a remote location.  The link between them all is that they have been involved in a sex scandal.  The females bear the shame but not the men involved. It's loosely based on a true story of girls from a Parramatta girls' home taken to a prison farm where they were brutally treated.  Two of the girls are the heroines of the novel but the other characters don't really develop.  There is a regime of harshness, degradation and humiliation on the prison farm. There is a theme of misogyny. The ending was fantastic as it was left open.  Wendy found the story very engaging and compelling.

PAULINE:  "A STRANGENESS IN MY MIND" BY ORHAN PAMUK

The author is a Nobel Prize winning author.  This is his ninth novel.  The main character is Mevlut Karatus a street vendor in Istanbul who sells boza, a fermented drink.  The story spans about four decades from 1969.  It covers his childhood, his marriage and the many changes in the development of Istanbul during that time. A lot of old buildings were knocked down to cope with the great increase in population. Pauline said it was worth reading.  The writing was good and it was very interesting, although rather long at 585 pages.  Pauline also read Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood but did not enjoy it as much as Wendy.

ED:  "THE TIME TRAVELLER'S WIFE" BY AUDREY NIFFENEGGER

Ed wasn't sure she was going to like it.  The main character has a genetic problem.  He keeps disappearing and turning up in a different era.  He meets Clare when she's a child and he's an adult but they meet again when they are closer in age.  It's a love story.  He keeps getting into scrapes.  He always turns up naked in a different era.  Ed said it was a bit strange but she enjoyed it.

BEV:  "BLUE LIGHTNING" BY ANN CLEAVES

Bev said it was a nice little detective story.  She read it all in one day.  The detective, Perez visits  an island off the coast of Britain which is accessible only by boat.  There are no telephones on the island.  The island is used for research on birds.  The woman in charge of the sanctuary is murdered.  The detective has to discover who killed her. Bev enjoyed the book.

CONNIE:  "IN THE COMPANY OF STRANGERS" BY LIZ BYRSKI

The story is set in London at the end of the war.  London is being bombed.  Two little girls meet.  One girl is six and the other seven.  It's presumed the parents were killed so they are carted off by ship to Australia with a lot of other boys and girls.  They held hands and became the best of friends.  They are taken to a convent in Western Australia where they were treated very harshly. At 16 they leave the convent and are sent to a hotel in Margaret River to work as kitchen hands.  They are happy enough and around 19-20 one of the girl's marries a well off fellow.  The other girls steals her friend's husband.  Connie enjoyed the book but will leave the ending for you to enjoy.  She enjoyed the descriptions of the Margaret River.

DI:  "FLESH WOUNDS" BY RICHARD GLOVER

Di found the story mindboggling.  She is only about half way through.  Richard Glover is a radio presenter on the ABC and this story is about Richard's family. Richard's mother was deluded, living in the past and his father was an alcoholic.  His mother said she was upper class, part of the British Raj but she actually came from a two up, two down family.  Richard gets posted to England as a European correspondent. He goes into class consciousness in Britain in this book.  There are a lot of serious and very sad parts but also many "laugh out loud" funny bits.  One is where he takes Deborah, his current partner to meet his mother and his stepfather.  His stepfather is in the nude and remains that way as he serves drinks.  Di said it's brilliant.

JUDY G:  "THE GIRL ON THE TRAIN"  BY PAULA HAWKINS

This was a New York Times bestseller.  Three narrators tell the story.  It's a psycho thriller.  All characters are awful but the book does grab you.  The main character travels by train everyday but she's lost her job due to alcoholism.  She doesn't want to tell her flatmate so she sits on the train everyday as if she is still going to work. Whilst on the train she drinks and imagines stories about the people in the houses she passes - looking from the outside in.  Judy said she picked the villain quite early.  She said it was an excellent book.

ANNE:  "THE RECKONING" A Memoir by MAGDA SZUBANSKI

This memoir was written as Magda felt, with all her success, her inner turmoil came as a shock.  Magda was trying to understand her father. Her father was a Polish assassin.  He killed German collaborators during the war.  Her father didn't talk about the war. Magda realized early that she was gay but she was terrified that someone would work it out. She did eventually tell her sister. Anne said the first half of the book was tedious but the second half was better.  In the second half she goes to University and joins the feminist movement in the hope of meeting other women like herself.  She tries drama but doesn't do well and someone says she should try comedy.  She does and becomes successful. 

DIANN:  "LARGER THAN LIFE" BY JODIE PICOULT

This is a fictional story about a mother who could have been a truly brilliant scientist.  She has a dream for her daughter but Alice loves animals and goes to live in Africa to care for wild animals.  She comes across five massacred elephants and finds a calf still alive. She tries to take care of it with the help of a ranger.  She walks the elephant back to camp.  She looks for milk powder.  She tries to reunite it with a herd but there are problems.  Diann said she likes to learn something from the books she reads and enjoyed learning about elephants.

TAM:  "SELDOM" A Memoir by DAWN RAE DOWNTON

The story is about Newfoundland and it is from the perspective of Dawn's mother, Marion and life growing up on an isolated island called Little Bay Island.  It's set from 1900's to 1950's.  It's very isolated and cut off from the rest of the world for about six months.  The main occupation for the men was sealing and fishing.  The women were left on their own for long periods and had to be tough and resourceful. The main focus of the story was the grandmother, Ethel who was a schoolteacher.  She married a nasty, jealous, sadistic man who beat his wife and children.  He was not educated and jealous of his wife.  He was lazy and Ethel waited on him hand and foot.  The family tree at the front of the book and the maps made it a bit easier to follow.  Tam said it was not a bad read, very interesting but a bit hard going.

JULIA:  "A COLD CASE" BY PHILIP GOUREVITCH

This is a true crime story written by Philip Gourevitch who worked for the New York Times.  It's the story of a detective who decides to find Frankie Koehler who had killed two men nearly thirty years ago.  He had never been found.  Julia said it was gripping and a really good read.

MEL:  "TRAGEDY: SAD BALLAD OF THE GIBB BROTHERS" BY JEFF APTER

Mel chose this book because she enjoys reading about people's lives.  The writing was a little rough in the beginning, a bit like being in the pub.  Further on the style improved.  The parents of the Gibb brothers moved to Australia but the Bee Gees were not really taken on by the Australian people so they went back to England.  They became famous in England.  Three of the brothers have passed away in tragic circumstances.  They were too young.  The pictures gave you a graphic view.  Mel enjoyed it and would recommend the book.

LAURA: " JUMPING THE QUEUE" BY MARY WESLEY

This book was published in 1983.  It is is set in Cornwall, England.  It is about a widow who lives alone except for a goose.  She is getting rid of everything including the goose.  She is in her 60's and is going to commit suicide.  She is estranged from her kids and her husband has died. She is thwarted in her attempt to commit suicide and has a reprieve.  The goose (gander) comes back.  Laura found it a very interesting, thought provoking story.

PAMELA:  "KISMET:  THE STORY OF GALLIPOLI  POWS" BY JENNIFER LAWLESS

This is the story of what happened to the prisoners of war at Gallipoli. Six Australians were captured the first day of landing.   Out of 67 captured POWs 24 died of wounds, malaria and spanish flu.  The Turks were worried about the remainder so they were taken to Istanbul. It is the story of what happened to the men.  They had funny ideas about the Turks and were very fearful but they were actually treated very well.  They were well housed and often ate better than the Turks.  The Turks had a culture of hospitality.  Pamela found it very interesting and well documented.

SHEILA:  "A DOG'S LIFE"  BY MARTIN CLUNES

Martin Clunes wasn't very cluey about dogs but had to learn it all. He had two cocker spaniels, Mary and Tina and Arthur, the black labrador.  They are always fighting for dominance and he has to learn about hierarchy.  He sends the dogs to therapy as he has no idea of animal behaviour.  Martin decides to learn about the social evolution of dogs, from wild animals to domestic animals.  Sheila said "if you are interested in dogs and want a light book - it's a good book to read".

GAI:  "SALVATION CREEK" BY SUSAN DUNCAN

Gai said it was well written and had light and shade.  It is the true story of how Susan, a journalist, manages her life after losing both her husband and brother within three days of each other.  The book is set in Pittwater and Gai felt it was all a bit familiar.  The characters are very Australian with an Australian voice and perhaps too much swearing.  Susan lives on Scotland Island in Dorothea Mackellar's old house. You can only get there by boat.  Gai loved this book.

JO:  "ALL DRESSED IN WHITE" BY MARY HIGGINS CLARKE

Our avid reader, Jo read eight books but she chose to talk about All Dressed in White.  Laurie Moran investigates cold cases for her television series, Under Suspicion.  Five years after a woman goes missing on her wedding day, Laurie decides to recreate the scene. As the woman went missing just before her wedding,  the wedding party are asked to come back to recreate the scene.  After she went missing, her husband-to-be married her closest friend making them both suspects.

JOAN:  "MY BRILLIANT FRIEND" BY ELENA FERANTE

This is the story of two intelligent girls, the dazzling Lila and the dutiful Elena. The story is set in the 1950's in the slums of Naples. It is a depiction of womanhood and friendship but also of Italian society and politics.  Joan said it is not like anything she has ever read.  She said her writing gets you in and she couldn't wait to get the next book.

ROSEMARIE:  "THE SECRET SPEECH" BY TOM ROB SMITH

This is the second novel in the trilogy by British author Tom Rob Smith.  Rosemarie read the first one, Child 44.  Rosemarie is only half way through the The Secret Speech but said it was not as good as the first book. It is set in Russia and once again, Leo Demidov, former KGB and now head of Homicide squad is the main character.

PAT:  "GO SET A WATCHMAN" BY HARPER LEE

Pat said it was a bit ordinary.  She said nothing really happened.  It was set in the deep south of America and the characters were the same but many years later.  Pat said it was written in the same style as her famous book To Kill a Mockingbird.  She felt it should have been left alone.  She tried to persevere but didn't finish.
 
We have our very own author in the bookclub, Laura Rittenhouse.  She has just published her third book called "Confessions of an Aging Adulterer".  It's a very intriguing title.

 
FOR NEXT MONTH'S BOOKCLUB MEETING WE ARE READING GHOST STORIES

Kris