THE PEARL THAT BROKE IT'S SHELL BY NADIA HASHIMI
CONNIE: She did not enjoy this novel. She got weary reading about the terrible violence. The story is about one woman and her great,great-grandmother. Connie said they might as well have put it in two books. Although she sympathized with what is going on there she couldn't cope with it but she did finish the book.
DENISE: She normally hates books like this but she actually enjoyed this one. It's all about women being treated badly. It saddened her that this goes on. Denise couldn't understand why the mother in law treated the young wife badly when she had been treated badly by her mother in law.
JO: She found it very depressing that people live like that. Jo said " it's not normal". She did read the whole book.
JUDY 3: She did enjoy (not love) this story about women in Afghanistan. The two main characters are Rahima and Shekiba who live in different centuries but live remarkably similar lives. Both grow up in all girl families. Shekiba, having lost the rest of her family to disease, is married off by her uncle, and Rahima and two of her sisters are sold off as brides to strangers to pay off a debt of her father. Their bid to escape from their situations is the basis of this story. Interwoven with their stories we get a picture of how life in Afghanistan changes and how much it remains the same. Judy said she found it difficult at first to cope with the foreign names but once she was past the first few chapters the story had her entranced. Judy said the writing was not always to her taste and she probably would not read another one of her novels. She preferred Khaled Hosseini's books.
ROSEMARIE: She agreed with what everyone else had said about the book. Rosemarie enjoyed the book but felt bad about it.
KRIS: The story begins in Kabul in 2007. The Taliban rule the streets. Rahima and her sisters live in a village outside of Kabul with warlords holding most of the power. Their father is addicted to drugs. Their mother, with encouragement from her older sister, decides to use the ancient custom of Bacha Posh. This will allow Rahima to shop at the market for her and hopefully escort her sisters to school. Bacha Posh allows a girl to dress as a boy until she reaches marriageable age. Interwoven with Rahima's story is the story of Shekiba, Rahima's great great grandmother who was also a Bach Posh in the early part of the 20th century. Kris did not like the way women were treated but admired the young women's strength. She enjoyed the book as it was a very interesting story.
WHEN THE MOON IS LOW BY NADIA HASHIMI
JUDY 4: This is another novel written by Nadia Hashimi. Fareiba marries Mahmoud after her mother dies in labour. Fareiba learns to love Mahmoud but he is murdered when the Taliban comes in to the village. Fereiba and her three children are forced to travel to safety. Judy felt for their plight. The story portrays refugee camps in Europe and she felt for the people who were seeking safety for their families. Saleem, Fereiba's teenage son becomes separated from them in Greece.
PRUE: She has had a very busy month so Prue did not have time to read this book but read the blurb on the back. It's an expose of conditions in Afghanistan. Kabul used to be very ancient, then modern and then turned around again.
DI: She didn't think she was a good writer but a good storyteller. Di had sympathy with the protagonist and her family. They didn't want to go to Turkey as they considered it had one foot in Europe and one in Asia. Saleem, the teenage son gets separated and tries to get across to England. Di's sympathy went with them all trying to get to England rather than other places along the way. She wouldn't recommend the book.
DIANN: She also read this book but felt differently as Fareiba was living a happy life and then the Taliban comes in and throws everything up in the air. Her husband is murdered. Diann was glad she read the book and said it's an insight.
LESLEY: The story is abut belief, religion and family and how all that pans out. It's written in the first person of Fereiba, the mother. This is the stronger part of the story but then it swaps to the third person when she's separated from her teenage son, Saleem. This is the weaker part of the story. The story is about displaced people, their traditions and superstitions that guide their life and the will to survive. Lesley didn't particularly like it or not like it.
3 PARA by PATRICK BISHOP
VAL: This is a true story set in Afghanistan in the summer of 2006. Patrick Bishop is a war correspondent and Val said it was well written. It's about the different tribes and ethnic groups and the country has been at war for a long time. The Taliban came in from Pakistan. After 2001 they routed them out but then they were back again quite strongly. 3 Para refers to the British parachute regiment sent to Helmand province, south of Afghanistan. Their task was to keep the engineers safe while they were reconstructing the villages. The temperatures were around 50 degrees. The villagers appeared quite friendly but these fellows had been in Ireland so they felt a sense of unease. It was a good book.
FROM UNDER A LEAKY ROOF BY PHIL SPARROW
WENDY: This book is non fiction. Phil Sparrow is an experienced UN aid worker and this book is about the Afghan refugees in Australia. The book is in the form of interviews with refugees. They are mostly a tribal society. Afghanistan is a western construction with Russian, American and British intervention. Wendy said the stories were quite moving and revealing.
THE DRESSMAKER OF KHAIR KHANA by GAYLE TZEMACH-LEMMON
SHEILA: This book is non fiction. The author is a journalist from Europe. It is written in the form of personal interviews. Many men had fled Khair Khana, a suburb of Kabul and the Taliban controlled all aspects of the lives of the women left behind. Their lives are miserable. Kamila Sidiqi has a teaching degree but is banned from teaching. As she is the sole breadwinner for her siblings, she takes up dressmaking and eventually has about 100 women working for her in secret. Sheila found a lot of the book boring.
Sheila also read UNDERGROUND GIRLS OF KABUL by JENNY NORDBERG
This is another true account. The author is a New York based foreign correspondent who broke the story of the Bacha Posh in 2010. Bacha Posh is where a daughter is raised and presented to the world as a son until menstruation. In the Dari language it means dressed as a boy. Sheila said this book was better written.
KITE RUNNER by KHALED HOSSEINI
PAMELA: It is a story about a boy named Amir who lives with his wealthy father in Afghanistan. Amir is constantly trying to win his father's love.They are Suni. They have two servants, Ali and his son, Hassan. They are Hazaras, an ethnic minority. The boys are best friends but there is a lot of prejudice against Hazaras by Suni's. The boys enter the annual kite running contest and when Hassan is attacked by some Suni boys, Amir doesn't help. Amir is racked by guilt. Pamela thought Amir was a very unpleasant child. When things change in Afghanistan the family have to get out of Kabul through Pakistan and finally go to America. Unbelievable coincidences in the story prevented Pamela from reading the rest of the book. Pamela did not like the book.
THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by KHALED HOSSEINI
BEV: This novel was written after Kite Runner. The title is from an Afghani poem. The main character is an illegitimate 15year old girl called Mariam. Russia is invading Afghanistan. The Taliban has taken over the villages. Mariam is forced to marry a 40 year old when her mother commits suicide. Her husband is cruel but when she miscarries a few times he becomes worse because she doesn't produce a son. The villagers are nice to her. When the parents of a little girl from the village are killed by a bomb the little girl becomes part of Mariam's family.
JULIA: Julia also read this book. She enjoyed it and said there wasn't a lot of descriptions of violence. The book was more about relationships.
A SHORT WALK IN THE HINDU KUSH by ERIC NEWBY
PAULINE: Eric Newby is an English travel writer and this is an autobiographical account of his adventures in the Hindu Kush, north of Nuristan in Afghanistan. He went on a trip with his friend Hugh. They made out they were mountaineers. They go through Turkey and find a body on the road. They get arrested, delayed by two days and when allowed to leave they go to Kabul. There are quite good descriptions of the countryside. They make a couple of attempts to go up the mountains. They end up with dysentry. Pauline said it's an amusing book and nicely written.
It was a nice book to end with after most of our harrowing stories.
In DECEMBER we will be discussing the best book we have read this year.
Sunday, November 20, 2016
Thursday, November 3, 2016
OCTOBER ~ Ian McEwan
This month members of the Book Club were
asked to read one of the novels written by English author, Ian McEwan.
Atonement
ED found the first 1/3 of the book difficult to read, citing the
lengthy character development and over descriptive writing. This was a common comment
by others who also read the book.
13-year-old Briony
Tallis misinterprets her older sister’s love affair with their family’s
gardener to be something much worse than what it is. Her innocence and partial
understanding of the world begins a chain of events that tears the family apart
and alters the course of the rest of the girl’s life.
DIANE thought the title was very apt – others had committed the
crime but no one had received any comeuppance.
She also couldn’t
work out the ending and described the story as not very satisfying. She thought
the author ‘puts down old age’.
MAREE also thought the book had a slow start, but that the middle
was a really good story. She loved that part but thought it was let down by the
ending.
She also commented
that the film was quite different.
KRIS
loved the book, so much so that she couldn’t put it down.
She thought the
author had a great understanding of teenage girl’s emotions and that some of
what happened did so because of class differences. There was a great build up
of tension and the use of the 3 time periods worked well.
But she also was
disappointed with the ending, thinking that it was too easy.
TAM
made similar comments, enjoying the book but disappointed with the ending. But
she thought she would read more of McEwan’s books.
The
Children Act
WENDY loved the book! The plot involves a 60 year old woman who
is a highly respected Supreme Court Judge. Every day she must make major
decisions and moral judgements on other people’s lives. At the same time her
marriage is becoming a bit shaky. Her husband believes life is passing him by;
he wants to have an affair with a younger colleague.
ANN
found the book to be gripping and moving. The author writes well and covers
several ethical issues in the cases, many of them very relevant today.
BEV
thought the ending was soppy and allowed the story to ‘peter off’.
JUDY J really enjoyed the book admiring the author for his
thorough research not just on the legal details, but medical and musical facts
he used. The author explained he had read many judgements and used the
experience of his own divorce as part of his research.
LESLIE described it as an engrossing and clever book. She thought
the author really got into the head of this 60 year old woman, hugely
intelligent, cultured, in full control of her life. But even she could
sometimes do irrational things.
Leslie also thought
the ending was rushed and not satisfying. But maybe that’s how it was in her
life; move on to the next stage, the natural progression of life.
ROSEMARY read from a passage at the end of the book with McEwan’s
description of divorce. His own was particularly acrimonious.
DIANN F thought that the story line was good but overall she didn’t
like the book. She struggled to read a book written by a man who was thinking
like a woman!
JO likes
to read for enjoyment and to pass the time. She loved it particularly as the
book gave you a perspective of how the judge came to a decision.
Saturday
PAT’s
first comment was that this book also had a slow
beginning. In great detail the author describes the family of a very successful
surgeon, the wife, daughter and son. For Pat there was too much vivid
description of aspects of the surgeon’s work!
The story takes place on one horrendous
Saturday, and tries to show why some people behave the way they do and those
who show compassion. The surgeon is faced with a moral decision deciding
whether he can treat someone who is likely to harm his family.
Pat enjoyed the book, thought it was clever
and made you think. Worth reading!
Sweet Tooth
JUDY
D
The main character and narrator is an
attractive young student at Cambridge University who after a brief affair with
a History Professor is recruited to join MI5 as a spy in the Cold War.
There was some thought that parts of the
book were based on the author’s own life experiences.
Again the ending to this book was commented
on: Judy thinking it was contrived and convoluted. She reread it several times
before reaching some sort of understanding.
TERESA also read the book, describing it as ‘weird’. She also reread the
final chapter several times but still couldn’t grasp it.
DENISE found it easy to get into the book but described the young girl (the
heroine) to be annoying and inconsequential, so much so that she didn’t finish
the book.
Black Dogs
JOAN
Published in 1992, Jeremy is the narrator.
After his parents died in a car accident when he was 8 years old, his sisters
raised him. He develops an obsession with other people’s families.
When he marries he gets his own family and
in-laws etc and is determined to write their family history and memoirs. He
discovers in their past devastating events which continue to shape their lives.
Joan described the book as intricate,
symbol laden and ‘too deep’ for her and found the story very depressing!
Nutshell
PAMELA
This
short novel, narrated by a foetus, is loosely based onShakespeare’s Hamlet. The
unborn child listens to his mother plotting to kill his father in partnership
with her lover. The title ‘Nutshell’ refers to the unborn child. The writing
was very good and included quotes from Hamlet.
PAULINE
Continuing with the plot, Pauline explains
that the wife wants to kill her husband to get the house, an old Georgian town
house in central London. The murder weapon was to be a smoothie!
The foetus is subjected to many amusing
situations and muses over issues such as climate change and refugees. He also becomes a bit of a wine snob.
She thought it a simple idea for a book,
cleverly written and very entertaining.
Solo
CONNIE
A brilliant scientist develops a way to
harness the sun’s rays to create an amazing amount of power.
For his experiments he wins the Nobel Prize
for Physics.
The book is solely about him, his
marriages, his mistresses, his lack of respect for others, his fear of
commitment, and his inability to relate with his children. He is not a likeable
man.
Connie found the technical information was
too much for her.
She praised his writing, but didn’t really
enjoy the book.
LAURA liked it more but didn’t love it.
She thought it an interesting character
study of a man who thinks he is the ‘bee’s knees’ and not unbelievable. This man
was brilliant and focused. He won the Nobel Prize when he was quite young and
then coasts along. He continues to go to conferences, to write and becomes
totally self –obsessed. His career stagnates.
It is not a page-turner but Laura thought
it had the right ending.
PRUE enjoyed the book and thought the author continued to create
suspense through out.
His research regarding climate change was
very good and he came up with a feasible idea.
Although much of the book was made up of
long paragraphs, she had to keep reading. The sign of a good writing!
Monday, September 26, 2016
For our September reading we chose an Australian author -
Liane Moriarty. As usual, a spirited and diverse range of ideas and views ensued, however a common term 'Ripple Effect' was often heard.
WENDY - THE LAST ANNIVERSARY - One of Liane's earlier books, Wendy was unsure if it fell into the mystery or 'chic lit' category. The characters were not overly likeable and tended to be airheads. The focus was on the women, from 5 generations in the family, with much of the story about the ripple effect of their decisions.
MARIE - THE HUSBAND'S SECRET - Marie just wanted to KNOW what the secret was, and wondered if the letter should/should not be opened. With the marriage of the main character challenged, the trauma and sadness, the story drew her in.
PAMELA - THE HUSBAND'S SECRET - The epigraph - to err is human, to forgive is divine (by Alexander Pope) - at the beginning prefaces the story. The theme is "how well do we really know anyone?" There is a ripple effect throughout with the decisions, reasons and consequences of actions slowly revealed.
SHEILA - THE HYPNOTISTS LOVE STORY - about a woman in her mid 30's, practicing alternative medicine who has very clear views on how others lives should/could be changed. Her ideas change when she goes through pregnancy and her own body takes over - she has so little control. Sheila thought the author had a good grasp on people.
PAT - THE HYPNOTISTS LOVE STORY - Pat liked the characters and thought they were close to real life. The story showed what really happens when health affects behaviour. There was the ripple of how the situations affected other people.
ROSEMARY - THE HYPNOTISTS LOVE STORY - was unsure about the genre. Was it about a love affair, being stalked..? It had potential, but there was no twist.
JOAN - WHAT ALICE FORGOT - a head injury that results in 10 years of memories being forgotten is the basis of the book. Whilst the characterisations were good, Joan couldn't finish the book - she needed to be released!
KRIS - WHAT ALICE FORGOT - really enjoyed the book, thought it was intriguing. The impending divorce, the children etc. The author showed a good understanding of family dynamics.
JUDY J - TRULY, MADLY, GUILTY - loved the book. It centres on 3 couples - happy, others dysfunctional, with or without children, neighbours and the events at a bbq. Fascinating. It builds with a big ripple effect, full of suburban intrigues.
JULIA - THE THREE WISHES - an early book by the author, triplets, quite ridiculous - don't bother.
JUDY 3 - THE THREE WISHES - full of many comments and observations after events.
JO - BIG, LITTLE LIES - read some, thought it was interesting and well written but TOO LONG.
DIANE - BIG, LITTLE LIES - an intergenerational story full of complicated relationships. Can't see why the author has such a high profile and on NY best seller lists. Didn't like the Americanisms used and found it hard to categorise.
TAMMY - BIG, LITTLE LIES - loved the book. Liked the 'blonde bobs' making comments. There was an underlying theme of domestic violence. The face that is presented is often a mask - appearances are deceiving.
LESLEY - BIG, LITTLE LIES - thoroughly enjoyed the book. Someone dies at a primary school trivia night. The building of events that led to this starts 6 months earlier at Kindy Orientation Day. So many themes - single parenting, divorce, step children, schoolyard gossip, bullying, stereotyping, domestic violence and of course murder. All written with perception of human nature and humour.
JUDY 4 - BIG, LITTLE LIES - really enjoyed it. Thought it both comedic and serious.
ED - BIG, LITTLE LIES - thoroughly enjoyed the story and couldn't pick the ending.
DIANN F - BIG, LITTLE LIES - set in a fictional town it was a good mix of many issues - body image, domestic violence, bullying, secrets. What type of lies do we all tell?
LAURA - BIG, LITTLE LIES - really enjoyed it too. Takes the reader to a place one possibly hasn't been before. Not boring. Shows the ripple effect on the children, the friends etc when events
happen.
BEV - THE LAST ANNIVERSARY - thought the story went on, dealt with issues and the aftermath of a rape committed many years prior. Something of a soap opera.
Lesley
Liane Moriarty. As usual, a spirited and diverse range of ideas and views ensued, however a common term 'Ripple Effect' was often heard.
WENDY - THE LAST ANNIVERSARY - One of Liane's earlier books, Wendy was unsure if it fell into the mystery or 'chic lit' category. The characters were not overly likeable and tended to be airheads. The focus was on the women, from 5 generations in the family, with much of the story about the ripple effect of their decisions.
MARIE - THE HUSBAND'S SECRET - Marie just wanted to KNOW what the secret was, and wondered if the letter should/should not be opened. With the marriage of the main character challenged, the trauma and sadness, the story drew her in.
PAMELA - THE HUSBAND'S SECRET - The epigraph - to err is human, to forgive is divine (by Alexander Pope) - at the beginning prefaces the story. The theme is "how well do we really know anyone?" There is a ripple effect throughout with the decisions, reasons and consequences of actions slowly revealed.
SHEILA - THE HYPNOTISTS LOVE STORY - about a woman in her mid 30's, practicing alternative medicine who has very clear views on how others lives should/could be changed. Her ideas change when she goes through pregnancy and her own body takes over - she has so little control. Sheila thought the author had a good grasp on people.
PAT - THE HYPNOTISTS LOVE STORY - Pat liked the characters and thought they were close to real life. The story showed what really happens when health affects behaviour. There was the ripple of how the situations affected other people.
ROSEMARY - THE HYPNOTISTS LOVE STORY - was unsure about the genre. Was it about a love affair, being stalked..? It had potential, but there was no twist.
JOAN - WHAT ALICE FORGOT - a head injury that results in 10 years of memories being forgotten is the basis of the book. Whilst the characterisations were good, Joan couldn't finish the book - she needed to be released!
KRIS - WHAT ALICE FORGOT - really enjoyed the book, thought it was intriguing. The impending divorce, the children etc. The author showed a good understanding of family dynamics.
JUDY J - TRULY, MADLY, GUILTY - loved the book. It centres on 3 couples - happy, others dysfunctional, with or without children, neighbours and the events at a bbq. Fascinating. It builds with a big ripple effect, full of suburban intrigues.
JULIA - THE THREE WISHES - an early book by the author, triplets, quite ridiculous - don't bother.
JUDY 3 - THE THREE WISHES - full of many comments and observations after events.
JO - BIG, LITTLE LIES - read some, thought it was interesting and well written but TOO LONG.
DIANE - BIG, LITTLE LIES - an intergenerational story full of complicated relationships. Can't see why the author has such a high profile and on NY best seller lists. Didn't like the Americanisms used and found it hard to categorise.
TAMMY - BIG, LITTLE LIES - loved the book. Liked the 'blonde bobs' making comments. There was an underlying theme of domestic violence. The face that is presented is often a mask - appearances are deceiving.
LESLEY - BIG, LITTLE LIES - thoroughly enjoyed the book. Someone dies at a primary school trivia night. The building of events that led to this starts 6 months earlier at Kindy Orientation Day. So many themes - single parenting, divorce, step children, schoolyard gossip, bullying, stereotyping, domestic violence and of course murder. All written with perception of human nature and humour.
JUDY 4 - BIG, LITTLE LIES - really enjoyed it. Thought it both comedic and serious.
ED - BIG, LITTLE LIES - thoroughly enjoyed the story and couldn't pick the ending.
DIANN F - BIG, LITTLE LIES - set in a fictional town it was a good mix of many issues - body image, domestic violence, bullying, secrets. What type of lies do we all tell?
LAURA - BIG, LITTLE LIES - really enjoyed it too. Takes the reader to a place one possibly hasn't been before. Not boring. Shows the ripple effect on the children, the friends etc when events
happen.
BEV - THE LAST ANNIVERSARY - thought the story went on, dealt with issues and the aftermath of a rape committed many years prior. Something of a soap opera.
Lesley
Monday, August 22, 2016
AUGUST - BOOKS ABOUT HORSES
CONNIE: THE HORSE WHISPERER by NICHOLAS EVANS
Nicholas Evans is an English author. Connie read this novel years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. She said she enjoyed it just as much the 2nd time. The horse in the story is owned by a girl about 12. The horse has a serious accident and loses a leg. The young girl doesn't expect to ride the horse again but her wealthy family do everything they can to save the horse's life. The horse whisperer brings the traumatized, disfigured horse back to normality. The girl loses interest in riding but there is a happy ending for all concerned, but not what you expect.
DIANE: HORSE THIEF by TEA COOPER
This novel is set in Australia in 1865. A young woman takes over her father's horse stud. She employs a man to take over the breeding programme. Di said it wasn't feasible and she couldn't finish it. She would not recommend the book.
TAM: THE ROCKING HORSE HILL by CATHRYN HEIN
This is a romantic novel. Tam said it wasn't really about horses but more about romance. She said it was still a good read.
JOAN: SEABISCUIT (An American Legend) by LAURA HILLEBRAND
This is a true story about three men and a racehorse. It is set in 1903 when a young fellow called Charles Howard,with 26cents in his pocket, goes off to California for work. He becomes a wealthy automobile entrepeneur and then acquires a foal called Seabiscuit. The horse was a big eater and slept a lot and nobody wanted to buy him. Howard and Smith, a horse trainer, bought Seabiscuit. The horse was lazy but talented. They hired an Irish jockey. It's a love story of three men and the American public for Seabiscuit. Over four years he had won all the big races. He was a symbol of hope during the depression. Joan said it was well written.
PAT: FIXED by MATTHEW BRENNAN
This is a book about corruption, doping, rape etc in the horse racing industry. Pat only read 20 pages and didn't like it. Instead she decided to read some facts about horses and talked to the group about what she had learned.
JUDY (3): FLYING CHANGES by SARA GRUEN
Judy said horses don't interest her so she wouldn't normally pick up a book about horses. This book is by the author who wrote Water for Elephants so Judy thought it would be good but "how wrong can you be" she said. The girl in the story wants to be a champion rider but has not had much experience. She has a bad boyfriend who leads her astray. Her characters are one dimensional. She said it was not worth the time wasted reading it.
PRUE: HORSE AND RIDER IN AUSTRALIAN LEGEND: A CULTURAL HISTORY
by NANETTE MANTLE
This book is non fiction. The author used this topic to do her PHD. It is the history of the first seven horses brought out to Australia and the history of horses in Australia up until the present day. She has only read about 1/4 of the book but she has learned a lot. It describes the Aboriginal stockmen, bushrangers, horses used on coaches and how there were cowboys recorded here before they were in America. Prue said it was magnificently researched.
SHEILA: A HORSE CALLED MIGHTY: THE MIGHT AND POWER STORY
by HELEN THOMAS
This is the true story of a horse called Might and Power who won The Cox Cup, the Caulfield Cup and went on to win the Melbourne Cup in a tight finish in the late 1990's. Sheila hadn't heard of the horse before. He was the undisputed champion of Australian turf at the time. Sheila said it was mainly about blood lines which she found boring. Sheila said it would be an interesting book if you were interested in blood lines and knew a lot about horses.
PAMELA: THE STORY OF BLACK CAVIAR by ANDREW EDDY
This is a true story about the race horse, Black Caviar. She was not line bred. Rick Jamison believed if you chose good families on both sides you would get a good horse. Black Caviar was a big horse trained by Peter Moody. She was very anxious in the barriers and after she was hurt in one of the races, a barrier blanket was made. She liked to race with her friends, a big goat called Billy and a 29 year old pony. Black Caviar had a big rump and was a powerhouse. She won all her races in Australia. Pamela really enjoyed the book. She said it was very informative.
KRIS: HORSES NEVER LIE ABOUT LOVE by JANA HARRIS
This book is an inspiring memoir about the author's relationship with True Colours, the dark red coloured mare known as a blood bay and the first horse she bought in her quest to breed horses. True Colours was a protective mother of a two month old black colt. The colt was delivered first and the mother was to be delivered later. Excuses were continually made about why she couldn't be delivered and eventually when she was delivered she had been disfigured in a fire. She was traumatized, part wild and part domesticated. Jana thought she had made a mistake in buying her but eventually she becomes the heart of the farm and a great bond is forged between them. It was a heartwarming story.
JUDY (4): FOAL'S BREAD by GILLIAN MEARES
This is Judy's favourite book. It is a novel set in Australia in 1929. Noah, a fourteen year old girl and her father, a drover, are herding pigs to market when they set up camp at One Tree Creek. Noah gives birth but she hardly knows what is happening. She didn't even know she was pregnant. She has the baby but it is too premature to live. The father is an 80 year old uncle who has since died. She then meets a young man, Roly who lives on a property at One Tree Creek. He gives Noah a bit of foal's bread. They are smitten with each other and eventually get married and live at One Tree Creek. His mother is angry because her golden haired son has married a dark skinned, dark haired girl but they are passionate about each other as well as horses and show jumping. Roly develops a disease that changes their lives. Judy said she just loved the book. The language is exquisite. The book has won awards.
ANNE: THE WHITE STALLION OF LIPIZZA by MARGEURITE HENRY
This is a children's novel published in 1964. A 13 year old boy dreams of becoming a riding master. When he gets up early with his father, a baker, he sees the horses from the Royal Spanish Riding School. This makes him more determined. Anne found the facts about horses very interesting even though it's a children's book. She said it was a good story, although a little predictable.
LESLEY: THE DIGGERS MENAGERIE: MATES, MASCOTS AND MARVELS-TRUE STORIES OF ANIMALS WHO WENT TO WAR by BARRY STONE
This book documents the true stories of the animals that went off to war including horses for transport from the Boer war to Afghanistan. In World War I most of the Australians who went to war were mounted. The Australian horses travelled well. New South Wales (Walers) used the finest cavalry horses. Horses made a huge contribution to the war. There was a high death rate as there was no vet care at the time. Many horses were left behind as it was too expensive to bring them back. Lesley enjoyed the facts.
DIANN: WARRIOR: THE AMAZING STORY OF A REAL WAR HORSE
by GENERAL JACK SEELY
This is the true story of a thoroughbred gelding, foal of Cinderella, born on the Isle of Wight in 1904. The horse went to war in 1914 with General Jack Seely who always rode him. He was in the Battle of the Somme, at Pashendale and was called "the horse the Germans could not kill". He was returned to the Isle of Wight in 1918. This is a book of historical facts and figures. Diann said it was a very good read if you like facts about horses.
PAULINE: HALF BROKE HORSE by JEANETTE WALLS
This is a true life novel about the author's mother and grandmother. The stories have been passed down and made into a novel. It is written in the grandmother's voice. It is set on a Texas ranch and the family are very poor. The grandmother, as a 13 year old girl is sent to a Catholic college but as the family couldn't continue to pay she was there for only one year. She was then in and out of school and work. She eventually gets qualified and has a family. Pauline thoroughly enjoyed it. She said it was a good story but didn't have much to do with horses.
ROSEMARY: UNDER ORDERS by DICK FRANCIS
The main character in this novel is Sid Halley, a retired British steeplechase rider and former jockey to the Queen mother in 1956. He is now a private investigator. The book is about crime in the horse racing world. Rosemary said it was good, an easy to read "whodunnit". She said you don't have to be interested in racing.
MAREE: HORSES FOR KING ARTHUR by L. S. LAWRENCE
The author is a qualified historian and this book is historical fiction. It is set in Britain in the year 475. One of the characters, Alexa, dreams of breeding horses. Maree liked it. She said it was a well written novel with many historical details, although not a lot about horses.
WENDY: BLACK BEAUTY by ANNA SEWELL
This is junior fiction. It was written in 1877 and was the only novel ever published by the author. It was published just before she died. Wendy said she can't imagine kids reading it today. Wendy really enjoyed the descriptions of the manners at the time, the social structure and the morality of being a good person. She thoroughly enjoyed it.
JULIA: PHAR LAP (HOW A HORSE BECOMES A HERO OF HIS TIME AND AN ICON OF A NATION) by GEOFF ARMSTRONG AND PETER THOMPSON
Julia said the authors are both into sports and have a fascination with racing. This book is an account of Phar Lap's life. Phar Lap was a New Zealand horse rejected by his American owner and then trained by an Aussie battler. It was during the depression and he became an icon of a nation. The book explains why he was so much more than a racehorse. There were statistics in the back of the book which Julia found very interesting. She said it was a nice read.
Julia also talked about a beloved children's book called The Sand Horse by Anne Turnbull. It is a fictional story of a person who made a sand sculpture of a horse. The illustrations were beautiful.
BEV: BREAK IN by DICK FRANCIS
In this novel the main character, Kit is a jockey with a twin sister who is married to a horse trainer. His sister and her husband's families have been feuding for some time. She said it was like Romeo and Juliet. The story is also about the horses that Kit rides and the training of the horses. Bev likes the way Dick Francis writes. She said it was enjoyable and very easy to read.
JO: CROSS FIRE by DICK FRANCIS AND FELIX FRANCIS
In this novel the main character, Tom is a career army officer who has lost a foot in a bombing accident. He comes back to England and goes to see his mother a horse trainer. She is being blackmailed into knobbling horses. When Tom tries to uncover the identity of the blackmailer he gets kidnapped. Jo really likes Dick Francis. His books have everything in them, romance, drama and action.
Nicholas Evans is an English author. Connie read this novel years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. She said she enjoyed it just as much the 2nd time. The horse in the story is owned by a girl about 12. The horse has a serious accident and loses a leg. The young girl doesn't expect to ride the horse again but her wealthy family do everything they can to save the horse's life. The horse whisperer brings the traumatized, disfigured horse back to normality. The girl loses interest in riding but there is a happy ending for all concerned, but not what you expect.
DIANE: HORSE THIEF by TEA COOPER
This novel is set in Australia in 1865. A young woman takes over her father's horse stud. She employs a man to take over the breeding programme. Di said it wasn't feasible and she couldn't finish it. She would not recommend the book.
TAM: THE ROCKING HORSE HILL by CATHRYN HEIN
This is a romantic novel. Tam said it wasn't really about horses but more about romance. She said it was still a good read.
JOAN: SEABISCUIT (An American Legend) by LAURA HILLEBRAND
This is a true story about three men and a racehorse. It is set in 1903 when a young fellow called Charles Howard,with 26cents in his pocket, goes off to California for work. He becomes a wealthy automobile entrepeneur and then acquires a foal called Seabiscuit. The horse was a big eater and slept a lot and nobody wanted to buy him. Howard and Smith, a horse trainer, bought Seabiscuit. The horse was lazy but talented. They hired an Irish jockey. It's a love story of three men and the American public for Seabiscuit. Over four years he had won all the big races. He was a symbol of hope during the depression. Joan said it was well written.
PAT: FIXED by MATTHEW BRENNAN
This is a book about corruption, doping, rape etc in the horse racing industry. Pat only read 20 pages and didn't like it. Instead she decided to read some facts about horses and talked to the group about what she had learned.
JUDY (3): FLYING CHANGES by SARA GRUEN
Judy said horses don't interest her so she wouldn't normally pick up a book about horses. This book is by the author who wrote Water for Elephants so Judy thought it would be good but "how wrong can you be" she said. The girl in the story wants to be a champion rider but has not had much experience. She has a bad boyfriend who leads her astray. Her characters are one dimensional. She said it was not worth the time wasted reading it.
PRUE: HORSE AND RIDER IN AUSTRALIAN LEGEND: A CULTURAL HISTORY
by NANETTE MANTLE
This book is non fiction. The author used this topic to do her PHD. It is the history of the first seven horses brought out to Australia and the history of horses in Australia up until the present day. She has only read about 1/4 of the book but she has learned a lot. It describes the Aboriginal stockmen, bushrangers, horses used on coaches and how there were cowboys recorded here before they were in America. Prue said it was magnificently researched.
SHEILA: A HORSE CALLED MIGHTY: THE MIGHT AND POWER STORY
by HELEN THOMAS
This is the true story of a horse called Might and Power who won The Cox Cup, the Caulfield Cup and went on to win the Melbourne Cup in a tight finish in the late 1990's. Sheila hadn't heard of the horse before. He was the undisputed champion of Australian turf at the time. Sheila said it was mainly about blood lines which she found boring. Sheila said it would be an interesting book if you were interested in blood lines and knew a lot about horses.
PAMELA: THE STORY OF BLACK CAVIAR by ANDREW EDDY
This is a true story about the race horse, Black Caviar. She was not line bred. Rick Jamison believed if you chose good families on both sides you would get a good horse. Black Caviar was a big horse trained by Peter Moody. She was very anxious in the barriers and after she was hurt in one of the races, a barrier blanket was made. She liked to race with her friends, a big goat called Billy and a 29 year old pony. Black Caviar had a big rump and was a powerhouse. She won all her races in Australia. Pamela really enjoyed the book. She said it was very informative.
KRIS: HORSES NEVER LIE ABOUT LOVE by JANA HARRIS
This book is an inspiring memoir about the author's relationship with True Colours, the dark red coloured mare known as a blood bay and the first horse she bought in her quest to breed horses. True Colours was a protective mother of a two month old black colt. The colt was delivered first and the mother was to be delivered later. Excuses were continually made about why she couldn't be delivered and eventually when she was delivered she had been disfigured in a fire. She was traumatized, part wild and part domesticated. Jana thought she had made a mistake in buying her but eventually she becomes the heart of the farm and a great bond is forged between them. It was a heartwarming story.
JUDY (4): FOAL'S BREAD by GILLIAN MEARES
This is Judy's favourite book. It is a novel set in Australia in 1929. Noah, a fourteen year old girl and her father, a drover, are herding pigs to market when they set up camp at One Tree Creek. Noah gives birth but she hardly knows what is happening. She didn't even know she was pregnant. She has the baby but it is too premature to live. The father is an 80 year old uncle who has since died. She then meets a young man, Roly who lives on a property at One Tree Creek. He gives Noah a bit of foal's bread. They are smitten with each other and eventually get married and live at One Tree Creek. His mother is angry because her golden haired son has married a dark skinned, dark haired girl but they are passionate about each other as well as horses and show jumping. Roly develops a disease that changes their lives. Judy said she just loved the book. The language is exquisite. The book has won awards.
ANNE: THE WHITE STALLION OF LIPIZZA by MARGEURITE HENRY
This is a children's novel published in 1964. A 13 year old boy dreams of becoming a riding master. When he gets up early with his father, a baker, he sees the horses from the Royal Spanish Riding School. This makes him more determined. Anne found the facts about horses very interesting even though it's a children's book. She said it was a good story, although a little predictable.
LESLEY: THE DIGGERS MENAGERIE: MATES, MASCOTS AND MARVELS-TRUE STORIES OF ANIMALS WHO WENT TO WAR by BARRY STONE
This book documents the true stories of the animals that went off to war including horses for transport from the Boer war to Afghanistan. In World War I most of the Australians who went to war were mounted. The Australian horses travelled well. New South Wales (Walers) used the finest cavalry horses. Horses made a huge contribution to the war. There was a high death rate as there was no vet care at the time. Many horses were left behind as it was too expensive to bring them back. Lesley enjoyed the facts.
DIANN: WARRIOR: THE AMAZING STORY OF A REAL WAR HORSE
by GENERAL JACK SEELY
This is the true story of a thoroughbred gelding, foal of Cinderella, born on the Isle of Wight in 1904. The horse went to war in 1914 with General Jack Seely who always rode him. He was in the Battle of the Somme, at Pashendale and was called "the horse the Germans could not kill". He was returned to the Isle of Wight in 1918. This is a book of historical facts and figures. Diann said it was a very good read if you like facts about horses.
PAULINE: HALF BROKE HORSE by JEANETTE WALLS
This is a true life novel about the author's mother and grandmother. The stories have been passed down and made into a novel. It is written in the grandmother's voice. It is set on a Texas ranch and the family are very poor. The grandmother, as a 13 year old girl is sent to a Catholic college but as the family couldn't continue to pay she was there for only one year. She was then in and out of school and work. She eventually gets qualified and has a family. Pauline thoroughly enjoyed it. She said it was a good story but didn't have much to do with horses.
ROSEMARY: UNDER ORDERS by DICK FRANCIS
The main character in this novel is Sid Halley, a retired British steeplechase rider and former jockey to the Queen mother in 1956. He is now a private investigator. The book is about crime in the horse racing world. Rosemary said it was good, an easy to read "whodunnit". She said you don't have to be interested in racing.
MAREE: HORSES FOR KING ARTHUR by L. S. LAWRENCE
The author is a qualified historian and this book is historical fiction. It is set in Britain in the year 475. One of the characters, Alexa, dreams of breeding horses. Maree liked it. She said it was a well written novel with many historical details, although not a lot about horses.
WENDY: BLACK BEAUTY by ANNA SEWELL
This is junior fiction. It was written in 1877 and was the only novel ever published by the author. It was published just before she died. Wendy said she can't imagine kids reading it today. Wendy really enjoyed the descriptions of the manners at the time, the social structure and the morality of being a good person. She thoroughly enjoyed it.
JULIA: PHAR LAP (HOW A HORSE BECOMES A HERO OF HIS TIME AND AN ICON OF A NATION) by GEOFF ARMSTRONG AND PETER THOMPSON
Julia said the authors are both into sports and have a fascination with racing. This book is an account of Phar Lap's life. Phar Lap was a New Zealand horse rejected by his American owner and then trained by an Aussie battler. It was during the depression and he became an icon of a nation. The book explains why he was so much more than a racehorse. There were statistics in the back of the book which Julia found very interesting. She said it was a nice read.
Julia also talked about a beloved children's book called The Sand Horse by Anne Turnbull. It is a fictional story of a person who made a sand sculpture of a horse. The illustrations were beautiful.
BEV: BREAK IN by DICK FRANCIS
In this novel the main character, Kit is a jockey with a twin sister who is married to a horse trainer. His sister and her husband's families have been feuding for some time. She said it was like Romeo and Juliet. The story is also about the horses that Kit rides and the training of the horses. Bev likes the way Dick Francis writes. She said it was enjoyable and very easy to read.
JO: CROSS FIRE by DICK FRANCIS AND FELIX FRANCIS
In this novel the main character, Tom is a career army officer who has lost a foot in a bombing accident. He comes back to England and goes to see his mother a horse trainer. She is being blackmailed into knobbling horses. When Tom tries to uncover the identity of the blackmailer he gets kidnapped. Jo really likes Dick Francis. His books have everything in them, romance, drama and action.
Tuesday, August 2, 2016
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
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
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
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
Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel
Wool by Hugh Howey
BOOK CLUB NEXT MONTH ~ STORIES FROM THE TUDOR PERIOD
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.
- 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
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
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.
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.
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