PAMELA: ANNO'S MAGICAL CHRISTMAS
Pamela brought in some photocopies for us to learn about anamorphic drawing. Ana means back or again. Morphe means shape or form. Anamorphosis is a distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to use a special device to reconstitute the image. Pamela also brought in a book and a device to show us how this is done. This was very popular in the 16th century. Pamela always brings in something to increase our knowledge and stretch our imaginations. Very interesting.
SHEILA: "KISSING CHRISTMAS GOODBYE" BY AGATHA RAISIN
Sheila said it was the worst book she had ever read. It was stupid. She was disappointed as the author was a Fleet Street journalist and she also wrote the Hamish Mackbeth series.
ED: "THE MIRACLE OF CHRISTMAS" AND "CALL ME MRS MIRACLE" BY DEBBIE MACOMBER
The first book is very predictable. In the second book, one of the main characters, Holly, is taking care of her nephew Gabe as her widowed brother is in the army and won't be home for Christmas. She doesn't bond with him very well and wants to get him a toy robot from Finley's for Christmas, but can't afford it. Holly is at Starbucks when her credit card is rejected. Jake Finley, from the department store Finley's, pays for her coffee. Jake falls in love with Holly. This book is part of the Angelic Intervention Series. Mrs Miracle, from the Angelic Intervention Series, is working in the toy department at Finley's and Jake Finley is her boss. Ed enjoyed the book but said it was very predictable.
PAT: "A WALLFLOWER CHRISTMAS" BY LISA KLEYPAS
Pat didn't think she would get through it. It was very boring and very demure, or so she thought. When she got further into the book it was very hot and spicy. It was not at all what she expected. It was set in the early 1800's. The part about Christmas was the new Christmas tree being used in England which originated in Germany. Pat said the book was well written.
JOAN: "HOME FOR CHRISTMAS" BY ANDREW M. GREELEY
The author was an Irish/American priest who died at 85. He was a very prodigious writer. This book was written in 2009. There are 3 main characters Petey, the son of an abusive drunk, Marianna, a wealthy professional and Father Jimmy. Petey and Marianna met in 1st grade when they were preparing for their first communion. They fall in love. As teenagers they go to the Prom together. Eventually Petey goes off to join the army and is sent to Iraq. He gets bravery medals. He has a near death experience and this is where it lost Joan. He goes through the tunnel up to heaven and returns to earth after 9 1/2 minutes. He rediscovers Marianne and there is a happy ending. Joan enjoyed the writing before this part and would read this author again.
TAM: "IN TIME FOR CHRISTMAS" BY KATIE FLYNN
Tam had not read this author before but said this was a nice light, simple story. It's pre second world war. It's a story about two little girls and their widowed mother. Addie does her own thing and Prue is a little angel. They grow up and get boyfriends. The boyfriends then go off to fight when war breaks out. There is nothing much about Christmas.
CONNIE: " A CHRISTMAS JOURNEY" BY ANNE PERRY
The book is set in the 1850's. It is about well heeled people who meet for a weekend in the English countryside. There are two young widows looking for a husband to support them. There is an eligible bachelor at the party and both have their eye on him. They are catty with each other and one says about the other, in front of everyone, that "she is only after him for his money". It is a great insult. Everyone is woken up in the night as Vanessa has fallen in the freezing lake and died. There is a feeling she has been pushed but then they think it could be suicide. They feel it was the comment by the other woman that drove her to suicide and as there are no phones, they decide to get together to be judge and jury. They decide, as retribution, she has to go on a journey to Scotland to tell the mother and bring back a letter from the mother. If successful she would be forgiven and no one would ever know. Although this widow does not want to go on the journey, to avoid scandal, she sets off with her friend in the middle of winter. Connie was glad to read it because she did not know about retribution.
CLAURENE: "THE QUEENE'S CHRISTMAS (ELIZABETH 1 MYSTERIES)" BY KAREN HARPER
Claurene said the author writes well with true details of the Elizabethan times. There is a murder mystery in the middle of it. In this book Queen Elizabeth celebrates the 12 days of Christmas as they used to do in her father's reign because Kat, her nursemaid and governess and the only woman she trusts, is dying. The puritanical clergy don't approve of the celebration. The chef is found hung and his body is decorated for Christmas. There are more murders, all interconnected but they are really trying to kill the Queen. Claurene enjoyed it and has read other books by the same author.
ANNE: "A CHRISTMAS GARLAND" BY ANNE PERRY
Anne enjoyed it but she said it was not a Christmas story. The story is set in India in 1857 during the Indian mutiny, a very violent and brutal time. It is two weeks before Christmas in Cawnpore and there is an Indian prisoner in the British barracks, who is supposed to have killed a guard and joined the rebels. He has to be captured as he has vital information about ten men on patrol. He is not captured and nine of the men are killed and one survives. There is an investigation. Everyone has an alibi that can be verified except for the medical orderly. They feel they have to do something and John Tallis, the orderly is arrested as he is the only one without an alibi. A young lieutenant has to investigate and they have a trial. He is John's only hope. He solves the crime and the result is unexpected. Anne enjoyed it. She said it was a very good book.
JUDY G: "CHRISTMAS AT THE CUPCAKE CAFE" BY JENNY COLGAN
It's called a delicious comedy but she said she didn't laugh. It was a boring, boring book. Maybe it picks up?
JO: "A CHRISTMAS VISITOR" BY ANNE PERRY
Jo said it was very involved and she really enjoyed the book. The family of a judge have a family gathering. They come from South Africa and other places to meet up in England. The judge dies. He had fallen into a river and drowned. There is an investigation and it is found he was murdered. At first they feel it may have been a fellow who was tried for fraud many years before. He had maintained his innocence and started badmouthing the judge. The killer is revealed and it all works out in the end.
JUDY: CHRISTMAS LETTERS BY DEBBIE MACOMBER
Debbie Macomber's books are very similar. There is a tradition of romantic comedy.
Judy said it was a light and easy read but she wouldn't read another one. The main character is an out of work P.A. who spends a lot of time sitting in a french patisserie. She writes Christmas letters for other people. She meets a good looking man who is a child psychologist. He has written a book called " The Free Child". She disagrees with his philosophy and they argue. He has two children called Zoe and Zara and two dogs called Zero and Zorro. Eventually the two fall in love.
JAYNE: "CHRISTMAS THIEF" BY MARY HIGGINS-CLARKE
Jayne thought it was trashy. Someone steals a big fir tree. The thief hides diamonds in the tree but as it grows from the bottom, when he comes to recover the diamonds, they are right at the top of this very tall tree. It was easy to read like "Scooby-Doo".
ROSEMARIE: "CHRISTMAS CLOCK" BY KAT MARTIN
Kat Martin is a best selling author. The story is about an eight year old boy called Teddy whose mother has died. He lives with his grandmother but she has increasing dementia. The story includes a young couple. There is the question about who will eventually take care of Teddy. Teddy tries to get some work at a mechanics. He wants to save enough money to buy a clock from an antique shop for his grandmother. The mechanic befriends him. Rosemarie said she could tell from Page 6 what was going to happen. She said it was not a deep and meaningful story.
JULIA: "CHRISTMAS EVE AT FRIDAY HARBOUR" BY LISA KLEYPAS
It was in big print so easy to read at this busy time. It was a really nice story. It is about a little girl, 6 years old, who lost her mother in a car accident and what happens to her afterwards. It all works out well.
ROSEMARIE O: AGATHA CHRISTIE'S SHORT STORIES
The first story is The Christmas Pudding. Poirot is invited to a mansion where a ruby gets stolen. The Prince had wanted to marry the girl who ran off with the ruby. Rosemarie said it was nice to read about the traditional Christmas. The ruby is found in the pudding. Poirot flushes out the person who is after the ruby. Rosemarie enjoyed the book.
MARIE: "CHRISTMAS WISHES" BY KATIE FLYNN
It is a story about twins who are sent to the countryside during the war. They are sent to live with a grumpy old couple who eventually fall in love with them. They stay seven years longer as mum is killed by a bomb and the father is a shift worker. One of the twins has an accident and is left with an impairment. Marie said it was well written, a really nice story and she really liked it.
JANE (OUR NEW LADY)"SQUATTERS CASTLE" BY GEORGE FARWELL
As she is new she did not read a christmas book. She read this book as she is doing her family history. It is a history of the Clarence area where some of her family lived.
DIANNE: "THE MIRACLE OF CHRISTMAS" BY DEBBIE MACOMBER
Dianne said it was Mills and Boon with tinsel on. She didn't get very far. She wouldn't recommend it. She also said "don't bother, life is too short".
LESLEY: "MEETING IN NO MAN'S LAND"
There is a collection of authors. It is a collection of soldier's diaries and letters home. It is about the Christmas truce. It is about the first Christmas in 1914 along the western front. The war has just begun. Some of the trenches along the front are only 20m apart. The opposing armies can hear what is being said by each other. A lot of the Germans spoke English and some of the English spoke German. Over Christmas they had a truce and they shared things with each other, swapping cigarettes, puddings etc. There was a lot of flooding of the trenches and they respected each other while they cleaned out the trenches.
KRIS: "CHRISTMAS IN THE TRENCHES" BY ALAN WAKEFIELD
This book is very similar to Meeting in No Man's Land read by Lesley except that it is about all the Christmases spent in the trenches from 1914-1919. Alan Wakefield trawled the archives of the Imperial War Museum, National Archives and National Army Museum to provide a fascinating selection of first-hand accounts of the six wartime Christmases 1914-19 by combatants from Britain and the Dominions. It was widely believed that the war would be over by Christmas but they were still there at Christmas and were determined to set aside the war to celebrate Christmas, if only for a day or so. I only read the first part of the book due to time constraints at this busy time of the year, but I found the stories of the Christmas truce very touching. I enjoyed reading it.
WENDY: "SIX GEESE A LAYING" BY DONNA ANDREWS
It is 8.30am on December 23rd. Meg Lanslow from Virginia U.S.A.is organizing a Christmas holiday parade involving the "The 12 days of Christmas". There is a reporter covering the story. The man chosen to play Santa Claus is a horrible man, a bad choice. Something has happened to Santa. He is found with a stake through him. The policeman is an African/American. An investigation begins and the six men playing the geese (but now in duck costumes) are taken in for questioning. The story unfolds. Wendy said it was light and very funny and she will read her work again.
Wendy will not be back in the New Year as she is going to the U3A bookclub in 2014. She will be missed by us all. Good luck in the future Wendy.
Friday, December 27, 2013
Sunday, December 1, 2013
NOVEMBER: Books of our Childhood
This month, members were asked to talk about favourite books from their childhood.
TAM:
Tam had brought along her original Beatrix Potter books. She adored the Peter Rabbit series, with Mrs Tiggy Winkle being her favourite. She remembers being afraid of Mr McGregor!
Another much loved book was The Littlest Reindeer by Joahanna de Witt. The reindeer doesn't have any antlers and can't go to school until they grow. He has to learn to wait and be patient.
Little House of My Own is a book about cubby houses that children love to build with illustrations in black and white.
But her prized possession is a badge from the Famous Five Club. She had written to England requesting it, after having read all the books in the series.
JUDY G:
One of her favourite books was Grimm's Fairy Tales. She reread some of the stories, and commented that several of them were very grim. Her favourites were Hansel and Gretel and The Elves and the Shoemaker.
In contrast, Judy also showed a recent book "Clem Always Could" by Sarah Watt about a boy who didn't want to go swimming. This book had been read to her grandson, who at one stage also had a fear of the water.
KRIS:
Kris was another who loved The famous Five particularly Five Go to Smugglers Top. She loved the Britishness of the characters, the holidays they had, the smuggler's tunnels in Cornwall.
Another favourite was Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream.
WENDY:
Wendy bought along a treasured copy of Jane at Lantern Hill by L M Montgomery.
In the story Jane is a misfit in a cheerless house. Her mother is a wimp and her father has been missing for many years, and thought to dead.
When she is later reunited with her father, life has changed for her. Grandma no longer has power over her, her parents have separated, but they later get together and the story has a happy ending.
Wendy loved the beautiful descriptions of King Edward Island as in the Anne stories.
PAMELA:
Pamela brought along a book of amorphic drawings (distorted pictures) and will share them in greater detail next time.
ED:
Welcome .....just enjoying listening this time.
CLAURINE:
Her favourite was Black Beauty and she remembered first reading it (and crying) as an eleven year old when she had his tonsils out.
It was written in 1877 by Anna Sewell who died 5 months after the book (her only book) was published. It was very successful with 50 million copies being sold. In the story, told from the point of view of horses, they speak to each other and in those days everything was done by horses.
ROSEMARY:
Rosemary's book was The Diary of Anne Frank. She couldn't remember her original thoughts about it, but after rereading it, commented that as a 13 year old school girl, Anne was very intelligent and precocious. She had a great understanding of what was happening, the depression etc.
Her last entry was August 1st 1944. Soon after this, all 8 who had been hiding in the attic were arrested, not knowing who had tipped off the police. Her father was the only one to survive the Concentration Camps and devoted his life to spreading the word about the diary.
PAT:
Pat had chosen To Kill a Mockingbird. She thoroughly enjoyed it at 14 years old, but doesn't like rereading anything, knowing what is happening.
But she did enjoy the language, how it transported you to the south of USA.
She also commented on the changes with modern life; children played out in the yard, they used their imagination. It reminded her of how she has spent many holidays.
CONNIE:
Connie also chose a Famous Five book, Five Get into Trouble.
She appreciated how gently Enid Blyton taught the readers to behave. In the book, the children lived in the town but had their adventures in the country. They went camping, used sleeping bags, buried their garbage etc. There were lots of lessons that children could learn from the book..eg bike safety.
These stories made her reminisce of her childhood growing up in England.
ANNE:
Anne chose a book that her daughter had read and recommended.
The List Maker by Robin Klein published in 1997.
The story revolves around a young girl whose mother had died, her father is always busy and so she is looked after by eccentric old aunts.To cope with her life, the girl makes lists. Anne found it quite funny and touching at the same time.
ROSEMARY:
The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis.
Having seen the movie and feeling that it was quite different, Rosemary reread the book and enjoyed it more this time around. She found that regressing to reading at that age group was very relaxing.
She also read one of The Famous Five books. She thought the content was a bit lame and the children always very good, which was not the case in the C S Lewis story.
MAREE:
The Bobbsey Twins at Indian Hollow by Laura Lee Hope.
Maree had read this at a very young age and recently had visited many Op Shops etc to track down a copy.
The Bobbsey Twins want to go to summer camp. Their father and mother rent a house on Indian Lake and create a summer camp for the four children and four of their friends. Maree found the treatment of the black servants very interesting- what would be classed as racism today was then seen as the norm.
JUDY J
Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner, first published in 1894 and is still in publication today.
The author's early life may have been the model for the 'blended family' we read about in the book. Her mother married 3 times and children were born in each relationship.
Judy had very vivid memories of being distraught at the death of her namesake.
On rereading it, she was again drawn to the character of Judy. Ethel Turner had said in her notes for the book, that she couldn't see any future for Judy....too wild, too bright, she doesn't fit into society...she has to be repressed and so she 'kills' her off. Certainly a reflection of the times.
JULIA:
Julia proudly showed her copy of the Enid Blyton book, The Mystery of the Strange Bundle. This had been presented to her as a Sunday School prize in 1952!
She also pointed out differences in the 1946 and 2011 editions of The Magic Faraway Tree including the names of the characters.....Fanny and Dick are now called Franny and Rich.
DIANNE:
Famous Five Go Off To Camp.
The children seemed so innocent on the stories, but Dianne found that often there was a let down after a big build up in the storyline
She also particularly could relate to their adventures with stream trains and the black market, having spent her younger life in England.
JANE:
Jane also read the Seven Little Australians. It had been her favourite book and then she watched and enjoyed the ABC series.
She had also enjoyed Little House on the Prairie.
LAURA:
Laura had grown up with a German grandmother and remembered the book Der Struwwelpeter by Dr Heinrich Hoffman. She was fortunate to recently have been able to find another copy. The book contains nursery rhymes and fairytales, told in German but with English translations by Mark Twain. Each one has a message, eg playing with matches, sucking thumbs, eating up our dinner. They are great stories with morals/message you don't forget.
JO:
Jo has reread all 21 of the Famous Five books. She couldn't believe how innocent the children were and yet they had all these adventures and nothing really bad happens to them.
JOAN:
Joan missed last month but wanted to share her Australiana book, S'pose I Die by Hector Holthouse.
The story begins when Evelyn Evans arrived in Cairns from England, in 1912, to marry Charles Maunsell. They lived under very primitive and basic conditions.
Joan described them as beautiful stories of hardship and life growing up on the Atherton Tablelands.
NEXT MONTH - December Christmas stories.
Don't forget
Lunch at The Evergreen Cafe, your Secret Santa gift, and if possible a bra for the Uplift Project.
For more information go to www.upliftbras.org
TAM:
Tam had brought along her original Beatrix Potter books. She adored the Peter Rabbit series, with Mrs Tiggy Winkle being her favourite. She remembers being afraid of Mr McGregor!
Another much loved book was The Littlest Reindeer by Joahanna de Witt. The reindeer doesn't have any antlers and can't go to school until they grow. He has to learn to wait and be patient.
Little House of My Own is a book about cubby houses that children love to build with illustrations in black and white.
But her prized possession is a badge from the Famous Five Club. She had written to England requesting it, after having read all the books in the series.
JUDY G:
One of her favourite books was Grimm's Fairy Tales. She reread some of the stories, and commented that several of them were very grim. Her favourites were Hansel and Gretel and The Elves and the Shoemaker.
In contrast, Judy also showed a recent book "Clem Always Could" by Sarah Watt about a boy who didn't want to go swimming. This book had been read to her grandson, who at one stage also had a fear of the water.
KRIS:
Kris was another who loved The famous Five particularly Five Go to Smugglers Top. She loved the Britishness of the characters, the holidays they had, the smuggler's tunnels in Cornwall.
Another favourite was Shakespeare's Midsummer Nights Dream.
WENDY:
Wendy bought along a treasured copy of Jane at Lantern Hill by L M Montgomery.
In the story Jane is a misfit in a cheerless house. Her mother is a wimp and her father has been missing for many years, and thought to dead.
When she is later reunited with her father, life has changed for her. Grandma no longer has power over her, her parents have separated, but they later get together and the story has a happy ending.
Wendy loved the beautiful descriptions of King Edward Island as in the Anne stories.
PAMELA:
Pamela brought along a book of amorphic drawings (distorted pictures) and will share them in greater detail next time.
ED:
Welcome .....just enjoying listening this time.
CLAURINE:
Her favourite was Black Beauty and she remembered first reading it (and crying) as an eleven year old when she had his tonsils out.
It was written in 1877 by Anna Sewell who died 5 months after the book (her only book) was published. It was very successful with 50 million copies being sold. In the story, told from the point of view of horses, they speak to each other and in those days everything was done by horses.
ROSEMARY:
Rosemary's book was The Diary of Anne Frank. She couldn't remember her original thoughts about it, but after rereading it, commented that as a 13 year old school girl, Anne was very intelligent and precocious. She had a great understanding of what was happening, the depression etc.
Her last entry was August 1st 1944. Soon after this, all 8 who had been hiding in the attic were arrested, not knowing who had tipped off the police. Her father was the only one to survive the Concentration Camps and devoted his life to spreading the word about the diary.
PAT:
Pat had chosen To Kill a Mockingbird. She thoroughly enjoyed it at 14 years old, but doesn't like rereading anything, knowing what is happening.
But she did enjoy the language, how it transported you to the south of USA.
She also commented on the changes with modern life; children played out in the yard, they used their imagination. It reminded her of how she has spent many holidays.
CONNIE:
Connie also chose a Famous Five book, Five Get into Trouble.
She appreciated how gently Enid Blyton taught the readers to behave. In the book, the children lived in the town but had their adventures in the country. They went camping, used sleeping bags, buried their garbage etc. There were lots of lessons that children could learn from the book..eg bike safety.
These stories made her reminisce of her childhood growing up in England.
ANNE:
Anne chose a book that her daughter had read and recommended.
The List Maker by Robin Klein published in 1997.
The story revolves around a young girl whose mother had died, her father is always busy and so she is looked after by eccentric old aunts.To cope with her life, the girl makes lists. Anne found it quite funny and touching at the same time.
ROSEMARY:
The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe by C S Lewis.
Having seen the movie and feeling that it was quite different, Rosemary reread the book and enjoyed it more this time around. She found that regressing to reading at that age group was very relaxing.
She also read one of The Famous Five books. She thought the content was a bit lame and the children always very good, which was not the case in the C S Lewis story.
MAREE:
The Bobbsey Twins at Indian Hollow by Laura Lee Hope.
Maree had read this at a very young age and recently had visited many Op Shops etc to track down a copy.
The Bobbsey Twins want to go to summer camp. Their father and mother rent a house on Indian Lake and create a summer camp for the four children and four of their friends. Maree found the treatment of the black servants very interesting- what would be classed as racism today was then seen as the norm.
JUDY J
Seven Little Australians by Ethel Turner, first published in 1894 and is still in publication today.
The author's early life may have been the model for the 'blended family' we read about in the book. Her mother married 3 times and children were born in each relationship.
Judy had very vivid memories of being distraught at the death of her namesake.
On rereading it, she was again drawn to the character of Judy. Ethel Turner had said in her notes for the book, that she couldn't see any future for Judy....too wild, too bright, she doesn't fit into society...she has to be repressed and so she 'kills' her off. Certainly a reflection of the times.
JULIA:
Julia proudly showed her copy of the Enid Blyton book, The Mystery of the Strange Bundle. This had been presented to her as a Sunday School prize in 1952!
She also pointed out differences in the 1946 and 2011 editions of The Magic Faraway Tree including the names of the characters.....Fanny and Dick are now called Franny and Rich.
DIANNE:
Famous Five Go Off To Camp.
The children seemed so innocent on the stories, but Dianne found that often there was a let down after a big build up in the storyline
She also particularly could relate to their adventures with stream trains and the black market, having spent her younger life in England.
JANE:
Jane also read the Seven Little Australians. It had been her favourite book and then she watched and enjoyed the ABC series.
She had also enjoyed Little House on the Prairie.
LAURA:
Laura had grown up with a German grandmother and remembered the book Der Struwwelpeter by Dr Heinrich Hoffman. She was fortunate to recently have been able to find another copy. The book contains nursery rhymes and fairytales, told in German but with English translations by Mark Twain. Each one has a message, eg playing with matches, sucking thumbs, eating up our dinner. They are great stories with morals/message you don't forget.
JO:
Jo has reread all 21 of the Famous Five books. She couldn't believe how innocent the children were and yet they had all these adventures and nothing really bad happens to them.
JOAN:
Joan missed last month but wanted to share her Australiana book, S'pose I Die by Hector Holthouse.
The story begins when Evelyn Evans arrived in Cairns from England, in 1912, to marry Charles Maunsell. They lived under very primitive and basic conditions.
Joan described them as beautiful stories of hardship and life growing up on the Atherton Tablelands.
NEXT MONTH - December Christmas stories.
Don't forget
Lunch at The Evergreen Cafe, your Secret Santa gift, and if possible a bra for the Uplift Project.
For more information go to www.upliftbras.org
Friday, November 1, 2013
Hawkesbury Library's Top 10 Reads for November 2013
The October list - Jeffery Deaver
Cross and burn - Val McDermid
Eat, move, sleep - Tom Rath
Hush little baby - Suzanne Redfearn
Dark witch - Nora Roberts
The daylight gate - Jeanette Winterson
Bridget Jones: Mad about the boy - Helen Fielding
Doctor Sleep - Stephen King
Just one evil act - Elizabeth George
Murder and Mendelssohn - Kerry Greenwood
The October list - Jeffery Deaver
Cross and burn - Val McDermid
Eat, move, sleep - Tom Rath
Hush little baby - Suzanne Redfearn
Dark witch - Nora Roberts
The daylight gate - Jeanette Winterson
Bridget Jones: Mad about the boy - Helen Fielding
Doctor Sleep - Stephen King
Just one evil act - Elizabeth George
Murder and Mendelssohn - Kerry Greenwood
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
AUSTRALIANA
JUDY G: "EUCALYPTUS" BY MURRAY BAIL
Judy found the book a bit boring at first but later found some humorous events. It is the story of a wealthy Australian landowner whose wife dies in childbirth. She had twins. The baby boy dies and the girl lives. When his daughter is 19 he decides that the person who can marry her has to meet certain criteria. In the meantime his daughter meets a man floating around the property. He tells her stories. After page 50, Judy wanted to know what happened and in the end, enjoyed it.
WENDY "MR STUART'S TRACK" BY JOHN BAILEY
This book is an account of the life of John McDouall Stuart who was descended from the Royal Line of Stuarts. He migrated to South Australia at 23. He was a surveyor who did seven expeditions, including one with Sturt. He got a backer to do an expedition to reach the centre of Australia, south to north. Wendy felt sorry for the explorers, aborigines and the horses. Wendy said it was an easy book to read and would recommend it.
PAMELA "WILD MEN OF SYDNEY" BY CYRIL PEARL
This is non fiction. Pamela had read it before and thought she would like it but she didn't like the fact the author does not back up what he writes. There is no referencing. Because of a serious error in the book she doubts the veracity of some of the book. It is the story of some of the men in the New South Wales parliament in the early 1900's. Two of these men were John Norton, editor of the "Truth" and Patrick Crick. It is a story of corruption, the terrible brawls and the bad behaviour in parliament. The speaker's Mace went missing in a brothel! After a while their bad behaviour starts to pall.
SHEILA "DEAR COUSIN:THE REIBY LETTERS"
This book is an account of Mary Reiby's life through letters written by Mary to her family. Mary Reiby was born in 1777. She was brought up by her grandmother after her parents died. She was schooled which was unusual. Mary was difficult to handle. When she was fourteen she dressed as a boy and stole a horse. She was tried and the verdict was death by hanging. It was commuted to seven years in Australia. She married a free settler at 16 and had seven children. Sheila said she was a fascinating, heroic woman who prospered in Australia. She was a very clever woman and was the founding member of the Bank of N.S.W.
ROSEMARIE "TIN TICKET" BY DEBORAH J SWISS
The author, was hiking in Tasmania in 2004 when an artist she met, a descendant from convict women, told her she had a story for her. The American author spent six years researching 19th century diaries.The story is about two convict women from Glasgow who are sent to Newgate prison in London for a trivial incident of stealing one spoon. They are transported to Van Diemens land. She describes the horrors on board the ship taking them to Van Diemens land. Rosemarie is enjoying it and likes the author's ability to tell facts in a readable story. She also quotes from the diaries but keeps the flow of the book. The tin ticket is their identity no.
PAT "100 STORIES BY 100 WOMEN"
This is not a book about Australia as Pat was in Malta, where she borrowed this particular book from the library. She enjoyed reading it. The women in the book are between 77 and 100 and it is about their lives in Malta during the 2nd World War. They had hordes of children, one woman had twenty two. Their husbands died young, they had no food coming into the country so they were hungry and poor. Malta was the most bombed island during the war. Pat particularly liked the stories as they were so similar to stories she heard from her mother.
ANNE "THE LIEUTENANT" BY KATE GRENVILLE
The book is based on the life of William Dawes but Anne says it is fictional. He was an astronomer who came out from England in the hope of sighting Haley's comet. The young Aboriginals visited him and he tried to learn the language. The Governor ordered him to capture or kill six Aboriginals. Dawes was sent back as he didn't approve. Anne found it a bit boring and didn't enjoy it as she is not interested in astronomy.
LAURA "THE HARP IN THE SOUTH" BY RUTH PARK
The book is set in an inner city suburb of Sydney and it is written and set in the 1940's. It is about a poor family of Irish immigrants, the parents and their two daughters. The father drinks away any money. They have boarders in various rooms as well as bedbugs! There are moments of joy and they seem to be quite happy with very little. It is a story of ordinary lives. Laura really enjoyed it, found it very readable and would recommend this book.
CONNIE "SCAPEGALLOWS" BY CAROL BIRCH
This is a novel about the people who escaped the gallows and whose punishment was commuted to transportation. Connie enjoyed the book but would have preferred more about the time in Australia. It didn't get to Australia until the end. It is a story about Margaret Catchpole who was born in 1792 to an unmarried mother. She is given to the 16yr old sister to look after. The book is based on what might have happened. Mary became a competent horsewoman. She taught herself to read and write, never married and acted as a midwife (not trained). She was sentenced to death twice and the second time it was changed to life imprisonment in Australia. She was well known by the time she got to Australia. She moved to the Hawkesbury later. There is a ward in Hawkesbury Hospital named after Mary.
JULIA "MARY BRYANT, HER LIFE AND ESCAPE FROM BOTANY BAY" BY JONATHON KING
The author has written twenty books, a lot about the convict era and television dramas about early Australia. It is called an historical biography. Mary robbed a wealthy woman of a silk bonnet and was given a death sentence but instead was transported to Botany Bay. She escaped by boat and ended up at Timor. Julia said it was a good read!
LESLEY "STORM BAY" BY PATRICIA SHAW
This book is historical fiction. It is the story of a ship full of convicts who were sent to Port Arthur in Van Diemens land. It describes the terrible cruelty inflicted on each other and by their superiors, although some of the soldiers try to improve the situation. The author repeats herself in yet another brutal situation and Lesley felt the book could have been 200 pages less. The main character is a fairly decent man who eventually gets a ticket of leave. The story follows the hardships he endures. Lesley said the book was alright.
JO "THE SECRET RIVER" BY KATE GRENFELL
The story is about a riverboat man who was caught stealing. He was sentenced to death by hanging but this was commuted and he was sent to the colonies. He starts up as a river man again and then comes to the Hawkesbury. He gets 100 acres and learns how to be a farmer. He has problems with the Aborigines. Jo said it was a fantastic book and very well written.
TAM "STRENGTH TO STRENGTH" BY SARA HENDERSON
Tam read this book after reading Sara Henderson's daughter's book. She wanted to get the other side of the story. It is autobiographical. Tam had no trouble reading it. Tam said Sara is a very good writer as well a being a clever and tough woman. She runs a cattle station with two daughters. Her American husband who is an ace pilot dumps her in a tin shed in the Northern Territory and expects her to do everything. She hangs in and hangs in due to her iron will. She is obsessed with the property. There are some amazing stories and Tam wonders if it was a bit exaggerated.
ROSEMARIE O "REMEMBERING BABYLON" BY DAVID MALOUF
Rosemarie read half of the book but said it was a bit boring and not a lot of story. There was a lot of psychoanalysing. It is about a group of Scottish immigrants who come to North Queensland. They all come for different reasons and it spends a lot of time telling you the reasons. Into the story comes a white boy who was brought up by the Aboriginals. He is not well received by the the Scottish people. She will finish it but felt there was no real story content.
KRIS "ISOBEL ON THE WAY TO THE CORNER SHOP" BY AMY WITTING
This book is set in the 20th century. The story is about Isobel, a 21yr old woman who is working in a job translating German into English. Too much is expected of her and she walks out one day after losing her temper. Isobel has grown up with little love in her life. Her dream is to write a novel. She lives in an attic room of a boarding house and with no job and no food, she soon becomes sick. She wonders "how in this world full of people, did one get to be quite alone? She had been working at it for some time, it seemed, shutting doors behind her, one after another". She drags herself out to get some food but collapses in the street. She is put into a sanatorium when it is discovered she has tuberculosis. The rest of the book is about the different people she shares her life with in the sanatorium. Isobel has quite a sense of humour making the situation less grim. The book is well written and worth a read.
JUDY G: "EUCALYPTUS" BY MURRAY BAIL
Judy found the book a bit boring at first but later found some humorous events. It is the story of a wealthy Australian landowner whose wife dies in childbirth. She had twins. The baby boy dies and the girl lives. When his daughter is 19 he decides that the person who can marry her has to meet certain criteria. In the meantime his daughter meets a man floating around the property. He tells her stories. After page 50, Judy wanted to know what happened and in the end, enjoyed it.
WENDY "MR STUART'S TRACK" BY JOHN BAILEY
This book is an account of the life of John McDouall Stuart who was descended from the Royal Line of Stuarts. He migrated to South Australia at 23. He was a surveyor who did seven expeditions, including one with Sturt. He got a backer to do an expedition to reach the centre of Australia, south to north. Wendy felt sorry for the explorers, aborigines and the horses. Wendy said it was an easy book to read and would recommend it.
PAMELA "WILD MEN OF SYDNEY" BY CYRIL PEARL
This is non fiction. Pamela had read it before and thought she would like it but she didn't like the fact the author does not back up what he writes. There is no referencing. Because of a serious error in the book she doubts the veracity of some of the book. It is the story of some of the men in the New South Wales parliament in the early 1900's. Two of these men were John Norton, editor of the "Truth" and Patrick Crick. It is a story of corruption, the terrible brawls and the bad behaviour in parliament. The speaker's Mace went missing in a brothel! After a while their bad behaviour starts to pall.
SHEILA "DEAR COUSIN:THE REIBY LETTERS"
This book is an account of Mary Reiby's life through letters written by Mary to her family. Mary Reiby was born in 1777. She was brought up by her grandmother after her parents died. She was schooled which was unusual. Mary was difficult to handle. When she was fourteen she dressed as a boy and stole a horse. She was tried and the verdict was death by hanging. It was commuted to seven years in Australia. She married a free settler at 16 and had seven children. Sheila said she was a fascinating, heroic woman who prospered in Australia. She was a very clever woman and was the founding member of the Bank of N.S.W.
ROSEMARIE "TIN TICKET" BY DEBORAH J SWISS
The author, was hiking in Tasmania in 2004 when an artist she met, a descendant from convict women, told her she had a story for her. The American author spent six years researching 19th century diaries.The story is about two convict women from Glasgow who are sent to Newgate prison in London for a trivial incident of stealing one spoon. They are transported to Van Diemens land. She describes the horrors on board the ship taking them to Van Diemens land. Rosemarie is enjoying it and likes the author's ability to tell facts in a readable story. She also quotes from the diaries but keeps the flow of the book. The tin ticket is their identity no.
PAT "100 STORIES BY 100 WOMEN"
This is not a book about Australia as Pat was in Malta, where she borrowed this particular book from the library. She enjoyed reading it. The women in the book are between 77 and 100 and it is about their lives in Malta during the 2nd World War. They had hordes of children, one woman had twenty two. Their husbands died young, they had no food coming into the country so they were hungry and poor. Malta was the most bombed island during the war. Pat particularly liked the stories as they were so similar to stories she heard from her mother.
ANNE "THE LIEUTENANT" BY KATE GRENVILLE
The book is based on the life of William Dawes but Anne says it is fictional. He was an astronomer who came out from England in the hope of sighting Haley's comet. The young Aboriginals visited him and he tried to learn the language. The Governor ordered him to capture or kill six Aboriginals. Dawes was sent back as he didn't approve. Anne found it a bit boring and didn't enjoy it as she is not interested in astronomy.
LAURA "THE HARP IN THE SOUTH" BY RUTH PARK
The book is set in an inner city suburb of Sydney and it is written and set in the 1940's. It is about a poor family of Irish immigrants, the parents and their two daughters. The father drinks away any money. They have boarders in various rooms as well as bedbugs! There are moments of joy and they seem to be quite happy with very little. It is a story of ordinary lives. Laura really enjoyed it, found it very readable and would recommend this book.
CONNIE "SCAPEGALLOWS" BY CAROL BIRCH
This is a novel about the people who escaped the gallows and whose punishment was commuted to transportation. Connie enjoyed the book but would have preferred more about the time in Australia. It didn't get to Australia until the end. It is a story about Margaret Catchpole who was born in 1792 to an unmarried mother. She is given to the 16yr old sister to look after. The book is based on what might have happened. Mary became a competent horsewoman. She taught herself to read and write, never married and acted as a midwife (not trained). She was sentenced to death twice and the second time it was changed to life imprisonment in Australia. She was well known by the time she got to Australia. She moved to the Hawkesbury later. There is a ward in Hawkesbury Hospital named after Mary.
JULIA "MARY BRYANT, HER LIFE AND ESCAPE FROM BOTANY BAY" BY JONATHON KING
The author has written twenty books, a lot about the convict era and television dramas about early Australia. It is called an historical biography. Mary robbed a wealthy woman of a silk bonnet and was given a death sentence but instead was transported to Botany Bay. She escaped by boat and ended up at Timor. Julia said it was a good read!
LESLEY "STORM BAY" BY PATRICIA SHAW
This book is historical fiction. It is the story of a ship full of convicts who were sent to Port Arthur in Van Diemens land. It describes the terrible cruelty inflicted on each other and by their superiors, although some of the soldiers try to improve the situation. The author repeats herself in yet another brutal situation and Lesley felt the book could have been 200 pages less. The main character is a fairly decent man who eventually gets a ticket of leave. The story follows the hardships he endures. Lesley said the book was alright.
JO "THE SECRET RIVER" BY KATE GRENFELL
The story is about a riverboat man who was caught stealing. He was sentenced to death by hanging but this was commuted and he was sent to the colonies. He starts up as a river man again and then comes to the Hawkesbury. He gets 100 acres and learns how to be a farmer. He has problems with the Aborigines. Jo said it was a fantastic book and very well written.
TAM "STRENGTH TO STRENGTH" BY SARA HENDERSON
Tam read this book after reading Sara Henderson's daughter's book. She wanted to get the other side of the story. It is autobiographical. Tam had no trouble reading it. Tam said Sara is a very good writer as well a being a clever and tough woman. She runs a cattle station with two daughters. Her American husband who is an ace pilot dumps her in a tin shed in the Northern Territory and expects her to do everything. She hangs in and hangs in due to her iron will. She is obsessed with the property. There are some amazing stories and Tam wonders if it was a bit exaggerated.
ROSEMARIE O "REMEMBERING BABYLON" BY DAVID MALOUF
Rosemarie read half of the book but said it was a bit boring and not a lot of story. There was a lot of psychoanalysing. It is about a group of Scottish immigrants who come to North Queensland. They all come for different reasons and it spends a lot of time telling you the reasons. Into the story comes a white boy who was brought up by the Aboriginals. He is not well received by the the Scottish people. She will finish it but felt there was no real story content.
KRIS "ISOBEL ON THE WAY TO THE CORNER SHOP" BY AMY WITTING
This book is set in the 20th century. The story is about Isobel, a 21yr old woman who is working in a job translating German into English. Too much is expected of her and she walks out one day after losing her temper. Isobel has grown up with little love in her life. Her dream is to write a novel. She lives in an attic room of a boarding house and with no job and no food, she soon becomes sick. She wonders "how in this world full of people, did one get to be quite alone? She had been working at it for some time, it seemed, shutting doors behind her, one after another". She drags herself out to get some food but collapses in the street. She is put into a sanatorium when it is discovered she has tuberculosis. The rest of the book is about the different people she shares her life with in the sanatorium. Isobel has quite a sense of humour making the situation less grim. The book is well written and worth a read.
Thursday, October 3, 2013
SEPTEMBER:- Fathers
Jo: Fonduing Fathers by Julie Hyzy
Set in the White House, the chef is murdered by an undercover agent. Through the book there is murder, romance, mayhem and recipes. The book looks at the daily life of the First Family of America and is part of the series "A White House Chef Mystery". Jo thought it was a good read, and it didn't contain any swear words.
Rosemary: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Set in the White House, the chef is murdered by an undercover agent. Through the book there is murder, romance, mayhem and recipes. The book looks at the daily life of the First Family of America and is part of the series "A White House Chef Mystery". Jo thought it was a good read, and it didn't contain any swear words.
Rosemary: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Cutting for Stone is a novel written by Ethiopian-born
medical doctor and author Abraham Verghese. It is a saga of twin
brothers, orphaned by their mother's death at their births and forsaken
by their father. The pair are raised in the household of two physicians and so are exposed to much medical information. Much of this also appears in the book.
Rosemary thought there were a lot of coincidences regarding people coming back into the story, but it did lead to a good conclusion.
Judy: Jonestown: The Power and Myth of Alan Jones by Chris Masters
Chris Masters was a journalist for the TV programme, Four Corners and he has written this unauthorized biography of the radio broadcaster, Alan Jones. Judy thought there was some concern that he could write so much that was unsubstantiated. On the 'father theme', Chris masters wishes he'd spent less time being a journalist and more time as a father!
Tam: Her Father's Daughter..The Bonnie Henderson Story by Debi Marshall
Most people know the story of Sara Henderson who saved her outback property from a crippling debt. She had 3 daughters, Bonnie being the youngest. She had an incredible relationship with her father, idolizing him, even though he was arrogant, a womanizer, a daredevil and a loudmouth.
She didn't get on with her mother so her father fostered particular skills in her, including flying, saddle making and working on the property.
Tam thought it was amazing that one person could have achieved so much, she had amazing energy levels.
To balance her view of Bonnie and her father, Tam also read Sarah Henderson's book, giving the mother's point of view.
Both books were very readable!
Pamela: Absolem Absolem by William Faulkner
William Faulkner won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949.
Pamela said it was a very complicated story, and so it was difficult to explain the story. It is not written in chronological order, it has at least 5 narrators. Pamela thought it was a study of how difficult it is to understand the past.
Connie: Romulus my Father by Raimond Gaita
The book outlines the life of his father who came to Australia, with his wife and child, as an assisted migrant after World War 2. Romulus and his family were sent out to the country where labour was required building a major dam.
The family suffered many hardships but the book details the never dwindling love of Romulus for his son Raimond, in spite of the challenges of being abandoned by his wife and the confusion caused by his mental illness. He was hard on his son, but only wanted him to succeed.
Connie enjoyed it but didn't get a lot of joy from it. She thought she had probably got too involved with the family.
Kris: Her Father's Daughter by Alice Pung
This book tells the story of Alice Pung and her father, a survivor of the killing fields of Cambodia. Kris found the description of these killing fields very harrowing to read and she was amazed at the resilience of the people.
The author's father loved Australia and the chances it gave to his family. He had great determination to make a better life for them.
Anne: The Road by Cormac McCarthy
This is the story of a post apocalyptic journey by a father and son as they wander across the desolate landscape trying to get to the coast. Everything is burnt and cold as they push their cart containing their few possessions.
Anne found the story very depressing but thought that the relationship between the father and son was quite beautiful. The writing was magnificent, the words sparse but everyone of them counted for something. Despite it being harrowing and sad, she felt it was worth reading.
Tam: Her Father's Daughter..The Bonnie Henderson Story by Debi Marshall
Most people know the story of Sara Henderson who saved her outback property from a crippling debt. She had 3 daughters, Bonnie being the youngest. She had an incredible relationship with her father, idolizing him, even though he was arrogant, a womanizer, a daredevil and a loudmouth.
She didn't get on with her mother so her father fostered particular skills in her, including flying, saddle making and working on the property.
Tam thought it was amazing that one person could have achieved so much, she had amazing energy levels.
To balance her view of Bonnie and her father, Tam also read Sarah Henderson's book, giving the mother's point of view.
Both books were very readable!
Pamela: Absolem Absolem by William Faulkner
William Faulkner won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1949.
Pamela said it was a very complicated story, and so it was difficult to explain the story. It is not written in chronological order, it has at least 5 narrators. Pamela thought it was a study of how difficult it is to understand the past.
Connie: Romulus my Father by Raimond Gaita
The book outlines the life of his father who came to Australia, with his wife and child, as an assisted migrant after World War 2. Romulus and his family were sent out to the country where labour was required building a major dam.
The family suffered many hardships but the book details the never dwindling love of Romulus for his son Raimond, in spite of the challenges of being abandoned by his wife and the confusion caused by his mental illness. He was hard on his son, but only wanted him to succeed.
Connie enjoyed it but didn't get a lot of joy from it. She thought she had probably got too involved with the family.
Kris: Her Father's Daughter by Alice Pung
This book tells the story of Alice Pung and her father, a survivor of the killing fields of Cambodia. Kris found the description of these killing fields very harrowing to read and she was amazed at the resilience of the people.
The author's father loved Australia and the chances it gave to his family. He had great determination to make a better life for them.
Anne: The Road by Cormac McCarthy
This is the story of a post apocalyptic journey by a father and son as they wander across the desolate landscape trying to get to the coast. Everything is burnt and cold as they push their cart containing their few possessions.
Anne found the story very depressing but thought that the relationship between the father and son was quite beautiful. The writing was magnificent, the words sparse but everyone of them counted for something. Despite it being harrowing and sad, she felt it was worth reading.
Judy: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
While reading this favourite book, Judy noted how the children, Jem and Scout, saw their father, Atticus. Some of their comments were:
He was a single parent, and much older than all the other parents.
He read to them nightly, from his court papers as well as local newspapers.
He was approachable, a good listener and 'practised what he preached'.
He tried to instill in his children his sense of morality and justice.
He never held a grudge and always looked for the good in people.
He loved his children and always put their welfare first.
These are certainly all very honourable attributes for any father to have.
Julia: Only Dad by Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Titshmarsh is a well known BBC personality and garden expert. In his first novel he writes about the Drummond family who seem to live an idyllic and very happy life. All this changes when on a family holiday in Tuscany, disaster strikes them.
Julia really enjoyed this lighthearted and funny story. It had a nice feel to it and was a good read.
Laura: Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
Morrie is the archetypical father figure giving advice from his deathbed. He knows he's dying and takes this opportunity to share his life's wisdom. But much of what he relates we already know: eg people over things and money over family.
There are no new great revelations. Julia thought it a good book but didn't change her life.
Claurine: Short History of Tractors in the Ukraine by Marina Lewycha
The author was born in a refugee camp and so much of the story is about her life in the Ukraine.
The front story begins when the elderly mother dies and her husband who is 84 years old, plans to marry a voluptous blonde Ukrainian woman who is 36 years old.
The 2 daughters, who are not on speaking terms, must overcome their differences, to try to stop this woman.
Within this plot is the writing of the book by the old man, about the history of tractors.
Claurine found parts of it amusing but towards the end of the book, the story was getting a bit silly.
Rosemary: A Twist of Lemmon by Chris Lemmon
It must always be difficult being the child of famous parents and it was no different for Chris Lemmon. He grew up feeling very bitter towards his father for divorcing his mother when he was quite young. In this book he talks about their relationship which he describes as being that of a 'best friend' rather than a father. There was no real home life just recreational time with him.
He also shared many funny anecdotes about his dad which added to it being a good read, a heart warming memoir.
Other recommendations:
Maree: The Storyteller by Jodie Picoult
The Light between oceans by M L Stedman
Pamela: How to be a Good Wife by Emma Chapman ...well written but with a very ambiguous ending
The Fishing Fleet - Husband Hunting in the Raj by Ann De Courcy ...factual account of women who went out to India to work
Anne: A Fine Balance by Rohan Mistry ... despair and hope of the very poor in India
While reading this favourite book, Judy noted how the children, Jem and Scout, saw their father, Atticus. Some of their comments were:
He was a single parent, and much older than all the other parents.
He read to them nightly, from his court papers as well as local newspapers.
He was approachable, a good listener and 'practised what he preached'.
He tried to instill in his children his sense of morality and justice.
He never held a grudge and always looked for the good in people.
He loved his children and always put their welfare first.
These are certainly all very honourable attributes for any father to have.
Julia: Only Dad by Alan Titchmarsh
Alan Titshmarsh is a well known BBC personality and garden expert. In his first novel he writes about the Drummond family who seem to live an idyllic and very happy life. All this changes when on a family holiday in Tuscany, disaster strikes them.
Julia really enjoyed this lighthearted and funny story. It had a nice feel to it and was a good read.
Laura: Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom
Morrie is the archetypical father figure giving advice from his deathbed. He knows he's dying and takes this opportunity to share his life's wisdom. But much of what he relates we already know: eg people over things and money over family.
There are no new great revelations. Julia thought it a good book but didn't change her life.
Claurine: Short History of Tractors in the Ukraine by Marina Lewycha
The author was born in a refugee camp and so much of the story is about her life in the Ukraine.
The front story begins when the elderly mother dies and her husband who is 84 years old, plans to marry a voluptous blonde Ukrainian woman who is 36 years old.
The 2 daughters, who are not on speaking terms, must overcome their differences, to try to stop this woman.
Within this plot is the writing of the book by the old man, about the history of tractors.
Claurine found parts of it amusing but towards the end of the book, the story was getting a bit silly.
Rosemary: A Twist of Lemmon by Chris Lemmon
It must always be difficult being the child of famous parents and it was no different for Chris Lemmon. He grew up feeling very bitter towards his father for divorcing his mother when he was quite young. In this book he talks about their relationship which he describes as being that of a 'best friend' rather than a father. There was no real home life just recreational time with him.
He also shared many funny anecdotes about his dad which added to it being a good read, a heart warming memoir.
Other recommendations:
Maree: The Storyteller by Jodie Picoult
The Light between oceans by M L Stedman
Pamela: How to be a Good Wife by Emma Chapman ...well written but with a very ambiguous ending
The Fishing Fleet - Husband Hunting in the Raj by Ann De Courcy ...factual account of women who went out to India to work
Anne: A Fine Balance by Rohan Mistry ... despair and hope of the very poor in India
Tuesday, August 20, 2013
AUGUST - BOOKS ABOUT THE SEA
JO "WAVECREST" by BILL KNOX
This is a mystery/crime set off the Scottish Coast. The weather is terrible, icy and cold. Jo loved this book and would recommend.
ANNE "THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA" by ERNEST HEMINGWAY 1952
It's a book about an old Cuban fisherman and his young devoted apprentice. It is simply written about the old man's endurance in going out further than usual into the Gulf Stream, trying to catch a fish which he feels is too large for his boat and then keeping it while sharks circle........
It is a classic read.
ROSEMARY "THE SEA BED" by MARELE DAY 2009
It is written by an Australian author born in 1947. The author lived in Japan and has written about the pearl divers called AMA. They are mostly women. There are three main characters - a Japanese monk, the granddaughter of a diving AMA and Lillie of the younger generation. Rosemary said it was a good read.
CLAURENE "THE SEA" by JOHN BANVILLE
John Banville is an Irish writer and he won the Booker Prize in 2005. The plot is minimal. It is his memory of past times living in seaside boarding houses. It is a great read and Claurene said "just listen to the wonderful words".
PAMELA "THE NIGGER OF THE NARCISSUS by JOSEPH CONRAD PUB.1898
The story is set on board a ship sailing from Bombay. There are fourteen characters. There is a huge storm and all the crew pull together showing great courage and endurance. The ship was loved by all, though difficult construction had caused problems. There is tension about one of the crew members, a Negro. This leads to a mutiny. This is an exciting early Conrad book and his style was later perfected.
DIANE "THE SHIPPING NEWS" by ANNIE PROULX
The author won the 1994 Pulitzer Prize. It is a story of a man named Coyle who is a journalist. He marries Petal, a user who dies. Coyle goes to the old family home in Newfoundland and resumes journalism. There are great descriptions of the sea, relationships, murder and parenting.
TAM "OPERATION BEACH WATCH" by LEO KESSLER
The book is set in 1941 when the United Kingdom is having problems in the war. It is about life on a submarine but also about the political strategies and secret meetings taking place with Britain trying to get the USA into the war. It is an enjoyable read.
JULIA "TRUE SPIRIT" by JESSICA WATSON
It is the story of a 16 year old girl who, in 2010, was the youngest person to sail around the world in 210 days in her yacht "Ella's Pink Lady". It is a truly inspirational read. There is a movie in the pipeline.
KRIS "SAILING ALONE AROUND THE WORLD" by JOSHUA SLOCUM
A quote from Tim Flannery's introduction to the book "Among the many classics of the sea, few books can rival Joshua Slocum's Sailing alone around the World" for sheer audacity, adventure and beauty of language. Although written little over a century ago it is redolent of an even earlier age, and has made so great an impression that thousands have moved to emulate Slocum's great feats". The book is written by Joshua Slocum about his round the world trip taking three years and two months, arriving back in America in 1898. He built the yacht himself and seemed at one with his boat and the sea. It was a great read. It is not a library book.
The library book borrowed "Saved" by Tony Bullimore was read by Kris's husband. He thoroughly enjoyed it. It was a book about an Englishman who participated in the round the world yacht race in 1996. His yacht capsized in the icy Southern Ocean and despite appalling weather conditions, the Australian rescue services did not give up and after four days being capsized, he was rescued. It's a great story of his bravery and fortitude as well as the immense heroism shown by the Australian rescue services.
JOAN "MASTER AND COMMANDER" by PATRICK O'BRIEN PUB. 1970
This book is the first in a series of 20 epic seafaring fictional novels based on the career of Captain Jack Aubrey during the Napoleonic wars, beginning of 19th century - The Age of Sail and Enlightenment. It is about the action packed life on board a Man of War ship called "Sophie". It is about the interaction of the officers and crew and the battle encounters with all types of ships, including pirates. " The prose is so descriptive you could be a crew member yourself" Joan said. Joan thought is was well worth reading and she cannot wait to read the remaining nineteen in the series.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
JULY: Graham Greene
Graham Greene (2 October 1904 – 3 April 1991) was an English writer, play write and literary critic.
His works explore the ambivalent moral and political issues of the
modern world. Greene was noted for his ability to combine serious
literary acclaim with widespread popularity.
Although Greene objected strongly to being described as a Roman Catholic novelist rather than as a novelist who happened to be Catholic, Catholic religious themes are at the root of much of his writing, especially the four major Catholic novels: Brighton Rock, The Power and the Glory, The Heart of the Matter and The End of the Affair. Several works such as The Confidential Agent, The Third Man, The Quiet American, Our Man in Havana and The Human Factor also show an avid interest in the workings of international politics and espionage.
Greene suffered from bipolar disorder, which had a profound effect on his writing and personal life.
KRIS: The Heart of the Matter
The story is set in Sierra Leone, where Greene had worked during the war.
The main character is Scobie, a policeman who is known for his honesty and being immune to bribery. His wife is desperately unhappy living there and eventually moves to South Africa to live. Several incidents including a suicide, murder, extra marital affairs, blackmail and family and wartime tragedy test his scruples and his resolve. The moral dilemma seemed to be - can you make everyone happy?
Kris liked the story but thought it a book of quiet despair.
CLARINE also started this book, but disliked it. She gave up reading it when Scobie fell in love with a 19 year old!
PAT: Monsignor Quixote
Pat had enjoyed the little bit of this book that she had read.
Monsignor Quixote is a relative of Don Quixote, and is also a village priest elevated to the rank of Monsignor.
She enjoyed the author's writing style, really knowing what he was thinking and how he was, even though there was no physical description. It was all done through conversation.
JULIA: The Human Factor
Julia really enjoyed this intriguing spy thriller and was surprised how good it was.
A man is murdered because of a leak in the Secret Service, and you couldn't pick the culprit right up until the end. It was made into a film in 1979.
She also read a collection of short stories The Last Word but didn't enjoy them as much.
PAMELA: A Gun For Sale
This is Graham Greene's 5th novel and is a precursor to Brighton Rock.
The main character, Raven is a cold hearted killer who assassinates the Czech War Minister. When he is paid with stolen money, he becomes the hunted as the police chase him to recover the money.
Pamela thought the writing was very good, with the beginning of the story really getting the reader in.
Jo also read the book and commented on the extreme sensitivity Raven showed concerning his harelip.
JOAN: The Honorary Consul
This is set in a poor northern Argentinian town close to the border with Paraguay.
Charlie Fortnum, is a divorced, self pitying alcoholic who misuses his position as the Honorary Consul and is one of only two British inhabitants of the town.
He is mistaken for an American ambassador and kidnapped by Paraguayan revolutionaries. From then on, his problems are compounded.
ROSEMARY: End of the Affair
Rosemary read The End of the Affair which was published in 1951. She thought it boring, and not spicy at all. It was set in London just after World War 11 and is loosely based on Greene's affair with Lady Catherine Walston which lasted for more than 22 years.
It was a book of misery.... the weather is miserable, the war is miserable, the characters are miserable and he is miserable when the affair ends.
MAREE had only just begun the book, and was interested in Rosemary's comment.
LESLIE also read the same book.
She was pleased she had now read a Graham Greene novel and enjoyed his style of writing, but not the content.
The book had themes about love and religion. He writes about excessive and destructive love, a physical love not a deep love. There are also several occasions when philosophical arguments about God occur in the story. He seems to be a very self centered man.
SHIELA: Captain and the Enemy
Shiela's comment was that it was the worst, most miserable, unbelievable and depressing book that she had read for a long time. She only forced herself to finish it because of her Book Club commitment. The opening pages were good, but from then on, no one was ever happy.
She was impressed with the way he wrote but not his content.
ANNE: The Tenth Man
During the German occupation of France, 30 men were imprisoned and kept as hostages. Each time a German resistance fighter is killed, 3 of these men are to be shot. Of the thirty captives, three will draw a marked slip of paper and will be killed.
When one of the chosen is a wealthy lawyer, he offers all his property to anyone who would trade places with him. An ailing prisoner agrees to this and paperwork is done to ensure that his estate is transferred to his heirs.
Although only a short book, more twists and complications occur all of which Anne enjoyed.
TAM: Collected Short Stories
Tam liked the idea of reading short stories for a change, being able to pick up the book and spend short periods of time with the author.
She thought that Greene was a great observer of people and builds a series of stories around them. They often had a twist at the end but Tam felt that sometimes she didn't understand the meaning of the twist. This she found a little frustrating.
JUDY: The Quiet American
Thomas Fowler is a British journalist in his 50s who has been covering the French war in Vietnam for over 2 years. He has become very jaded and cynical, leaving his wife in England and comfortable with his life style here, especially his indulgence in opium.
Alden Pyle is the quiet American. He is thoughtful, intelligent, serious and idealistic. Fowler finds him arrogant and naive.
When Pyle falls for Fowler's Vietnamese 20 year old lover, she is forced to choose between them according to what they could offer her. After his death more information comes to light about the real reason for Pyle's stay in Vietnam.
The book was published in 1955 and it raises the still relevant question about the rights of Western powers to intervene in other countries' affairs.
JANE: Brighton Rock
Jane had only read about a quarter of the book but her impression so far was that the story was really confusing and depressing. A lot seems to happen that is not really explained.
The story is about gang rivalries who are waring over money from the race tracks.
Although Greene objected strongly to being described as a Roman Catholic novelist rather than as a novelist who happened to be Catholic, Catholic religious themes are at the root of much of his writing, especially the four major Catholic novels: Brighton Rock, The Power and the Glory, The Heart of the Matter and The End of the Affair. Several works such as The Confidential Agent, The Third Man, The Quiet American, Our Man in Havana and The Human Factor also show an avid interest in the workings of international politics and espionage.
Greene suffered from bipolar disorder, which had a profound effect on his writing and personal life.
KRIS: The Heart of the Matter
The story is set in Sierra Leone, where Greene had worked during the war.
The main character is Scobie, a policeman who is known for his honesty and being immune to bribery. His wife is desperately unhappy living there and eventually moves to South Africa to live. Several incidents including a suicide, murder, extra marital affairs, blackmail and family and wartime tragedy test his scruples and his resolve. The moral dilemma seemed to be - can you make everyone happy?
Kris liked the story but thought it a book of quiet despair.
CLARINE also started this book, but disliked it. She gave up reading it when Scobie fell in love with a 19 year old!
PAT: Monsignor Quixote
Pat had enjoyed the little bit of this book that she had read.
Monsignor Quixote is a relative of Don Quixote, and is also a village priest elevated to the rank of Monsignor.
She enjoyed the author's writing style, really knowing what he was thinking and how he was, even though there was no physical description. It was all done through conversation.
JULIA: The Human Factor
Julia really enjoyed this intriguing spy thriller and was surprised how good it was.
A man is murdered because of a leak in the Secret Service, and you couldn't pick the culprit right up until the end. It was made into a film in 1979.
She also read a collection of short stories The Last Word but didn't enjoy them as much.
PAMELA: A Gun For Sale
This is Graham Greene's 5th novel and is a precursor to Brighton Rock.
The main character, Raven is a cold hearted killer who assassinates the Czech War Minister. When he is paid with stolen money, he becomes the hunted as the police chase him to recover the money.
Pamela thought the writing was very good, with the beginning of the story really getting the reader in.
Jo also read the book and commented on the extreme sensitivity Raven showed concerning his harelip.
JOAN: The Honorary Consul
This is set in a poor northern Argentinian town close to the border with Paraguay.
Charlie Fortnum, is a divorced, self pitying alcoholic who misuses his position as the Honorary Consul and is one of only two British inhabitants of the town.
He is mistaken for an American ambassador and kidnapped by Paraguayan revolutionaries. From then on, his problems are compounded.
ROSEMARY: End of the Affair
Rosemary read The End of the Affair which was published in 1951. She thought it boring, and not spicy at all. It was set in London just after World War 11 and is loosely based on Greene's affair with Lady Catherine Walston which lasted for more than 22 years.
It was a book of misery.... the weather is miserable, the war is miserable, the characters are miserable and he is miserable when the affair ends.
MAREE had only just begun the book, and was interested in Rosemary's comment.
LESLIE also read the same book.
She was pleased she had now read a Graham Greene novel and enjoyed his style of writing, but not the content.
The book had themes about love and religion. He writes about excessive and destructive love, a physical love not a deep love. There are also several occasions when philosophical arguments about God occur in the story. He seems to be a very self centered man.
SHIELA: Captain and the Enemy
Shiela's comment was that it was the worst, most miserable, unbelievable and depressing book that she had read for a long time. She only forced herself to finish it because of her Book Club commitment. The opening pages were good, but from then on, no one was ever happy.
She was impressed with the way he wrote but not his content.
ANNE: The Tenth Man
During the German occupation of France, 30 men were imprisoned and kept as hostages. Each time a German resistance fighter is killed, 3 of these men are to be shot. Of the thirty captives, three will draw a marked slip of paper and will be killed.
When one of the chosen is a wealthy lawyer, he offers all his property to anyone who would trade places with him. An ailing prisoner agrees to this and paperwork is done to ensure that his estate is transferred to his heirs.
Although only a short book, more twists and complications occur all of which Anne enjoyed.
TAM: Collected Short Stories
Tam liked the idea of reading short stories for a change, being able to pick up the book and spend short periods of time with the author.
She thought that Greene was a great observer of people and builds a series of stories around them. They often had a twist at the end but Tam felt that sometimes she didn't understand the meaning of the twist. This she found a little frustrating.
JUDY: The Quiet American
Thomas Fowler is a British journalist in his 50s who has been covering the French war in Vietnam for over 2 years. He has become very jaded and cynical, leaving his wife in England and comfortable with his life style here, especially his indulgence in opium.
Alden Pyle is the quiet American. He is thoughtful, intelligent, serious and idealistic. Fowler finds him arrogant and naive.
When Pyle falls for Fowler's Vietnamese 20 year old lover, she is forced to choose between them according to what they could offer her. After his death more information comes to light about the real reason for Pyle's stay in Vietnam.
The book was published in 1955 and it raises the still relevant question about the rights of Western powers to intervene in other countries' affairs.
JANE: Brighton Rock
Jane had only read about a quarter of the book but her impression so far was that the story was really confusing and depressing. A lot seems to happen that is not really explained.
The story is about gang rivalries who are waring over money from the race tracks.
Friday, June 28, 2013
June: Humour
This month, members of the Book Club selected their own books with the theme of Humour.
JULES:
Jules started 3 books before settling on Alexander McCall Smith's 'Morality for Beautiful Girls'. Her comment was that it was nice to read, but not so funny.
She compared it to a previous book she had read, Dawn French's autobiography. This she found very funny because she could 'hear' the author telling her story.
JO: Rosy is my Relative by Gerald Durrell
This is the story of a man, living in London, who inherits an elephant in a will. He decides to walk the elephant to the coast to find a circus and has all sorts of incidents along the way. They involved lords of the manor, fox hunting and a 21st party. Jo said she had never laughed so much in her life.
PAT: Belly Dancing for Beginners by Liz Byrski
Pat didn't really find this book funny, but it was a good easy read though. It is about a belly dancing teacher and 2 women who come to her classes. They all have issues in their life, but gain skills and confidence as they train. The book is really more about empowering women.
JUDY: Charade by John Mortimer
This was the author's first book and is not up to the standard of subsequent novels. It is the story of a young man who joins a film unit during the war. He finds the habits and morals of the crew hard to accept, and when a soldier is killed on the set he alone thinks it is worth investigating. The story line is not funny, the only humour coming from the descriptions of some of the various characters.
ANNE: The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
While she hasn't finished reading the book yet, she has found it very funny so far.
The main character lives in a Nursing Home and is approaching his 100th birthday. He doesn't want a party, even though the mayor and the press will be there, so he climbs out his window and walks away. He has all sorts of adventures and with the flashbacks to the period of World War 1 it is a little like Forest Gump. He is always somewhere at particular times, eg he turns up in the Spanish War, having had dinner with Franco.
CLAURENE: Harnessing Peacocks by Mary Wesley
Claurene had read this book many years ago, and thought it very funny, although not 'laugh out loud funny'.
It is set in the English upper middle class, and concerns a young, unmarried girl who overhears her family discussing her pregnancy. They want her to have an abortion and so she runs away.
Twelve years later she is living in London with her son and using her skills, involving cooking and sex. She cooks for 3 upper class elderly ladies and has sex with 3 upper class men, making lots of money from both. When various connections between the 2 groups become obvious, the situation quickly unravels and becomes a complete French farce.
ROSEMARY: The Boy Who Fell to Earth by Kathy Lette
This is her latest novel about Merlin, a loveable but difficult autistic son and his single mum, Lucy. Kathy Lette drew from her experiences of her own autistic child but it is not based on his life. The book is full of one liners, many very funny, as she struggles to raise him. The funny parts are the things that Merlin does, and the inappropriate things he says. As he matures, he learns what is expected of his behaviour but his trusting nature leads him into worrying situations.
Rosemary enjoyed reading it, it was an easy read and every sentence was funny.
It was an eyeopener to the struggles and ups and downs of having an autistic child.
JOAN: Love Among the Chickens by P G Wodehouse
The story revolves around Jeremy Garnet, an author, and his old friend Ukridge, a known conman. Jeremy eventually agrees to take part in his latest 'get-rich-scheme', and they head off to begin a chicken egg farm in Dorset. They meet other passengers on the train during the journey, and they all become involved in this half-baked scheme. Their trials and tribulations are all interwoven with lovely comic prose.
Joan said it was good to read and discover this author who she had never read before.
PAMELA:
Pamela shared with us different examples of humour.
Firstly she read several ludicrous passages from Jules Verne's Mistress Branican including one about a husband who disappears in northern Western Australia. It eventuates that he had been kept prisoner for 25 years by cannibals in the Kimberleys.
She then shared some cartoons including the difference between Vitruvian Man and a real man.
A different take on humour.
WENDY: You Might As Well Laugh Mate, Australian Humour in Hard Times by Keith Willey
This collection gave an insight into what makes up the Australian sense of humour, and how we laugh when the chips are down. It is part of our ethos and it seems that aboriginal humour is very similar.
CONNIE: They're a Wired Mob by John O'Grady (Nina Cullota)
Connie had first heard the story as an ABC Radio Serial soon after arriving in Australia and loved it. While travelling around she could recognise similar characters, their accents and their sayings, that had appeared in the book.
She has now had the chance to read it and still loved it, enjoying every page. Her comment was that the humour was not so much what was happening, but the things they said. But we've lost a lot of that now as we have become politically correct.
She thought it interesting that the author was not derided for pretending to be someone that he was not.
KRIS: Fat, Forty and Fired by Nigel Marsh
The author is an inspirational speaker, and this is his story of trying to find a work/life balance. He has worked in advertising and is very stressed. The humour comes when you laugh at his neurosis and amusing situations during his year off. He takes over looking after their son and he challenges himself to complete an open water swim (even though he can't swim, yet).
TAM: Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction by Sue Townsend
Tam found this a good laugh and thought she would read other books in the series.
Adrian Mole is an absolute dork who gets himself more and more into debt with his crazy schemes and ideas.
It is written in diary form and the author is very clever the way she observes and describes everything going on around him.
WELCOME to new member Maureen who shared 2 books she had recently read.
Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsaver. This a delightful book, not funny though.
The migration of the monarch butterflies is disrupted because of environmental changes and instead of going to Mexico they end up in Tennessee. Here they are seen by a young woman who has run away from her dysfunctional life. What she sees changes her life. The parrallel is drawn between the challenge of the butterfly to emerge from the cocoon and for her to change the course of her life.
Madness a Memoir by Kate Richards. The author is a doctor and this is her personal story of her mental illness. There is no humour, and it is quite disturbing with episodes of self harm, deep depression and electroconvulsive therapy.
It is enlightning in that with courage, support from family and friends and good medical assistance, Kate has reached a safer, more manageable, peaceful place of balance and wellness.
JULES:
Jules started 3 books before settling on Alexander McCall Smith's 'Morality for Beautiful Girls'. Her comment was that it was nice to read, but not so funny.
She compared it to a previous book she had read, Dawn French's autobiography. This she found very funny because she could 'hear' the author telling her story.
JO: Rosy is my Relative by Gerald Durrell
This is the story of a man, living in London, who inherits an elephant in a will. He decides to walk the elephant to the coast to find a circus and has all sorts of incidents along the way. They involved lords of the manor, fox hunting and a 21st party. Jo said she had never laughed so much in her life.
PAT: Belly Dancing for Beginners by Liz Byrski
Pat didn't really find this book funny, but it was a good easy read though. It is about a belly dancing teacher and 2 women who come to her classes. They all have issues in their life, but gain skills and confidence as they train. The book is really more about empowering women.
JUDY: Charade by John Mortimer
This was the author's first book and is not up to the standard of subsequent novels. It is the story of a young man who joins a film unit during the war. He finds the habits and morals of the crew hard to accept, and when a soldier is killed on the set he alone thinks it is worth investigating. The story line is not funny, the only humour coming from the descriptions of some of the various characters.
ANNE: The One Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
While she hasn't finished reading the book yet, she has found it very funny so far.
The main character lives in a Nursing Home and is approaching his 100th birthday. He doesn't want a party, even though the mayor and the press will be there, so he climbs out his window and walks away. He has all sorts of adventures and with the flashbacks to the period of World War 1 it is a little like Forest Gump. He is always somewhere at particular times, eg he turns up in the Spanish War, having had dinner with Franco.
CLAURENE: Harnessing Peacocks by Mary Wesley
Claurene had read this book many years ago, and thought it very funny, although not 'laugh out loud funny'.
It is set in the English upper middle class, and concerns a young, unmarried girl who overhears her family discussing her pregnancy. They want her to have an abortion and so she runs away.
Twelve years later she is living in London with her son and using her skills, involving cooking and sex. She cooks for 3 upper class elderly ladies and has sex with 3 upper class men, making lots of money from both. When various connections between the 2 groups become obvious, the situation quickly unravels and becomes a complete French farce.
ROSEMARY: The Boy Who Fell to Earth by Kathy Lette
This is her latest novel about Merlin, a loveable but difficult autistic son and his single mum, Lucy. Kathy Lette drew from her experiences of her own autistic child but it is not based on his life. The book is full of one liners, many very funny, as she struggles to raise him. The funny parts are the things that Merlin does, and the inappropriate things he says. As he matures, he learns what is expected of his behaviour but his trusting nature leads him into worrying situations.
Rosemary enjoyed reading it, it was an easy read and every sentence was funny.
It was an eyeopener to the struggles and ups and downs of having an autistic child.
JOAN: Love Among the Chickens by P G Wodehouse
The story revolves around Jeremy Garnet, an author, and his old friend Ukridge, a known conman. Jeremy eventually agrees to take part in his latest 'get-rich-scheme', and they head off to begin a chicken egg farm in Dorset. They meet other passengers on the train during the journey, and they all become involved in this half-baked scheme. Their trials and tribulations are all interwoven with lovely comic prose.
Joan said it was good to read and discover this author who she had never read before.
PAMELA:
Pamela shared with us different examples of humour.
Firstly she read several ludicrous passages from Jules Verne's Mistress Branican including one about a husband who disappears in northern Western Australia. It eventuates that he had been kept prisoner for 25 years by cannibals in the Kimberleys.
She then shared some cartoons including the difference between Vitruvian Man and a real man.
A different take on humour.
WENDY: You Might As Well Laugh Mate, Australian Humour in Hard Times by Keith Willey
This collection gave an insight into what makes up the Australian sense of humour, and how we laugh when the chips are down. It is part of our ethos and it seems that aboriginal humour is very similar.
CONNIE: They're a Wired Mob by John O'Grady (Nina Cullota)
Connie had first heard the story as an ABC Radio Serial soon after arriving in Australia and loved it. While travelling around she could recognise similar characters, their accents and their sayings, that had appeared in the book.
She has now had the chance to read it and still loved it, enjoying every page. Her comment was that the humour was not so much what was happening, but the things they said. But we've lost a lot of that now as we have become politically correct.
She thought it interesting that the author was not derided for pretending to be someone that he was not.
KRIS: Fat, Forty and Fired by Nigel Marsh
The author is an inspirational speaker, and this is his story of trying to find a work/life balance. He has worked in advertising and is very stressed. The humour comes when you laugh at his neurosis and amusing situations during his year off. He takes over looking after their son and he challenges himself to complete an open water swim (even though he can't swim, yet).
TAM: Adrian Mole and the Weapons of Mass Destruction by Sue Townsend
Tam found this a good laugh and thought she would read other books in the series.
Adrian Mole is an absolute dork who gets himself more and more into debt with his crazy schemes and ideas.
It is written in diary form and the author is very clever the way she observes and describes everything going on around him.
WELCOME to new member Maureen who shared 2 books she had recently read.
Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsaver. This a delightful book, not funny though.
The migration of the monarch butterflies is disrupted because of environmental changes and instead of going to Mexico they end up in Tennessee. Here they are seen by a young woman who has run away from her dysfunctional life. What she sees changes her life. The parrallel is drawn between the challenge of the butterfly to emerge from the cocoon and for her to change the course of her life.
Madness a Memoir by Kate Richards. The author is a doctor and this is her personal story of her mental illness. There is no humour, and it is quite disturbing with episodes of self harm, deep depression and electroconvulsive therapy.
It is enlightning in that with courage, support from family and friends and good medical assistance, Kate has reached a safer, more manageable, peaceful place of balance and wellness.
Thursday, June 27, 2013
What's Happening Over The Next Six Months!
These are the suggested topics for our reading and discussion over the next 6 months.
JULY: the author Graham Greene
AUGUST: Stories about the sea
SEPTEMBER: Fathers
OCTOBER: Australian History
NOVEMBER: Books from our childhood
DECEMBER: Christmas theme
JULY: the author Graham Greene
AUGUST: Stories about the sea
SEPTEMBER: Fathers
OCTOBER: Australian History
NOVEMBER: Books from our childhood
DECEMBER: Christmas theme
Wednesday, May 22, 2013
MAY: Animal stories
This month our task was to read a book that in some way featured animal/s.
Joan & Judy: Foal's bread by Gillian Meers
The book has a gorgeous wrap around cover featuring the head of a horse. It is set in rural NSW between the 2 wars and takes you into the harsh world of horse high jumping.This was evidently very popular after WW1 when there was quite an extensive circuit of the country agricultural shows, with some good prize money and few regulations.
The main characters are the Child's family, including Cecil and his daughter Noah. They are itinerant workers but also involved with horses and the jumping circuit. We also have the Nancarrows including their son Roley who is generally recognised as the best high jumper.
Norah and Roley meet and fall in love. The story follows several generations of their lives as they struggle to raise a team of jumping horses. Personal conflict and tragedy plus the vagaries of weather and life of the land add to the colour of the story.
It is a wonderfully evocative story of love, life and hardship in the bush.
Judy commented that it is ironic that the author describes so beautifully the sensation of freedom to go higher and higher over the jumps while she herself is confined to a wheelchair due to MS.
The author has a unique style of writing using a mixture of the rough ungrammatical country speak of the locals and then her flowing descriptions of the trees, flowers, and the colours of the countryside.
Connie: Silver Brumby's Daughter and White Fang by Jack London
Connie's grand daughter loved the Silver Brumby series but after reading this book, Connie saw it as a children's book about horses. The horses speak to each other which Connie can't cope with. She thought she had left it too late to enjoy it.
Her grandson had recommended White Fang by Jack London and while she had previously been reluctant to read a London book, she loved this one.
Set in the cold northern wilderness of North America in 1906, White Fang is 1/4 dog and 3/4 wolf. The author describes the dog's feelings so well, you feel for him as he forages for food and is captured and cruelly treated by people. There are great descriptions about the wolf pack and how they breed.
Connie really enjoyed it much to her surprise.
Anne: Red Dog by Louis de Bernieres
The dog is born a wanderer but even though he had been adopted by John, he still wanders off occasionally. He was able to hitch rides on trains and trucks etc because people recognised him. The dog is distraught when John dies and spends most of his life looking for him, having his adventures along the way.
Based on a real dog, several other books have been written about him, and recently a very successful film was released.
Jane & Dianne: Marley and Me by John Grogan
John Grogan writes a weekly column for a suburban newspaper. When he and his wife Jenny get a new puppy, he decides to write about the highs and lows of looking after this dog. Jenny is worried whether she will be able cope with a baby, so the pup is almost a trial for raising a child.
The dog gets into the heart of the family and they do go on to have children. Its a true story, light hearted about a loveable dog you could throttle. They were a lovely couple, had a lovely house and lovely children. It is all about loving the dog.
Dianne thought it a bit schmaltzy and sentimental. The dog was the runt of the litter but quite neurotic, terrified of thunderstorms, almost destroying the house when left alone.
Rosemary: The Donkey Who Carried the Wounded by Jackie French
While she has only read about 1/4 of this book, she thought it would be a good way for children to learn more of our history.
Sometimes the story is told through the eyes of the donkey, sometimes through the eyes of Jack.
Wendy: Horrie the Wog Dog by Ion Idriess
Wendy reread this old book set in the Egypt in 1941. Horrie was a dog found in the dessert by an Australian soldier James Moody. The dog was adopted by the soldiers, going into battle with them in Egypt, Crete, Palestine and Syria.
When the war was over, all animal mascots were ordered to be euthanized. Not wanting this to happen, Moody smuggled Horrie back into Australia. There is some confusion as to what happened then, although it seems likely that when the law caught up with Moody, another dog was surrendered in Horrie's place.
Pamela: Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowatt
A young biologist is sent to the Northern Canadian wilderness in 1948/9 to investigate the decline in the caribou population, believed to have been from attacks by wolf packs.
He discovers that it is not the wolves as they eat small vermin, rodents and fish. They aren't generally aggressive animals and are more likely to run away than attack.
Pamela lost some confidence in the author after his descriptions of his interaction with some wolves.
Further research showed that much of the book is fiction and that he had plagiarized 2 very important science books.
But by chance the book got an unexpected result.....it reduced the negative prejudice against wolves. The caribou numbers were decreasing because they were used as food by humans and were being killed by recreational hunters.
Lesley: My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
He was born in 1925 in India, and came back to live in England in 1928 after his father died. The family was very eccentric in a lovely British way. Being totally obsessed with animals and a great observer of their habits, Durrell became a well known conservationist beginning the Jersey Zoo. Many of his principles were in contrast to generally held beliefs of those times.
He only began to write during the war, because he was poor. His writing is laid back, gentle and easy to read. He meanders through life treating everyone equally.
It is a lovely, gentle story full of animals, and a lovely family who didn't see themselves as eccentric, but fascinated by everything and anything,
Kris: A Friend Like Henry by Nuala Gardner
The author is a midwife, and when her son was born he didn't communicate in any way with the family. There was not a lot of professional help around in the 1980s. In desperation they acquired a dog, a golden retriever named Henry and it was through this dog that their son began to communicate. He was eventually able to attend a special class within a normal high school.
A very inspiring book!
Kris also read Life of Pi by Yann Martell.
Her comments...interesting, very descriptive but a bit gruesome.
Tammy: Blind Hope, an unwanted dog and the woman she rescued Kim Meeder
This true story is set in Oregon on a ranch for abused animals mainly horses. They also rescue people who are broken by pairing them with suitable animals.
The author is telling Laurie's story. She has had a troubled childhood, dabbled in drugs etc and eventually ended up on the ranch. When Laurie is paired with a rescue dog who has many problems including blindness and diabetes, she learns to trust, to love, to be dependable and they grow together. There is a Christian emphasis through out the book and many parallels with God in behavior and attitude.
Tammy thought it was a lovely book, a real tear jerker!
Jules: Jonathon Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach
A classic book first published in 1970. It is a fable of a seagull who learns about life and flight and is told in 3 parts. The 4th part is only now (this year) available having been written by the author.
The pictures are really inspiring and the book has been referenced in many other films and books.
A timeless, spiritual classic said Jules.
Joan & Judy: Foal's bread by Gillian Meers
The book has a gorgeous wrap around cover featuring the head of a horse. It is set in rural NSW between the 2 wars and takes you into the harsh world of horse high jumping.This was evidently very popular after WW1 when there was quite an extensive circuit of the country agricultural shows, with some good prize money and few regulations.
The main characters are the Child's family, including Cecil and his daughter Noah. They are itinerant workers but also involved with horses and the jumping circuit. We also have the Nancarrows including their son Roley who is generally recognised as the best high jumper.
Norah and Roley meet and fall in love. The story follows several generations of their lives as they struggle to raise a team of jumping horses. Personal conflict and tragedy plus the vagaries of weather and life of the land add to the colour of the story.
It is a wonderfully evocative story of love, life and hardship in the bush.
Judy commented that it is ironic that the author describes so beautifully the sensation of freedom to go higher and higher over the jumps while she herself is confined to a wheelchair due to MS.
The author has a unique style of writing using a mixture of the rough ungrammatical country speak of the locals and then her flowing descriptions of the trees, flowers, and the colours of the countryside.
Connie: Silver Brumby's Daughter and White Fang by Jack London
Connie's grand daughter loved the Silver Brumby series but after reading this book, Connie saw it as a children's book about horses. The horses speak to each other which Connie can't cope with. She thought she had left it too late to enjoy it.
Her grandson had recommended White Fang by Jack London and while she had previously been reluctant to read a London book, she loved this one.
Set in the cold northern wilderness of North America in 1906, White Fang is 1/4 dog and 3/4 wolf. The author describes the dog's feelings so well, you feel for him as he forages for food and is captured and cruelly treated by people. There are great descriptions about the wolf pack and how they breed.
Connie really enjoyed it much to her surprise.
Anne: Red Dog by Louis de Bernieres
The dog is born a wanderer but even though he had been adopted by John, he still wanders off occasionally. He was able to hitch rides on trains and trucks etc because people recognised him. The dog is distraught when John dies and spends most of his life looking for him, having his adventures along the way.
Based on a real dog, several other books have been written about him, and recently a very successful film was released.
Jane & Dianne: Marley and Me by John Grogan
John Grogan writes a weekly column for a suburban newspaper. When he and his wife Jenny get a new puppy, he decides to write about the highs and lows of looking after this dog. Jenny is worried whether she will be able cope with a baby, so the pup is almost a trial for raising a child.
The dog gets into the heart of the family and they do go on to have children. Its a true story, light hearted about a loveable dog you could throttle. They were a lovely couple, had a lovely house and lovely children. It is all about loving the dog.
Dianne thought it a bit schmaltzy and sentimental. The dog was the runt of the litter but quite neurotic, terrified of thunderstorms, almost destroying the house when left alone.
Rosemary: The Donkey Who Carried the Wounded by Jackie French
While she has only read about 1/4 of this book, she thought it would be a good way for children to learn more of our history.
Sometimes the story is told through the eyes of the donkey, sometimes through the eyes of Jack.
Wendy: Horrie the Wog Dog by Ion Idriess
Wendy reread this old book set in the Egypt in 1941. Horrie was a dog found in the dessert by an Australian soldier James Moody. The dog was adopted by the soldiers, going into battle with them in Egypt, Crete, Palestine and Syria.
When the war was over, all animal mascots were ordered to be euthanized. Not wanting this to happen, Moody smuggled Horrie back into Australia. There is some confusion as to what happened then, although it seems likely that when the law caught up with Moody, another dog was surrendered in Horrie's place.
Pamela: Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowatt
A young biologist is sent to the Northern Canadian wilderness in 1948/9 to investigate the decline in the caribou population, believed to have been from attacks by wolf packs.
He discovers that it is not the wolves as they eat small vermin, rodents and fish. They aren't generally aggressive animals and are more likely to run away than attack.
Pamela lost some confidence in the author after his descriptions of his interaction with some wolves.
Further research showed that much of the book is fiction and that he had plagiarized 2 very important science books.
But by chance the book got an unexpected result.....it reduced the negative prejudice against wolves. The caribou numbers were decreasing because they were used as food by humans and were being killed by recreational hunters.
Lesley: My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell
He was born in 1925 in India, and came back to live in England in 1928 after his father died. The family was very eccentric in a lovely British way. Being totally obsessed with animals and a great observer of their habits, Durrell became a well known conservationist beginning the Jersey Zoo. Many of his principles were in contrast to generally held beliefs of those times.
He only began to write during the war, because he was poor. His writing is laid back, gentle and easy to read. He meanders through life treating everyone equally.
It is a lovely, gentle story full of animals, and a lovely family who didn't see themselves as eccentric, but fascinated by everything and anything,
Kris: A Friend Like Henry by Nuala Gardner
The author is a midwife, and when her son was born he didn't communicate in any way with the family. There was not a lot of professional help around in the 1980s. In desperation they acquired a dog, a golden retriever named Henry and it was through this dog that their son began to communicate. He was eventually able to attend a special class within a normal high school.
A very inspiring book!
Kris also read Life of Pi by Yann Martell.
Her comments...interesting, very descriptive but a bit gruesome.
Tammy: Blind Hope, an unwanted dog and the woman she rescued Kim Meeder
This true story is set in Oregon on a ranch for abused animals mainly horses. They also rescue people who are broken by pairing them with suitable animals.
The author is telling Laurie's story. She has had a troubled childhood, dabbled in drugs etc and eventually ended up on the ranch. When Laurie is paired with a rescue dog who has many problems including blindness and diabetes, she learns to trust, to love, to be dependable and they grow together. There is a Christian emphasis through out the book and many parallels with God in behavior and attitude.
Tammy thought it was a lovely book, a real tear jerker!
Jules: Jonathon Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach
A classic book first published in 1970. It is a fable of a seagull who learns about life and flight and is told in 3 parts. The 4th part is only now (this year) available having been written by the author.
The pictures are really inspiring and the book has been referenced in many other films and books.
A timeless, spiritual classic said Jules.
Sunday, April 28, 2013
APRIL: Booker Prize Winners
This month Book Club members were required to read a Booker Prize winner.
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe.
Joan & Ann: Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabrala
This book was the winner in 1975. Set in India a young woman arrives to find out more about the life of her grandfather and his wife Olivia. Her interest is based on letters written by Olivia to her sister Joan who lived in England. Her marriage had been boring , and fed up with the stuffy English traditions she has an affair with a charming Indian prince. When she becomes pregnant, her mother-in-law arranges an abortion and she retreats to live in the mountains.
When the narrator arrives in India, she too falls in love with an Indian man.
Joan didn't think it was up to the standard of a true Booker Prize winner, commenting that it was short, but not a quick read. Ann agreed with these comments and enjoyed the film more than the book.
Judy: True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
2001 winner of the Booker Prize
The author has presented us with a very sympathetic picture of the life and times of Ned Kelly. The novel is divided into 13 sections, all supposedly written by Kelly to tell the real story of his life to his 'fictional' daughter.
Judy thought it would be hard for someone who has never heard of the Kelly story before to really get into this book and to truly appreciate it, some history has to be studied.
While the general story is well known by most people, a couple of points that interested Judy were;
Ned claimed he only began robbing banks to enable him to "spread money through the community" after police began offering a reward for his capture. He justified it by claiming that the locals would protect him as long as he could help them.
Secondly, following the killing of Aaron Sherritt, Ned designs the pattern for a suit of armour to protect his friend Joe Byrnes as well as others. Several of these suits are made and buried for future use. This happened several months before and many miles from the eventual siege at Glenrowan.
Through Kelly's eyes we see the rural landscape of the 19th century Australia, the harshness and the unfairness of it. And Peter Carey makes us see Ned Kelly as an outstanding victim of that great unfairness.
Jewels and Jo: The Remains of the Day by Kazuro Ishiguro
1989 winner of the Booker Prize
Set in the 1950s, the story begins with the death of the owner of Darlington Hall, and its sale to American owners. When they return home, the aging butler embarks on a trip around the UK for 5 days. Each place that he visits is a flashback of his times spent with Lord Darlington.
While Jewels doesn't normally like reading 'flashbacks', she did enjoy this.
Jo didn't enjoy it as much, but did like the references and descriptions of life during the war.
She found it interesting to read about the life of a butler, the class system and the prestige and opportunities available to the 'upper class'.
Kris: The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
2010 Booker Prize winner
Kris really enjoyed this anti-Semitic comedy although she did find it difficult to get into it because of the neuroses of some of the characters.
The 3 main characters are old school friends, Julian Treslove (a former radio producer) and Sam Finkler (Jewish philosopher, writer and TV personality). They keep in touch with their old teacher Libor Sevcik, a Jewish Czech who had tutored them in Czech history and had also been a part time Hollywood gossip columnist.
The story revolves around Jewish people living in England and what it means to be Jewish. It had both comical as well as a tragic elements to the story.
Rosemary and Wendy: Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
1984 Booker Prize winner
Rosemary found this story very boring and wondered how it could have won the prize.
Edith Hpoe is a writer of romantic novels who has been sent, in disgrace, to a hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva. As she tries to finish her novel she observes the other guests around her.
Rosemary thought that none of the characters were exciting, all they did was eat, shop and gossip!
Wendy too found the main character boring, prepared to accept her life and not willing or wanting to change it.
Dianne and Jane: Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
Book prize winner in 1998
The story begins with the funeral of Molly Lane. Guests include not only her husband but a composer, a journalist and a transvestite MP. These last 3 know each other as well as having been Molly's lover at some time. All these lovers have flaws as well as being very egotistical.
It is not until the end do you realise why the book is called Amsterdam and neither Dianne or Jane would give any clues.
Both really enjoyed the book.
Tammy: Paddy Clarke Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle
1993 Booker Prize winner
Set in Dublin in the 1950s, it tells the story of a 10year old boy growing up, and his perception of the pretty tough life that he leads.
There were 2 things going on
* His parents were breaking up. He can feel the tension and reacts to it.
* The town is changing too. There is much building going on, and turning parts of it into a modern estate.
Tammy thought it was amazing how the author got into the shoes and eyes of a 10 year old. Maybe it was semi-autobiographical! The language was perfect for a 10 year old.
Tammy's final comments were that although it didn't have any chapters she loved it, a really sweet story, a gem!
Sheila: The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
2006 Booker Prize winner
Sheila thought that this book may have lost something in its translation as she only read half of it.
A retired judge returned to the hills with his granddaughter. He had fallen on hard times but never lost the feelings of superiority of the Raj. Another theme was people's connection to white relatives and therefore their presumption of superiority.
Sheila also read In Another Light by Andrew Grigg.
A man in his late 40's wants to understand his dead father. He had been a doctor in Penang during the war, while his son was left in England. He takes a sea journey to the east to find out more about his father's mysterious life. The more he learns, the more his life seems to parallel that of his father's.
Pamela: Possession: A Romance by A S Bryatt
1990 Booker prize winner
An absolutely brilliant book, but don't be fooled, it is not a romantic story.
The novel concerns the relationship between two fictional Victorian poets, Randolph Henry Ash (whose life and work are loosely based on those of the English poet Robert Browning) and Christabel LaMotte (similarly based on Christina Rosetti), as revealed to present day academics Roland Michell and Maud Bailey. Following a trail of clues from various letters and journals, they attempt to uncover the truth about Ash and LaMotte's past before it is discovered by rival colleagues.
The competition and race is between researchers (UK & USA) and possession is in regards to relationship.
Pamela also read The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, Booker prize winner in 1997.
Pamela thought it was one of the most brilliant books she had read. But a reader would need to have knowledge of Hindu literature as the structure is kaleidoscopic.
Connie: The Sense of Ending by Julian Barnes
Winner of 2011 Booker Prize.
Connie doesn't normally read prize winning books, but unexpectedly, enjoyed this one.
The first third of the book tells of 4 boys in their final year of school. One is far more intellectual, but they all get on well, particularly enjoying their History class.
The rest of the book (the next 40 years) is told by one of the boys, now retired, retelling what happened after they left school. His memory is not exactly reliable, ofter asking"is it the truth?"
It was becoming very confusing, but saved by a great ending. Connie's comment was that it 'satisfied' her and meant the rest of the book made sense.
Clarine: The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
1992 Booker Prize winner
The story is set in a bombed Italian villa at the end of World War 11.
The main characters are - Hana, a young Canadian nurse,
her English patient with critical burns,
Caravaggio, a Canadian thief
an Indian sapper in the army who is also a bomb disposal expert.
These are all wonderful characters who interconnect in ways you wouldn't expect but it is all explained as they talk to each other. The language was beautiful and the story gripping.
Clarine thought it was wonderful book, she loved it. In fact, she read it twice and found so much more to like the second time through.
Welcome Marina a new member.
The book that Marina had recently read..... To Kill a Tsar by Andrew Williams
This a historical novel that is very easy to read. The historical facts are clearly spelt out and these are underlying the love story between an English doctor and a Russian girl helping in the clinic.
The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is awarded each year for the best original full-length novel, written in the English language, by a citizen of the Commonwealth of Nations, Ireland, or Zimbabwe.
Joan & Ann: Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabrala
This book was the winner in 1975. Set in India a young woman arrives to find out more about the life of her grandfather and his wife Olivia. Her interest is based on letters written by Olivia to her sister Joan who lived in England. Her marriage had been boring , and fed up with the stuffy English traditions she has an affair with a charming Indian prince. When she becomes pregnant, her mother-in-law arranges an abortion and she retreats to live in the mountains.
When the narrator arrives in India, she too falls in love with an Indian man.
Joan didn't think it was up to the standard of a true Booker Prize winner, commenting that it was short, but not a quick read. Ann agreed with these comments and enjoyed the film more than the book.
Judy: True History of the Kelly Gang by Peter Carey
2001 winner of the Booker Prize
The author has presented us with a very sympathetic picture of the life and times of Ned Kelly. The novel is divided into 13 sections, all supposedly written by Kelly to tell the real story of his life to his 'fictional' daughter.
Judy thought it would be hard for someone who has never heard of the Kelly story before to really get into this book and to truly appreciate it, some history has to be studied.
While the general story is well known by most people, a couple of points that interested Judy were;
Ned claimed he only began robbing banks to enable him to "spread money through the community" after police began offering a reward for his capture. He justified it by claiming that the locals would protect him as long as he could help them.
Secondly, following the killing of Aaron Sherritt, Ned designs the pattern for a suit of armour to protect his friend Joe Byrnes as well as others. Several of these suits are made and buried for future use. This happened several months before and many miles from the eventual siege at Glenrowan.
Through Kelly's eyes we see the rural landscape of the 19th century Australia, the harshness and the unfairness of it. And Peter Carey makes us see Ned Kelly as an outstanding victim of that great unfairness.
Jewels and Jo: The Remains of the Day by Kazuro Ishiguro
1989 winner of the Booker Prize
Set in the 1950s, the story begins with the death of the owner of Darlington Hall, and its sale to American owners. When they return home, the aging butler embarks on a trip around the UK for 5 days. Each place that he visits is a flashback of his times spent with Lord Darlington.
While Jewels doesn't normally like reading 'flashbacks', she did enjoy this.
Jo didn't enjoy it as much, but did like the references and descriptions of life during the war.
She found it interesting to read about the life of a butler, the class system and the prestige and opportunities available to the 'upper class'.
Kris: The Finkler Question by Howard Jacobson
2010 Booker Prize winner
Kris really enjoyed this anti-Semitic comedy although she did find it difficult to get into it because of the neuroses of some of the characters.
The 3 main characters are old school friends, Julian Treslove (a former radio producer) and Sam Finkler (Jewish philosopher, writer and TV personality). They keep in touch with their old teacher Libor Sevcik, a Jewish Czech who had tutored them in Czech history and had also been a part time Hollywood gossip columnist.
The story revolves around Jewish people living in England and what it means to be Jewish. It had both comical as well as a tragic elements to the story.
Rosemary and Wendy: Hotel du Lac by Anita Brookner
1984 Booker Prize winner
Rosemary found this story very boring and wondered how it could have won the prize.
Edith Hpoe is a writer of romantic novels who has been sent, in disgrace, to a hotel on the shores of Lake Geneva. As she tries to finish her novel she observes the other guests around her.
Rosemary thought that none of the characters were exciting, all they did was eat, shop and gossip!
Wendy too found the main character boring, prepared to accept her life and not willing or wanting to change it.
Dianne and Jane: Amsterdam by Ian McEwan
Book prize winner in 1998
The story begins with the funeral of Molly Lane. Guests include not only her husband but a composer, a journalist and a transvestite MP. These last 3 know each other as well as having been Molly's lover at some time. All these lovers have flaws as well as being very egotistical.
It is not until the end do you realise why the book is called Amsterdam and neither Dianne or Jane would give any clues.
Both really enjoyed the book.
Tammy: Paddy Clarke Ha Ha by Roddy Doyle
1993 Booker Prize winner
Set in Dublin in the 1950s, it tells the story of a 10year old boy growing up, and his perception of the pretty tough life that he leads.
There were 2 things going on
* His parents were breaking up. He can feel the tension and reacts to it.
* The town is changing too. There is much building going on, and turning parts of it into a modern estate.
Tammy thought it was amazing how the author got into the shoes and eyes of a 10 year old. Maybe it was semi-autobiographical! The language was perfect for a 10 year old.
Tammy's final comments were that although it didn't have any chapters she loved it, a really sweet story, a gem!
Sheila: The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai
2006 Booker Prize winner
Sheila thought that this book may have lost something in its translation as she only read half of it.
A retired judge returned to the hills with his granddaughter. He had fallen on hard times but never lost the feelings of superiority of the Raj. Another theme was people's connection to white relatives and therefore their presumption of superiority.
Sheila also read In Another Light by Andrew Grigg.
A man in his late 40's wants to understand his dead father. He had been a doctor in Penang during the war, while his son was left in England. He takes a sea journey to the east to find out more about his father's mysterious life. The more he learns, the more his life seems to parallel that of his father's.
Pamela: Possession: A Romance by A S Bryatt
1990 Booker prize winner
An absolutely brilliant book, but don't be fooled, it is not a romantic story.
The novel concerns the relationship between two fictional Victorian poets, Randolph Henry Ash (whose life and work are loosely based on those of the English poet Robert Browning) and Christabel LaMotte (similarly based on Christina Rosetti), as revealed to present day academics Roland Michell and Maud Bailey. Following a trail of clues from various letters and journals, they attempt to uncover the truth about Ash and LaMotte's past before it is discovered by rival colleagues.
The competition and race is between researchers (UK & USA) and possession is in regards to relationship.
Pamela also read The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy, Booker prize winner in 1997.
Pamela thought it was one of the most brilliant books she had read. But a reader would need to have knowledge of Hindu literature as the structure is kaleidoscopic.
Connie: The Sense of Ending by Julian Barnes
Winner of 2011 Booker Prize.
Connie doesn't normally read prize winning books, but unexpectedly, enjoyed this one.
The first third of the book tells of 4 boys in their final year of school. One is far more intellectual, but they all get on well, particularly enjoying their History class.
The rest of the book (the next 40 years) is told by one of the boys, now retired, retelling what happened after they left school. His memory is not exactly reliable, ofter asking"is it the truth?"
It was becoming very confusing, but saved by a great ending. Connie's comment was that it 'satisfied' her and meant the rest of the book made sense.
Clarine: The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
1992 Booker Prize winner
The story is set in a bombed Italian villa at the end of World War 11.
The main characters are - Hana, a young Canadian nurse,
her English patient with critical burns,
Caravaggio, a Canadian thief
an Indian sapper in the army who is also a bomb disposal expert.
These are all wonderful characters who interconnect in ways you wouldn't expect but it is all explained as they talk to each other. The language was beautiful and the story gripping.
Clarine thought it was wonderful book, she loved it. In fact, she read it twice and found so much more to like the second time through.
Welcome Marina a new member.
The book that Marina had recently read..... To Kill a Tsar by Andrew Williams
This a historical novel that is very easy to read. The historical facts are clearly spelt out and these are underlying the love story between an English doctor and a Russian girl helping in the clinic.
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