DECEMBER ~ Best books of the year.

We concluded another very successful and enjoyable year of our Third Thursday Book Club with a chance for everyone to share their thoughts on the "Best Book" they had read this year.

JULIA ~ THE LAST CAMEL DIED AT NOON by ELIZABETH PETERS                                  This is the 3^rd book in this series of murder mysteries set in Egypt in the 18^th century. Amelia Peabody is the main character, but the books also feature her amazing husband and their children. There are about 20 books in this easy to read series.

BEV ~ THE CROCODILE ON THE SANDBANK from the same series. She also has read several other titles, enjoying them all. Amelia Peabody was a spinster, who after inheriting money travels to Egypt, to indulge her passion for Egyptology. Not only does she meet her future husband but becomes involved in a murder. Great fun to read said Bev.

JUDY 3 ~ ALL THE LIGHT YOU CANNOT SEE by ANTHONY DOERR                                 Described as beautifully written book, it tells the story of 2 children during WW2. One is a young German boy, Werner, who is selected to join the Hitler Youth as he has a penchant for, and an uncanny expertise with radio. The other is a young bling girl who father works at The Museum of Natural History. Eventually their paths converge in St Marlo when the Germans invade Paris. Thoroughly recommended by Judy.

PRU ~ LAST WORDS by MICHAEL KORY                                                                                     This author writes crime/suspense stories with a supernatural twist. While Pru recommends his books, she thought this title was disappointing.

TAM ~ DI MORRISSEY is one of Tam’s favourite authors. She likes the fact that her books are set in an Australian location and follow a well-tried formula. They usually involve an environmentalist, a journalist, a romantic interest and a bad guy trying to destroy the environment. Always a good holiday read.

PAULINE ~ THE ESSEX SERPENT by SARAH PERRY                                                            Published in Aug 2016, this historical novel is set in Victorian London and an Essex village in the 1890s. Two very different people fall in love despite their opposing opinion about the rumours of the possible return of the Essex Serpent from the marshes. Pauline loved the beautiful language, descriptions of the countryside and thought it had a slightly Gothic feel to it. She really enjoyed it.

CONNIE ~ THE WATERS OF ETERNAL YOUTH by DONNA LEON                                         Having been introduced to the Inspector Brunetti books by another Book Club member, Connie has now read the whole series and eagerly awaited this most recent published title. She loves the books because of the descriptions of the city of Venice, their way of life in the city, their food, the family and seeing how things grow and change through the years. She has also bought a recipe book featuring many of the dishes described in the stories and referencing them to the featured book.

DIANN ~ A TOWN LIKE ALICE by NEVILLE SHUTE                                                                  The book is based on the true story of a group of women who were forced to march through the jungles on an island in Malaya. Diann described it as a  ‘gem of a read’ and relates to the good values expressed and intertwined with a tale of love.

JUDY J ~ THE ICE CREAM MAKERS by ERNEST VAN DER KWAST                                  Translated form the Dutch, it tells the story of 4 generations of ice cream makers who live in the mountains of Italy. They spend each summer in Rotterdam selling ice creams and creating new flavours. It describes the fate of 2 bothers whose lives take very different course, one slaves all day over an ice cream machine while the other travels the world as a poet. An interesting twist brings them together but under unexpected circumstances. Many good moments in the story. 

SHEILA ~ IN TOO DEEP by JAYNE ANN KRENTZ   This story, one from the Arcane Society series, is described by Sheila as an easy, good fun, holiday read. Set 400 years ago, the people have paranormal powers and use these to protect others like them against people who want to lock them up. The books are well written and interesting because they are different.

CHARIS ~ THE MAP THAT CHANGED THE WORLD by SIMON WINCHESTER                 This book tells the story of William Smith, who in 1793, found that by tracing the placement of fossils uncovered during his diggings, he could map the layers and the underside of the London and its surrounds. An amazing and fascinating story.

JOAN ~ ROBIN DE CRESPIGNY’S poignant letter to a long-dead family member. It recalls a birthday cake, a significant friendship and a betrayal. This story was originally written for a Women of Letters event at the Ubud Writers Festival.

JUDY 4 ~ MY NAME IS LUCY BARTON by ELIZABETH STROUT                                        Exquisitely written, melancholy language, painfully sad, this short book was thoroughly recommended by Judy. It’s a story about the emotional complexity of family life and the inescapable power of the past. Lucy wakes up in a hospital to find her estranged mother by her side! 

LESLEY ~ THE LIGHT BETWEEN THE OCEANS by M L STEDMAN                                      Tom returns as a hero from the horrors of WW1, but due to his emotionally damaged state, takes on a Lighthouse Keeper’s position for the much needed peace and quiet. He meets and marries Isabel and begins a wonderful life on the island. After she suffers several miscarriages, a boat washes up with a baby inside. Despite Tom’s misgivings, they keep the baby. But after subsequent trips to the mainland they face the moral conundrum and consequences for their decision. Lesley enjoyed the story. The film based on the book has recently been released.

WENDY ~ THE GOOD PEOPLE by HANNAH KENT                                                                   This is the author’s 2^nd book and set in Ireland in 1825. The ‘good people’ are the fairies and are the only explanation the people have to explain tragedies and accidents that befall them. They have no education or contact with the outside world. Wendy loved the book, and commented that the writing made you feel like you were there; the setting, the environment and the characters were so well described.

ROSEMARY also enjoyed the book but didn’t feel as though it reach the heights of the author’s first book, Burial Rites. Her current book is also based on a true event.

KRIS ~ MY BRILLIANT FRIEND by ELENA FERRANTE                                                            This is the first book in the series about 2 young girls, Elena and Lila who grew up in Naples in the 1960s. The culture and the neighbourhood were violent and education not encouraged. But Elena goes on to pursue her studies while Lila follows the norm and marries at a very young age. The book follows their friendship through the early years of their lives. They are separated for long periods but are co-dependent on each other. Kris loved the series.
 

LAURA - JUMPING THE QUEUE by Mary Wesley.

Matilda, recently widowed and not close to her adult children, decides to clean up house, pack a picnic and commit suicide. Unfortunately an obnoxious teen arrives at her picnic and spoils the scene. Then she sees a man about to jump off a bridge. Matilda talks him out of jumping, takes him home and a new phase of life starts. The story is told with humour even as tragedy is revealed. A good, character driven story.

PAT - Audio - Marriages of Opposites by Alice Hoffman.

Set on the idyllic island of St Thomas, during the 1700's, the story is about a young, educated woman - unusual for the time - who is forced into marrying a widower with 3 children. All to save her father's business. When the husband dies 10 years later, his nephew takes over the business. There is no place for Women's rights. Eventually the female heroine has a scandalous affair with the nephew and finally marries him, producing many children. One is the famous painter Camille Pissarro. This book is a good read about relationships and women's rights.

ANNE - Kingdom of Strangers by Zoe Ferraris.

19 bodies are found in the desert, all arranged in a particular way that send a hidden message. There is  a serial killer out there. Set in Saudi Arabia, this book is about the harsh world of immigrant workers and the secrets hidden behind the veils of the country. A good story.

THE DRY - JANE HARPER.

A murder/mystery set in a fictious Victorian town. Federal police officers attend a murder/suicide - and the detective realises the victim was a friend 20 years previously - and they shared a secret. Returning  to the small town opened up old wounds for the detective. An interesting story with a twist.

JO - FAMOUS FIVE - Enid Blyton.

Jo loves reading all the books in the series, she grew up with them and they are close to her heart.

DENISE - Mary, called Magdalene by Margaret George.

The book is about the travels of Mary Magdalene as she grows into adulthood. She was a single woman amongst men, the disciples, and so the Catholic Church labelled her a prostitute. Mary was not stoned, but she was vilified by the townspeople. The book is very moving, poignant and simply beautiful.

VAL - A SPY AMONG FRIENDS;  Kim Philby and The Great Betrayal. Ben MacIntyre.

Kim Philby came from a privileged background, wealthy, educated, good connections. He was charming, intelligent, married, loved socialising and liked to drink. But he fooled everyone as he was a spy - giving information to the KGB. Philby rose to become head of British counter intelligence during the Cold War. He was best friends with Nick Elliott, and he along with many others in MI5 unwittingly provided vital information that Philby fed to Russia. Eventually, as the net closed on him he confessed and fled to Russia. So many colleagues and friends were shocked, confused and horrified over his actions, not only for what he did but how they were all so fooled by him

NOVEMBER - BOOKS ABOUT AFGHANISTAN

THE PEARL THAT BROKE IT'S SHELL BY NADIA HASHIMI

CONNIE:  She did not enjoy this novel.  She got weary reading about the terrible violence.  The story is about one woman and her great,great-grandmother.  Connie said they might as well have put it in two books. Although she sympathized with what is going on there she couldn't cope with it but she did finish the book.

DENISE:  She normally hates books like this but she actually enjoyed this one.  It's all about women being treated badly.  It saddened her that this goes on.  Denise couldn't understand why the mother in law treated the young wife badly when she had been treated badly by her mother in law.

JO:  She found it very depressing that people live like that.  Jo said " it's not normal".  She did read the whole book.

JUDY 3:  She did enjoy (not love) this story about women in Afghanistan.  The two main characters are Rahima and Shekiba who live in different centuries but live remarkably similar lives.  Both grow up in all girl families.  Shekiba, having lost the rest of her family to disease, is married off by her uncle, and Rahima and two of her sisters are sold off as brides to strangers to pay off a debt of her father. Their bid to escape from their situations is the basis of this story.   Interwoven with their stories we get a picture of how life in Afghanistan changes and how much it remains the same. Judy said she found it difficult at first to cope with the foreign names but once she was past the first few chapters the story had her entranced. Judy said  the writing was not always to her taste and she probably would not read another one of her novels. She preferred Khaled Hosseini's books.

ROSEMARIE:  She agreed with what everyone else had said about the book. Rosemarie enjoyed the book but felt bad about it.

KRIS:  The story begins in Kabul in 2007.  The Taliban rule the streets.  Rahima and her sisters live in a village outside of Kabul with warlords holding most of the power. Their father is addicted to drugs. Their mother, with encouragement from her older sister, decides to use the ancient custom of Bacha Posh.  This will allow Rahima  to shop at the market for her and hopefully escort her sisters to school. Bacha Posh allows a girl to dress as a boy until she reaches marriageable age.  Interwoven with Rahima's story is the story of Shekiba, Rahima's great great grandmother who was also a Bach Posh in the early part of the 20th century.  Kris did not like the way women were treated but admired the young women's strength.  She enjoyed the book as it was a very interesting story.

WHEN THE MOON IS LOW BY NADIA HASHIMI 

JUDY 4:  This is another novel written by Nadia Hashimi.  Fareiba marries Mahmoud after her mother dies in labour.  Fareiba learns to love Mahmoud but he is murdered when the Taliban comes in to the village. Fereiba and her three children are forced to travel to safety.  Judy felt for their plight. The story portrays refugee camps in Europe and she felt for the people who were seeking safety for their families.  Saleem, Fereiba's teenage son becomes separated from them in Greece.

PRUE:  She has had a very busy month so Prue did not have time to read this book but read the blurb on the back. It's an expose of conditions in Afghanistan.  Kabul used to be very ancient, then modern and then turned around again.

DI:  She didn't think she was a good writer but a good storyteller.  Di had sympathy with the protagonist and her family.  They didn't want to go to Turkey as they considered it had one foot in Europe and one in Asia.  Saleem, the teenage son gets separated and tries to get across to England.  Di's sympathy went with them all trying to get to England rather than other places along the way.  She wouldn't recommend the book.

 DIANN:  She also read this book but felt differently as Fareiba was living a happy life and then the Taliban comes in and throws everything up in the air.  Her husband is murdered.  Diann was glad she read the book and said it's an insight.  

LESLEY:  The story is abut belief, religion and family and how all that pans out.  It's written in the first person of Fereiba, the mother.  This is the stronger part of the story but then it swaps to the third person when she's separated from her teenage son, Saleem.  This is the weaker part of the story.  The story is about displaced people, their traditions and superstitions that guide their life and the will to survive.  Lesley didn't particularly like it or not like it.

3 PARA by PATRICK BISHOP

VAL:  This is a true story set in Afghanistan in the summer of 2006.  Patrick Bishop is a war correspondent and Val said it was well written. It's about the different tribes and ethnic groups and the country has been at war for a long time.  The Taliban came in from Pakistan.  After 2001 they routed them out but  then they were back again quite strongly. 3 Para refers to the British parachute regiment sent to Helmand province, south of Afghanistan.  Their task was to keep the engineers safe while they were reconstructing the villages.  The temperatures were around 50 degrees.  The villagers appeared quite friendly but these fellows had been in Ireland so they felt a sense of unease. It was a good book.

FROM UNDER A LEAKY ROOF BY PHIL SPARROW

WENDY:  This book is non fiction.  Phil Sparrow is an experienced UN aid worker and this book is about the Afghan refugees in Australia.  The book is in the form of interviews with refugees.  They are mostly a tribal society.  Afghanistan is a western construction with Russian, American and British intervention.  Wendy said the stories were quite moving and revealing.

THE DRESSMAKER OF KHAIR KHANA by GAYLE TZEMACH-LEMMON

SHEILA:  This book is non fiction.  The author is a journalist from Europe. It is written in the form of personal interviews. Many men had fled Khair Khana, a suburb of Kabul and the Taliban controlled all aspects of the lives of the women left behind.  Their lives are miserable.  Kamila Sidiqi has a teaching degree but is banned from teaching.  As she is the sole breadwinner for her siblings, she takes up dressmaking and eventually has about 100 women working for her in secret.  Sheila found a lot of the book boring.  
Sheila also read UNDERGROUND GIRLS OF KABUL by JENNY NORDBERG 
This is another true account. The author is a New York based foreign correspondent who broke the story of the Bacha Posh in 2010.  Bacha Posh is where a daughter is raised and presented to the world as a son until menstruation.  In the Dari language it means dressed as a boy.  Sheila said this book was better written.

KITE RUNNER by KHALED HOSSEINI

PAMELA:   It is a story about a boy named Amir who lives with his wealthy father in Afghanistan.  Amir is constantly trying to win his father's love.They are Suni. They have two servants, Ali and his son, Hassan.  They are Hazaras, an ethnic minority.  The boys are best friends but there is a lot of prejudice against Hazaras by Suni's.  The boys enter the annual kite running contest and when Hassan is attacked by some Suni boys, Amir doesn't help.  Amir is racked by guilt.  Pamela thought Amir was a very unpleasant child.  When things change in Afghanistan the family have to get out of Kabul through Pakistan and finally go to America.  Unbelievable coincidences in the story prevented Pamela from reading the rest of the book. Pamela did not like the book.

THOUSAND SPLENDID SUNS by KHALED HOSSEINI 

BEV:  This novel was written after Kite Runner.  The title is from an Afghani poem. The main character is an illegitimate 15year old girl called Mariam.  Russia is invading Afghanistan.  The Taliban has taken over the villages.  Mariam is forced to marry a 40 year old when her mother commits suicide. Her husband is cruel but when she miscarries a few times he becomes worse because she doesn't produce a son.   The villagers are nice to her. When the parents of a little girl from the village are killed by a bomb the little girl becomes part of Mariam's family.

JULIA:  Julia also read this book.  She enjoyed it and said there wasn't a lot of descriptions of violence.  The book was more about relationships. 

 A SHORT WALK IN THE HINDU KUSH by ERIC NEWBY

PAULINE:  Eric Newby is an English travel writer and this is an autobiographical account of his adventures in the Hindu Kush, north of Nuristan in Afghanistan.  He went on a trip with his friend Hugh.  They made out they were mountaineers.  They go through Turkey and find a body on the road.  They get arrested, delayed by two days and when allowed to leave they go to Kabul.  There are quite good descriptions of the countryside.  They make a couple of attempts to go up the mountains. They end up with dysentry. Pauline said it's an amusing book and nicely written.  

It was a nice book to end with after most of our harrowing stories.

In DECEMBER we will be discussing the best book we have read this year. 









 

  

OCTOBER ~ Ian McEwan

This month members of the Book Club were asked to read one of the novels written by English author, Ian McEwan.

Atonement

ED found the first 1/3 of the book difficult to read, citing the lengthy character development and over descriptive writing. This was a common comment by others who also read the book.

13-year-old Briony Tallis misinterprets her older sister’s love affair with their family’s gardener to be something much worse than what it is. Her innocence and partial understanding of the world begins a chain of events that tears the family apart and alters the course of the rest of the girl’s life.

DIANE thought the title was very apt – others had committed the crime but no one had received any comeuppance.

She also couldn’t work out the ending and described the story as not very satisfying. She thought the author ‘puts down old age’.

MAREE also thought the book had a slow start, but that the middle was a really good story. She loved that part but thought it was let down by the ending.

She also commented that the film was quite different.

KRIS loved the book, so much so that she couldn’t put it down.

She thought the author had a great understanding of teenage girl’s emotions and that some of what happened did so because of class differences. There was a great build up of tension and the use of the 3 time periods worked well.

But she also was disappointed with the ending, thinking that it was too easy.

TAM made similar comments, enjoying the book but disappointed with the ending. But she thought she would read more of McEwan’s books.

The Children Act

WENDY loved the book! The plot involves a 60 year old woman who is a highly respected Supreme Court Judge. Every day she must make major decisions and moral judgements on other people’s lives. At the same time her marriage is becoming a bit shaky. Her husband believes life is passing him by; he wants to have an affair with a younger colleague.

ANN found the book to be gripping and moving. The author writes well and covers several ethical issues in the cases, many of them very relevant today.

BEV thought the ending was soppy and allowed the story to ‘peter off’.

JUDY J really enjoyed the book admiring the author for his thorough research not just on the legal details, but medical and musical facts he used. The author explained he had read many judgements and used the experience of his own divorce as part of his research.

LESLIE described it as an engrossing and clever book. She thought the author really got into the head of this 60 year old woman, hugely intelligent, cultured, in full control of her life. But even she could sometimes do irrational things.

Leslie also thought the ending was rushed and not satisfying. But maybe that’s how it was in her life; move on to the next stage, the natural progression of life.

 

ROSEMARY read from a passage at the end of the book with McEwan’s description of divorce. His own was particularly acrimonious.

DIANN F thought that the story line was good but overall she didn’t like the book. She struggled to read a book written by a man who was thinking like a woman!

JO likes to read for enjoyment and to pass the time. She loved it particularly as the book gave you a perspective of how the judge came to a decision.

Saturday

PAT’s first comment was that this book also had a slow beginning. In great detail the author describes the family of a very successful surgeon, the wife, daughter and son. For Pat there was too much vivid description of aspects of the surgeon’s work!

The story takes place on one horrendous Saturday, and tries to show why some people behave the way they do and those who show compassion. The surgeon is faced with a moral decision deciding whether he can treat someone who is likely to harm his family.

Pat enjoyed the book, thought it was clever and made you think. Worth reading!

Sweet Tooth

JUDY D  

The main character and narrator is an attractive young student at Cambridge University who after a brief affair with a History Professor is recruited to join MI5 as a spy in the Cold War.

There was some thought that parts of the book were based on the author’s own life experiences.

Again the ending to this book was commented on: Judy thinking it was contrived and convoluted. She reread it several times before reaching some sort of understanding.

TERESA also read the book, describing it as ‘weird’. She also reread the final chapter several times but still couldn’t grasp it.

DENISE found it easy to get into the book but described the young girl (the heroine) to be annoying and inconsequential, so much so that she didn’t finish the book.

Black Dogs

JOAN

 Published in 1992, Jeremy is the narrator. After his parents died in a car accident when he was 8 years old, his sisters raised him. He develops an obsession with other people’s families.

When he marries he gets his own family and in-laws etc and is determined to write their family history and memoirs. He discovers in their past devastating events which continue to shape their lives.

Joan described the book as intricate, symbol laden and ‘too deep’ for her and found the story very depressing!

 

Nutshell

PAMELA

 This short novel, narrated by a foetus, is loosely based onShakespeare’s Hamlet. The unborn child listens to his mother plotting to kill his father in partnership with her lover. The title ‘Nutshell’ refers to the unborn child. The writing was very good and included quotes from Hamlet.

PAULINE

Continuing with the plot, Pauline explains that the wife wants to kill her husband to get the house, an old Georgian town house in central London. The murder weapon was to be a smoothie!

The foetus is subjected to many amusing situations and muses over issues such as climate change and refugees. He also becomes a bit of a wine snob.

She thought it a simple idea for a book, cleverly written and very entertaining.

Solo

CONNIE

A brilliant scientist develops a way to harness the sun’s rays to create an amazing amount of power.

For his experiments he wins the Nobel Prize for Physics.

The book is solely about him, his marriages, his mistresses, his lack of respect for others, his fear of commitment, and his inability to relate with his children. He is not a likeable man.

Connie found the technical information was too much for her.

She praised his writing, but didn’t really enjoy the book.

LAURA liked it more but didn’t love it.

She thought it an interesting character study of a man who thinks he is the ‘bee’s knees’ and not unbelievable. This man was brilliant and focused. He won the Nobel Prize when he was quite young and then coasts along. He continues to go to conferences, to write and becomes totally self –obsessed. His career stagnates.

It is not a page-turner but Laura thought it had the right ending.

PRUE enjoyed the book and thought the author continued to create suspense through out.

His research regarding climate change was very good and he came up with a feasible idea.

Although much of the book was made up of long paragraphs, she had to keep reading. The sign of a good writing!

For our September reading we chose an Australian author -
Liane Moriarty. As usual, a spirited and diverse range of ideas and views ensued, however a common term 'Ripple Effect' was often heard.

WENDY - THE LAST ANNIVERSARY - One of Liane's earlier books, Wendy was unsure if it fell into the mystery or 'chic lit' category. The characters were not overly likeable and tended to be airheads. The focus was on the women, from 5 generations in the family, with much of the story about the ripple effect of their decisions.

MARIE - THE HUSBAND'S SECRET - Marie just wanted to KNOW what the secret was, and wondered if the letter should/should not be opened. With the marriage of the main character challenged, the trauma and sadness, the story drew her in.

PAMELA - THE HUSBAND'S SECRET - The epigraph - to err is human, to forgive is divine (by Alexander Pope) - at the beginning prefaces the story. The theme is "how well do we really know anyone?" There is a ripple effect throughout with the decisions, reasons and consequences of actions slowly revealed.

SHEILA - THE HYPNOTISTS LOVE STORY - about a woman in her mid 30's, practicing alternative medicine who has very clear views on how others lives should/could be changed. Her ideas change when she goes through pregnancy and her own body takes over -  she has so little control. Sheila thought the author had a good grasp on people.

PAT - THE HYPNOTISTS LOVE STORY - Pat liked the characters and thought they were close to real life. The story showed what really happens when health affects behaviour. There was the ripple of how the situations affected other people.

ROSEMARY - THE HYPNOTISTS LOVE STORY - was unsure about the genre. Was it about a love affair, being stalked..? It had potential, but there was no twist.

JOAN - WHAT ALICE FORGOT - a head injury that results in 10 years of memories being forgotten is the basis of the book. Whilst the characterisations were good, Joan couldn't finish the book - she needed to be released!

KRIS - WHAT ALICE FORGOT - really enjoyed the book, thought it was intriguing. The impending divorce, the children etc. The author showed a good understanding of family dynamics.

JUDY J - TRULY, MADLY, GUILTY - loved the book. It centres on 3 couples - happy, others dysfunctional, with or without children, neighbours and the events at a bbq. Fascinating. It builds with a big ripple effect, full of suburban intrigues.

JULIA - THE THREE WISHES - an early book by the author, triplets, quite ridiculous - don't bother.

JUDY 3 - THE THREE WISHES - full of many comments and observations after events.

JO - BIG, LITTLE LIES - read some, thought it was interesting and well written but TOO LONG.

DIANE - BIG, LITTLE LIES - an intergenerational story full of complicated relationships. Can't see why the author has such a high profile and on NY best seller lists. Didn't like the Americanisms used and found it hard to categorise.

TAMMY - BIG, LITTLE LIES - loved the book. Liked the 'blonde bobs' making comments. There was an underlying theme of domestic violence. The face that is presented is often a mask - appearances are deceiving.

LESLEY - BIG, LITTLE LIES - thoroughly enjoyed the book. Someone dies at a primary school trivia night. The building of events that led to this starts 6 months earlier at Kindy Orientation Day. So many themes - single parenting, divorce, step children, schoolyard gossip, bullying, stereotyping, domestic violence and of course murder. All written with perception of human nature and humour.

JUDY 4 - BIG, LITTLE LIES - really enjoyed it. Thought it both comedic and serious.

ED - BIG, LITTLE LIES - thoroughly enjoyed the story and couldn't pick the ending.

DIANN F - BIG, LITTLE LIES - set in a fictional town it was a good mix of many issues - body image, domestic violence, bullying, secrets. What type of lies do we all tell?

LAURA - BIG, LITTLE LIES - really enjoyed it too. Takes the reader to a place one possibly hasn't been before. Not boring. Shows the ripple effect on the children, the friends etc when events
happen.

BEV - THE LAST ANNIVERSARY - thought the story went on, dealt with issues and the aftermath of a rape committed many years prior. Something of a soap opera.

Lesley

AUGUST - BOOKS ABOUT HORSES

CONNIE:  THE HORSE WHISPERER by NICHOLAS EVANS

Nicholas Evans is an English author. Connie read this novel years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.  She said she enjoyed it just as much the 2nd time.   The horse in the story is owned by a girl about 12.  The horse has a serious accident and loses a leg.  The young girl doesn't expect to ride the horse again but her wealthy family do everything they can to save the horse's life.  The horse whisperer brings the traumatized, disfigured horse back to normality.  The girl loses interest in riding but there is a happy ending for all concerned, but not what you expect.

DIANE:  HORSE THIEF by TEA COOPER

This novel is set in Australia in 1865.  A young woman takes over her father's horse stud.  She employs a man to take over the breeding programme.  Di said it wasn't feasible and she couldn't finish it.  She would not recommend the book.

TAM:  THE ROCKING HORSE HILL by CATHRYN HEIN

This is a romantic novel.  Tam said it wasn't really about horses but more about romance.  She said it was still a good read.

JOAN:  SEABISCUIT (An American Legend) by LAURA HILLEBRAND

This is a true story about three men and a racehorse.  It is set in 1903 when a young fellow called Charles Howard,with 26cents in his pocket, goes off to California for work.  He becomes a wealthy automobile entrepeneur and then acquires a foal called Seabiscuit.  The horse was a big eater and  slept a lot and nobody wanted to buy him. Howard and Smith, a horse trainer, bought Seabiscuit.  The horse was lazy but talented.  They hired an Irish jockey. It's a love story of three men and the American public for Seabiscuit.  Over four years he had won all the big races.  He was a symbol of hope during the depression.  Joan said it was well written.

PAT:  FIXED by MATTHEW BRENNAN

This is a book about corruption, doping, rape etc in the horse racing industry.  Pat only read 20 pages and didn't like it.  Instead she decided to read some facts about horses and talked to the group about what she had learned.

JUDY (3): FLYING CHANGES by SARA GRUEN

Judy said horses don't interest her so she wouldn't normally pick up a book about horses.  This book is by the author who wrote Water for Elephants so Judy thought it would be good but "how wrong can you be" she said. The girl in the story wants to be a champion rider but has not had much experience.  She has a bad boyfriend who leads her astray.  Her characters are one dimensional.  She said it was not worth the time wasted reading it.

PRUE:  HORSE AND RIDER IN AUSTRALIAN LEGEND: A CULTURAL HISTORY
by NANETTE MANTLE

This book is non fiction.  The author used this topic to do her PHD. It is the history of the first seven horses brought out to Australia and the history of horses in Australia up until the present day. She has only read about 1/4 of the book but she has learned a lot.  It describes the Aboriginal stockmen, bushrangers, horses used on coaches and how there were cowboys recorded here before they were in America. Prue said it was magnificently researched.

SHEILA:  A HORSE CALLED MIGHTY:  THE MIGHT AND POWER STORY
by HELEN THOMAS

This is the true story of a horse called Might and Power who won The Cox Cup, the Caulfield Cup  and went on to win the Melbourne Cup in a tight finish in the late 1990's. Sheila hadn't heard of the horse before.  He was the undisputed champion of Australian turf at the time.  Sheila said it was mainly about blood lines which she found boring.  Sheila said it would be an interesting book if you were interested in blood lines and knew a lot about horses.

PAMELA:  THE STORY OF BLACK CAVIAR by ANDREW EDDY

This is a true story about the race horse, Black Caviar. She was not line bred.  Rick Jamison believed if you chose good families on both sides you would get a good horse.  Black Caviar was a big horse trained by Peter Moody.  She was very anxious in the barriers and after she was hurt in one of the races, a barrier blanket was made.  She liked to race with her friends, a big goat called Billy and a 29 year old pony.  Black Caviar had a big rump and was a powerhouse.  She won all her races in Australia.  Pamela really enjoyed the book.  She said it was very informative.

KRIS:  HORSES NEVER LIE ABOUT LOVE by JANA HARRIS

This book is an inspiring memoir about the author's relationship with True Colours, the dark red coloured mare known as a blood bay and the first horse she bought in her quest to breed horses.  True Colours was a protective mother of a two month old black colt.  The colt was delivered first and the mother was to be delivered later.  Excuses were continually made about why she couldn't be delivered and eventually when she was delivered she had been disfigured in a fire.  She was traumatized, part wild and part domesticated. Jana thought she had made a mistake in buying her but eventually she becomes the heart of the farm and a great bond is forged between them.  It was a heartwarming story.

JUDY (4):  FOAL'S BREAD by GILLIAN MEARES

This is Judy's favourite book.  It is a novel set in Australia in 1929.  Noah, a fourteen year old girl and her father, a drover, are herding pigs to market when they set up camp at One Tree Creek.  Noah gives birth but she hardly knows what is happening. She didn't even know she was pregnant.  She has the baby but it is too premature to live.  The father is an 80 year old uncle who has since died. She then meets a young man, Roly who lives on a property at One Tree Creek. He gives Noah a bit of foal's bread.  They are smitten with each other and eventually get married and live at One Tree Creek.  His mother is angry because her golden haired son has married a dark skinned, dark haired girl but they are passionate about each other as well as horses and show jumping. Roly develops a disease that changes their lives. Judy said she just loved the book.  The language is exquisite.  The book has won awards.

ANNE: THE WHITE STALLION OF LIPIZZA by MARGEURITE HENRY

This is a children's novel published in 1964.  A 13 year old boy dreams of becoming a riding master. When he gets up early with his father, a baker, he sees the horses from the Royal Spanish Riding School.  This makes him more determined.  Anne found the facts about horses very interesting even though it's a children's book.  She said it was a good story, although a little predictable.

LESLEY:  THE DIGGERS MENAGERIE: MATES, MASCOTS AND MARVELS-TRUE STORIES OF ANIMALS WHO WENT TO WAR by BARRY STONE

This book documents the true stories of the animals that went off to war including horses for transport from the Boer war to Afghanistan.  In World War I most of the Australians who went to war were mounted.  The Australian horses travelled well. New South Wales (Walers) used the finest cavalry horses.  Horses made a huge contribution to the war.  There was a high death rate as there was no vet care at the time.  Many horses were left behind as it was too expensive to bring them back. Lesley enjoyed the facts.

DIANN:  WARRIOR: THE AMAZING STORY OF A REAL WAR HORSE
by GENERAL JACK SEELY

This is the true story of a thoroughbred gelding, foal of Cinderella, born on the Isle of Wight in 1904.  The horse went to war in 1914 with General Jack Seely who always rode him.  He was in the Battle of the Somme, at Pashendale and was called "the horse the Germans could not kill".  He was returned to the Isle of Wight in 1918. This is a book of historical facts and figures.  Diann said it was a very good read if you like facts about horses.

PAULINE:  HALF BROKE HORSE by JEANETTE WALLS

This is a true life novel about the author's mother and grandmother. The stories have been passed down and made into a novel. It is written in the grandmother's voice.  It is set on a Texas ranch and the family are very poor.  The grandmother, as a 13 year old girl is sent to a Catholic college but as the family couldn't continue to pay she was there for only one year.  She was then in and out of school and work.  She eventually gets qualified and has a family.  Pauline thoroughly enjoyed it.  She said it was a good story but didn't have much to do with horses.

ROSEMARY:  UNDER ORDERS by DICK FRANCIS

The main character in this novel is Sid Halley, a retired British steeplechase rider and former jockey to the Queen mother in 1956.  He is now a private investigator.  The book is about crime in the horse racing world. Rosemary said it was good, an easy to read "whodunnit".  She said you don't have to be interested in racing.

MAREE:    HORSES FOR KING ARTHUR by L. S. LAWRENCE

The author is a qualified historian and this book is historical fiction.  It is set in Britain in the year 475.  One of the characters, Alexa, dreams of breeding horses.  Maree liked it.  She said it was a well written novel with many historical details, although not a lot about horses.

WENDY:  BLACK BEAUTY by ANNA SEWELL

This is junior fiction.  It was written in 1877 and was the only novel ever published by the author.  It was published just before she died.  Wendy said she can't imagine kids reading it today.  Wendy really enjoyed the descriptions of the manners at the time, the social structure and the morality of being a good person.  She thoroughly enjoyed it.

JULIA:  PHAR LAP (HOW A HORSE BECOMES A HERO OF HIS TIME AND AN ICON OF A NATION) by GEOFF ARMSTRONG AND PETER THOMPSON

Julia said the authors are both into sports and have a fascination with racing. This book is an account of Phar Lap's life. Phar Lap was a New Zealand horse rejected by his American owner and then trained by an Aussie battler. It was during the depression and he became an icon of a nation. The book explains why he was so much more than a racehorse. There were statistics in the back of the book which Julia found very interesting. She said it was a nice read.

Julia also talked about a beloved children's book called The Sand Horse by Anne Turnbull.  It is a fictional story of a person who made a sand sculpture of a horse.  The illustrations were beautiful.

BEV:  BREAK IN by DICK FRANCIS

In this novel the main character, Kit is a jockey with a twin sister who is married to a horse trainer.  His sister and her husband's families have been feuding for some time. She said it was like Romeo and Juliet. The story is also about the horses that Kit rides and the training of the horses.  Bev likes the way Dick Francis writes.  She said it was enjoyable and very easy to read.

JO:  CROSS FIRE by DICK FRANCIS AND FELIX FRANCIS

In this novel the main character, Tom is a career army officer who has lost a foot in a bombing accident.  He comes back to England and goes to see his mother a horse trainer.  She is being blackmailed into knobbling horses.  When Tom tries to uncover the identity of the blackmailer he gets kidnapped.  Jo really likes Dick Francis.  His books have everything in them, romance, drama and action.

JULY - THE TUDOR PERIOD

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

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

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

MARIE:   Mary Queen of Scots by Jacob Abbott

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

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

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

JOAN:  The Tudor Age by Jasper Ridley

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

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

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

JUDY 4:  Henry VIII by Alison Weir

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

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

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

PRUE:  The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

DIANN:  The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory

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

TAM:  Earthly Joys by Philippa Gregory

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

JO:  Memoirs of Mary Queen of Scots by Carolly Erickson

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

BEV:  Blood and Roses by Helen Castor

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

PAT:  Hidden Diary of Marie Antoinette by Carolly Erickson

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

LAURA:  The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WENDY:  Heartstone by C J Sansom

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

ANNE:  Dissolution by C J Sansom

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

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