January 2018 ~ Books we read and enjoyed over the holidays

PAMELA:  Love of Seven Dolls by Paul Gallico

Set in Paris in 1956, a young girl called Mouche is about to throw herself into the Seine, when her attention is attracted by a voice belonging to a puppet, part of a struggling street booth puppet show. The story tells her relationship with the seven puppets and their grim puppetmaster, Capitaine Coq, and what happens when she joins their travelling show.

Pamela described it as a charming book, the writing and the puppets are attractive, but she found the ending not very satisfactory.

JUDY De La Torre:

 

Her holiday reading included

I Survived Auschwitz by Krystyna Zywulska.    ~ horrific story, badly translated.

Our Man in Camelot by Anthony Price ~ following the crash of a US plane, the CIA and the Russians investigate this mystery.

Dying Fall by Elly Griffiths ~ a murder mystery.

She enjoyed and would recommend the last 2 titles.

VAL: Let Me Tell You about a Man I Knew by Susan Fletcher

The sunflowers on the cover give a clue as to the subject of the book. Van Gough spent a year in this asylum, where he continues to paint. The warden’s wife, although forbidden to mix with the patients, continues to do so and realizes what she is missing in life. Eventually she asks him to paint her portrait and through their meeting, she is reborn.

A beautifully, sensitively written book. The author writes about the ‘little episodes in life’.

NATALIA: has continued to read and enjoy the Outlander series by Diana Gabaldon.

JOAN: Red Notice: How I Became Putin’s No1 Enemy by Bill Browder

This is the true story of the author’s experience working in Russia exposing corruption, investments and tax frauds by Putin’s operatives. Joan described it as factual, gripping and she couldn’t put it down.

JO: The Woman in the Window by A J Finn

Anna Fox lives alone, a recluse in her New York City home, she is agoraphobic and an alcoholic.

She spends her day drinking wine, watching old movies, on chat sites on her computer and spying on her neighbors.
Then the Russells move into the house across the park: a father, a mother, and their teenage son. But when Anna, gazing out her window one night, sees something she shouldn’t, her world begins to crumble—and its shocking secrets are laid bare.
What is real? What is imagined? Who is in danger? Who is in control? In this gripping thriller, no one—and nothing—is what it seems
 

DIANE D: The Remains of the Day by Kazua Ishiguro

This is a fantastic, gorgeous, most English book written by a Japanese who has lived in England since he was 5 years old.

It is the story of Stevens, the butler, who runs a large country estate, where old school attitudes reign supreme and the upper class believe they are born to rule. They are blinded to normal relationships and what will happen when everything they believe in comes undone.

The author won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2017; highly recommended by Diane.

DIANN F: Pacific by Judy Nunn

A contemporary fiction story is set in the South Pacific island of Vanuatu, Pacific explores the lives of two women from different eras. Samantha Lindsay is an Australian actress who has been given the lead role in a World War II epic. Samantha plays a character based on the life of 'Mamma Tack,' a World Way II heroine. Samantha feels compelled to find out who the real 'Mamma Tack' was, and in solving this mystery makes some important discoveries about herself.

Highly recommended and very well researched.

CLAURINE: read several books by Peter Goldsworthy.

Maestro ~ wonderful story

Three Dog Night ~ couldn’t finish it, too graphic

Gravel ~ short stories. Enjoyed the first one, but did not continue after attempting several more, as they continued this graphic style of writing.

CONNIE:  Sabrina by Madeleine Pollard

Set in County Cork, Ireland in the beginning of the twentieth century, it is the story of a landed gentry family, very traditional Catholics with 6 children. There are expectations and plans for each of the children. When Sabrina experiences romance for the first time, it is obvious she is not suitable to be a nun. She and Gerald fight to stay together, and the story follows their lives . Connie really enjoyed it, especially the ending; unexpected but very satisfying.

WENDY J: Jane Austin’s Christmas

An interesting (but not fascinating) book that gave details about food, drinks, etiquette and stories of how her family celebrated Christmas.

PRUE: Wimmera by Mark Brandi

The story exposes the problems boys face growing up, their friendships and family relationships. The story develops over many years, but you have to connect the dots for yourself. It is well researched, and easy to read. Fast paced, but with hard, dark elements in it. There is also love, joy and happiness to provide a counter balance, and a sad, haunting ending.

Prue became very involved in it, adding to the enjoyment.

 

DENISE: The Rose Garden by Susanna Kearsley

When Eva's film star sister Katrina dies, she leaves California and returns to Cornwall, where they spent their childhood summers, to scatter Katrina's ashes and in doing so return her to the place where she belongs.

She starts to hear voices in the farmhouse where they grew up, and moves between the present and the past.

Denise describes it as an interesting, light and easy read.

WENDY W: First Person by Richard Flanagan

A criminal facing a murder charge contracts a struggling author to ghost write his memoirs. He is horrified by his life style and his approach to life, and is scared that he may be beginning to take on some of these characteristics.

Wendy really enjoyed it.

She also read The Twentieth Man by Tony Jones.

This she described as a great political thriller set in Canberra during the times of the Serbian/Croatian conflict. Historical facts are included and cleverly woven through the story.

JUDY A: Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman

Eleanor is a loner, socially inadequate with the same routine every weekend; frozen pizza, vodka and phone chat with mummy. When she meets the IT guy at work, bumbling and lovable, a relationship develops. Is she capable of friendship or even love?

A quirky, warm, funny but also dark story about relationships and confronting your secrets.

TAM: The Slap by Christos Tsiolkas

At a suburban barbecue, a man slaps a badly behaved child who is not his own.
This event has a shocking ricochet effect on a group of people, mostly friends, who are directly or indirectly influenced by the slap.

Each character has a different perspective of the event. They are dislikeable people and Tam was horrified at their lifestyle. She felt they were shallow, had no commitment and was disturbed that this could be an observation of modern day life in inner city Melbourne.

ROSEMARY: Force of Nature by Jane Harper

Her second novel also features Aaron Falk as a Federal Police Officer. Set in a rugged mountain region, a group of work colleagues set off on a 3-day hike as part of a team building exercise. Five women leave but only 4 return. Little side stories telling about the lives of the women throw some red herrings into the story. While Rosemary enjoyed it, she felt the ending didn’t have the unexpected twist of the author’s previous book.

JULIA: For her holiday reading Julia turned to a favourite author, Danielle Steele, reading 3 of her more recent releases.(2016)

Blue , The Apartment and Property of a Nobel Woman.

She really enjoyed them, particularly now that the story lines are no longer so predictable.

 

CLAURINE: The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson, Rod Bradbury (translator)

Allan Karlson is sitting in his room in an old people’s home waiting for his birthday party that he doesn’t want to have. So slowly, but surely he climbs out of the window and makes his escape. As his escapade unfolds we learn of his earlier life, brush with world leaders and criminals, and many significant events of the twentieth century. A very entertaining read, and a feel good book.

 

JUDY J: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by Davis Graan

In the 1920s, the richest people per capita in the world were members of the Osage Indian Nation in Oklahoma. After oil was discovered beneath their land, the Osage rode in chauffeured automobiles, built mansions, and sent their children to study in Europe.
Then, one by one, they began to be killed off. After an unknown number of killings and several years of ineffective and corrupt investigation at local and state level, the FBI was eventually called in to try to solve these cases. A sad, shameful and forgotten part of American history.  

KRIS:  A Street Cat named Bob by James Bowen

When James, a homeless street busker, struggling with addiction finds an injured ginger stray cat sleeping in the hallway of his sheltered accommodation, his life changes dramatically.  They form a strong bond and James finds purpose in caring for Bob.  It's an easy to read, uplifting  story of love and redemption. Kris also read 9 Parts of Desire by Geraldine Brooks.  This is a non fiction book by the journalist Geraldine Brooks.  It is a compelling insight into the hidden world of Islamic women and it is well worth reading.  

FEBRUARY: Judy Nunn ~ Sanctuary, Spirits of the Ghan, Maralinga, Elianne