March: 行進 Japanese Authors 日本の作家

 🎌 Kris: Before we Forget Kindness by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

This is the fifth novel in the internationally best selling ‘Before the Coffee gets Cold’ series. They are set in a Tokyo café which is visited by people who want to travel back in time.

To go back in time there is a strict set of rules to be adhered to  and the coffee must be finished before it gets cold. If not, they will not be able to return. Most people want to set things right with someone. They cannot change anything that happens in the future.

There are four unique stories with each person wanting to be able to move on with their lives. 

Quite easy to read stories mixed with a bit of fantasy.

 

🎌 Rosemary: The Goodbye Cat by Hiro Arikawa

This is a collection of seven stories about the relationship between the cats and their owners but told from the perspectives of the cats and their families with humour and love.

The stories vary in length and cover such themes as love, loyalty, companionship, family and grief.

Rosemary described the book as a lovely, nice read.

 

🎌 Tam: Klara and the Sun by Kazuro Ishiguro

Klara is a robot and the story is told through her eyes. She has been bought by  a teenager Rosie as an AF (artificial friend) . Rosies mother decides to clone Rosie, maybe as a replacement for a daughter who had died. So the robot is being processed to copy the little girl’s movements. 

Other themes covered are pollution and contrived social situations.

Tam quite enjoyed the interesting themes but noted it is scary the way things are going with AI.

 

🎌 Kerrie also read Klara and the Sun.

For her the book was about loneliness and artificial friends. Klara and her like are created to fill the gap of loneliness in the world. 

 In this dystopian world these children have been genetically altered to be the leaders but have no communication skills.

Klara, the robot is a little bit special, she learns from the others. She understands all this cloning and is almost the most human these.

 

🎌 Judy A:  Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse 

First published in 1965, this novel is based on the historical records of the devastation caused by the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and from the diaries of people who escaped the blast but later died from radiation sickness.

Ibuse builds the novel around Mr Shizuma, his wife and his niece Yatsuko. It’s almost a year after the bomb and so he is trying to find a suitable husband for her, but it’s rumoured she has the ‘sickness’ from the bomb and so her chances are slim.

The book alternates long pieces from Mr Shizuma’s diary on the day of the bomb and the period just after with the descriptions of their day-to-day life as they try to get on with living.

His descriptions are quite vivid, but the story is told in a very unsentimental way.

Very typically Japanese.

 

🎌 Rosemary W: Hear the Wind Sing by Haruki Murakami

Although written in the early 1970’s it was only recently published in English.

There is no single straightforward story line. It is semi-autobiographical, more philosophy, fantasy, cats, language, communication and stories about sexual relationships.

You either love it or hate it! Rosemary loved it.

 

🎌 Ed: The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami

This short novel tells of a boy who goes to the public library because he was wondering about the Ottoman tax collection system. This was the advice of his mother.

He knows the place well but this time he is sent to a reading room, via an enormous underground labyrinth, escorted by a sinister old man. Many strange happenings along the way, is he in a real or magical world, will he live or die?

 

🎌 Pat: Men without Women by Haruki Murakami

The book is a collection of stories about despairing men and loneliness. The men have lost women in their own lives usually to other men or death. They now have affairs or one-night stands. Cats are involved and all the women tended to be unattractive.

In the first story, an aging actor is now unable to drive so hires a young woman to drive him to the theatre.

In the beginning he practises his lines but as time went on, they become more familiar with each other. As their friendship evolved, they confide in each other about the sadness that has been in their lives.

 

🎌 Judy de la T: Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami

Judy had read several titles by Japanese authors, commenting that their style was infectious, and she would continue to read more.

Her favourite was Kafka on the Shore which she described as an allegory for so many things including eating, cats and sex.

 

🎌 Lesley: The Ten Loves of Mr Nishino by Hiromi Kawakami

The book is told from the perspective of each of the women Mr Nishino has fallen in love with. He is a cool womaniser with great charm.

Ten women quite randomly come into his life, work colleagues, friend of a friend, friend of latest partner etc. The women’s stories are not linear so the reflections from each of the women are not in chronological order.

He loves them all deeply, but he is complicated man who struggles with long term commitment. He fears the term ‘forever’.

Each of the chapters is about one of his loves. The focus is really on the women, their emotions and reactions to him. The women were far more interesting than Mr Nishino.

The writing has a calmness about it, very Japanese.

 

🎌 Jo: The Forest of Wool and Steel by Natsu Miyashita

A young boy, Tomura, hears the sound of a piano being tuned in his school and from that moment he is determined to discover more.

All the while that he is learning, he doubts himself that he has what it takes.

He has a long apprenticeship before he is able to even talk to clients, but his determination and perseverance win through.

Jo found it very interesting.

 

🎌 Joan:  Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi 

The only woman in the office is expected to do all the menial tasks until one day she ‘snaps’. She announces that she can longer be expected to carry on as usual as she is pregnant.

She can now rest at home, attend aerobics class etc and this last for 9 months .A pesky co-worker watches over her because he and his wife don’t have children. 

The author is a young woman and is highlighting the gender imbalance in the Japanese workplace with the ending open to different interpretations.

Joan thought it was well written, funny and a page turner and she thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

🎌 Theresa: Malice by Keigo Higashino

A thrilling detective story featuring Detective Kaga. When a successful author is found murdered, his struggling fellow author is in the same house. The detective soon solves the crime when the murderer confesses.

The majority of the book is devoted to what had led to this situation and uncovers many things in the past of these two men and the meticulous work of the detective.

Theresa was surprised at how much she enjoyed the book.

 

🎌 Val:  An Artist in the Floating World by Kazuo Ishiguro

Having first read the book many years ago,  Val didn’t enjoy rereading it now. She found the excessive politeness of the Japanese to be annoying.

It is set in the city in the 1950’s after World War 11 when the Japanese are trying to bring themselves up after their humiliating surrender.

He is drinking with friends and musing about the life he misses,  the American influence is becoming more obvious and things are more westernised.

He misses his old life and reflects on mistakes he has made.

But he eventually comes to terms with himself and hopefully the future of Japan. 

The writing is very concise, not an unnecessary word.

 

🎌 Lyn: The Blanket Cat by Kiyoshi Shigematsu

There are seven stories about seven different cats. They come from a peculiar pet shop in Tokyo which offers the customers the opportunity to ‘rent or hire’ a cat. 

Each customer is hoping that a temporary feline companion will help them work through their particular anxiety or concerns. These could range from infertility, a woman on the run from the police or families in different circumstances.

There are very strict rules: cats must be returned in three days, eat only food provided  and sleep on the provided blanket.

An example of Japanese cat healing fiction!

 

🎌 Judy: J Issun Boshi

This is a very old Japanese folktale, and it has many slightly different versions.

It also has elements from folk tales from other countries and eras.

An old childless couple pray for a child and are blessed with a baby boy. They name him Issun Boshi, Inch Boy because he is only one inch tall.

He grows up in a loving family but wants to go to the big city.

Still only one inch tall his mother gives him a needle as a sword and his father a rice cup for a boat.

Along the way he encounters an ogre, fights him off, falls in love with a beautiful girl and through the power of the magic hammer, he returns to normal size.

The moral is that even the smallest person can be brave and resourceful, and self-confidence is important.

A fun way to finish a very interesting and different morning.

Judy

 

 

Next month is AUSSIE APRIL

Choose a book by any Aussie author.

 

 

 

 

FEBRUARY 2025 - BOOKS ABOUT MUSIC

 

FEBRUARY BOOKS.

February Book Club saw us happily welcoming new members. Our topic was 'music' and a varied selection of reading material and music was very well presented.   

ED - MUSIC AND HOW IT WORKS. The book covered all aspects of music, instruments, styles etc. Ed enjoyed it.

JUDY D - SOUND BITES - Edited by La Brock.

ROSEMARY S - THE MUSIC SHOP - Rachel Joyce.  - A quirky book with quirky characters, an eccentric mother dies and donates her estate to the Cats Society. She has a boot full of vinyl records so her son Frank saves them. Frank, a loner, has amazing knowledge of music and knows what people want to listen to. He opens a shop, is successful and into the shop comes a mysterious women named Isla. Life is about 2nd chances. A good read.

ROSEMARY W - THESE ARE THE DAYS - MICK THOMAS. An Australian songwriter and performer. Folk/Rock. Melbourne based, the book tells many stories of the band, the social issues of the times, the environment and the outback.  What was happening in the 1980's.

JO - THE SEEKERS - DVD - Jo loved the DVD.

KRIS - MUSIC AND SILENCE - ROSE TREMAIN. 1999. Historical novel. 1629 an English lute player joins the Royal Orchestra of the King of Denmark. The country is going through tough economic times, the King's wife is having an affair, there is unrest in the court. Music soothes his jangled nerves. The lute player is unhappy in the conditions in the court but further complications arise when he falls in love with the lover of the Kings wife. Kris loved the book, many twists and turns, a good mystery but she had to race through the final chapters to finish it.

PAMELA - Discussed a piece of music. Australian composer Nigel Westlake suffered great loss when his son was killed. He couldn't write, couldn't function due to the grief. Then he heard an ancient Hebrew hymn that speaks of compassion and leads to a sense of freedom. For Nigel it started the healing process. Nigel was able to create a orchestral backing for the hymn. He won an ARIA in 2013 for COMPASSION.

VAL - PIANO SHOP ON THE LEFT BANK - T.E.Carhart. Memoir of himself, an American living on the left bank in Paris. He meets Luke, a man with many piano's in his shop. Luke not only knows a great deal about piano's, he matches his piano's to the buyers. He finds a special piano for the author, T. E. Carhart. The book has a lovely feel, a glimpse into the Parisian way of life.

JOAN - DANCING QUEEN, THE REAL STORY OF ABBA. Carl Magnus PALM. Definitive biography of the amazing Pop group ABBA. All 4 members had previous musical careers but after winning Euro 1974 they skyrocketed to fame. 1976 they visited Australia to screaming fans, became a hit in the disco era and have a musical - Mumma Mia - to secure their popularity.

PAT - MAESTRO - Peter Goldsworthy. 1967. Living in Darwin, father a doctor, son Paul a talented pianist, he is expected to always be the best with this talent, but he's careless. He has an Austrian music teach, unorthodox style, never compliments or shows joy with Paul's playing. Enters a comp and comes 3rd - great disgrace, a humiliation. Life then changes, a wake up moment, studies law and is a success but always keeps in touch with his Austrian piano teacher from his past.

KERRY - BERNIE TAUPIN - SCATTERSHOT.  An autobiography. Non linear so moves around in time, Bernie had a French mother, lived a rural/hippie/Spartan  life but - was a wordsmith. Hated school.  So very talented. He was always a writer and observer of the world however Kirry was disappointed with the book.

MARGARET - THE ANGRY WOMEN'S CHOIR. Meg Bignell. 2022. A group of women realise they can achieve many things if they are incensed enough to act. The enjoyable book looks at issues covering the environment, social justice, positive affirmation and the joy of singing together.

PRUE - GURRUMUL. Robert Hillman. ABC. 2013. - Coffee table book, glossy, great pictures, with CD. Includes words to the songs in both Indigenous language and English. Relationship between the land and culture, descriptive and insightful, the writing is descriptive and emotional. Born blind, with family ties to Yothu Yindi, a remarkable man. The book was well worth reading.

LYN - TELL ME WHY? Archie Roach. 2019. Part of the Stolen Generation, Archie was 2yo when taken from his family. He was a talented musician but an alcoholic. He managed to overcome this and developed into a wonderful song writer.  

JUDY A. - A SONG OF THE LARK - Willa Cathar. 1915.  

An Autobiography of a  young woman growing up in small town in USA and her musical awakening, eventually becoming an opera singer. Insights into how the creative process develops and the many challenges she faced in her journey to the world stage.  

KELLY - To Kelly music is reading

LESLEY - RIVERSONG - Di Morrissey. 2024. With themes of friendship, small town life, environmental issues, heritage questions and many of life's challenges the book covers so much of contemporary Australia. Likeable characters, and a easy read. The talented Percy Grainger, (born in Melbourne 1882) and his eccentric  life, compositions and quirkiness are also woven into the narrative.

 Lesley

In March we will be reading books by Japanese authors

JANUARY - SANTA SACK ~ CHOOSE A BOOK ENJOYED OVER THE FESTIVE SEASON

Lyn: The Mystery Case of Rudolph Diesel by Douglas Brunt

 

Lyn described this as a fascinating read. The author is an investigative journalist who has tried to explain the disappearance of Rudolph Diesel by looking at family records, diaries and other clues.

It begins to sound like a murder mystery.

Rudolph Diesel invented the internal combustion engine but only wanted it to be used for peaceful purposes. Despite this, the Germans used it for their weapons in World War 1.because of this, Diesel defected to England but vanished on the journey. Was it an accident, murder or suicide?

Well worth reading.

 

Judy J: Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty  

 

The story begins on a delayed flight from Hobart to Sydney when an older woman walks through the cabin pointing at passengers and predicting how and when they will die. The plane lands safely but everyone on board will be forever changed, especially the six passengers whose predicted deaths loom in the very near future.

Some will live their lives differently, some will try to ignore it while other obsess over it, affecting their lives and those around them. Judy thought there was a little too much emphasis on the life of the psychic.

There are some surprising connections by the end and some satisfying and heart-warming conclusions for a few of the characters.

A little too long but an interesting read.

 

Bev: Shock Waves by Fleur McDonald

 

The story is set in a small country town in Western Australia where not much happens.

One day ,the Government building which houses all the local and state services, explodes.

Is it someone who holds a grudge?

Detective Dave Burrows from the Stock Squad is sent to solve the problem.

An interesting story said Bev.

 

Rosemary S: The Olive Sisters by Amanda Hampton

 

Adrienne Bennett is a successful businesswoman with an enviable lifestyle but when her business goes down her life falls apart and her self-confidence quickly crumbles. She is forced to move from her beautiful Sydney apartment to the small rural community of Duffy’s Creek and the run-down olive grove she has inherited from her grandparents.

In a parallel narrative we follow Adrienne’s grandparents who had worked hard to establish the olive grove as a legacy for their family.

Rosemary described it as a good, light summer read.

 

Pat: The Complete Book of Heroic Australian Women by Susanna De Vries

 

Pat was particularly taken with the stories of women who lived in the outback during the 1800’s particularly the amount of work they had to do. With the men away for many months they had to battle flood, drought, lack of medical help and who knows what else. It was humbling to read.

 

Judy A: The Empusium: A Health Resort Horror Story by Olga Tokarczuk

 

The setting is 1913, in the Guesthouse for Gentlemen on Göbersdorf which is now in Western Poland. The real town was the first place in the world to specialise in the treatment of tuberculosis. Young 24-year-old Mieczyslaw Wojnicz has come to stay to get treatment at the famous sanitorium and the narration is centred around his character. While this group of 5 men are not having treatment they gather in the guesthouse, imbibe the hallucinogenic local liquor and pontificate about world events, politics, religion, the inferiority of women, which was sometimes interesting and sometimes was skimmed by Judy.

Strange things start to happen in the mountains around there, including mysterious deaths which affect the villagers and the guests – things which seem to happen regularly every November. 

Judy described it as an interesting read, and she would like to read more of the author’s work.

 

Prue: The Gray Wolf by Loise Penny

 

Louise Penny is sometimes referred to as ‘the Agatha Christie of Canada’. This is the 19^th book featuring Inspector Gamache and set in the little town of Three Pines.

The story is a murder/mystery where a domestic terrorist is trying to pollute the waters of Montreal.

She writes beautifully, it’s easy to read and her characters are always interesting.

The book gets more exciting as the story is revealed and little snippets link this book and characters to previous books although it does work as a standalone read.

Prue thoroughly enjoyed it.

 

Helen: The In-Between by Christos Tsiolkas

 

The book  tells the tender love story between two guys of different backgrounds. It is raw and carnal and explicit in the description of gay sex. The story is a standout observation of the human condition and cultural wars.

Helen liked the story but thought some of these passages were a distraction.

 

Kerrie: Astray by Emma Donaghue

 

Kerrie is particularly fond of this author’s writing and the genre of short stories.

All the characters have gone ‘astray’ but the stories are set in different times and continents.

Some are emigrants, stowaways , lovers or even runaways but added to this is her ability to put you in the place whether it be Ireland, San Francisco or the many other wonderful worlds she creates all based on a little bit of fact.

 

Joan: Patriot by Alexei Navalny

 

This is the memoir of the author fearlessly opposing the corruption in Russia by Putin and his cronies.  The first part was written while he was in a German hospital recovering from poisoning by Russian agents.

With his return to Russia he was again arrested on trumped up charges and died in a prison in solitary confinement in the northern Russia .

He was a true, fearless patriot in every sense of the word.

 

Val: The Wild Science by Raynor Winn

 

This is the follow up the couple’s journey chronicled in  The Salt Path as they walked 630 miles after finding themselves homeless.

Having returned, they now face the difficulty of going back to a normal life. Fortunately, they are offered the tenancy of an overrun farmhouse in Cornwall. The house is decrepit as are the surrounding gardens. Again it is the physical work that has helped the author’s husband who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Not satisfied with this challenge, they also start walking again, this time in Iceland.

They are a great believer in that life in the countryside is good for you and how vital is that instinctive connection to nature.

 

Jo: Malice in the Cotswolds by Rebecca Tope

 

Even though she is only a house sitter, Thea Osborne accompanied by her faithful hound Hepzie, seems to find herself in situations  where there are bodies and mysteries to solve.

The author has written over twenty ‘cosy crime books’ , eleven of these feature Thea Osborne and all set in the glorious English countryside.

 

Rosemary W: Juice by Tim Winton

 

A man and a child live in the wilderness in a post-apocalyptic scenario. This has happened very slowly, not from one event and is set 200 years in the future.

The story revolves around living in this desert landscape and how to maintain decency as it descends into  savagery.

The title refers to the ongoing need for power.

Winton  writes beautifully, a good page turner, but this could be our future.

 

Margaret:  Smoke by Michael Brissenden

 

The author was previously a  journalist so the book is well researched and covers many themes.

It is set in a small town in California, where a body is found following fires sweeping down the canyons. There is police corruption, mystery, murder and betrayal. The characters are convincing and there are some subtle hints that could be related to  Australia. The plot moves along, and it comes to a surprising ending.

Margaret thought it a brilliant book.

 

Kris: The Time of the Child by Nial Williams

 

This is a beautiful story about the small village of Faha in Ireland. The doctor in the town is helped by his eldest daughter Ronnie, his wife having died and other daughters left home.

A newborn baby is found after the travellers from the fair have left town. The baby was considered dead, but the doctor revived her and Ronnie took over the care. Will she be able to keep her?

It was the 1960’s and with the church being very powerful what would be the future of this abandoned child?

 

FEBRUARY - The theme is MUSIC. Choose your own title, fiction or non fiction.

  

DECEMBER 2024 -- CHOOSE THE BEST BOOK YOU READ THIS YEAR ( NOT A BOOK CLUB CHOICE)

 

At our December Book Club get together our group enjoyed listening to an eclectic mix of books we have read over the year.   The range of genres, themes and styles made for, another, very enjoyable meeting. 

VAL  - THE SALT PATH - Raynor Winn. 2018. A married couple invested in a friends business. The business went broke and the couple lost their investment, plus the family farm. Homeless, they decide to live rough, buy a tent and walk 630 miles along the South West Coast Path. Adding to their difficulties, the husband has found he has a neurodegenerative disease.  Extraordinary the lives of many others.

KRIS - THE SALT PATH - Raynor Winn. 2018. Kris added that the book is also about endurance, the power of nature and the deep love of the couple. Gruelling.

JO - A COTSWOLD MYSTERY - Rebecca Tope. A body is found, a murder mystery unfolds, a beautiful setting and ..... a very good read.

JOAN - JAMES - Percival Everett. 2024. Shortlisted for the 2024 Booker Prize. Set in 1861 on the Mississippi River, this is a reimagining of Mark Twain's novel. The writing is from the perspective of Jim, an enslaved black who journeys with the young Huck Finn.  A good read despite some brutal scenes.

ROSEMARY - THE LITTLE CLOTHES - Deborah Callaghan. Contemporary novel set around Balmain with the lead character a female lawyer who feels unnoticed. Interesting.

HELEN - A BIT ON THE SIDE - Virginia Trioli. Often in life it's the small things that bring joy. The 'main course' can be heavy and unappetising whereas the bits on the side can be more memorable and special. Filled with wisdom, stories, memories and recipes. Humorous.  

JUDY J - BURNING BRIGHT - Nick Petrie. A murder mystery, a fast pace and a clever plot.

JUDY A - THE GOD OF THE WOODS - Liz Moore. 1975 a 13yo girl goes missing from a campsite in the Airondacks. 14 years earlier the girls then 8 yo brother also went missing. He was never found. Were these cases linked? Well drawn characters and multi threads. Judy never lost interest.

TAM - A WEEK IN TIME - Maeve Binchey. A guest house in a small village in Ireland, detailed characters, full of everyday, human foibles. Thoroughly enjoyed.

BEV - SLEEPING BEAUTY - Raymond Chandler. A detectives story with a good plot. Bev could read and watch the cricket at the same time.

PRU - ROUND HOUSE - Louise Erlich. 1980 on an Indian reservation. Tribal rules. There's an attack at the round house. Full of mystery, with insights into 1st Nations culture.

ROSEMARY S. - A CLASS - Suzie Murphy. A family saga. Very enjoyable.

LYN - THE HAZELBOURNE LADIES MOTORCYCLE AND FLYING CLUB - Helen Simonson. After WW2 many women were forced to leave their paid jobs and return to domesticity. A group of well to do women decided to ride motorcycles to deliver goods and services. During the war they had been mechanics, drivers etc. Full of humour, mocking social order, historical fiction. So enjoyable.

JUDY J - THE BEE KEEPER OF ALEPPO - Christy Lefteri. 2019. A family, Nuri a bee keepers and wife Afra an artist, live in a workers camp in Syria and face increasing danger and adversity. Their son is shot, Afra is blinded by fear after bomb blast and they need to escape. A cousin in London offers hope, the family struggle to get Turkey, Athens then escape to London. Nuri holds out great hope that in England his cousin will support him in keeping bees.

PAMELA - SIR GAWAIN AND THE GREEN KNIGHT. Norman Davis. Set in Arthurian times, Sir Gawain upholds the virtues of courage and honour by accepting a challenge with the Green Knight. Sir Gawain beheads the Knight, who promptly picks up his head and says he will return in a year for a rematch. The poem is written in alliterative verse and the author is unknown. One of the better known Arthurian legends.  

 

SHEILA - CODE NAME BUTTERFLY. Embassie Susberry. Paris 1941, the country is about to be occupied by the Nazi's. Based on facts, the story deals with spies who chose to stay in Paris and fight against the Nazi's. The book was thoroughly enjoyed.

MARGARET - THE THINGS THAT MATTER MOST. 2023. Gabbie Stroud. A school community is in a very difficult position - there are administrative problems, ill health within the staff, a few very vocal, interfering parents, registration is approaching, stress all around. Thank goodness for some of the students! Australian school life shown.

PAT - THE GRAPES OF WRATH. John Steinbeck. Audio version with a great narrator. The Joad family are forced to travel through Oklahoma and California to a new life. Set during the Great Depression, the dust bowl migration of the family show the inequalities between the 'have' and the 'have nots', the inner strength of the main characters, the hardships so many faced and life in America during this period. A classic  Pat really enjoyed.

LESLEY - MRS WINTERBOTTOM TAKES A GAP YEAR. Joanna Bell. 2023. Modern day fiction, humour with reflections on life. Heather, a recently retired Doctor want to travel, enjoy many widely different experiences and have all the repairs done on her home (that have been waiting for years to be fixed) soon. Husband Alan, also recently retired, wants to stay at home, wear old clothes and build a vegetable garden. They have vastly mismatched expectations of retirement. Heather travels to Greece, on an odyssey just like Homer. Humour, wit, poignant reflections, likeable characters, a very easy read.

Apologies for the lateness this Blog. The Elves were keeping me so busy with pre Christmas preparations that I forgot to send the finished Blog!

 Wishing everyone a happy, healthy 2025. Our book club members look forward to more exciting reading adventures.

Lesley

 

 JANUARY:  We will be reading a book we read over the festive season