JANUARY, 2023 -- BOOKS WE READ OVER THE FESTIVE PERIOD

 

BEV:  THE CHRISTMAS BOOKSHOP by JENNY COLGAN

The story is about two sisters, Sofia and Carmen.  Sofia is a solicitor and the older sister.  Carmen didn’t want to stay at school.  She had a job in an old-fashioned drapery shop.  When Carmen became unemployed  Sofia found her a job at a cute little bookshop in an old-fashioned arcade in Edinburgh.  The old man who owned the bookshop was close to bankruptcy and thought he would have to sell if things didn’t improve.  Carmen liked him so she cleaned it up and made it successful.  The story had a happy ending.  Bev said it was romantic and a nice, easy read.

ROSEMARY:  THE TILT by CHRIS HAMMER

Rosemary has read three of his books.  She enjoyed this book.  It’s the second in a series involving the detectives, Ivan Lucic and Neil Buchanan. It goes back and forth from the present to the past, back to 1970’s.  It’s Rural Noir.  There are great descriptions of scenery and Rosemary enjoyed the read.

JUDY J:  EXILES by JANE HARPER

This is a quiet mystery that centres around two unsolved crimes in a small town in South Australia. While visiting a friend to attend a christening, AFP Officer Aaron Falk, finds himself caught up in the case of a woman who went missing a year ago during a town festival, leaving her 6 week old baby in her pram near the Ferris wheel.  As Falk had attended the festival, he reluctantly becomes involved which then leads onto an unsolved murder from years ago.  Bits and pieces of the two previous Aaron Falk novels are mentioned. (The Dry and Force of Nature). Judy said Jane Harper doesn’t disappoint with this third Aaron Falk novel.

KRIS:  LOVE STORIES by TRENT DALTON

Trent Dalton, a well-loved Australian author sat on a busy street corner in Brisbane with his Olivetti typewriter and asked people to tell him a lovely story.  In 2021 for two months he sat at his table with a sign that read “Sentimental writer collecting love stories.  It is a very easy read as each story is quite short and you can pick it up any time to read one of them.  It is a warm, funny, poignant book about love in all it’s guises.  It’s quite an uplifting book to read.

PAMELA:  BOOKS THAT CHANGED THE WORLD by Robert B. Downs

These are essays about books that changed the world.  The title of the book that Pamela talked about was Edward Jenner: An inquiry into the causes and effects of the variolae vaccinae by Edward Jenner, published in 1798. Jenner was interested in smallpox.   Jenner, having noted the similarities to “cow pox”, took some matter out of the cow pox and injected it into his arm and he seemed to become immune.  In 1796 he published an article. After vaccination there were declining deaths from smallpox.  Napoleon ordered all his soldiers to be vaccinated.  Jenner was awarded two lots of money from the government for research.  In December 1977 the World Health Organization announced the last case of smallpox. Pamela found it very interesting.  

PRUE:  BLACK RIVER by MATTHEW SPENCER

This is the first novel by the Australian author.  It is set in Western Sydney where two murders have been committed by BMK (Blue Moon Killer), a serial killer.  There is another murder of a woman wrapped in black plastic.  Is this connected to BMK?  The body is found near the river close to King’s school at Parramatta.  A hack journalist who used to attend the school goes to the school to find information.  He meets the detective in charge of this case, Rose Riley.  Prue is only half-way through but said she is thoroughly enjoying it and wants to find how it ends.  The characters are strong, the writing smooth and it has lots of twist and turns.

JOAN:  REVOLUTIONIZING MOTHERHOOD: THE MOTHERS of the PLAZA de MAYO by MARGEURITE GUZMAN BOUVARD (1994)

This true story is set in 1976 in Argentina where there was a coup that overthrew Isabel Peron.  A military junta was installed to replace her. Anyone who opposed the military dictatorship was either thrown in prison or disappeared.  They were mostly young teachers, university students and doctors.  Pregnant women had their babies taken from them to be given to army personnel to be brought up by them.  A group of mothers sought to locate and reunite with their children, grandchildren and loved ones who had disappeared.  As they had no support from the U.S. or the Church, they started peaceful protests and their protests brought international recognition during the World Cup when Argentina was the host. They wore white kerchiefs on their heads to represent the nappies of the babies that were taken.  They were one of the most important non violent human rights movement.

JO:  THE CLOCKMAKER’S DAUGHTER by KATE MORTON

Jo said it was very confusing.  It’s three different books in one and set in three different eras.  It’s well written but she is only half-way through.  She is not going to finish it as it is too confusing.  It is set in 19^th century England.  A girl is abandoned in the streets of London.  Fast forward to the summer of 1962 after an18^th birthday, a young woman is drawn to an old house because of secrets of her own.  The only way forward is through the past.

JOCELYN:  THE BOOK OF ROADS AND KINGDOMS by RICHARD FIDLER (2022)

Jocelyn said this book was an absolute Tour de Force.  She said it was her favourite book ever. There are first-hand accounts from Arab and Persian travellers from Islam’s fabled golden age (the tenth century to medieval times) across China, India, Africa, Byzantium, Baghdad and Russia.  Following their prophet’s commandment to seek knowledge all over the world, these traders, diplomats, soldiers and scientists travelled by camel, horse and boat into the unknown. It’s a beautiful and thrilling narrative of a lost world.

LYN:  WHITE GARDENIA by BELINDA ALEXANDRA (2002)

This book is firstly set in Harbin, China, a haven for white Russian families.  Since Russia’s communist revolution, Alina Koslova must make a heartbreaking decision if her only child, Anya is to survive the last days of World War 11. She sends her to Shanghai to a family friend. She is later sent to Australia. Mother and daughter never stop searching for each other, both believing they will be reunited one day.  Lyn really enjoyed the book and the way the author writes, her descriptions of characters and the many varied settings are clearly portrayed.

PAT:  FLAMES by ROBBIE ARNOTT

This is the first book written by the Australian author.  The story is set in Tasmania and the genre is magical realism.  The story is about a young man called Levi and his sister Charlotte coping after the death of their mother who, two days after being cremated, returns and bursts into flames on her estranged husband’s lawn.  It is not unusual for women in the family to reappear after being cremated. Charlotte is so grief stricken when this happens, Levi decides to build her an escape proof coffin so she will not reappear.  In fear Charlotte runs away. More characters are brought into the story. Pat said it was quite entertaining, although not her normal read.

JUDY A:  BIG FOLBIGG MISTAKE:  A MOTHER’S FIGHT FOR JUSTICE by JOHN KERR

Kathleen Folbigg was jailed in May, 2003 for the murder of her four children, two boys and two girls at ages 19 days, 8 months, 10 months and 19 months. The first was in 1989 and the last in 1999.  She has spent the last almost twenty years in prison and has always maintained her innocence. This book explained how the prevailing views at a time in history can lead to such a huge error. Mark Tedeschi was the prosecutor and maintained that the death of four children in a family was an impossibility, compared to pig’s flying.  Genetics have come a long way including the discovery of a variant on the CALM2 gene which can cause sudden cardiac death in children.  It’s a familial abnormality and both Kathleen and her daughters share this rare variant.  In March of last year, ninety worldwide eminent scientists signed a petition calling for a pardon for Kathleen Folbigg.  Another inquiry was begun in November last year and hopefully this time she will be exonerated.

JULIA:   BULLET THAT MISSED by RICHARD OSMAN

It’s about a nursing home where some of the residents are part of a murder club who are trying to solve murders.  Julia said it was funny and well worth reading.

 

Kris

 

FEBRUARY:   We will be reading a book of our own choosing. 

                      The theme:  Mountains or Deserts

                   

December: 2022 Favourite book of the Year

Pamela: Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

The book tells and retells the story of The Sleeping Princess and is set in a Polish neighbourhood of Massachusetts, USA and in Poland. One of the themes of the book is that fairy stories don’t always have happy endings. Others are that life isn’t always as pleasant as you think and despite that, love can conquer all.

The fairy story is revealed through the book which requires very careful reading.

Pamela described it as a very good book and worth reading.

 

Sheila: Agatha by Ann Cathrine Boman

This is the first novel by this Danish author and Sheila was expecting a ‘cold book’ but was pleasantly surprised. 

An old physiatrist is not looking forward to retirement and is counting down the patients he must see. Agatha is client 72 and he falls in love with her.

The book is about loneliness and what it means to make friends at any stage of life.  

A charming and beautifully written novella set in Paris in the 1940’s and translated from Danish.

 

Val Adams: The Gifts of Reading. ESSAYS on the JOYS of READING, GIVING and RECEIVING BOOKS.

Several authors write about how important books are to them in many ways. Each author also lists 5 books they would give as gifts.

It’s an easy and delightful read with the profits going to a not-for-profit organisation that supply books to primary schools and girls in high schools, in third world countries.

 

Prue: Cry Wolf by Hans Rosenfeldt

This is the first book in a new series by the creator of ‘The Bridge’ , writer for ‘Wallander’ and other successful television productions.

This crime and mystery thriller is set in northern Sweden in a town past its glory days.

It begins with the discovery of a dead wolf containing the human remains of the Finish/Russian survivor of a drug bust gone wrong. Then the search begins for the drugs and money, and events rapidly escalate.

Prue thought it was well written, with good character development and not predictable.

 

Jocelyn: A Long Petal of the Sky by  Isabel Allende

A poetic saga of people, politics and place but also delicate, detailed and complicated.

With the Civil War raging in Spain during the 1930s, many people were forced to flee and made the dangerous trek over the mountains. In fear of their lives, some emigrated to Chile where they were not welcome but still made a life for themselves.

Isabel Allende, with family in high places in Chilean politics, and with the aid of memories of a 103-year-old Chilean friend, has written an absorbing and convincing story of these times. A very good book.

 

Jo: A Bitter Feast by Deborah Crombie

This is book 18 featuring Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent Duncan Kincaid and his wife, Detective Inspector Gemma James. They have been invited to a weekend in a stately home in the Cotswolds.

A well-known chef is coming to oversee the food, but a car accident and several murders mean it won’t be a quiet weekend the guests thought they were going to have.

Jo really enjoyed it and has all the books in the series.

 

Lesley: The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles

Based on the true story of the librarians at the American Library in Paris during the Nazi occupation. They risked their lives to keep the library open and to provide  books to  Jews (in hiding) and send boxes of books to frontline soldiers where possible.

In 1983, Lily a student in Montana, must interview an older person for school. She chooses her neighbour Odile, very reserved and almost reclusive. Lily slowly discovers Odile’s past, her passion for books and her secrets about her job in the Paris Library.

A lovely story even with the sadness, futility of war, betrayal, courage and secrets.

 

Joan: BAD BLOOD – Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Start-up by John Carreyrou

This is the true story of a scandalous fraud and legal intimidation. Liz Holmes began a company that would make blood tests significantly faster and easier.

She managed to get funding from many high-profile businessmen to the extent that the company  was valued at $9 billion. There was only one problem, the technology didn’t work.

Eventually whistle blowers, including this author, broke the story in the Wall Street Journal.

The rise and fall of Liz Holmes ( who is now in jail) is a gripping read, and a real page turner.

 

Diann: Circle of Quilters by Jennifer Chiaverini

Based on the  Elm Creek Quilters, this is number 9 in the series. Some of the quilters share their story of how they came to quilting as the group tries to find 2 members to take over the running of the group. Many of the stories are very moving and emotional but it is still such an enjoyable read.

 

Pat: Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller

A woman named Elle has an affair with a childhood friend, Jonas, when they meet up while on holidays. Elle must choose between her good life with her husband or the imagined life she could have had with Jonas if a tragic event hadn’t changed their lives forever.

Pat really enjoyed this page turner.

 

Judy A: A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson

The book is set in a small town in northern Ontario in the early 70s. A family is in crisis and 16year old angry and rebellious Rosie, had a fight with her mother and has run away from home. Eight-year-old Clara stands at the window when she can, waiting for her return.

Meanwhile she’s keeping watch over the next door’s house and feeding the cat. Old Mrs Orchard has gone to  hospital but said she would be back.

Then much to her dismay and astonishment, a stranger (Liam Kane) moves in next door. Why is he there and what he is doing?

The narrative moves between Clara, Liam and Mrs Orchard.

A beautiful story by this Canadian author.

 

Bev: Before the Poison by Peter Robinson

After years of success in Hollywood composing music for films, and following the death of his wife, Chris Lowdes returns to Yorkshire. He buys an isolated house, sight unseen, as he comes to terms with his grief. 

But Kilnsgate House is more than he expected. He learns that a man died there 60 years ago and his wife was hanged for his murder. He becomes obsessed with whether she was guilty or not and plays amateur detective and starts his own investigation whichs gets further than he thought.

The author seems to have a fascination with music and alcohol, while the book has an interesting ending.

 

Julia: The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Olsen

Book 1 in the series. They don’t have to be read in order, but the characters appear in each story. The books are a bit of fun.

 

Rosemary: The Bullet that Missed by Richard Olsen (Bk 3)

The stories are set in a retirement village with 4 characters making up the Murder Club. They solve cold case murders. The cases are real but the way they solve them is quite unreal and impossible. With each case, more snippets of their lives are revealed which makes it very interesting.

They are light reading with many amusing passages.

 

Lyn: Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Gamus

Basically it’s about women’s lives and their struggle for empowerment in the late 50s and early 60s. Elizabeth Zott is a brilliant scientist struggling in a ‘man’s world’. But the only man who supports her and falls in love (with her mind) is Calvin Evans, a Noble Prize nominee.

Some years later when she finds herself a single mum, she is forced to leave the company to find a better paying job.

Through unusual circumstances, she ends up as the host of a successful cooking show. As well as teaching the art of cooking, she is really challenging women to change the status quo.

Lyn described it as a ‘must read’, hard to put down and held her interest throughout.

 

Kris: Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

The story is set in Minnesota in the early 1960s. Jeremiah Land is raising his three children after his wife left him. He has a deep Christian faith and believed by some to perform small miracles.

The story is narrated by Reuben, Jeremiah’s asthmatic 11year old son who struggles with his own faith.

The older brother Davy flees after being charged with the murder of two locals who have terrorised the family. He feels he won’t be treated fairly. So Jeremiah takes the family on a journey across the Badlands of Dakota in search of the fugitive.

Kris was very moved by this book as it evoked similar feelings that she had about Atticus Finch, the strength of character and that great certainty in his beliefs, against all odds.

 

Judy J: Last Girl to Die by Helen Fields

In search of a new life, 16-year-old Adriana Clark’s family move from the USA to the ancient, ocean-battered Isle of Mull, far off the coast of Scotland. She then goes missing. Faced with the hostile locals and indifferent police, her desperate parents turn to  private investigator, Sadie Levesque from Canada. Her specialty is runaway teenagers.

After finding Adriana’s body in a cliffside cave with a seaweed crown carefully arranged on her head, she knows she’s dealing with something she’s never encountered before.

Family secrets, witchcraft, more murders, romance and the geography of this isolated island move the story along very quickly until it finishes with the most unexpected ending!

Reviews described the author as the ‘new Anne Cleeves’, I’m not sure that she is there yet.

 

Judy D: Careless in Red by Elizabeth George

Following the murder of his wife, Inspector Lynley leaves the Police Force and goes home to  Cornwall.

While on a walk he finds the body of a young man, dead from a fall. While Lynley is not in charge of the investigation this time, he is a witness and possibly a suspect.

Judy described it as a typical murder story, but well written with an easy-to-read style.

 

 

 

  

NOVEMBER 2022 - NON FICTION BOOKS

 

Lyn - Noor's Story. My Life in District 6. By Noor Ebrahim. 1999.

District 6 on the outskirts of Cape Town was, according to Noor, a mix of cultures that had formed a large community and lived in harmony. There were many festivals, parades, activities that saw the inhabitants mix and enjoy their lifestyle. Until 1966 when it was declared that all inhabitants of District 6 had to be white. Noor, and all of the residents who were not white were forced to move. When the bulldozers arrived families were given 1 month to leave. His story tells of the fun, enjoyment and good times prior to apartheid.

Jocelyn - Gods and Demons. Deborah Cassrels. 2020.

In 2006 Foreign Correspondent Deborah went to live in Bali. Her book reveals numerous complex issues and dilemmas that the Balinese face. Part of the 170,000 islands that make Indonesia, there are multiple religions, corruption at all levels of government, terrorism, rampant crime, scams, scandals, mixed marriages, tourism issues etc that affect all who live there. Deborah, owing to her journalist profession accessed many contacts who provided insights into life in Bali. The book was illuminating but hard to read.

Jo - Snowy: The Making of Modern Australia. Brad Collins. 1991.

A marvellous engineering feat - 16 dams, 100,000 workers migrated from Europe. Such hard work tunnelling through the mountains, building and installing hydro electric turbines to capture the water from inland. Many accidents and a huge cost. Each dam, during 1950's and 1960's cost $38 million. Nowadays they would cost billions of dollars.

Diann - The Soul of a Woman. Isabel Allende 2020.

A tribute to the women in her life, the book is self reflective. The times jump forward and backward as the author ponders love, children, marriage (she has been married 3 times), violence against women, aging and equality.  Diann really enjoyed it.

Val - Growing up in Country. Rick Morton. 2022.

A compilation of essays how about a cross section of society generally feel about growing up in the country.  Isolation, loneliness and boredom are considered. Val gave examples of the views of 2 interviewees. A man from Karachi (Pakistan) and his family lived in Northam on the outskirts of Perth. There were 2 pubs, 1 Chinese restaurant and a servo. His comment - the food was better in the servo. He now lives in Melbourne, slowly adjusting to a far more busy lifestyle however during the Pandemic and lockdowns he reflected that the quiet, empty streets reminded him of Northam and was grateful for the peace. Another - an Iranian journalist lived in Deniliquin. A drive into a bigger town was a big event. He still packs dates and naan bread for road trips.

Pru - Dingo. Brad Purcell. 2010.

The book was written as an extension of his PHD work and as such had a lot of references, graphs, scientific details and technical jargon. Many facts were very interesting - Dingo's are an Australian icon however they are both a pest and a protected species. Pure bred dingoes are not dogs, they only breed once a year. Native animals in areas where dingoes inhabit are better protected as dingoes attack their predators. However they also attack live stock so a conundrum exists. A very interesting story.

Judy A - Empire of Pain. Patrick Radden Keefe. 2020.

The Sackler Dynasty - 3 brothers, all doctors, originally in marketing positions bought a company, Purdue Pharma and moved into pharmaceutical field promoting pain relief drugs such as Oxycontin. They were the founders of medical advertising. Medical professionals were aggressively encouraged to prescribe a variety of pain relief drugs. Long term use and large doses resulted in addictions, mental health disorders and was seen as a key cause of the opioid epidemic in the States. The Sackler family's wealth vastly increased and they turned to philanthropy. However growing unrest about the serious effects of the drugs promoted by the Sackler's resulted in major backlashes, with their names being removed from buildings, and foundations and organisations refusing to accept their patronage. Judy found the read enthralling and gave it 5 out of 5.

Judy J - Kidnapped. Mark Tedeschi.  2015.

Australia's only known kidnapping and ransom of a child. The family won the Opera House Lottery in 1960. Their details were published in newspapers. Graeme was abducted from Bondi and a ransom of $20,000 was made. Sadly Graeme's body was found shortly after. The Kidnapper, a Hungarian immigrant, was envious of the family's win. He planned the abduction but did not intend to kill Graeme. The book covers in detail the solving of the crime, the many police and investigators involved, the use of early forensic processes and Australia's laws.  Interestingly in 1961 there was no law against kidnapping so the police had to pursue it as a murder case. Also it was the first time women were allowed to participate in jury duty. Whilst a guilty verdict was reached and the perpetrator went to jail, both families lives were destroyed by the after effects of heinous crime.

Julia - The Australian Woman's Weekly. 2002.

Julia enjoyed the article about the Queen Mother and the beautiful photo's of the time.

 

Rosemary - Australian Midwives. Paula Heelan. 2016.

13 chapters covering a variety of midwives - why and how they came into the profession, the challenges (a number were in remote areas), fly in fly out nurses, accommodating differing cultural expectations and traditions. They, with great courage, really are pioneers all trying to make life better for women in the outback. Amazing what they do! Rosemary found it very interesting.

Kris - The Invention of Russia. Arkayda Ostrovsky. 2015.

Gorbachevs freedom to Putin's War. Journalist Arkayda looks at the last 25 years of Russia's history from the Cold War to the disintegration of the Soviet Union. He blames massive media domination and interference that had led to ex KGB agent Putin now in command. Very interesting.

Pamela - The Colour code. Paul Simpson. 2021.

Quite interesting how the scientific information and social conventions blend to provide many facts about colour. Paul looks at 11 colours and examines how they influence how we think. Yellow/Orange - sacred in some religions. Red - danger, anger, but in Asia red in lucky, brings prestige. Green - poisonous, Brown drab. Why are there blue bloods? Very interesting.

Sheila - Ghost Empire. Richard Fidler. 2016.

A father and son adventure through the Byzantium empire (centred on Constantinople),  learning about the clashes of civilizations, the rise of Christianity, Roman rule, murder, wild times - the book brings people alive. Plus the deepening of the relationship with his son. Not hard to read and very enjoyable.

Lesley - Take Six Girls. Laura Thompson. 2015.

A group biography of the Mitford sisters, 6 women born into a privileged, upper class family, they received virtually no formal schooling however all were well read. This and the company they kept, allowed strong political and social views to develop. The family were outspoken, outlandish in many behaviours, bored and indulged. Nancy became a successful author however her razor sharp wit was cruel. Diana married the leader of the British Fascist Party, had her wedding at the home of Goebbels, Hitler was a guest and frequently mixed with the Nazi hierarchy. She spent time interred during the war years for her beliefs and never repented concerning her views of the Holocaust. Jessica was also an outspoken fascist. Pamela enjoyed country life but married a high profile homosexual who had been married 6 six times. Unity, in love with Hitler, also spent time in Germany and mixed freely with those in the Nazi  Party. Brother Tom died during WW2. Deborah married the Duke of Devonshire and went on to restore Chatsworth House. The book jumps forward and backward often, there are too many other characters involved and it really needs a family tree to sort out who is being referred to and how they fit into the overall picture. A high profile but quite unlikeable family.

 

 

DECEMBER:  We will be reading our favourite book of the year

 

Don't forget to wrap a pre loved book as a Christmas gift and get dressed up for our Christmas lunch.

 

OCTOBER, 2022 - VARIOUS TITLES BY RUDYARD KIPLING

 Rudyard Kipling was born in British India in 1865 and died in London in 1936.  He was an English short-story writer, poet and novelist.  He is well known for his celebration of British imperialism and his stories and poems of British soldiers in India.  Living in British India inspired most of his writing, as well as his delight in human eccentricities and the animal world. He also wrote stories for children. His Just So Stories were written for his beloved daughter, Josephine.  The book was published in 1902  three years after she died from pneumonia.  In 1907 he received a Nobel Prize for literature.

SHEILA did not read a book but said she remembered her father carried a small book of Rudyard Kipling stories.

PAMELA read  SHORT STORIES.  

Most of the stories are set in Britain.  MRS BATHURST was very good.  It's a story told to men working in South Africa about an officer who fled with Mrs. Bathurst, a young widow.  It was considered ingenious.  Another is WAYSIDE COMEDY.  It's set on a station in India where everyone has to get on with each other.  It's very funny.  THE GARDENER  has to be read carefully.  Pamela said Rudyard Kipling is a sophisticated writer.

CAPTAIN COURAGEOUS

JUDY D ploughed through the book. Kipling wrote it as if he was the person speaking.  She had to go back regularly as it was difficult to read and understand.  The story was about a very spoiled young man who had a rich father.  He was on a cruise with his mother.  He's pushed overboard and presumed drowned.  It's mostly about fishing for cod in the ocean.  Judy found it boring.

ROSEMARY didn't finish.  The language was too difficult to get her head around. 

Rosemary also read JUST SO STORIES  and commented on the illustrations in the book done by Rudyard Kipling.  His father was an artist.  Each story was very short.  As it was Rosemary's own book she said it was lovely to reminisce. 

JUST SO STORIES

KRIS  read some of the stories including How the Leopard got his spots, How the Rhinoceros got his skin, How the Whale got his throat, the Elephant's child and the Cat that walked by himself.  The stories are whimsical, imaginative, eccentric and very clever.  They would delight most children of that era with stories of far away places and jungle creatures.  The language is extraordinary.  He told the stories to his daughter.  It is considered a classic of children's literature.

CONNIE  told us that Kipling sometimes changed the words when he read the book to his daughter.  When his daughter realised he had changed the words she would say "Tell it Just So Daddy".  This is why Kipling called it Just So Stories.  Connie thoroughly enjoyed the stories.

LESLEY enjoyed them but didn't read them all.   He wrote one of the stories about the kangaroo. He came to Australia in the 1990's.  She said the stories had a fable like quality.

JO liked the poems after each story and said Kipling had a very good imagination.  She also liked the ideas he came up with, especially the story about the young elephant with a very short nose. He becomes curious about meeting a crocodile. He sets off to find one and when he does, the crocodile gets the young elephant to come closer and pulls his nose to drag him into the water.  Instead the nose becomes longer and longer as the elephant pulls back.  His nose stretches and stretches and becomes a long trunk.

JULIA started to read it.  She read How the Whale got his Throat.  She showed us the illustration.  She also read How the Camel got his Hump but she couldn't really get into the stories.

LYN read this book ten years ago but didn't enjoy the stories.    She tried to read it again but didn't have the time.

BEV read SHORT STORIES

THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING  is the longest story in the book.  It's a story about a journalist who has a crazy scheme to set up two British adventurers in British India to become kings in a remote part of Afghanistan and then rob the locals.  One of the kings gets killed when the locals realise he is not a God and the other one comes back in rags.  She found it too long, the print too small and the story boring.

JUDY A: read SHORT STORIES

RIKKI-TIKKI-TAVI is the story of a mongoose living in  a yard.  It manages to kill a cobra to save a little boy.

KIM

JOAN read KIM, a very old book with yellow pages and very small writing.  It was published in 1901.  Joan only got to about page 130.   It's the story of the orphan son of an Irish soldier.  Although Kim is white he was born in India. Kim and an old Lama go on a quest to find the Holy River.  Neither completely British nor completely Indian, he struggles to create an identity for himself.  He becomes educated in the British system and is secretly being trained as a spy.  This is Kipling's most famous novel and very famous for the poem "If".  She said she needed to finish the book.

VAL tried to read it but didn't get it.  She found the constant need to explain an Indian God etc. irritating.  She thought the second half might be better.

TAM did not Rudyard Kipling.  She read a book by the author Joy Dettman.  The story is set in a small country town in Australia.  Tam said she really enjoyed the book and said it would be a good choice for our book club.

PAT did not read Rudyard Kipling. She read a book about Andrew Thompson, the young Scottish man who was transported to Australia in 1792.  She found the information on the floods, at that time, very interesting. 

 

 Kris

 

NOVEMBER:  We will be reading NON FICTION