SEPTEMBER 2020: Autobiography or Biography

 

ROSEMARY: Now, Sometimes the end of the race is only the beginning by Anna Meares

 

Anna is probably Australia’s most celebrated cyclist. She represented Australia at 4 consecutive Olympic Games winning medals in each one but all were preceded by dramas including a broken neck before the Beijing games.

Now that she has retired she has a new partner, a child, taken up painting and become a motivational speaker. Throughout her life she has been very focused, driven and successful.

Rosemary described it as an easy, enjoyable read whether you are interested in sport or not.

 

JUDY J: The Last Lighthouse Keeper: A Memoir by Jon Bauer and John Cook

 

This is the story of John Cook, who for personnel reasons became a lighthouse keeper on Tasman Island off the east coast of Tasmania in 1968. The weather, the desolation and the necessity of maintaining the kerosene lights takes a toll on all on the island.

He is eventually moved to Maatsuyker, the most southern lighthouse in Tasmania. The difficulties of the weather, the wilderness and solitude are magnified here, plus he oversees the end of the old kero-fuelled lighthouses.

Judy said it was a wonderful story and gave great insight to and an appreciation of the lives of these unique men.

 

ED: The Happiest Refugee by Ahn Do

 

Ahn Do is now a successful author, artist and television presenter. He has written the story of his life, leaving Vietnam in a small boat with his family and other refugees. Eventually arriving in Australia, through hard work and his enterprising family he is able to attend school, university and to enjoy a very successful life.

Ed thought it a great and inspiring story.

 

JO

She also read this book, saying it was an absolutely beautiful story, beginning with his life on the refugee boat all the way to a very successful life in Australia with marriage and children.

 

CONNIE: Alan Bennett

 

Connie particularly enjoyed reading the stories about his early life as they brought back many memories for her about her childhood, school in the 1930s and even stories about false teeth.

The 2^nd part of the book, tells the story of “the lady in the van”.

 

JUDY A: I am, I am, I am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O’Farrell

 

Each chapter covers a different incident in her life, including near death experiences, childhood illnesses, and other personnel experiences.

Judy didn’t particularly like the style of writing describing it as florid and dramatic. She thought some incidences were not worthy of a chapter but overall, it was an interesting read.

 

PRUE: The Man Who Invented Vegemite: The True Story Behind an Australian Icon by Jamie Callister

 

The author is the grandson of Cyril Callister who his credited with inventing vegemite.

He was employed by Fred Walker & Co to develop a replacement for Marmite as this was no longer available in Australia after World War 1. His yeast extract was not popular at first but was put in the defense packs of soldiers in WW11.  Credited with one of the reasons for keeping many of them healthy, soldiers and their families began demanding it become more available. There were many other interesting stories including the introduction of Kraft Cheese in the blue packet!

 

PAT: Great Outback School Stories by Bill Marsh

 

Easy to read and lots of fun.

 

CHARIS: Hildergard at Bingen

 

Charis highly recommended this biography. Hildergard was a nun (born in 1098) who set up her own monastery. She often argued against the church, fought for her nuns and trainees and carried out research on medicinal treatments. Today she is probably best remembered for the music she composed and still recorded and played today.

 

JOAN: MBS: The Rise to Power of Mohammed bin Salman by Ben Hubbard

 

Mohammed bin Salman, colloquially known as MBS is the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia. In 1938 oil was discovered making it the world’s richest oil country. The current king was crowned in 2015 and appointed his son as crown prince. Since then he has tried to bring this very conservative country into modernity. Some of the things he has done have pleased the large number of under 30 years olds  but many other incidents including the brutal killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi show him wielding vast powers.

As Joan said, he is a highly divisive character,  very ambitious, and he will become king!

A very interesting read.

 

PAMELA: Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years by Emma Walton Hamilton and Julie Andrews

 

In this book Julie Andrew tells many stories and anecdotes of her early career particularly in films. This was before computer degenerated effects and so many difficulties had to be overcome.

She has also written many children’s books (about 40-50) with her daughter.

Pamela described the book as very interesting, very funny and well written.

 

JUDY D: No Friend But the Mountains Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani, Omid Tofighian (Translator)

 

Behrouz is a Kurdish journalist who was indefinitely detained on Manus Island. The book was written on a mobile phone over many months highlighting the conditions on the island.

It went on to win the Victorian Premier’s Literary prize, among other awards. He is now living in New Zealand.

Judy found it very hard to read, not just because of the subject, but also the unusual lyrical style of writing, but it was very worthwhile.

 

BEV: Mao’s Last Dancer by Li Cunxin

 

He was a young peasant boy from north eastern China, living in abject poverty with his 6 brothers

when he was chosen to attend a ballet school as part of a cultural center set up by Madam Mao. With a lot of hard work and overcoming many hardships and setbacks,  he was able to have  a successful ballet career both in China and USA. Eventually he was forced to defect to the USA in to continue his career.

A very inspiring and moving story.

 

WENDY: Ten Doors Down: the story of an extraordinary adoption reunion by Robert Tickner

 

Robert Tickner was a the Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Affairs in the Hawke and Keating governments. He had always known he was adopted but had no inclination to find his birth parents until he became a father. Eventually he found his birth mother and later his father and it is here that many coincidences in their lives become apparent.

Wendy described it as a really good biography, he admitted his frailty, there are many poignant moments and he comes across as a very authentic person.

 

VAL: Me by Elton John

 

This autobiography was about his life. He led a checkered life, sometimes making poor choices but his honesty and sense of humour makes for good reading. He has a wide range of friends such as Freddy Mercury, George Michael, John Lennon as well as Princess Margaret and Princess Diana. He is undoubtedly talented and wrote many songs that reached the top of the charts. He no longer performs at big venues and appears to be happily married with two adopted children.

 

JULIA: Mixed Fancies by Brenda Blethyn

 

Best known for her portrayal of Vera in the TV series of the same name, she also had appeared in many films.

The book tells of her early life in a big family with little money. Any time her mother had any extra cash she would buy treats such as ‘mixed fancy’ lollies hence the title.

A great insight into a fabulous lady and complemented by gorgeous pictures.

 

 

Judy

 

OCTOBER:  Icelandic authors – a selection of books is available from the library

 

 

 

AUGUST, 2020 - BOOKS OF OUR OWN CHOOSING

 WENDY:  THE LOWLAND BY JHUMPA LAHIRI

This is a family saga.  It is set in India.  There are two sons.  Subhash is the eldest. He is academically gifted.  His younger brother, Udayan is charismatic. Udayan becomes involved in the communist party in India and get executed.  The dutiful older brother who had moved to the U.S. returns to help the family. He marries the brother's widow.  Wendy said the pace varies and the characters are well drawn.

JUDY A:   APEIROGON BY COLUM MCCANN

This story is based on the true life friendship of two men whose daughters were killed in conflict.  One is Israeli and the other Palestinian.  Their friendship develops when they join together to try to bring peace. They travel around the world talking to people about peace.  

 CONNIE:  DICTIONARY OF LOST WORDS BY PIP WILLIAMS

This is a novel set around the creation of the Oxford dictionary. The young woman who wrote the Dictionary of Lost Words was fed up with men controlling all the words that went into the Oxford Dictionary.  There is a lot of truth in it.  The speaker is fictional.  Connie said it was fascinating.

JOAN:  IF BEALE STREET COULD TALK BY JAMES BALDWIN

This is a love story set against a backdrop of racism in the 1970's. Trish, a young Negro woman is pregnant.  She is engaged to Fonny, a young Negro man.  Trish is harassed by a white shopkeeper and Fonny tries to protect her.  The local police officer hounds Fonny and he is then falsely accused of rape.  The family unite in their fight for justice.  Joan said it was intense reading.  The author is a very good writer and he has a distinctive style of prose.

DIANN:  ATONEMENT BY IAN MCEWAN

This is a family story set in Southern England.  The family has a get together and when two of the little boys go missing they all go out to look for them.  13 year old Briony witnesses something that she does not understand.  Diann said the ending was perfect.  It tied up all the loose endings.  It was a really good read.

JUDY J:  JAMES COOK, THE STORY BEHIND THE MAN WHO MAPPED THE WORLD BY PETER FITZSIMONS

 Peter Fitzsimons writes enthusiastically and is very complimentary about Captain cook.  Cook was a Yorkshire farm boy who worked his way up to become a Master Mariner.  He was a Quaker.  He was a genius and a very good leader of men.  He had their respect.  He made three major voyages. The second voyage goes into his relationship with Joseph Banks who was also intelligent in his own way.  Judy said it was a very enjoyable read.  

PAT:  THE BINDING BY BRIDGET COLLINS

In this fantasy, Emmet Farmer is working in the fields when he is sent to a Binder to start an apprenticeship.  If you need to erase a secret etc, the story is placed in a book and set aside so you can forget about it and go on with your life.  Emmet discovers a book with his name on it.  Pat said it was very interesting, although very different to what she would normally read.

 PRUE:  THE LOST MAN BY JANE HARPER

Prue said it was absolutely fantastic.  The story is about the cattle stations, the dry area and how they survive.  It's a fascinating story.  It also has a message at the end and an unusual ending.  Prue was very impressed and would read any of her books.

SHEILA:  ISLAND SONG BY MADELEINE BUNTING

Although the author usually writes non fiction this is a fictional story set in Guernsey during WW11.  Helene, who has recently married, has to see her husband return to England with the other men from the island.  They are going to enlist.  The Germans invade and the story tells how the families survived with the Germans on the island.  Forty years later, Helene's daughter Roz learns the truth about her father.  Sheila said it was a good read and well written.  She also believes it is quite sound historically.

PAMELA:  THE LAST KABBALIST OF LISBON BY RICHARD ZIMLER

This is a novel about the actual massacre of  about 2,000 Jewish people in Lisbon, Portugal in the 16th century.  The Jews were being blamed for all the bad things that that were happening, the famine, the drought and the plague. The narrator is Berekiah Zarco, a 20 year old Kabbalist and manuscript illuminator who is looking for the killer of his uncle. It is a murder mystery. Pamela said it was an interesting read.

JUDY DE:  GOOD DOGS DON'T MAKE IT TO THE SOUTH POLE BY HANS OLAV THYVOLD

This is an inspiring novel on friendship and ageing written by a dog.  The narrator is Tassen, a dog whose owner, Major Thorkildsen dies. Tassen is left with Mrs. Thorkildsen who is researching Roald Amundsen's 1911 expedition to the South Pole.  It is funny in parts as well as sad.  Judy said it was a good book and very interesting.

CHARIS;  A LONG PETAL OF THE SEA BY ISABEL ALLENDE

This is an historical novel set in 1930's when civil war grips Spain.  General Franco and his fascists overthrow the government. Many families flee to the French border.  Roser, a pregnant widow unites in a marriage with Victor, an army doctor, brother to her deceased husband. This will enable them to be sponsored on a ship taking refugees to Chile. The couple went back to Spain after Franco but did not like living there so they went to Venezuela.

KRIS:  THE YIELD BY TARA JUNE WINCH

In the first chapter Albert Gondiwindi is the narrator. His wife, Elsie's gift of an English dictionary has inspired him to write a dictionary in the language of the Wiradjuri to pass on everything he remembers.  In the second chapter, Augustine, his granddaughter returns from England.  Her poppy is dead and she is burdened with all she has tried to leave behind. Although it took a while to get into the book it was an enjoyable read. It was quite moving.

BEV:  ICE MASTER BY JENNIFER NIVEN

This is the story of the doomed voyage of Karluk in 1913, an expedition to the Arctic.  It is based on diaries of those who died and those who were saved. The organiser was out for his own glory and purchased a ship that was not suited for Arctic conditions.  It was badly planned.  The crew consisted of young sailors and young scientists, both with little experience.  They became marooned on the ice.  The rest of the story is about how they survived, the starvation, disease and snow blindness.  Twelve were rescued after a year.  Bev enjoyed the read.

JULIA:  THE DYING HOURS BY MARK BILLINGHAM

Tom Thorne, the main character in the series, is back in uniform and he hates it.  Patronised and abused by his new colleagues, Thorne's suspicions about the suicides are dismissed by the murder squad he was once a part of and he is forced to investigate alone.

ROSEMARIE:  THE WEEKEND BY CHARLOTTE WOOD

This is a novel about three women in their 70's.   Their friend Sylvie has died. They have a weekend away staying in a beach house, Sylvie's old house. They have had a lifelong friendship but when Sylvie dies the friendship struggles to keep the delicate equilibrium of their relationship.

Kris                                                      

 

 September:

Autobiography or Biography

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

FEBRUARY 2020 KATE MORTON

THE SHIFTING FOG (2006)

PAT C:

Pat described this as an easy read and enjoyable. It passed the time pleasantly and made you think there was always a big secret to come out at the end.

WENDY:

The story revolves around an aristocratic family in decline. There are two subplots – the life and loves of the two daughters and the making of a film about the family. It is narrated by the ex-nanny and is told from her perspective.

It’s a real upstairs downstairs, rich and poor story.

Wendy thought it was cluttered and clunky and could have been better edited. The details of minor aspects went on and on.

CHARIS:

She found she was getting bored by the end of it. She couldn’t wait for Grace, the maid, to tell her main thread of the story.

Charis thought her writing style was quite readable.

THE LAKE HOUSE (2015)

VAL:

Val does not normally read family sagas. This one is set in two periods, an early family tragedy, and seventy years later, a detective begins to investigate again.

Val thought it became very obvious at times. She read quite a lot of the book, but didn’t finish it.

CLAURENE:

Also read some of this book, agreed with Val’s comments.

DIANN:

This is a 595paged story about the the House and its occupants and certain events that changed lives. She enjoyed it and would read more of Kate Morton’s books.

CLOCKMAKER’S DAUGHTER

JUDY A:

Judy thought the book was too long, too many characters and details. She was itching to get to the end.

DIANE:

Diane also didn’t finish the book. It was too verbose and not enough action.

SHEILA:

Once she began the book, it soon caught her interest and she liked the book.

She enjoyed the presence of the ghost and described it as a gentle book.

Again, it covers two periods of time and two sets of people.

The book is set in England and she thought her descriptions of the countryside were brilliant.

JUDY De L:

Judy also loved it although she very soon figured out the story.

JULIA:

Julia normally doesn’t like stories with a time slip concept. But once she got used to it, she found this a great story. There was murder, theft, love and loss, all the things she likes in a story.

The writing was so descriptive; it was easy to picture the old Manor House. She really enjoyed it.

ED:

Ed had previously read the book. Didn’t mind reading it again although she thought it was a bit long winded.

LESLEY:

Set in beautiful English countryside, a large rambling house is the centre of the story. There are many story lines within the book and all linked to the house.

Lesley thought it was a rather long story, it didn’t grab her attention, however the idea of the house also being, and having character was clever.

THE FORGOTTEN GARDEN

PAT B:

Pat’s thoughts on the book were that it was too wordy and so predictable. It rather annoyed her.

JO:

For Jo, it was too wordy and too big. But once she had got into the story, she couldn’t put it down. The story is set over three different periods, in two different countries.

JOAN:

The story begins in London in 1913. A woman and a 4-year-old girl board a boat for Australia. Just after this, the woman is called away momentarily, but doesn’t return. The ship sails with the little girl alone.

Joan did enjoy it, although at times it became a bit tedious. But she kept reading.

She thought that author had a very successful formula, and she was happy to have read it.

TAM:

Tam also loved it, and didn’t find it tedious.

She thought the mystery was very good, cleverly done and gradually revealed.

CONNIE:

Connie thought it was too long and the changing times annoyed her. It was too wordy. She couldn’t be bothered reading so many pages to push the story along. She enjoyed the story but it didn’t happen quickly enough.

THE DISTANT HOURS

KRIS:

Three eccentric sisters live in Milderhurst Castle with little contact with the outside world. During the war they billeted a young girl from London. Many years later, and now an adult, she receives a long lost letter from the youngest sister. Her daughter goes to the castle to find out more about her mother’s time there, and many more secrets and tragedies are gradually uncovered.

Kris thought it was a really nice read, and very suitable for long, hot summer days.

JUDY J:

Judy thought that the book was packed full of unnecessary detail and description. On and on it goes, page after page of no dialogue, no action and no furthering of the plot.

The characters are very well written, the atmosphere is intense but the plot is so slow and rambling, it became a chore to keep going.

PRUE:

Prue thought she was a very good writer. She described the book as being closely written, needing to read every word. She also thought it too long with too little story.

But she enjoyed it more when she read it in larger chunks.

THIRD THURSDAY BOOK CLUB in MARCH ~ Australian Indigenous Authors

January, 2020 - Books we read over the festive season

Julia:  Lost Light by Michael Connelly

Harry Bosch has quit the Los Angeles Police Department.  He takes a file with him to find out why a young woman was murdered 4 years ago.  Julia really enjoyed this book.  She also read Cat O' Nine Tales by Jeffrey Archer. Julia loves cats and thought it was very good.  It's a collection of short stories.  Julia said the drawings were great.

Rosemarie: The Long Call by Ann Cleeves

This is the first book in the Two Rivers series from the author who wrote Vera and Shetland.  It is set in North Devon.  A new detective, Matthew Venn is introduced.  He lacks confidence and is not as strong a character as Vera.  He is gay, but married.  This brings up issues with the family and church community.  There is a murder of a man at the beach.  There are secrets in the community.  Rosemarie thoroughly enjoyed this book.  She also read Silver by Chris Hammer.  He is the author of Scrublands.  Rosemarie enjoyed this book which is quite long at 550 pages.

 Bev:   This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay

This book is non fiction.  It's a series of diary entries of a junior doctor as he progresses through the ranks.  It showed all the mistakes that doctors make.  It was an easy read.  She didn't love or hate it.  Although it was just something you read bits of at a time, it was very interesting.

Judy D also read This is Going to Hurt by Adam Kay.  She agreed with Stephen Fry's comment that it was painfully funny.

Tam:  Heart of the Dreaming by Di Morrissey

The main character is Queenie.  She loved and lived for the family sheep property.  Queenie marries a gambler and loses everything.  She also has a very jealous brother.  Queenie goes to the city and becomes a great real estate agent and makes a lot of money to be able to get the farm back.  It was a bit too much.  Her character was too perfect and brilliant and a bit unbelievable.

Prue:  Resistance by Owen Sheers

This is an alternative history novel by a Fijian/Welsh poet and writer.  It is set in the Black Mountains of Wales.  It is set in 1944-1945 and Germany has occupied England.  There are five villages in the valley and they become isolated.  All the men disappear.  The women carry on but they refuse to collaborate with the Germans until there is a very bad winter.  The characters were beautifully developed and Prue said it was really well done.

Wendy:  Field of Poppies by Carmel Bird

This is Carmel Bird's latest book and her 10th novel.  It is a mystery.  It's very descriptive but a strangely constructed book.  Terrible things are happening in the world such as child slavery.  William, a doctor and his wife, Marsali decide to escape the city to a (fictional) country town.  They are lovable and well meaning but eventually they realise strange things are happening in the country town as well.

Judy A:  Bowraville by Dan Box

This is a true story.  Between the years 1990 to 1991 three aboriginal children were murdered.  No one was ever convicted of the crime.  Journalist, Dan Box heard about the case from Dan Jubelin, a homicide detective who worked on it. He was angry and sad at the state of justice in Australia and felt justice was not the same for everyone.  It was meticulously researched.
Judy also read Olive Again by Elizabeth Strout.  I's the sequel to Olive Kitteridge, the story of a an older crotchety high school Maths teacher in a town in America.  Judy loves the Olive Kitteridge books.

Colleen:  Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

It's a novel about building a Cathedral in the middle ages. The men and women who built it were poor.  They slept on floor but they created the most beautiful buildings.  Colleen enjoyed it.

Diann:  The Daughters of Mars by Tom Keneally

This novel is 589 pages.  It's set in 1915.  Two sisters joined the war effort as nurses.  They share a secret from the dairy farm where they grew up. It gives the female perspective to WW1.  It's well researched.  Diann said it was a really great novel and it was a very good read.

Judy J:  Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

 This book was published in 2008 and won the Pulitzer prize.  It's 13 stories and Olive is the connection between all the stories.  It moves throughout her life.  It's realistically drawn with an emotional depth and Judy enjoyed this book.

Jo:  Deadly Intent by Lynda La Plante

A ruthless drug dealer has disappeared.   He has plastic surgery to change his face in Mexico.  He is unrecognizable when he returns to England.  He tries to put a fatal drug on the market.  The female detective Anna Travis is called in to work on the case.  Jo said it was brilliant.

Claurene:  Me by Elton John

This is Elton John's official autobiography.  After 50 pages, Claurene wasn't sure about it but she said it got better.  She also read Tall Tales and Wee Stories: The Best of Billy Connolly by Billy Connolly.  It's not a biography but a compilation of all the skits he has done.  Claurene didn't like it.  She said it was not good.

Connie:  The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker by Joanna Nell 

Evelyn trained as a nurse in England.  She sailed from England to Australia in 1953 in the hope of an adventure.  She fell in love and married the ship's doctor. As the doctor's wife she lived on board.  The story goes ahead to when she is elderly and losing her memory.  She loses her husband and walks all over the ship looking for him.  It was very amusing as well as very sad in parts.  Connie really enjoyed this book.

Joan:  The Anarchy:  The East India Company, Corporate Violence, and the Pillage of an Empire by William Dalrymple. 

The author is an historian who lives in India most of the time.  This is the story of the relentless rise of the East India Company. It's London, 1599 and auditor and financier Thomas Smythe invests in a trading company seeking fortunes in the spice trade.  The Dutch are ahead of the game so they focused on Bengal.  In 1765 The East India Company defeated the young Mughal emperor and forced him to hand Bengal over to the company. The ships and private army of the company were double the size of the British army. The British government made a lot of money from the company.  It's hardcore history and Joan said it was so absorbing.  

Val:  Around the World in 80 Trees by Jonathan Drori

Each chapter deals with a different tree. The illustrations are beautiful.  Val said it was a fascinating book.

Sheila:  Sharpe's Company by Bernard Cornwell

Sheila has read the series which consists of 21 books.  It is set during the time of the Napoleonic Wars. The protagonist, Richard Sharpe is working his way up in the English Army.  The descriptions are very apt. Although it is historical fiction, Sheila said it was historically accurate. She said it was well worth reading, a great holiday read.

Pamela:  A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

The story starts slowly.  It is divided into five sections.  The time is 1922 after the bolshevik revolution.  It is set in Moscow's Hotel Metropol for most of the story.  The main character, Count Alexander Rostov was sentenced to be a former person because he wrote a poem for political change.  He has to vacate his rooms in the hotel to live in the attic.  It turns into a thriller.  Pamela said the writing was beautiful and it was uplifting to read.  It was a book she couldn't put down.

 Kris:  Room for a Stranger by Melanie Cheng

The main character Meg, a 75 year old woman, is living alone with her African grey parrot called Atticus for company.  Since her sister Helen died, Meg has been very lonely.  She becomes involved in a scheme where a younger person is given accommodation in return for a few duties.  Andy
Chan is the Chines second year university student who comes to live with her.  He is struggling financially and with his studies.  It's beautifully written.  The characters are flawed and vulnerable.  It's also an insightful look at multicultural Australia. It was thoroughly enjoyable.

Kris


                                      FEBRUARY, 2020:  Any title by KATE MORTON







 

 

December 2019: The Best Book You Read This Year!

Kris: The Library Book by Susan Orlean

In 1986 a fire destroyed much of the Los Angeles Public Library. While it was never proved by whom or why the fire was lit, this book explores, through little snippets, the importance of the Library to the community and the many roles it plays. While not a riveting book, it certainly was a ‘lovely read’.

                          

Rosemary: Dignity by Alys Conran

This is the 2^nd novel by this young Welsh writer and it covers both the 20^th century in India at the time of the Raj, and a modern day 21^st century UK town. It sways beautifully between the two, and you have no trouble determining which era you are currently in.

Joan:

To bring an element of coolness to the heat of this summer, Joan shared a poem, The Cremation of Stan McGee, written by Robert M Service.  It was published in 1907 and concerns the cremation of a prospector who freezes to death in Yukon, Canada, as told by the man who cremates him.

Bev: Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

Anthony Peardew is the ‘keeper of lost things’. Forty years ago he lost a keepsake of his fiancé, who unexpectedly died later that day. So he began collecting lost things, taking them home and cataloguing them. He had so many he had to get an assistant, Laura. When he died, she has to carry out his last wish, to reunite these objects with their owners. Bev described it as a sweet story.

Jo: Owl be Home for Christmas by Donna Andrews

This is the 26^th book in the Meg Langslow series, a lighthearted murder mystery set around Christmas. In a snow storm people are worried about getting home in time!

Wendy L: The Weekend by Charlotte Wood

The story concerns three older women who have been friends for 40 years. A fourth member has just died so they go to her beach house to clean it out to get it ready for sale. They explore their friendships, some bubbling tensions arise and secrets are revealed. Beautiful characters in a terrific book.

Lesley: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Attwood

Having seen the TV series, Lesley thought she should read the book. She thought the book was good but glad she had seen the series. She was particularly interested in the notes at the end. Reflecting on these, the comment was that you can’t judge on what has happened in the past.

Connie: The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George

From the first page she enjoyed it! Jean Perdu buys a barge on the Seine and turns it into a bookshop. As he takes it down the river he advises people what to read to sort out their problems. He meets so many interesting people, and sorts them all out, except himself.

Judy J: The Girl with Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee

This is her story of growing up in North Korea, a secretive and brutal totalitarian regime. Eager to see what life was like in China, she crosses the border at night. The true story of her survival, not only in China, but eventually in South Korea, is remarkable. It was twelve years before she was able to meet her family again and help them escape to join her.

Julia: Good Girl, Bad Girl by Michael Robotham

The author has a new protagonist in Cyrus Haven, also a criminal psychologist. Evie Cormac is a girl without a past, found in a secret room after a shocking crime. Julia liked the way the book is written, with one chapter told by Evie, the next by Cyrus. Michael Robothan is recognized as great crime writer.

Ed: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens                

Kya is a young girl who lives in an old shack in the marshes in North Carolina. She is left to look after herself but also learns so much about the gulls and other creatures in the area. Eventually this knowledge changes her life. A very heartwarming story of resilience, survival, hope, love and much more.

Prue: The Digger’s Rest Hotel by Geoffrey McGeachin

This is the first of three ‘Charlie Berlin’ crime novels and won the Ned Kelly award for best fiction in 2011. Charlie Berlin is a Melbourne police detective who served as a WW11 pilot, was shot down and did time as a POW. On his return to the police force he didn’t quite ‘fit in’ so was sent to Wodonga to solve a series of crimes. Prue enjoyed it so much, she is in the process of finishing the remaining books in the series.

Diann: Cesha’s Story by Cesha Glazer

Cesha Glazer’s story is remarkable. Born near Warsaw, Cesha was a blonde young woman who was easily able to pass as a Christian.  She spoke Polish with no trace of an accent.  This, combined with her ingenuity and ability to retain her composure, even in the face of extreme danger, enables her to act as a courier from the Warsaw Ghetto and later to live ‘in plain sight’ in Warsaw. Cesha’s Story is a devastating picture of life in wartime Poland.  But it also shows how individuals were able to rebuild their lives in Australia and to find meaning in their survival by telling their stories in the hope of ensuring that no such horror occurs again.

Charis: Pacifica by Kirsten Simmons

Set in the future when the ice has melted and plastics in the ocean have formed an island. The world is divided into two groups at war with each other, and one of these groups live on the ‘plastic island’.

In this dystopian world, everything we haven't done to save the environment has taken its toll. Global warming went to an extreme; all the icebergs in the world melted; miles and miles of rubbish make the seas almost inhabitable!

Claurene:  Rather his Own Man by Geoffrey Robertson

This is the second part of his memoir, and is absolutely a fun, fascinating, very witty and poignant memoir. Good fun to read and a fantastic book.

Tam: The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett

The book has a very different format – in 1958 a young couple meet after she fell off her bike. Three different versions of what could have happened are told. The same people make different decisions in each part. Tam found it quite interesting.

Pat: The Art of Happiness by Dalai Lama

Pat found it a really interesting and different book.

Most people associate happiness with things, but it has to come from within you, not material things.

Sheila: The House on the Hill by Susan Duncan

This is the third book of her memoirs. She is at the age where she has decided there is no point sweating on long term ramifications; there aren’t any. She is aging gracefully, building a house, grappling with floods and droughts and sorting out things from her family’s past.

Sheila thought the first two books were better though.

Pamela: The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

Its not an easy read, with four stories that happen to members of the Compson family, in one day but in different years. Everyone is complicated and with a different point of view. Published in 1929, it was the author’s fourth novel.

January 2020  ~  ‘Santa Sack’

At our first Book Club meeting for the year, we will share books we have received for Christmas and/or read over this holiday period.

NOVEMBER, 2019 -- VARIOUS TITLES BY PETER TEMPLE

PETER TEMPLE was an Australian crime fiction writer, mainly know for his Jack Irish novel series.  He has won many awards.  He was born in South Africa in 1946. He left South Africa because of Apartheid. He moved to Sydney, Australia in 1980 and in 1982 to Melbourne to become the founding editor of Australian Society magazine.  He turned to fiction writing in 1990. He wrote the Jack Irish series and three stand alone novels, An Iron Rose, Shooting Star and In the Evil Day, as well as Broken Shore and it's semi sequel Truth.
It was a very lively and interesting discussion today.

 BAD DEBTS

JUDY J:   This is the first book in the Jack Irish series.  Judy felt it helped to have seen the television series.  The story is set in Melbourne.  It is very Victorian with AFL references and Fitzroy references.  It's a complicated story with lots of things happening.  I probably wouldn't read another one.

ED: She found it quite OK and enjoyed reading this book. 

PRUE:  Once she got into the story, Prue could not put it down. It moved quite seamlessly from one part to the other. It painted Melbourne very well.  It was a bit dark, violent and corrupt but it was how it was at the time.  There were bits of subtle humour.  It was typically Australian.

BLACK TIDE

CLAURENE:  This is the second book in the Jack Irish series. It was interesting.  It gives you information about lots of different things.  The author introduces characters with a few words.  Claurene enjoyed the way he writes.

CHARIS:  She couldn't understand and follow the dialogue and the way he portrayed Melburnians.  When Charis got further in to it she decided to give up.  She didn't enjoy Peter Temple. 

JUDY D:  Judy felt the same as Charis.  She couldn't understand a lot of it but said it was OK.  She normally likes crime thrillers.

DEAD POINT

LESLEY:  This is the third book in the Jack Irish series.  Jack has a messy life and he is unlucky in love.  There are good descriptions of the Melbourne weather and the cafe life.  This story is about a missing person.  It's written in the first person and Lesley found it  hard to follow.  The sentences were complicated.  There are a lot of peripheral characters and Lesley found it confusing and unsatisfactory.

WHITE DOG

ROSEMARY:  She tried but couldn't get into it.

BEV:  Bev said it took a long time to work out who was who.  Half way through a woman got killed in an explosion.  She finished reading it but had no desire to read anymore Peter Temple.

SHEILA:  She loathed it and only read one chapter.

COLLEEN:  She tried a couple of times to get into it but didn't like the the story.

KRIS:  It took a while to get into the story but I had watched a few episodes of Jack Irish and enjoyed it.  The pace was good although some parts were confusing.  I quite enjoyed it until about page 289 when Jack got further into trying to uncover information about two deaths and cover ups and more characters were introduced.  I got fed up with the constant really bad language and I found the exploitation of teenage girls was too depressing so I didn't read anymore.
 

THE BROKEN SHORE (2005)

CONNIE:  Connie said she persevered and read it all.  She thought it would be different.  If there was not so much bad language the book wouldn't have been half as long.  It was set on the south coast of Victoria.  The descriptions were good but she did not like this book.

JOAN:  Joe Cashin, a homicide detective is haunted by his last case.  He has fled Melbourne for the south coast of Victoria while his wounds heal.   In a little country town, a local man is brutally murdered.   Joe has decided to live in this little country town and you get the story of the local man being part of a paedophilia ring.  Joan had nightmares from the story.

JUDY A:  Joe  Cashin's partner was killed in a car accident.  Judy liked the book and said she really likes Peter Temple's writing.

DIANN:  Diann said she really liked it and understood why the detective wanted a new life.  This novel is a whodunit.  It brings in race relations and politics.  It shows a relationship between a man and his dog.  It is an easy flow story. 

TRUTH (2009)
JO:  There were too many different plots and the language was shocking.  The language spoiled it for Jo. She doesn't want to read anymore of Peter Temple books.

PAMELA:   This is the sequel to Broken Shore.  There are unresolved problems in Truth that would have been resolved in the next book.  The setting is Melbourne with a bushfire raging.   The story is about trying to get justice and how difficult it can be and also the elusiveness of trying to find the truth of things. The main character, Steve is a Police Inspector  and a good man who unwittingly gets compromised in a murder and taking money.  It is a difficult book.  There are large groups of people.  The writing is exact, no padding, spare and there is a lot of humour.  Pamela thinks it is a brilliant book but it requires very careful reading.

ANNE:  Inspector Steve Villani is the head of Homicide.  The setting is the Black Saturday Fires in 2009.  Steve has three main cases.  One is a murdered young woman in a penthouse apartment, three men savagely murdered and tortured and a drug dealer corrupting his daughter.  The writing is really good and Anne described it as taut.  There is a lot of sardonic humour.  It is one of her favourite books.

 IRON ROSE

 WENDY:  The story is about an ex Federal cop in a regional community.  Wendy really enjoyed it.  She said it was really well paced with short and pared down dialogue.  It has dry humour. and the author has a sharp eye for detail.  It kept you reading.

 THE RED HAND

PAT B:  This is a book of short stories.  Pat didn't really enjoy his writing but found it interesting that he didn't start writing until he was 50 years old.



Our book for December is the best book we have read this year, excluding any from this year's Bookclub list.

Our book for January will be one we have read over the festive season.

 
 Don't forget our Bookclub meeting will be on the 12th December.  Please bring a wrapped gift of a book you don't want anymore.
Also, please bring your own morning tea as we will be having our celebratory lunch after the meeting at Cornerstone Cafe.
It's your chance to wear something festive.



 Kris