A small group this month, but plenty of reading to discuss as well as a robust discussion that was enjoyed by all.
The Forgotten Book Store in Paris by Daisy Wood, a WW11 historical fiction book, is being enjoyed and we all agreed that quite a few books seem to be Paris centred these days, particularly WW11 timeframe. Ann the Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitous a new voice in crime fiction, this book won the A & U Crime Fiction Prize. A Melbourne senior detective returns to Deception Bay from Melbourne and discovers a wall of silence, a chilling and timely read. Sins of the Father: The untold story behind Schapelle. Our reader found this a most interesting read around the circumstantial evidence presented at Schapelle Corby’s trial. One Woman’s War by Christine Wells a novel of intrigue and suspense set once again in WW11. Operation Mincemeat was made into a film that rated well, set in 1943 when the Allied Forces were about to launch an all-out assault on Europe. Channel Islands by Damian Barrett interviews Channel Islanders who were British subjects living on the Islands under Nazi rule during WW11. Away from the War now to Jane Austen A Life by Claire Tomalin takes us into the everyday life of the Austen household, interesting for Jane Austen fans. Faces in the Water written by Janet Frame tells of a young woman (considered by some to be Janet herself) who is sectioned in various mental health institutions throughout her life. This later became a film An Angel at My Table recounting the early life of New Zealand author Janet Frame. Parisian archivist Helene Gestern places an advertisement with a picture of her mother, who died when Helene was three, and the two men also in the photo taken at a tennis tournament, a very enjoyable read. Access Road by Maurice Gee, a novel of family secrets and tensions written by one of New Zealand’s finest authors, was worth reading. A very interesting book was Books Do Furnish a Painting by Jamie Camplin, exploring the relationship between the development of books and artists. How many pictures in books or book covers do we see with books as background scenery? Another book that piqued the interest was Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life that demonstrated how men exploited womens unpaid service, another example was the wife of John Gould. Very relevant in the present time is The Men Who Killed Quantas by Mathew Benns, a full and frank history of Australia’s National Airline and the greed that has taken place.
So, a bit of controversy and discussion this month, let’s see what November brings.
Geraldine
The Forgotten Book Store in Paris by Daisy Wood, a WW11 historical fiction book, is being enjoyed and we all agreed that quite a few books seem to be Paris centred these days, particularly WW11 timeframe. Ann the Unbelieved by Vikki Petraitous a new voice in crime fiction, this book won the A & U Crime Fiction Prize. A Melbourne senior detective returns to Deception Bay from Melbourne and discovers a wall of silence, a chilling and timely read. Sins of the Father: The untold story behind Schapelle. Our reader found this a most interesting read around the circumstantial evidence presented at Schapelle Corby’s trial. One Woman’s War by Christine Wells a novel of intrigue and suspense set once again in WW11. Operation Mincemeat was made into a film that rated well, set in 1943 when the Allied Forces were about to launch an all-out assault on Europe. Channel Islands by Damian Barrett interviews Channel Islanders who were British subjects living on the Islands under Nazi rule during WW11. Away from the War now to Jane Austen A Life by Claire Tomalin takes us into the everyday life of the Austen household, interesting for Jane Austen fans. Faces in the Water written by Janet Frame tells of a young woman (considered by some to be Janet herself) who is sectioned in various mental health institutions throughout her life. This later became a film An Angel at My Table recounting the early life of New Zealand author Janet Frame. Parisian archivist Helene Gestern places an advertisement with a picture of her mother, who died when Helene was three, and the two men also in the photo taken at a tennis tournament, a very enjoyable read. Access Road by Maurice Gee, a novel of family secrets and tensions written by one of New Zealand’s finest authors, was worth reading. A very interesting book was Books Do Furnish a Painting by Jamie Camplin, exploring the relationship between the development of books and artists. How many pictures in books or book covers do we see with books as background scenery? Another book that piqued the interest was Wifedom: Mrs Orwell’s Invisible Life that demonstrated how men exploited womens unpaid service, another example was the wife of John Gould. Very relevant in the present time is The Men Who Killed Quantas by Mathew Benns, a full and frank history of Australia’s National Airline and the greed that has taken place.
So, a bit of controversy and discussion this month, let’s see what November brings.
Geraldine
