The land before avocado

 

March 2021 

The month we read a mix as we couldn't decide, and we had an extra week due to Easter. 

The land before avocado / Richard Glover

The first was Richard Glover's book about life in Australia between 1965 and 1975, the big question being was life better back then? His conclusion - there were only a few things that were better; the ones I agree with are the music and Countdown.  

Deb loved the reminiscence of the book. She was away up at Bowen and played the audio book to Steve's mum who enjoyed it thoroughly. It brought back memories for me too - Chariots of the gods, I'd completely forgotten about that. Aliens coming to Earth was a hot topic, Glenda even having written to the Prime Minister about them. 

Megan    3

Deb        8

Anna      7

Glenda   7

The second option was anything by Agatha Chrsitie. Kristy's jaw hit the floor when a few in the group (Deb, Megan and Glenda) admitted they'd never read one, it was then decided that would also be our March read. Margaret joined the group today and it turns out she hasn't read Agatha Christie either.   

Rather the read a complete novel Megan preferred to find out more about the woman and in particular her disappearance for eleven days in 1926. A marriage breakdown was attributed, which at the time was scandalous news. 

Phil had read many of her books already, commenting they're usually about the aristocracy and that there are better mystery authors. Glenda is reading 'The murder of Roger Ackroyd' written in 1926 and finds it humorous. Deb couldn't understand the attraction of murder mystery, mainly the murder part. As for me I enjoy whodunnits, the characters are always an odd bunch which is probably my favourite bit. I read 'And then there were none' and watched the recent mini series. I wanted to discuss with someone who's read it, the order in which everyone is bumped off. 

Megan 7

Anna    8

Glenda 8 

Phil       6


Brief answers to the big questions - Stephen Hawking

February 2021


Brief answers to the big questions / Stephen Hawking

Deb     8

Anna   7

Megan 9



January 2021 - A Room Made Of Leaves by Kate Grenville

January 2021


A Room Made Of Leaves by Kate Grenville

Deb 10 

Megan 9

Glenda 9

Phil 9

Anna 9 

Alex 6.5



A lovey meeting at Anna’s following a late change of venue due to Anna babysitting Eleya. A lovely book well researched and written with empathy. It was delightful to hear the voice of the woman in the early years of colonial Sydney. The writing about the landscape painted a lovely picture of familiar places. The characters were interesting; particularly the way Elizabeth interacter with them and behaved in accordance with social norms of the time. We are agreed that a visit to Elizabeth Farm is needed, followed by a stroll to Parramatta River.

February 2020 - We Have Always Lived In The Castle by Shirley Jackson




Deb 3
Anna 8
Kristy 7
Phil 4
Megan 7
Glenda 7
Annette 5.5


A book about misfits divided the group, luckily we’re all still talking.

Megan and Anna liked it a lot, quick, straight to the point, quirky characters and a lot to talk about. Kristy didn’t like the ending but still gave it a seven. Phil found it depressing a read at what was an awful time of year anyway, fires, smoke, flood, locusts. Annette didn’t finish it and found it a hard read. Deb hates poor bugger books. And interestingly, Glenda (absent) hadn’t checked the publication date and placed it in a more modern period than early 1960s.

March 2020 - Love in a cold climate by Nancy Mitford

 Nil notes and scores


 

May 2020 - A Lifetime of Impossible Days by Tabitha Bird



Kristy 7

Anna 7 

Phil 3

Megan 3 Deb 3


April 2020 - The Shepherd’s Hut by Tim Winton

Glenda 8 
Megan 9

Small group met and it went well.


Megan enjoyed the book as the the voice of the narrator reminded her of her friend Kev. 'It was lovely to read as I could hear Kev's voice in my head.'

Megan re-read shortly after as she knew how it ended so she could read it with less tension about how things would end.

June 2020 - The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

Glenda 7
Anna 7

Glenda scored it a 7 for the twist she didn’t see coming. Meeting was at Glenda's. Deb, Megan and Anna hadn’t read it so Glenda gave a synopsis (without revealing the twist). Anna then got a copy and is planning a quick read of it.



July 2020 - Working Class Man by Jimmy Barnes


Deb 9


Read by Deb who have it a whopping 9. She loved the info about the bands at the time, lack of money and hard work. A revealing insight into the music culture and at the same time therapy for the author himself. I assume Glenda read it too, as it was her book on the coffee table but Glenda, I didn’t get a score from you.


August 2020 COVID 19 exhaustion - no book

September 2020 - The seven good years by Etgar Keret


Megan 10 

Anna 6 

Deb 7

Kristy 6 



October 2020 - The Badass Librarians of Timbuktu by Joshua Hammer



Phil 7  

Megan 7

Anna 7

An interesting book. Everyone felt that they were ill informed about the time and the place of the book. We all agreed that the topic was fascinating.

November 2020 - French Exit by Patrick DeWitt


Phil 5 

Deb 7 

Anna 8

Megan 8



A delightful read, until the final part. Megan suggested reading up until the bath scene. Enjoyable until there. Interesting, characters: except for the parts where they are quite screwed up. About the time of reading it was discovered that a film was being released. That is a “might watch”.

February 2019 - Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton



Phil 10 

Cheryl 8.5 

Kristy 8 

Megan 6.5

Glenda 4


Glenda said she didn’t mind the 45 pages that I read; I was confused, it had some potential, but as Cheryl commented it was a bit “ blah, blah, blah”.

March 2019 - Dear Mrs Bird by A.J. Pearce



Anna 7
Phil 7 Megan 7 Deb 7  Cheryl 8.5  Annette 8


April 2019 - Little fires everywhere by Celeste Ng



Phil 3 

Glenda 8


Kristy had read the book previously but didn’t score. Many characters, and none too likeable was the general consensus. Glenda liked it.

June 2019 - The Ape House by Sara Gruen


Megan 7

Deb 7


May 2019 - The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver


 Phil 8


July 2019 - The Shell by Christina Olsen



Deb 8

Anna 5 

Megan 2


Well only three of us read Shell. Deb loved it and gave it an 8, she was interested in that period of history as hadn’t really known much about it previously. Megan on the other hand did not like it and gave it a 2, saying it had way too many metaphors, no substance and felt that the Swedish glassmaker Axel was stalking Utzon. I was torn, and gave it a 5. I was looking forward to getting deep into the heart and politics of Sydney and the building of the Opera House, but found too much poetry. I got what I wanted in the end but it took a lot of effort.


August 2019 - The Lido by Libby Page



Cheryl 5 

Annette 6 

Megan 4 

Phil 2 

Anna 6



All filler, no killer. No meat, just broth - Deb and Megan.
Dull boring predictable Cheryl. Poor man’s Eleanor Oliphant.

September 2019 - 1984 by George Orwell


Megan 9

Deb 7  Anna 7


October 2019 - The Loved One by Evelyn Waugh


Megan 7 

Deb 7 

Anna 5


February 2018 - Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? by Jeanette Winterson


Deb 3

Annette 6

Megan 6

Phil 8 

Anna 8

We all agreed there was not a lot of substance and
largely forgettable.

March 2018 - Ghost Empire by Richard Fidler



Annette 10 
Cheryl 9  Anna 8  Deb 8  Phil 5


Deb – Really enjoyed reading ancient history by a non-historian. His writing was easy to understand and remember. I learned a lot. Loved his reflections about religion and his son’s reactions and questions about being in Istanbul/Constantinople.



April 2018 - The Choke by Sophie Laguna

 Glenda 7


May 2018 - The Trip of a Lifetime by Monica McInerney


Megan 6 

Cheryl 6 

Deb 7 

Steve 6.5 (Guest reviewer)



‘A trip of a lifetime ‘ was read and discussed by three: Cheryl, Deb and Megan.


Deb provided questions and hospitality. The meaning of ‘home’ was discussed and if lying was ever necessary (yes) by five: the above three, Glenda and myself. Deb recalled seeing Monica McInerney at Penrith Library and not being impressed. She did like this book though, and thought it was an enjoyable easy read. Phil read 150 pages and thought life is too short to continue any further. Annette I think, may have not persevered that far.

June 2018 - Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

Kristy 4 

Annette 6 

Phil 6 

Cheryl 6  Anna 7 

August 2018 - The Cookbook Collector by Allegra Goodman


Nil notes and scores


July 2018 - Eleanor Oliphant is completely fine by Gail Honeyman


Megan enjoyed it and would recommend. Different and interesting.

No scores recorded.


September 2018 - Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders


Nil scores




Annette – I couldn’t get through the book, I gave up not long after starting. I like the concept but found it too difficult to read.



Anna – I haven’t read it either, same experience as Annette, started, stopped. I took it back to the library then reborrowed it for Phil.

October 2018 - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles



Anna 9 

Megan 10 

Deb 8 

Cheryl 9.5 

Phil 10 

Annette 10  Kristy 10

November 2018 - Educated by Tara Westover



Megan 7 
Phil 8  Anna 8

January 2017 - All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr


 Nil notes and scores

February 2017 - The Spy by Paulo Coelho


 Nil scores


Megan - I recommend viewing the documentary Anna found. I didn't know anything about Mata Hari so I watched the video before I read the book. It really helped.



March 2017 - Small Island by Andrea Levy


 Nil notes and scores

April 2017 - The Dry by Jane Harper


 Nil notes and scores This was made into a film released in 2021.

May 2017 - This Is Where I Leave You by Johnathon Tropper



Glenda 8
Deb 8 Megan 8 Anna 8  Phil 6 Alison 6  Annette 5 Cheryl 5  Carmel 6.5


So some of the group found the writing to be too easy and a supposed cheat's way of writing.

The other criticism was that it was too American and also belittles women.

The opposing view was that it was written from a male perspective and a certain type of male way of thinking. Whether you can read this or not is going to be very individual.

Most thought the book entertaining, and hilarious at many moments and could easily translate to an American dysfunctional family sitcom.  

The characters were not explored in any depth.


June 2017 - Working Class Boy by Jimmy Barnes


 

Phil 0

Megan 4 

Kristy 5 

Cheryl 6 

Anna 7

Glenda 7 

Annette 6 

Phil - the writing was not good, didn’t explore the characters, Annette very annoying American style, Megan entertaining and readable.

July 2017 - The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith


 Nil notes and scores


August 2017 - The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho



Megan 10 
Deb 8  Anna 8 Carmel 8  Annette 7 Cheryl 7


Megan said it was joyful and pleasant. Deb said it was not a burden to read.


September 2017 - Dog Boy by Eva Hornung


 Nil notes and scores 


October 2017 - The Golden Age by Joan London




Anna - I’ve read the book and liked it a lot. 

Megan - It is not a difficult read and quite interesting.   Nil scores


November 2017 - Life After Life by Kate Atkinson


 Nil notes and scores


December - January 2017: The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins



Megan 8
Deb 8
Cheryl 7
Alison 6
Phil 5
Published in 1868, we found out tonight, some or much, I’m not sure which, was written whilst Wilkie was under the influence of laudanum. Much of the text is long winded which may be due to the novel first appearing as a serial in Charles Dickens’ magazine ‘All the year round’ or due to the author being under influence of the drug.

The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins was generally thought by clubbers not as good as the ‘Woman in white’ which we read and enjoyed many years ago.