Booklovin Blues

July 2014- The Dinner by Herman Koch

Two sets of related parents meet in a swish restaurant to discuss what to do about their sons, and the crime they have committed. The story slowly unfolds over dinner, painfully through each course, back and forth, up to the point of the dinner they are now sharing. The characters at first thought to be the sanest gradually become the most deranged, the ones you identify with you now want to distance from. Gen found the book disturbing; Cheryl said it was interesting but not enjoyable. We all agreed that it was ideal for book club as it generated much discussion.

Anna 8

Annette 6

Cheryl 6

Deb 8

Gen 7.5

Megan 6

Average 6.9

June

Shakespeare: The World as Stage by Bill Bryson

Annette 8

Kristy 7

Phil 8

Average 7.6

May

The Narrow Road To The Deep North

by Richard Flanagan

A grim story about the Thai Burma railway and the unfortunate lives of the prisoners and captors. The blurb on the back of the book didn't relate this as the bulk of the story, instead referring more the love story of Dorrigo Evans, the protagonist and a Weary Dunlop type character.

Annette 7

Anna 7

Cheryl 9

Gen 8

Kristy 8

Average 7.8

April

The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick

Annette      5
Cheryl   5
Deb      8
Genevieve 7
Kristy    6
Megan      6
Phil   7

Average 6.28

March

Daisy Bates - biography

Daisy Bates : "the great white queen of the never never" Elizabeth Salter

The passing of the Aborigines : a lifetime spent among the natives of Australia

Daisy Bates

Desert queen: the many lives and loves of Daisy Bates / by Susanna De Vries and Daisy Bates

Maralinga : the Anangu story / by Yalata and Oak Valley Communities, with Christobel Mattingley

Kabbarli: A personal memoir of Daisy Bates by Ernestine Hill

Anna 7

Annette 7

Cheryl 7

Genevieve 6.5

Kristy 5

Megan 8

Average 6.75

February 2014- The Light between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

This was a bit of dismal follow up to Wolf Hall. No hugely popular in the group as only three people managed to bother to meet up to discuss it.

Basically a childless couple find a baby washed up in a boat at the isolated light house they look after. The woman so desperately wants a child she convinces herself and her husband that keeping the baby will do no harm.

This book has charmed readers across the world but unfortunately not our group, who found the story and the actions implausible.

The first time novel by Stedman has been snapped up by Dreamworks to made into a tear jerker.

The scores are:
Anna 5 (didn't finish)
Annette 5
Cheryl 5
Phil 6

Average: 5.25

Dec/Jan 2014- Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Wolf Hall was our annual epic to be savoured over the summer break. The thought of Tudor history and cold medieval castles was not enticing Christmas fare.

The winner of the Man Booker prize 2009 tells of the rise of Anne Boleyn, King Henry VIII's divorce from Katherine of Aragon and break from the Church of Rome, and the demise of Thomas More from the viewpoint of Thomas Cromwell, Henry's chief advisor.

It began as a laborious read, Phil preferred to organise our weekend away instead and so spent her time at Hello World Glenbrook booking the Wamberal accommodation for our annual inaugural book club weekend away. A great effort on her part!

The style, even for those who have a knowledge of this period in history was difficult to follow. Mantel uses "He" when referring to Cromwell, which is often, it was confusing as to which "he" was being referred to at the time. I began to feel that the book was written for readers of a much higher intelligence than I can ever hope to have. But eventually it becomes worth the effort as the scores below indicate.

Alison 8
Anna 8
Annette 6
Deb 8
Kristy 8.5
Megan 7.5
Phil 4

Average 7.14

November 2013- The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

The Rosie project is a laugh out loud awkward romance with the adorable Don, the anal protagonist in search of a wife. Don, designs and distributes a questionnaire for potential partners to help sort the unsuitable from the suitable types, early on. They mustn't smoke or drink and must be punctual. Rosie who is none of these needs the help of a geneticist, Don, to find her real father. Don begins doing things out of character, learns to mix cocktails and to dance on this crazy ride.

 We mostly loved the book except for some kooky moments: the escape out of an apartment in New York and the revelation of Rosie's father, not as strongly written as the rest. Anyway here are the scores:

Alison 7

Anna 7.5

Annette 10

Cheryl 9.5

Deb 8

Genieveive 9

Megan 5

Phil 9

Average 8.12

October 2013- Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonson

Beautifully written all the way with lovely main characters like the prim and proper Englishman Major Pettigrew (born in India) and the gorgeous Mrs Ali a Pakistani shopkeeper (born in England). They try to keep a friendship and yearn for more against the backdrop of gossipy village life.