The Savage Garden

Our first Crime Club book for 2008 is The Savage Garden by Mark Mills. Set in Italy in 1958 when WWII is still fresh in the minds of locals, student Adam Strickland travels to a villa to study a mysterious Renaissance garden. He unravels the intriguing reason for the garden's construction and also discovers a recent murder much closer to his hostess' family. The crime scene on the upper floor of the villa has been sealed off since it happened - perhaps because of grief, or perhaps to preserve the scene to ensure justice is eventually done. Adam blunders on to discover the truth, but who is really in control? The story builds slowly, then builds its pace as the truth is finally revealed - about the garden and the upper floor of the villa. 3 1/2/5

The Devil Wears Prada

I really enjoyed The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. It is an "over the top" (or is it??) tale of college graduate Andrea Sachs landing the "dream" job as assistant to a high-class fashion editor, Miranda Priestly. Miranda sets impossible standards for her staff and often demands the unattainable. You wonder if there are really employers like this and apparently there are. Andrea is at her boss's beck and call 24/7 as she must have everyone doing things for her. As you read each chapter depicting another impossible incident, you wonder what will break Andrea before she finally tells Miranda to f____ herself!! This is a world which probably exists and that is the most frightening thing about this book. 4 1/2/5

Sea of Lost Love

I've read Sea of Lost Love by Santa Montefiore. Set in 1950s England where class distinction was still an issue. Young Celestria Montague's father disappears mysteriously at sea, presumed suicide, leaving his family in debt. Celestria travels to Italy to find out the truth about her father's past and discovers real love. A "peaches and cream" story full of cliches - a Mills & Boon type soap opera - but if you like that sort of thing it's a book that passes the time. It was so icky and predictable, I felt guilty wasting my time reading it. 2/5

The Broken Shore

I've finished The Broken Shore by Peter Temple which was a great murder story set in country Australia. Detective Joe Cashin is recuperating from an earlier incident on his property and becomes involved with the brutal murder of a wealthy local identity. At first suspicion falls on members of the local aboriginal community but Cashin probes more deeply and uncovers a disturbing relationship between the murder victim and a local "holiday camp" for boys from the city. Some great characters in this story apart from Cashin - Dove, the detective who "doesn't want to be black and doesn't want to be white"; Dave Rebb the "swaggie" who helps restore Joe's home and has a mysterious past and Hopgood, the obnoxious "boong hater" in charge of the local police. 4/5

A Three Dog Life

I've finished A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas which is a beautifully sad story of her life after her husband suffers a traumatic brain injury. Their lives are changed dramatically and Thomas writes about how she copes with this "new and different" man who is her husband, yet is not. Her beloved dogs help her through the ordeal as she builds a new life. 3 1/2/5

Crime & Mystery Book Club Christmas

Our members had a lovely lunch today at Simple Pleasures. We had a room to ourselves so our lively discussion could not offend other diners. We discussed Briarpatch by Ross Thomas and opinion was fairly evenly divided on its merits. Billie presented an excellent review as Thomas is one of her favourite authors. Val S., Judi, Colleen, Val M. and I enjoyed it to a lesser extent and Di didn't like it. We had a great time talking, eating and discussing our books for next year.

The Big Sleep

Raymond Chandler's classic The Big Sleep was very enjoyable. Private detective Philip Marlowe is hired by a wealthy man with two spoilt daughters. He works hard to stay alive and at the same time unravel blackmail and murder intrigues while fighting off the attention of the daughters. Full of witty one-liners you can hear from the mouth of Humphrey Bogart, this is a must-read for fans of this genre. 4/5

December Book Club

Last night was our final Book Club meeting for the year, hosted by Leonie. She welcomed us with a wonderful Christmas ambience - lots of decorations, tree and a beautiful Christmas supper complete with Christmas crackers. We enjoyed a lovely night. Jenny, Sandy, Bev, Vee, Ulla, Kathy, Di and Liz were there. Marilyn was away looking after her mother and Penny is in Botswana. Penny sent her greetings via email to me today to pass on. Leonie played Secret Santa and we all received some lovely gifts. Oh, and we did talk about the books we'd read. We're all looking forward to lots of great reading over the Christmas/New Year break. Click here to see photos.

Christmas Party

Our Book Club had a lovely Christmas party on Saturday night at Ulla and Peter's place. They are wonderfully generous hosts and all who came had a terrific night. We dined on delicious Thai food which left little room for dessert, but most of us managed. The evening went by so quickly due to great company, conversation, food, wine and ambience. Click here to see photos.

Before the Frost

Just finished Before the Frost by Henning Mankell. A creepy Christian cult story where a "survivor" of the Jonestown massacre seeks to improve on Jim Jones' vision. Kurt Vallender investigates with his daughter, Linda, soon to become a police woman. Linda's friend, Anna, disappears as she's found her father who disappeared many years ago. There are animal sacrifices before the cult leader (Anna's father) goes too far. 3.5/5

Espresso Tales

The second in the 44 Scotland Street series Espresso Tales by Alexander McCall Smith again looks at the many eccentric characters that inhabit the building. My favourite is Bertie, the six year old Italian speaking saxophone player whose insufferable mother refuses to allow him to be the "stereotypical boy", painting his "space" pink and forcing him to wear strawberry coloured dungarees. Great fun. 3.5/5

Eat Pray Love

This memoir Eat Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert is about her searching for the meaning of life after a nasty marriage breakdown. She decides she doesn't want marriage, children, nice home after all and travels to Italy, Bali and India to find a new spiritual life. I will be interested to see what others think of this. Some Amazon reviewers give it a high rating, but I agree with the one that gave it one star. 1/5

The Overlook

I've read the latest Harry Bosch murder mystery The Overlook by Michael Connelly. A man with access to dangerous radiation products is murdered after he has delivered the product in response to an emailed photo showing his wife trussed up with a threat to kill her if he doesn't co-operate. The FBI get involved, much to Bosch's disdain, as it appears to be a terrorist threat. As usual Harry gets on everyone's wrong side as he unravels the mystery, proving he is the only one heading in the right direction. I found him a bit irritating this time, but it is an easy read. 3/5

Q & A

Q & A by Vikas Swarup is a wonderful and clever story, set in India about 18 year old Ram Mohammad Thomas who is arrested after winning top prize in a quiz show. He relates to his solicitor his life stories which are the reason he knew the 13 correct answers. Through his young life he battled poverty, intolerance and injustice and learned many lessons which guided his answers, but he seems indifferent to the wealth promised by the quiz show. Each chapter is a story behind a question as we move back and forward in time to learn about his life. 5/5

Fortunate Son

I've now read Fortunate Son by Walter Mosley which I enjoyed. It is a tale of two infants, Thomas (black) and Eric (white), who become step brothers. They have a very strong loving bond. Fate intervenes and they are forced on to separate paths. Thomas possesses an inner beauty and wisdom but must deal with the realities of living as a black person and Eric wrestles with his own demons through a seemingly charmed life. This is a parable about life and what it deals out and the question the reader is left to ponder - which one is the 'fortunate son'. 4/5

Tuesday Book Club

I watched Tuesday Book Club this week. The books featured were On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan and The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler. The panel gave Raymond Chandler's classic such a big rap, I've ordered it from the library.

Gucci Mamas

I've just finished reading Gucci Mamas which is a new way of looking at "keeping up with the Joneses". Set in Melbourne these "modern" spoilt rich women compete in the arenas of children (must go to the very best private schools, considered 'child abuse' to do otherwise), husbands (corporate banker, or rich anything), clothes (latest in the "labels") and their own bodies. For example, one simply had to stop at the chemist on the way to dropping off the children at school to pick up a mascara to do her eyelashes in case the "carpark mafia" saw her 'sans mascara'. They must be seen at the A-list 'events'. No expense spared on children's parties which are about showing off to other mothers, not for the children's sake. One of the group starts to question these superficial values and makes a life-changing decision.

An interesting and disturbing study of this society where these women's happiness is based on the 'latest' fashion and body image. It has a dark humour where we laugh at the antics of these women but feel it may be uncomfortably close to the truth. 3/5

Crime Book Club

Di and I went to our Crime Book Club meeting yesterday. The other ladies there are Val S., Val M, Billie, Judi and Colleen. We were discussing Giles Blunt's book Black Fly Season. Most of us enjoyed the book - great characters, great story with some gruesome bits. Billie had a different opinion, objecting to the explicit detail in the murders as being unnecessary. We had a lively discussion about this and other books we'd read and a lovely morning tea.

Jenny's Book Club

We had a lovely time at Jenny's place last night. Most of us were there - Ulla, Leonie, Sandy, Di, Marilyn and Liz. Absent were Vee (travelling overseas), Bev (her grandson's 11th birthday), Penny (travelling overseas) and Kathy (attending a school function). Di and Marilyn have just returned from travelling overseas. Di talked about the joys of driving in Spain while navigating for her husband - not! She and Paul stayed in some wonderful B&B's off the beaten track and also in monastries - not equipped with double beds! Marilyn had similar driving experiences with husband Gary. (I've had the same experiences with my normally placid husband). There's something about couples trying to find their way around in strange places in a car! All the girls are well travelled and told me about the terrible discomfort of hours spent in a plane. I'm going to Europe for the first time next year and that is the part I'm not looking forward to - brings back memories of that long bus ride from Brisbane to Sydney done many times before air fares got cheap. Another thing they told us was that dogs are allowed to defecate on Paris footpaths!! I haven't seen that in the travel brochures. And the anti-smoking is not as strict as here. I won't like that!

Did I forget the books!!

Jenny's a grandmother again

Our bookclubber, Jenny, has become a grandmother for the fourth time. This time it is her elder daughter, Fiona, who has given birth to a baby girl last Thursday 1 November 2007. Congratulations Jenny!!

Meeting on Monday 5th November

We're meeting at Jenny's place on Monday night.