Such a Long Journey

First published in 1991 when it was shortlisted for the Booker Prize, this lovely story Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry is very well written. Set in in India in the late 1960s, the Noble family live in a flat in a block where there are a number of colourful characters. The head of the house, Gustad Noble, works in a bank and struggles to maintain a good lifestyle for his family, wife and three children. It is a time when there is a lot of political turmoil and corruption. Gustad had grown up with his family who had been quite wealthy, but later fell on hard times. Nevertheless, Gustad maintains his integrity in the face of corruption and does his best for his family and friends. This book was a lovely "journey". 4/5

Last Dance with Valentino

I've enjoyed Last Dance with Valentino by Daisy Waugh. This is a fictional love story based around the true story of Rudolph Valentino. Jenny meets Rudy shortly after they have migrated to America in 1916, when they fall in love. Many obstacles are put in their way which makes a good story (written in the first person by "Jenny"). In 1926 the story takes a different path as Rudolph's film career has taken off. It was interesting to learn about the film industry at that time. The story is very well written and the reader can reflect on "what might have been", and the twist at the end is very good - is it real or not? 4/5

Operation Napoleon

I've read Operation Napoleon by Arnaldur Indridason which was a mystery with lots of murders set in Iceland. A plane crashes on an Icelandic glacier shortly before the end of World War II - on its way to where? Over 50 years later, the Americans see a smudge on a satellite picture which shows the plane and sends a team to investigate as the plane holds a secret they do not want exposed. A young Icelandic woman, Kristin, receives a call from her brother who is part of a group visiting the area where the plane was found and is cut off after he tells her there are soldiers in the area. Kristin then sets out to investigate and find her brother. She becomes involved in a series of "unfortunate incidents" along the way as the puzzle becomes almost clear. The author evokes the freezing landscape of this place very well but I was disappointed in the story. It is obvious from the timing of the plane crash and the book's title what the Americans were up to, but then did they or didn't they? Kristin was a silly woman, completely reckless and unconcerned about the havoc her actions would cause. I've read another of this author's books which I enjoyed so I was left disappointed by this one. 3/5

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

I very much enjoyed The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot which tells the remarkable story of cancer cells removed from Lacks' body before she died of cancer in 1951. The book reads like a fictional story, but it is one of those cases where fact is stranger than fiction. Until Lacks' cells were removed and multiplied, scientists were unable to successfully grow human cells that could be used for many experiments. The cells would grow to a certain extent then died. However, Lacks' cells were very different and continued to multiply and were used for developing vaccinations, including for polio. They were also sent to outer space, tested with nuclear bombs. They are now so vast in medical laboratories around the world there would be equivalent cells to build several human bodies. This fascinating story tells of one of the great breakthroughs in medical science, but most importantly, the author has brought Henrietta Lacks to life. She tells us about her life and that of her children. She was a young black woman who left behind five children when she died. The book is extensively researched by Skloot who is a science journalist. She very skillfully tells the human story as well as the science one. Highly recommended. 41/2/5

May Book Club

We enjoyed a very pleasant evening at Ulla's place on Monday night. As usual she prepared a delicious supper and it was great to be in good company. A couple of our club were missing - Kathy on holiday in NZ and Marilyn in Hong Kong. Hope they're both having a good time. Carmen told us about her holiday in England last month and Ulla had been in Bali. We're a well travelled bunch. We have lots of great new books to read and I'm looking forward to working my way through them - so many books - never enough time.

Just Me

I enjoyed Just Me by Sheila Hancock which is the follow up to her book The Two of Us (which I haven't read). Sheila writes of her new life as a widow following the death of her husband John Thaw. She is in her 70s and discovering more about herself and her family history. She decides she is not afraid to visit places she enjoyed with her husband and she deliberately goes outside her comfort zone. It is a beautiful story written with honesty and love as she continues to remember her treasured married life. It is not a "sad" story told self-pityingly. She says "I must not push away memories of John just because they might make me cry, because that way I will lose the joy as well as the pain." Recommended. 4/5

The Man in the Shed

This book The Man in the Shed by Lloyd Jones is a collection of short stories set in New Zealand, where the author lives. The stories are mainly about dysfunctional families and some a little weird. I didn't like all the stories but there were a few that were good. A good short story usually has a punch line at the end, but this didn't happen with most of these stories. 3/5