Stay Close

I very much enjoyed this murder mystery Stay Close by Harlan Coben which is set in Atlantic City.  Suburban mum, Megan, has a "past" as a pole dancer in a bar in Atlantic City.  She revisits the bar for old time's sake and becomes involved in the mysterious disappearance of a man she was involved with 17 years previously.  At that time she also had a boyfriend and when each found the apparently deceased victim, they thought the other might have killed him, so they both ran away that night separately and began new lives.  Detective Broome has been trying to solve the case since it happened and then another victim disappears who attended the same bar.  Megan seems to have opened a "can of worms" which has been hidden from her family.  As Detective Broome continues his investigation, it seems a serial killer has been at work.  A gripping page-turner. 41/2/5

Religion for Atheists

This philosophical book Religion for Atheists by Alain de Botton was very interesting and thought-provoking.  The author's argument is that in their zeal to deny religion, atheists have failed to see the secular world has much to learn from religion without taking on board the religion itself.  De Botton focuses on Judaism, Christianity and Buddhism demonstrating the facets of these religions that atheists need to make their lives fulfilling.  For example, we all need places of contemplation.  For most religious people that can be in a church or temple.  It can also be anywhere, such as a beautiful place in a forest.  De Botton points out that many corporations have learned lessons from religion citing the example of the Catholic Church and its rituals which are little different from McDonalds as consistency across the Church and McDonalds is very important. He says art galleries and museums should be arranged in themes that fuel the soul rather than the period they represent.  Also universities should be teaching students how to live well rather than concentrating on unimportant facts.  This is a book for all religions as well as those who don't subscribe to a particular religion. 4/5

Salmon Fishing in the Yemen

I enjoyed Salmon Fishing in the Yemen by Paul Torday.  A Yemeni Sheikh has the dream and the money to attempt to have salmon introduced to Yemen.  A British scientist, Fred Jones, is persuaded to provide the expertise to make it happen.  The story is told in an unusual style - diary entries, Hansard, interrogation transcripts, newspaper reports, and emails. Fred is married to a very ambitious woman, Mary, and that marriage becomes strained as Mary pursues her career and has little time to know about Fred's project.  The project manager, Harriet, has her own personal problems with her soldier fiance in Iraq.  Fred is gradually persuaded by the enthusiasm of the Sheikh and Harriet that the project may be feasible.  The Prime Minister's office is after a good news story after first disowning the project.  The reader begins to get a sense of how the story might end, particularly with the interrogation chapters.  Very clever writing. 4/5

The Laughing Clowns

I enjoyed this very "nice" story The Laughing Clowns by William McInnes.  He is a very good writer with wit and humour, and emphasis the importance of "family".  Peter Kennedy lives in Melbourne with his wife and three children.  He is asked to go to his childhood town near Brisbane to secretly assess the potential for development of the local showgrounds.  Peter stays with his parents and meets up with his sister and brother and their partners, as well as some old school friends.  He sees how much the town has changed, but still has a strong sense of community.  He learns more about his father and how he memorialised his lost mates in the Korean War.  A lovely story. 31/2/5

The New Republic

I very much enjoyed this clever story The New Republic by Lionel Shriver.  The author first tried to publish this in 1998 but stories about terrorism were then deemed to be "ho hum".  9/11 changed all that though some might find the book in poor taste.  Edgar Kellogg a wannabe journalist is sent to the Barban peninsula to report on the province's fight for independence from Portugal.  Kellogg takes the place of a larger than life character, Barrington Saddler, who has suddenly disappeared.  He is greatly missed by the other journalists staying in this "backwater" to report on the Barban terrorist activities.  Edgar gradually learns more about Saddler and his connection to the terrorists and that is where the reader discovers the interesting "twist" to this satirical story.  Well-written and very clever plot. 41/2/5

Poet's Cottage

I enjoyed Poet's Cottage by Josephine Pennicott which is a murder mystery set in Tasmania.  Divorcee Sadie and her teenage daughter Betty return to live at the ancestral home, Poet's Cottage, to start a new life.  The house has a dark past as Sadie's grandmother Pearl was brutally murdered in the basement in the 1930s.  Pearl was a children's writer who enjoyed shocking the locals with her less than conservative antics.  She was a "free spirit" and spread her love around, despite being married with two young girls.  Sadie and Betty begin to notice strange things happening in the house and Sadie is determined to discover the truth about her grandmother's murder.  It is quite a good read to pass the time. 31/2/5

Me Before You

I very much enjoyed this romantic story Me Before You by Jojo Moyes.  Louisa Clark has lost her job at a bakery in a small English town and is desperate to find another position.  She gets a job as a companion to a wealthy quadriplegic, Will Traynor, for a six month contract.  The position has been arranged by Will's mother and Will has a carer to attend to his "personal needs".  At first the relationship between Will and Louisa is strained, but that changes.  Will became a quadriplegic as a result of a traffic accident two years previously and has become withdrawn.  Early into Louisa's contract, she learns the true reason for her employment and she becomes more involved in finding excursions that she can take Will on.  She discovers the difficulties in taking a quadriplegic anywhere.  The rest of the story I will leave you to discover for yourself, so as not to be a "spoiler". 5/5

The Forgotten Waltz

I read The Forgotten Waltz by Anne Enright which is about a young married woman, Gina, who has an affair with a married man.  The story is told by Gina and she anguishes over the whole thing.  The affair is a secret for a long time until discovered, with the usual repercussions.  She and her lover Sean are particularly  mindful of the effect on Sean's daughter Evie.  Well written but I didn't like the story, a bit boring. 3/5

Unnatural Habits

I very much enjoyed Unnatural Habits by Kerry Greenwood which was a "Miss Fisher mystery".  I've enjoyed the ABC1 television series "Miss Fisher's Murder Mysteries", but had not read any of the books till now.  It was published in 2012 so the characters are well established and I like Miss Phryne Fisher very much - a very classy lady who can mix with people from any background.  In this story she investigates the disappearance of three heavily pregnant teenagers last seen at a place where they were to give birth to their babies after working in the laundry of a convent.  Miss Fisher is appalled by the treatment of these girls.  Also missing is a young female reporter who was investigating the disappearance of young blonde girls.  The story is well-written and having watched the TV series, the characters really come to life as I read. 4/5

Prague Fatale

I very much enjoyed Prague Fatale by Philip Kerr which is set in Berlin and Prague during World War II.  Detective Bernie Gunther is called upon to investigate a murder in a stately home occupied by a Nazi General in Prague.  The General is also trying to discover the identity of Czech "terrorists" who have been sabotaging German targets and killing German soldiers.  Bernie is not pleased to be summoned by the General whom he intensely dislikes.  Bernie is not a Nazi but has participated in atrocities in the East for which he is very ashamed.  He does not try to hide his disdain for the Nazis.  The murder is intriguing - the classic killed behind a door locked on the inside.  Bernie takes his new girlfriend Arianne to Prague with him, with unforeseen consequences.  He solves the murder and the other aspects are also resolved.  The story is based on many real people and the author tells us of their fate. 4/5

Albert of Adelaide

Albert of Adelaide by Howard L. Anderson is a fairly good read.  Albert is a platypus who escapes from Adelaide Zoo and makes his way north to find the "real" Australia where he meets some interesting characters like Jack the wombat and Muldoon the Tasmanian Devil.  They have deadly encounters with bands of kangaroos, bandicoots and dingoes.  It is a sort of "Wind in the Willows" story.  The characters are dressed, carry weapons and like a drink (alcoholic).  Albert ends up on a "Wanted" poster and various groups do their best to capture him.  More a young person's book. 3/5

The Chalk Girl

I very much enjoyed this thriller The Chalk Girl by Carol O'Connell.  Detective Kathy Mallory investigates unusual murders in New York's Central Park.  She discovers they are linked to murders in the park 15 years earlier.  There is a little girl, Coco, who is a witness to the latest murder.  She is a very unusual girl who has Williams Syndrome and becomes very attached to Mallory.  Each chapter is prefaced by an excerpt from a diary written by a boy who is being bullied at his school.  As the story progresses the reader learns more about the boy and his connection with the current murders.  The school he attended is run by a wealthy woman who goes to great lengths to ensure her income stream, through corruption and greed.  The chilling story finally unravels as Mallory and her partner Riker discover the awful truth.  A real "page-turner". 4/5

Abandoned Women

This was an interesting history Abandoned Women by Lucy Frost which traced a number of Scottish female convicts who arrived in Van Diemen's Land (later Tasmania) in 1838.  The author who now lives in Tasmania travelled to Scotland to see the original records of these women to learn the reason for their exile "beyond the seas."  She then describes their early life in Hobart Town and for those she was able to follow, their fate beyond their lives as convicts.  They varied in age.  Most of them were impoverished living in the squalor of Scottish cities making their living as best they could - mainly through prostitution and theft.  Some died fairly soon after their arrival.  Some had babies while imprisoned and the description of their treatment in these circumstances in heart-rending.  Some of the women continue their criminal lives while others saw the new land as an opportunity for a fresh start.  For those interested in Australian convict history, this is a good example of how they lived their lives. 3/5

November Book Club

 We enjoyed our November meeting with our hostess providing some "Christmas" goodies, including the wickedly delicious Christmas Bark (chocolate, cranberries & pistachios).  We've got some great new books to read and we welcomed a new member.  Next month we'll have a Christmas outing.

The Snow Child

I very much enjoyed reading this beautiful debut novel The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey which is set in Alaska in the 1920s.  Jack and Mabel are a middle-aged couple who are attracted to this frontier area.  They have a tragic past from which they may be trying to "escape".  With the first snow, they build a "snow girl" and dress her with a blue coat.  The following day the "snow girl" is destroyed and the clothes gone.  They start to see a young girl around their homestead and over time the girl, Faina, wearing the blue coat overcomes her timidity and befriends the couple.  She is a child of the snow and the forest and can take care of herself.  Over the years, she is persuaded to spend more time in "civilization" and then things get complicated.  The author took her inspiration from a Russian folk tale of a middle-aged couple who build a "snow girl" who comes to life, but when betrayed, disappears.  This is very well written - just lovely. 5/5

Crossing to Safety

I enjoyed Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner, a classic American novel first published in 1987 and recently republished.  It involves the strong lifelong friendship between two couples Larry (the narrator) and Sally Morgan (a struggling couple) and Sid and Charity Lang (a wealthy couple).  The story begins in 1971 when Larry and Sally are invited to visit the Langs as Charity has terminal cancer.  Larry then tells the story of their friendship which began in 1938 in flashback chapters.  We meet the characters who are strongly drawn so we learn the sort of people they are, how the couples interact within each marriage and between each other as friends.  Sid and Larry are ambitious academics and over the years their successes and failures are played out.  Charity is the strongest character (bit of a "control freak") and when a tragedy strikes early in their friendship, she takes charge to help pull them through the initial crisis and the ongoing management of it. Charity has organised the details of her own death and ensures that her friends and family do not thwart that process.  Beautiful writing. The "First Tuesday Book Club" did a good review of this book.  See video.  4/5

The Taliban Cricket Club

I very much enjoyed The Taliban Cricket Club by Timeri N. Murari which is set in Afghanistan in 1999 when the Taliban were in power.  The main character, Rukhsana, is a journalist no longer able to write freely for the local newspaper and gets her stories out of the country with a hidden fax machine.  She has reported on some horrific Taliban crimes.  She and her brother, Jahan, are summoned to the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and learn the Minister wants to marry Rukhsana.  At the same time the Minister proposes to show the world Afghanistan is a "civilised" country by applying for associate membership of the ICC.  The Minister announces a cricket competition with the winning team going to Pakistan for further training.  Rukhsana, Jahan and their cousins see this as an opportunity to escape the country.  At college Rukhsana played cricket and she teaches the team, but they must overcome a number of obstacles.  There is a romantic interest for Rukhsana and that is a very dangerous complication.  It is a suspenseful story and provides the reader with an understanding of the fearful life when living under an oppressive regime.  Highly recommended. 5/5

Swan Peak

I enjoyed Swan Peak by James Lee Burke which is set in Montana and features his characters Dave Robicheaux and Clete Purcel.  While on their holiday Dave and Clete become involved in a horrific homicide which appears to have multiple interconnecting strands.  There is a wealthy neighbour, Wellstone, who has been horribly disfigured in a fire and has a young beautiful wife.  His workers are all unsavoury types and they all seem to have an unhealthy interest in Clete.  There is an escaped convict connected to the Wellstones and there is another unsavoury prison guard hunting him.  Clete is always getting into scrapes.  He and Dave are always on the edge of serious trouble.  A good yarn, really about "what's wrong with America" with its wealthy exploiters of the beautiful landscape and the lengths some will go to escape poverty. 4/5

The Ruins of Us

I enjoyed The Ruins of Us by Keija Parssinen which is set in Saudi Arabia.  A wealthy Saudi family, husband Abdullah, wife Rosalie (born in America), teenage children Faisal and Mariam, whose lives are greatly changed by a decision made by Abdullah to take a second wife.  Faisal is on the verge of manhood and questions his role in life and what he comes to see as the dilution of the Moslem faith by wealth and corruption.  The adult relationships further test his thinking as he tries to find his true path.  There is a crisis brought about by a violent incident which must be resolved before the characters can move on.  A good story which gives an insight into Arabian and western attitudes towards each other, particularly in the aftermath of 9/11. 4/5

One Good Dog

I very much enjoyed One Good Dog by Susan Wilson which is written in two perspectives - third person about the main character, Adam, and first person by the other main character, the dog Chance.  Adam has a serious breakdown at work resulting in a court case and he loses his job.  From a poor background he became a "self-made man" and very wealthy.  He loses all that and is ordered to do community service in a "soup kitchen" catering to homeless people.  Chance is a pit bull fighting dog who wants a better life.  Adam and Chance eventually meet and their stories make very good reading. 41/2/5

Essays in Love

I enjoyed reading Essays in Love by philosopher Alain de Botton which examines the life cycle of a romance.  The narrator falls in love with Chloe and he describes the process and how it feels to love someone, how the relationship develops, the good and bad, the arguments, the interesting and loving times, meeting the families and friends, and finally how the the relationship ends.  All elements along the way are clinically described and are typical of most relationships, though the minutiae may vary. Anyone who has ever been in love can relate to this story. 4/5

50 Short Cuts

I enjoyed 50 Short Cuts, a collection from Brisbane barber Ross Coco.  Ross is a well-known barber trading as Sweeney Todd, who has many interesting clients and about 50 of them agreed to write a short story for this book about "success" and what that means to them as individuals.  Of course, with more than 50 people there is a diverse range of people, including businessmen, judges, lawyers, journalists and their stories are most enjoyable to read.  Ross is renowned for his fundraising efforts for very worthy causes and this book is to raise funds for prostate cancer research undertaken by the Cancer Council of Queensland.  I hope Ross continues his work as a barber and fundraiser for many years to come. 4/5

October Book Club

 We had a lovely time at book club last night with our hostess providing some delicious treats, including an apple cake and gluten-free muffins which I very much enjoyed.  We had good conversation, company and we'd all read some terrific books.  Our hostess had bought an interesting collection of books for this month and I picked out some books I can't wait to get into.  Two of our group were missing this month as they're overseas.  Will look forward to seeing them next month.

Wreck and Sinking of the Titanic - The Ocean's Greatest Disaster

I liked reading this book Wreck and Sinking of the Titanic - The Ocean's Greatest Disaster edited by Marshall Everett which was published this year (2012) on the 100th anniversary of the disaster.  The text of the book was originally published in 1912 only a few months after the sinking.  They are mainly first-hand accounts from survivors and those aboard the "Carpathia", the boat that rescued them.  There is also an account of the Senate inquiry into the sinking which began almost immediately upon the "Carpathia" arriving in New York.  There are accounts from newspapers at the time.  The main tone of the tragic story is the heroism of the men in persuading the women and children to board the lifeboats, knowing their own lives were in peril.  It is most interesting to read about the disaster so soon after it happened in the "language" of that time.  There was blame attributed to the speed of the ship, when it should have been more cautious, considering its environment.  Also the lack of lifeboats was thought to be a major contributor to the huge loss of life.  Compulsory reading for anyone interested in the "Titanic". 41/2/5

Before I Go To Sleep

I very much enjoyed this thriller Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson which is about a woman with a particular kind of amnesia.  Christine wakes every day and doesn't know who she is, who is in her life (who is that strange man sleeping beside her?).  Each day her patient husband Ben explains that she had an accident 20 years earlier which has caused her unusual amnesia.  He has a scrap book with photographs to remind her who she is and who he is.  He goes off to work each day and leaves her to her own devices.  She begins seeing a new doctor who encourages her to keep a journal (and hides it from her husband).  Each morning her doctor phones her on a mobile phone he's given her to remind her where her journal is.  So she learns anew any information she had learned in the previous days and continues to add to her journal.  Her doctor feels that this process will help in her recovery.  She continues to keep the journal hidden until after some time she proposes to tell her husband about it.  Then the mystery deepens and the reader is gradually aware that all is not what it seems and we come to the climax of the story.  Highly recommended. 5/5

The Little Shadows

I quite enjoyed The Little Shadows by Marina Endicott which is set in Canada in the very early 20th century.  Laura is widowed and then rejoins the Vaudeville circuit of which she was part before she married.  This time she has her three young daughters to also take on the road.  They are a very close-knit family all with their own special talents.  Their life is difficult times and hard to find a place on the "bill" and then pay their debts.  There are some unscrupulous people to deal with and also kind ones. Each girl Aurora, Clover and Bella will eventually tread different paths as love and opportunity pull them in different directions.  The First World War begins to impact on their all their lives and when a tragedy strikes this close-knit group, they each must decide how to deal with this development.  It was an interesting insight into the people who entertained in the theatre in those days and I enjoyed the development of the characters and how they dealt with their lives.  At 527 pages, it is a big book, but enough to hold the reader to the end. 31/2/5

An End To A War

This memoir An End To A War by Ueno Itsuyoshi (surname first), is by a Japanese war veteran who served in North Borneo at the time of the death marches.  Ueno was recruited towards the end of the war when the recruits were far less fit than those who were in the military at the beginning.  He was not a career soldier and he and others seem to have gathered together to "make up the numbers" as the Japanese faced their defeat.  Ueno and his company faced their own "death march" as they were forced to go across northern Borneo.  They suffered terribly along the way, with many deaths and illness through starvation, malaria and the conditions of the environment in which they found themselves.  His company was not involved with the forced marches of the Allied soldiers and he had very little contact with them.  He was very critical of "armchair generals" who cared so little about the troops on the ground.  His memoir of his time in Borneo is an important document in understanding the War from the Japanese perspective. It reminds us that war is terrible for those on both sides of the conflict. 41/2/5

The Secret Speech

I enjoyed The Secret Speech by Tom Rob Smith which was set in USSR in 1956 at a time when the country's leader, Khrushchev, had made an "unpublished" speech condemning the Stalinist regime.  Leo Demidov, is a former officer in that regime and his work saw many "innocent" people condemned to the gulags.  He seeks to redeem himself as he and his wife Raisa adopt two sisters, Zoya and Elena, whose parents were murdered.  Zoya is kidnapped by a woman, Fraera,  leading a "terrorist" gang and demands that her husband is returned to her from the gulag.  Leo sets out on this hazardous mission.  There are many violent twists and turns along the way and things are not always what they seem.  The story then goes on to involve the uprising in Hungary.  It was a good thriller with many unexpected twists. 4/5

The Midwife's Confession

I quite liked The Midwife's Confession by Diane Chamberlain.  It is a story about a midwife, Noelle, who dies suddenly and when her friends, Tara and Emerson are going through her effects they discover that Noelle had many secrets. One of her secrets relates to the birth of a baby many years before when through her fault something happens to the baby and she takes action to "remedy" that and serious consequences follow.  The story is mainly told in the first person by the characters Tara, Emerson and Tara's daughter, Grace, as well as Noelle's story in the third person.  So the reader gets a good feel about the characters and their relationship to each other.  It was a good mystery as we don't learn the truth about Noelle's long ago action till late in the story, but I think it was a bit too long. 31/2/5

The Chaperone

I very much enjoyed The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty which is the fictional life story of a woman, Cora, beginning in the 1920s.  She is asked to chaperone a precocious 15-year-old girl, Louise, to New York to join a dance company.  Cora has another reason for wanting to go to New York, to find out more about her origins.  She was brought up in an orphanage and then sent on a train out west where she was adopted off the train.  This was a way for New York to rid itself of its poor children.  Cora learns more than she thought she would while in New York and returns to Kansas a "different" woman.  The reader follows Cora's long life, at the same time learning about the "morality" of the early time and seeing how things change. A good story with interesting angles. 41/2/5.

Mr Rosenblum's List

I thoroughly enjoyed Mr Rosenblum's List by Natasha Solomons which is the story of Mr Rosenblum, his wife Sadie and young daughter Elizabeth arriving in England as German Jewish refugees just prior to World War II.  Mr Rosenblum is determined to be come a "real Englishman".  He is given a list on how best to "behave" in English society and he is constantly adding to his list.  He builds a successful business and buys his suits and other goods in English shops.  When he is refused entry to English golf clubs, he decides to build his own in the countryside.  In the small English village near his acreage home he meets a number of quirky characters as he struggles to build his golf course.  This is a beautiful poignant tale with humour, love and friendship. 5/5

The Troubled Man

I enjoyed The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell, though was disappointed it is the last of the Kurt Wallander series.  The story has its theme in the Cold War and espionage, particularly in the 1960s.  Sweden is a neutral country however there was pressure from both sides to influence Swedish politics.  Kurt's daughter Linda in involved with an elderly couple (I won't say how here - let you find out) Hakan and Louise von Enken. Kurt meets the couple at Hakan's 75th birthday party and takes Kurt in to his confidence about concerns he had as a submarine captain in the early 1980s when he believed a particular incident involved a cover-up.  Later Hakan disappears and while "on leave" Kurt investigates his disappearance and other developments in the case.  That is as much as I can say without giving too much away. 4/5

The Kennedys - Amidst the Gathering Storm

I very much enjoyed reading this historical account The Kennedys - Amidst the Gathering Storm - A Thousand Days in London 1938-1940 by Will Swift which concerns Joe Kennedy's ambassadorship in London from 1938-1940.  It provides an insight into the political machinations of the time when Britain and the USA were desperate to prevent another war, while Hitler continued to push the boundaries (literally) in countries adjacent to Germany.  Kennedy is shown to have had a testy relationship with President Roosevelt who seems to have made Kennedy ambassador to prevent his challenging him in the 1940 election.  Kennedy's relationship with the President deteriorated the longer he was in the job as he left Kennedy out of major discussions. Initially most of the Kennedy family, then later all of them joined him in London and enjoyed the "social scene".  However, when war was finally declared Joe was left alone in London and endured the Blitz.  It is a very well-written portrait of a man with a pivotal role in history.  The story of the lead-up to the war was fascinating.  This book is for lovers of history and gives a different perspective of that time. 5/5

August 2012 Book Club

We had an enjoyable evening at host Jenny's place last night.  The delicious supper went down well with the champagne and later a cuppa.  We had a double dose of new books as my books from the last month had arrived late so I presented my new books and Jenny had hers as well.  Liz is away traveling in Europe and hopefully having a wonderful time.  Bev will be off soon for a short trip in her new caravan, which will be very exciting.  Penny will be away for several weeks traveling overseas very soon. Sadly a new member who joined us earlier this year regrets she can no longer be involved due to other commitments.  We will miss her.  I won't be coming next time as I have another engagement that day.  Anyway, we will enjoy reading the wealth of books at our disposal.

Look At Me

I enjoyed Look At Me by Jennifer Egan which is set in the city of New York and also Illinois in the 1990s.  Charlotte, the main character, is a New York model in her early 30s and has a serious car accident on her way to her home town of Rockford in Illinois.  She undergoes plastic surgery to repair her face but it is unrecognisable from her previous look.  Her work dries up and she is desperate to find something to do with her new life.  Another character, Moose, lives in Rockford and is a complex character who is a teacher shunned by his fellow academics because of an incident in his past.  Then there is a teenager, also named Charlotte, who has a relationship with a teacher who is connected to the model Charlotte.  The story examines the extremes people will go to fulfill their dreams and make money - quite disturbing.  There are references to terrorism as one mysterious chameleon character plots against America.  The author points out this story was written before 9/11 (republished on the back of the success of "A Visit From the Goon Squad").  The characters are very well described as we jump from one to another, first person, third person etc.  Well written. 4/5

The Oracle of Stamboul

I've read The Oracle of Stamboul by Michael David Lukas which is set in the Ottoman Empire in the late 19th century when there is turmoil in the balance of power in Europe.  A young savant girl, Eleonora, travels with her father to Stamboul, where he sells carpets.  Eleonora is only eight years old but is an accomplished reader in seven languages.  A tragic event changes her life.  She is then involved in political intrigue as the Sultan asks her opinion about what should be done.  This was a pleasant story but a little too incredible. 3/5

The Memory Tree

This story The Memory Tree by Tess Evans is a fairly sombre tale.  It is set in Melbourne beginning in the 1930s when Hal marries the beautiful Paulina.  They have two children, Zav and Sealie.  At first the reader is unsure who the narrator is but gradually it becomes obvious that "something terrible" is going to happen and the narrator is revealed.  It is a poignant story of love and grief which takes us up to 1997 when Hal seeks redemption.  Sealie has held the family together for many years and finally has a choice about what to do with her life.  It is difficult to say too much without revealing the pivotal events in the story. 31/2/5

Lola's Secret

Lola's Secret by Monica McInerney is one of those "very nice" stories.  Lola is in her mid-80s, a little eccentric, and lives in a motel with her son and daughter-in-law.  She has two granddaughters living nearby and she volunteers at the local charity shop in the Clare Valley.  She insists that she is content to be on her own for Christmas Day and ensures her relatives will be away.  However, she plots to have guests at the motel for Christmas.  She uses her email account to contact these guests and the reader is introduced to them.  We learn who they are, about their lives, as well as the reason they accept the "free offer" to stay at the motel for Christmas. A lovely story. 4/5

The Language of Flowers

I very much enjoyed The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, a debut novel.  The story of Victoria Jones is told in two time periods, the first is the "present" as she "graduates" from a group housing home for wards of the state when she turns 18.  She then has to find her own way in the world.  She has very low self esteem as a result of her upbringing.  The second time period is when she is about nine and is taken in to foster care by Elizabeth who lives alone in a Californian vineyard.  Victoria is told that this is her last chance (after many foster care placements) to be adopted as once she reaches 10, she will be unadoptable.  Victoria constantly "tests" Elizabeth before finally understanding that she really is loved.  Elizabeth teaches her about flowers and their "language", the meanings derived from Victorian times.  An incident changes her life when she is 10 and the reader then sees much of the present story as Victoria establishes a life as a florist.  We eventually learn what happened when she was young, as past and present come together.  A poignant story about a girl who finds it difficult to accept and give love. 4/5

Before the Storm

I enjoyed Before the Storm by Diane Chamberlain which is based around the dangers of drinking while pregnant, thus causing Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder.  A 15-year-old boy, Andy, is a hero after saving the lives of people when the church in which they are having a dance burns down.  However, three people die in the incident.  Eventually the suspicion falls on Andy himself.   Andy has FASD and has the mind of a much younger person.  It is a tale of a dysfunctional family which tries to recover from early problems.  It is set in USA and I found it difficult to understand how an intellectually disabled child could be charged as an adult with murder.  The mystery is resolved and many family secrets are also exposed.  A compelling story. 31/2/5

Before the Poison

I enjoyed Before the Poison by Peter Robinson which starts with a confronting scene of the execution of a woman convicted of the murder of her husband in the early 1950s.  Then we move to the "present" when Chris Lowndes buys a mansion in the English countryside to escape from his work as a movie theme musician and the recent death of his wife.  He learns that the house he's bought was once the home of Dr Fox and his wife Grace, who was executed in the 1950s.  Chris becomes intrigued about the history of the house and its previous owners.  He begins to believe in Grace's innocence and sets out to prove it, meeting people who knew her.  At the start of each chapter there is part of the account of Grace's trial and later excerpts from her World War II journal.  There is also a romantic element in the story as Chris becomes involved with the real estate agent, Heather, who sold him the house.  The story is interesting, but perhaps a bit too long as Chris finally decides on whether or not Grace was guilty. 31/2/5