My Brilliant Friend

I very much enjoyed My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante, the first of a trilogy.  Two friends, Elena and Lila are growing up in 1950s Naples.  They are both very good students until Lila withdraws from learning to pursue other aspects of her life.  She has grown in to a beautiful young woman, though only 16 she is much desired by certain men in their neighborhood.  Family and status is important.  Elena continues her studies and helps Lila navigate through her life where jealousies and tension sometimes cause problems for the families involved.  This is a beautifully written story about coming of age and finding a life worth living. 5/5

Close Your Eyes

I very much enjoyed Close Your Eyes by Michael Robotham which is a murder mystery set in an English town.  Psychologist, Joe O'Loughlin is asked to review a double murder case when the police  investigators have run out of leads.  Joe becomes immersed in the case where there are a number of suspects.  At the same time Joe is hopeful of being reconciled with his wife Julianne and their two daughters.  There is a danger that the investigation might jeopardise his chances of a reconciliation.  The story is told by two narrators - Joe, and the murderer.  The reader tries to find clues in the murderer's story as to his/her identity.  This is a great, fast-paced thriller with a romance thrown in.  Recommended. 41/2/5

Circling the Sun

I've read Circling the Sun by Paula McLain which is a novel based on the life of Beryl Markham.  I didn't realise this till I finished the book as I had not heard of her.  Beryl was brought up in Kenya in the early 20th century where her English father had a farm.  She had an adventurous and interesting life with her upbringing, her interest in horses and flying.  The author has well researched Beryl's story and presented which is for me, a disappointing novel, what I imagine would be more at home in a Mills & Boon collection. 31/2/5

Still Alive

I've just finished Still Alive by Jan Kott which is an autobiography originally published in English in 1994. Jan was a Polish poet and a communist.  He survived World War II when the Germans and the Russians invaded and he survived Stalin's purges. He had an interesting life and lived to tell about it.  I was particularly interested in reading this book because Kott was a contemporary of my Polish father who also survived World War II but lived a very different life.  So I wanted to learn more about the history of Poland at that time.  I found the book very hard going as it jumps around different time periods.  I also found it difficult to know who was who because of the difficult Polish names.  I would find my mind wandering, then occasionally drawn back to the story.  3/5

Palace of Tears

I very much enjoyed Palace of Tears by Julian Leatherdale which is a family saga set mainly in the Blue Mountains from World War I till 2013.  Adam Fox builds a high class hotel in the Blue Mountains before WWI and he has some German employees (Australian citizens).  Fox is a good-looking charismatic man who has a relationship while married to his chronically ill wife. His son and the daughter of his then mistress become good friends.  A tragedy strikes which changes everything.  Meanwhile in 2013, Fox's granddaughter Lisa is trying to find out more about her family history with the help of a young historian.  Lisa's mother Monika is in a nursing home with Alzheimer's and Lisa realises she doesn't have much time to find out what happened to the family.  This is a story of a family with secrets.  The author has also shone a light on what happened to Germans, or descendants of Germans during and after the Wars.  They were kept in concentration camps and many were deported to Germany following WWI and some family members went with them.  German descendants who had sons fighting with the British were not immune to ostracism or hatred, losing their jobs and their homes. A good story with a historical background. 4/5

June Book Club

We had an enjoyable evening last Monday with only one of our group missing due to work commitments.  Some of the group have just returned from terrific holidays - outback Australia, America and Europe.  Others will be off travelling over the next few months.  It is wonderful they can go and enjoy what the world has to offer.  Our host had bought a terrific batch of books and I've chosen a number of books to keep me occupied.  We had great conversation and a delicious supper.  I had heard about our host's chocolate fridge and it was great to see.  I'd love one but it needs to be filled up and then how would I resist the temptation.  

Rosetta

I very much enjoyed Rosetta by Alexandra Joel.  This is a biography of the author's great-grandmother who was born in Melbourne in the late 19th century.  She "marries well" and later leaves her husband and her five-year-old daughter to pursue an unconventional life.  Rosetta was beautiful and her life never seemed boring.  She marries again and she and her husband eventually travel to Europe after "reinventing" themselves.  They move in illustrious circles in the years before World War I.  The author had a wealth of information to draw upon in her quest to discover who Rosetta was.  Rosetta's story is interwoven with the story of how the author found the nuggets she used to write the story.  Highly recommended. 41/2/5