New books for August 2016

It is my turn to host Book Club in August so I bought the new books from Booktopia.  This year I went through my newspaper cuttings to produce a "long list" of 20 which was drastically reduced to eight.  Click on the link to learn more about the book and read reviews.  I hope we will enjoy them.

The Strays by Emily Bitto is the author's debut novel. Lily is invited to a retrospective exhibition of the art of Evan Trentham, one of the early Modernists.  Lily, now middle-aged, met Eva Trentham on her first day at school. The invitation reminds Lily of members of the Trentham family and their artist colony founded in the 1930s on the outskirts of Melbourne.  In 2015 The Strays won the Stella Prize, a major literary award that celebrates Australian women’s writing.

Treading Air by Ariella Van Luyn is another debut novel from an Australian female author.  A young working-class couple, Joe and Lizzie O'Dea, eke out a living in 1920s Townsville until Lizzie turns to an old and lucrative profession.

The Dry by Jane Harper is also a debut novel set in a drought ravaged Australian country town where an horrific murder-suicide takes place. A policeman returns to the town to attend the funeral and is reluctantly drawn in to the investigation.

The Other Side of the World by Stephanie Bishop  is set in 1963 when an English family migrates to Australia hoping for a better life.

The Muse by Jessie Burton is set in 1936 and 1967.  In 1967 a young woman from Trinidad begins her job at a London art gallery.  A masterpiece with a secret history is delivered.  The painting's story goes back to 1936.  The two stories then become entwined. (From the author of The Miniaturist.)

Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave is a love story set in World War II inspired by the lives of the author's grandparents.  Grandfather served in Malta and grandmother drove ambulances during the Blitz.

The Words in My Hand by Guinevere Glasfurd is author's first novel and based on the little-known story of Helena Jans, who worked as a maid in Amsterdam and was Rene Descartes' lover. Although many books have been written about Descartes, about Helena almost nothing is known.   She desperately wants to be able to write but her gender and position in society makes this very difficult.

Precious Things by Kelly Doust  tells the story of a beaded collar which makes it way through the years to be found by a young woman in the present time.

Day Four

I enjoyed Day Four by Sarah Lotz which is set on a luxury cruise liner somewhere in the Caribbean Sea.  Strange things start happening on Day Four.  Somehow there seems to be no way of communicating with the world beyond the ship.  On board there are a number of highlighted characters with chapters devoted to each.  The most significant is a personal assistant to a psychic who communicates with people who have "passed on".  The psychic gradually expands her special group who are on the cruise to be with her when she does her "performances".  As each day passes, the fate of the ship becomes more uncertain, and really weird.  I've just learned this is a sequel to The Three, but it can stand alone. 4/5

All That is Lost Between Us

I enjoyed most of All That is Lost Between Us by Sara Foster which is set in the English countryside.  We are almost immediately intrigued when the main character Georgia is intent on telling her best friend/cousin Sophia about her secret.  Before Georgia can reveal her secret she is prevented from doing so when an incident occurs.  The story is told in turn by other members of Georgia's family.  Her parents are having marital problems and this has an effect on how they treat their children.  The reader is left wondering what could be so bad that all this drama is played out.  Of course, eventually is revealed but do we really care. 4/5

Treading Air

I enjoyed Treading Air by Ariella Van Luyn which is set in Brisbane and Townsville in 1945 and 1922.  The author has painted a vivid picture of life in Townsville in the 1920s. The story begins with her central character Lizzie O'Dea in 1945 Brisbane in a lockup  recovering from "the clap", a gift from a Yank soldier.  Her husband Joe is due for release from prison after a 20 year sentence.  The story moves to the 1920s when she first meets Joe and sparks a fire which burned for many years.  Joe and Lizzy move to Townsville where Joe works at the abattoir and Lizzie tries to fill her boring days.  She's not cut out to be a housewife and when circumstances change she embraces a more lucrative occupation.  The characters are very well-drawn and believable so the reader can get inside their heads, particularly with Lizzie, so we know exactly how she feels. There is strong language and the attitudes reflect the time and place where the story is set.  The author discovered these characters actually existed and built the story around them. This is the author's debut novel.  Read an interview with her here. 4/5

By Its Cover

I enjoyed By Its Cover by Donna Leon which is set in Venice.  Commissario Brunetti investigates the theft of old rare books and pages from other similar books.  These objects are very valuable for collectors.  Brunetti discovers the thefts were very professional and organised.  Despite the high security in the Libraries where these treasures are housed, they are somehow leaving the buildings.  During the investigation one key person is murdered and eventually the murder and the thefts are resolved.  4/5

LaRose

I very much enjoyed LaRose by Louise Erdrich which is set in America. Two families are devastated by a tragic event in 1999.  The father of one family, Landreaux Iron, is deer hunting and accidentally shoots and kills the young son, Dusty Ravich, from the other family.  Landreaux wants to make things "right" so he and his wife give their son LaRose to live with the Ravich family.  LaRose was the same age as Dusty and they had been best mates.  This "solution" comes from the Ojibwe tribe of which most of the people involved belong.  The story then deals with the family dynamics and the consequences of this decision.  This is a beautiful story sensitively told with well-drawn characters.  This book featured on Jennifer Byrne's Book Club on 5 July 2016.   Highly recommended. 5/5

The Housemaid's Daughter

I very much enjoyed The Housemaid's Daughter by Barbara Mutch which is set in South Africa from pre-World War II to post Apartheid.  This is the author's debut novel.  Ada narrates her story as the daughter of Miriam who is the maid in a white family's home.  The Harringtons are from Ireland.  After a long engagement  Cathleen joined her fiance in South Africa and had two children, Phil and Rosemary.  Cathleen teaches Ada to play the piano.  The reader and Ada also hear the voice of Cathleen through her diary.  Ada lives through tumultuous times and many incidents affect her life.  We have an insight in to the South African society, the cry for change and the human cost of political decisions. Recommended. 4/5

July Book Club

We had a lovely meeting last Monday evening, already seems a long time ago. Our host had just returned from a weekend visiting relatives in Melbourne so it was good that we could get together at her house.  She bought some wonderful new books which I'm looking forward to reading.We had a delicious supper of cakes and some chocolate from Aldi which was soooo good.  One of our ladies is having a fabulous European holiday, currently in Greece and sending some beautiful photos on Facebook.  She is having a great time.  Another lady is visiting family in Melbourne.  It was a cool night but better than it had been in previous days.  Next month it will be my turn to host.

Fool Me Once

I very much enjoyed Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben about army officer, Maya Stern's husband Joe Burkett being shot dead while they are walking in a park in the evening.  Maya uncovers information relating to the murder and finds there is a connection to another murder some months earlier.  She suffers from PTSD relating to an incident when she was piloting a helicopter during a battle.  She doesn't trust anyone outside her military circle.  Her husband was the second son to die in his wealthy family and Maya is suspicious of the family being involved in a cover-up.  This is a great suspense story with a big twist at the end.  I didn't see that coming! 41/2/5

A Man Called Ove

I very much enjoyed A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman which is set in Sweden.  Ove is on a mission but is thwarted by his new neighbours who are always asking for his help.  They are so "useless" they can't seem to do anything right, including reversing with a trailer.  There is also a cat which has adopted Ove and he hates cats. Ove is the epitome of a "grumpy old man".  (I do object to part of this description - Ove is only 59).  Ove is a wonderful character.  Almost everything seems to irritate him and he is good at holding a grudge.  He judges a person by the car he/she drives.  We learn more about Ove's early life which help to explain his attitude.  An event that occurred six months before the opening chapter will also reveal more. (I've removed the spoilers).  Highly recommended. 5/5