The Seagull

I enjoyed The Seagull by Ann Cleeves which is a "Vera" murder mystery.  DI Vera Stanhope is asked by a former policeman John Brace (in prison for murder) to investigate the death of a friend 20 years previously. Brace gives Vera information that leads to a body being found, Robbie Marshall.  Brace, Marshall and Vera's now deceased father, Hector, were a group of friends who traded in birds and their eggs.  There was one other member of the group who mysteriously, is difficult to trace.  These are great characters, including Vera's team - Joe, Holly and Charlie.  There are a number of twists and turns in the story. As is usual with this author - a good read. 4/5

In Every Moment We Are Still Alive

I read In Every Moment We Are Still Alive by Tom Malmquist which is written and set in Sweden. The story is about a young woman, Karin, who has a difficult birth because of illness.  (A semi-autobiographical story).  Her partner, Tom, is with Karin all through this ordeal.  The story also goes back to the time of their early relationship and the relationships they have with their families.  As they were not married, there are "complications". The writing style for much of the book was quite unusual.  The text goes for many pages at a time with little punctuation, particularly with dialogue.  I got used to it after a while but was relieved that the chapters from the past had "normal" grammatical rules.  Still, an interesting way to write.  31/2/5

Force of Nature

I enjoyed Force of Nature by Jane Harper (her second novel, after The Dry) which is set in a forest in Victoria.  Five women are going on a bush walk "survival" adventure for a few days as a "team building" exercise. (Oh no, do they still do that rubbish!!)  Four of the women make it out of the forest after having a very uncomfortable time in there.  Federal policeman, Aaron Falk, and policewoman Carmen go to the forest to assist in the search for Alice who was a whistle-blower helping them in their inquiries regarding the company for which she worked.  Falk is concerned Alice's cover may have been blown and hope the local police will find her.  The story unfolds in two time periods - following the women over the days they were in the forest and the investigation phase when Alice goes missing.  A good story. 4/5

Sixty Seconds

This story Sixty Seconds by Jesse Blackadder is quite confronting.  A family moves from Hobart to northern New South Wales.  Then a tragic event occurs to the family's small child and the other family members have to find a way to deal with the aftermath.  The story is narrated in three voices:  the brother (in the first person); the mother (in the second person) and the father (in the third person).  The story is well-written but harrowing at times.  I don't think I would have read it if I knew what it was about. 4/5

The Giver

I enjoyed reading The Giver by Lois Lowry, which is set perhaps sometime in the future.  Jonas is turning 12 and that is the age that people in this community are told what their future will be.  The elders in the community take this very seriously after assessing the children and working out their suitability for the positions in society.  There are nurses, carpenters, cooks, factory workers and many other positions depending on the skills of the child.  Jonas is assigned to The Giver, the holder of memories.  The people in this community have known nothing else.  There is no colour and the citizens lead a regulated "safe" life.  They rely for their existence on the elders. The Giver passes his memories to Jonas.  The Giver can be consulted by the elders for advice where a past event memory may be relevant.  Jonas learns about colour.  He stops taking his "feelings suppressant" pill which all citizens take every day from about the age of 12.  The book was recommended by my grandson.  The people here don't know about "Elsewhere" only that it is not here and possibly dangerous.  How can a society exist without love?  Thought provoking. 4/5

October Book Club

We had a very pleasant evening at our Book Club meeting last Monday.  Our numbers were diminished, mostly by some of our ladies travelling in Australia and overseas.  My navigational skills were proven non-existent (as always) in getting to our host's home.  Anyway, we got there in the end.  Many thanks to our host for her always delicious supper and the beautiful view.  We enjoyed the company and chat.  Our host bought a great bunch of new books to read.

He Said/She Said

I very much enjoyed this suspenseful story He Said/She Said by Erin Kelly.  The story is narrated by the two main characters, a couple, Laura and Kit, over two time periods - 1999 and 2015.  At a festival marking a solar eclipse, Laura and Kit become witnesses to something which will change their lives. This is a fascinating look at the world of the "eclipse-chasers" who travel to wherever they can see a full eclipse.  This story builds up the suspense as the reader knows "something is going to happen" as the repercussions of the event they witnessed plays out.  In the 2015 time period, Laura stays home while Kit travels to the eclipse site.  This story is very well done.  Just when you think you know what has gone on, you are presented with something completely different.  Highly recommended. 5/5

The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto

I very much enjoyed The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto by Mitch Albom, which is initially set in Spain as the civil war is hotting up.  The character, Frankie Presto, was born in Spain as Francisco de Asis Pascual Presto. The narrator of the story is Music.  It is a sort of "Forrest Gump" story where Frankie rubs shoulders, plays guitar with the best of the best in the music world (including Louis Armstrong and Elvis Presley).  Music tells the story of Frankie's interaction with these luminaries and others who come to his funeral reminiscing about how well he played the guitar and sang.  This is a delightful story as a reader would expect from Mitch Albom. 5/5