March Book Club: The Secret River by Kate Grenville

The Secret River by Kate Grenville is the current title Novel Tea 'n Pages book clubbers are reading.

This book is the winner of the Commonwealth Writers' Prize in 2006, the winner of the NSW Premier's Literary Award and was shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize in 2006.

'In the early nineteenth century William Thornhill is transported from the slums of London to New South Wales for the term of his natural life. He arrives with his wife Sal and their children in a harsh land he does not understand.


Eight years later, Thornhill sails up the Hawkesbury as a free man to claim a hundred acres. Aboriginal people already live on that river and Thornhill will soon have to make the most difficult decision of his life.


Inspired by research into her own family history, Kate Grenville's, The Secret River is a tour de force, a powerful and groundbreaking story about life on the frontier.' Kate Grenville

Date Claimer: Novel Tea 'n Pages ~ March Book Club
                     Wednesday, 7 March, 2012
                     7:30 - 9:30 pm.

Looking forward to seeing you all there...

So, until then,
happy reading...

February Book Club - The Umbrella Club by David Brooks

And so begins another new year of fabulous reading with our February's first title, The Umbrella Club by David Brooks. We enjoyed a good roll up to our meeting, even though the regular night was moved from the Wednesday to Thursday night on this one off occasion.

The first meeting of the year is always one of excitement because this is the time when club members put forward their nominations of titles for the rest of the year. For book lovers, it is always interesting to discover what will be on the menu for the rest of the year. Take a look at this year's tantalising selection on the blog site which has just recently been updated. Having the list posted on the blog allows for all book club members to plan ahead for the year's reading so you have plenty of time to secure the books ready for the month they will be discussed.

Unfortunately, not all members were able to read The Umbrella Club before our first meeting which meant that a generalised discussion was limited to a much smaller number of members. However, the general consensus was taken from the old saying, 'you really shouldn't judge a book by its cover' because the actual story had lots of elements of surprise. Overall, everyone enjoyed the story, although it did not make the list as one of our most favourites.

The story itself was very earthy and would be a great read for anyone who has read Joseph Conrad's classic, Heart of Darkness. There are references throughout the narrative that directly relate to Conrad's work and if you enjoy his style of writing, then you should enjoy Brooks' efforts.

The Umbrella Club begins around the time of World War I when two young fellows, Axel and Edward, meet for the first time and over the course of the events, end up on many occasions together, fulfilling their wartime duties. Their friendship grows on the battlefields of France where they are both inspired by barrage balloons and develop a mutual fascination that embarks a lifetime love of ballooning and changes the course of their lives.

At the end of the war, Axel and Edward endeavour to return to a normal life, however, it soon becomes obvious that life will never return to what they know. Axel, always a free spirit, is consumed by his passion for flight and freedom and pursues this by learning the art of ballooning and forming the Umbrella Club, a group of passionate balloonists. Edward returns to the conventionality of earning a living and commitments to family. Axel's freedom and unconventional lifestyle fascinates him, and at times, Edward feels the pangs of envy. Though their paths are different, they always remain in contact through letters and the occasional Umbrella Club excursions.

After many smaller flights, Axel's passion grows and he decides to try for a much longer flight where others have not dared to go before. After much preparation and letters home to Edward, who has been caring for his dying sister, Axel sets off to balloon across the highlands of New Albion, a largely unexplored island north of Australia. When he fails to return, Edward travels to the island, after the death of his sister, to solve the mystery of his friend's disappearance and retrace his final journey. What he finds there will haunt him for the rest of his life.

'The Umbrella Club is a darkly compelling adventure into the depths of the human soul and to the frontiers of colonial exploration. In the aftermath of war, when there is nothing left to fear, sometimes the only possibility for recovery is flight.' David Brooks

We recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a good tale of the wildness of the jungle and the people who exist there.

Most of our members would be powering on, if not finished, reading our next selection for the month of March, The Secret River by Kate Grenville. See the dates on the blog for our March meeting.

So, until next time,
happy reading...

August Book Club - 'The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë' by Laura Joh Rowland

It took some of our readers a little time to warm to the idea that the

Charlotte Brontë who wrote Jane Eyre and lived the life of a parson's daughter could in fact be the adventurous heroine from Laura Joh Rowland's novel, 'The Secret Adventures of Charlotte Brontë. But once we got our heads around the concept Rowland was trying to sell us, most enjoyed the read.

Rowland has toyed with the Brontë family and created a whole new world of fictionalised high adventure and espionage based on research she did on Charlotte Brontë some years ago.

Did it work? Well, we'll have to let you be the judge on that score. Everyone has their own take on the classics and let's just say that most of our readers enjoyed the story, although it did have many flaws throughout. But, if you skip over these and don't think too hard about them and simply read the book as a high adventure tale, then we are sure you will enjoy the story as much as some of us did. We found that the further along in the story we journeyed the better it became. Rowland made good use of tension throughout and kept our hearts pounding in places.

We did wonder if Charlotte and her family would actually ever put themselves in such perilous situations, but for the sake of the story, we decided not to challenge this too much.

Overall, we recommend this book. It is a good read. The storyline is interesting and creative and everything linked up. Charlotte manages to involve herself and interacts with some big names throughout story and the tale is very entertaining. It is not your run of the mill, modern day espionage story and Rowland does a great job authenticating the language used throughout. We all agreed the author did a great job and believed that Charlotte could have been the narrator of the story.

If you are interested in this author, please click on the link and find out more.


http://www.laurajohrowland.com/

We hope you have found this information useful.
So, until next time,
happy reading...

March Book Club: Mr Rosenblum's List by Natasha Solomon

Novel Tea 'n Pages' first book club meeting for 2011 kicked off on 2 March. It would be correct to think that it feels like months since we were all together because it has been.

It was very encouraging to have almost every member turn up on the night and this only added to the diversity of discussion that revolved around our first book for the year, 'Mr Rosenblum's List' by Natasha Solomon, a first time author.

Reading an author's first novel can sometimes be full of pitfalls and errors, however, it can also be an extremely worthwhile experience. Coming from a teaching background I sometimes equate the first novel as I would a 'demonstration' lesson, meaning the best of the best with the skills you have. First time novelists are a bit the same, mixing the best of their best with the skills they have learned so far. This can go three ways. An ordinary attempt, a good attempt with something lacking or, sometimes it can deliver a lovely surprise to a reader. Like biting into a mysterious bar of chocolate and having a delicious and gooey sensation ooze into your mouth which you weren't expecting. Are you hungry yet?

Well that's how our club members felt about Natasha Solomon's first novel. We were all pleasantly surprised.

The book was well received and everyone enjoyed it and commented that it was a charming (some used the term, 'cute') book with many issues woven throughout that made good fodder for a reader to chew over. It was a great choice of book to start the year off with.

Some of our members are from South Africa and have, as Jack Rosenblum and his wife, Sadie did, made the big move from their own country to a new country. In their case, from South Africa to Australia where the differences in culture has sometimes appeared subtlety, but sometimes felt gargantuan.

During the night it was interesting to hear members speak of their own thoughts and experiences compared to the fictitious Mr & Mrs Rosenblum. Funnily enough there were many similarities where members could relate to some events and situations the Rosenblum's found themselves in. Even though the story is set postwar, some of the issues the Rosenblum's encountered still happen in today's modern society.

The author is quite authentic and fresh in her portrayal of some of the relationships that developed between different characters. She did not write in a predictable fashion and managed to get the tone in the story 'just right'. One perfect example for instance was when Jack began to slowly build his golf course one hole at a time. The tone the author used authenticated the laborious efforts he put to the task causing us to feel overwhelmed by the magnitude of what he was trying to do. As readers, the author guided us in such a way that we could empathise with Jack at the slowness and hardship he went through to build his first hole, only to have it torn down by the legendary 'woolly pig'. We felt his pain and frustration along with him.

Some of the more poignant parts of the story involved the relationships between the characters, especially Sadie and her husband, who had endured a long, yet somewhat lonely marriage, Sadie and her daughter Elizabeth, and the relationship between Jack and Elizabeth. The author layers the depths of these relationships well and keeps things real and sometimes very raw. Many of us who are about to, or who have gone through the empty nest syndrome will relate very well indeed to many situations that arise between Elizabeth and her parents.

The author raised some valid issues and problems that included assimilation and conformist trends versus holding on to homeland culture. These are problems that often confront people who adopt a new country. Often immigrants face many dilemmas on treading the fine line between fitting in and holding onto the freedom of being who they are and their homeland's culture. It is in this area that Sadie really struggles. Jack does not wish to look back from where he has come. He is full of energy and is only interested in fulfilling his wish to be a perfect English gentleman, at all costs. Jack is very persistent in many areas of his life. His ability to persevere is an endearing quality, although sometimes can appear to be quite painful. Sadie however, longs to remember her heritage, her parents and family and introduces the tradition of baking like her mother to help her remember.  For her, the journey is much more painful and slow. Sadie struggles to leave her family and her past behind as she tries to make a new life in London.

Although the tale, and some call it a fable, encounters some complex issues, the language is simple and enjoyable. This is not a difficult or challenging narrative. The story is splattered with interesting characters that carry the comedic storyline well and keep the reader entertained.

This book is highly recommended by our members, especially if you enjoy a light and entertaining read.

So, until next time...

Happy reading....

'Life of Pi' - Discussion Points and Reading Group Guide

If you are currently reading and haven't yet finished, 'Life of Pi' and missed the December meeting, then you might find these notes and questions helpful and thought provoking.

You are most welcome to discuss via the comments section of this post.

'Since its original publication in 2002, Life of Pi has become established as a reading group favourite. With its unique combination of religion, survival and a Royal Bengal tiger, the novel offers ample themes for discussion. You may find some of the following suggested questions helpful in stimulating thoughts and discussion.'

1. In the author's note, Mr Adirubasamy claims that this story 'will make you believe in God'. After researching and writing the story, the 'author' agrees. Did Pi's story affect your religious beliefs?

2. The young Pi insists that he cannot accept an exclusively Hindu, Christian or Muslim faith; he can only be content with all three. What is Pi seeking that can only be attained by this apparent contradiction? Is there something common to all religions? How do faith and belief differ?

3. Chapters 21 and 22 are very short, yet the author has said that they are the core of the novel. In what ways do these chapters affect your reading of Pi's story?

4. Pi's name, in its shortened form, refers to the irrational number π, a number that goes on forever without a discernible pattern, and it is used in calculations of a circle's radius and diameter. What do you think the significance of Pi's name is to the novel?

5. Discussing zoo animals, Pi tells us, "All living things contain a measure of madness that moves them in strange, sometimes inexplicable ways. This madness can be saving; it is part and parcel of the ability to adapt. Without it, no species would survive." How could this idea relate to Pi's actions in the immediate aftermath of the shipwreck?

6. Pi imagines that his brother would have teasingly called him Noah. How does Pi's voyage compare to the biblical story of Noah, whom God spared from the flood he sent to destroy the rest of civilisation?

7. "If I still had the will to live, it was thanks to Richard Parker. He kept me from thinking too much about my family and my tragic circumstances. He pushed me to go on living. I hated him for it, yet at the same time I was grateful. I am grateful. It's the plain truth: without Richard Parker, I wouldn't be alive today to tell you my story." Can the relationship between Pi and Richard Parker be seen as an allegory of the challenges we face in our own lives?

8. The novel begins with an author's note, and we frequently hear the authorial voice through the book. Do you think the 'author' of this note is indeed Yann Martel? How do the different layers of narration within Life of Pi influence your thoughts about the story?

9. "I am a person who believes in form, in the harmony of order. Where we can, we must give things a meaningful shape. For example - I wonder - could you tell my jumbled story in exactly one hundred chapters, not one more, not one less?" What is the effect of giving such a precise structure, of exactly one hundred chapters, to Life of Pi? How does this regularity contrast with Pi's name, an irrational and infinite number?

10. "That's what fiction is about, isn't it? The selective transforming of reality? How does this question, from the author's note, affect your interpretation of the events in the novel? And what about the question Pi asks of his Japanese inquisitors: "Which is the better story, the story with animals or the story without animals?" What do you think is the truth of Pi's story?'                                  

(Reading guide attached to 'Life of Pi' 2002 edition)

July Book Club Meeting: 'The Story of a Marriage' by Andrew Sean Greer

What more could one ask for?

The perfect way to spend a lazy wintry Wednesday evening with friends, includes a faux fireplace, a cozy room full of books, great guests, two cute and cuddly puppies running amok for entertainment, a slinky feline, random family members floating around and popping in to say hi, a great story to sink our teeth into, delicious treats and warm beverages to chase away the winter chills.

Novel Tea 'n Pages Book Club had all this, and more, at its third (July) meeting. We had all the trappings of a great novel, including a sub plot: the third and final State of Origin footy match for 2010. Congratulations to the Queenslanders...commiserations to NSW. Better luck next year.

Attendees included:

Elizabeth

Leisle

Caryl

Deb

Apologises from:

Liz (visiting China)

Julie

Cheryl

Kimmy

Jocelyn

We'd like to welcome our new member, Caryl, to Novel Tea 'n Pages Book Club. It is always lovely to welcome new book lovers into the club (there is always plenty of room). Novel Tea 'n Pages is a very informal group of ladies who enjoy mingling socially and discussing their favourite books along the way. The objective is to build friendships and enjoy a social gathering, whilst sharing a common passion. So far, so good.

Book club members enjoyed a stimulating discussion revolving around this month's novel, 'A Story of a Marriage' by Andrew Sean Greer. Members who attended all agreed that the author was clever in his use of devices, such as voice, characters and elements of surprise to craft his story, even though some didn't particularly enjoy the story shared. It was, however, most interesting and very creative.

The group discussed Greer's characters and decided they were very strong and believable. It was interesting the way Greer dealt with the character of Holland, as opposed to Pearl and Buzz. The story revolved around Holland, yet we never got to hear the thoughts of Holland. His character was very passive, whilst all around him were very active. Holland's character was shaped and engineered by the opinions of others in the story. Greer was able to build and layer depth to each character well throughout.

The author was extremely clever in his use of voice for each of his characters. He was very careful not to leave clues behind, ensuring the reader enjoyed surprises along the way. A few of us who pride ourselves on the ability to predict situations or outcomes, were very much taken by surprise throughout this work.

This book was very interesting on so many levels. Many times the author planted a seed of thought, only for the reader to be led down a merry and misleading path. Touché for Greer. It was interesting to note the choices different characters made and the consequences that followed, which is very much mirrored in our own lives. Another interesting point was the author's use of certain superficial and shallow images within the characters' lives to obtain a desired look about a situation.

Questions we asked were: Why did Pearl do some of the things she did? What was her motivation. Was she a reliable narrator? How hard would it have been to be not only gay, but coloured back in the 1950's?

All through the night's discussion, the line: 'How well do we know the ones we love?' was bandied around freely and club members discussed at length the concept of 'seeing things how we choose to see them...

Overall, the book club members summed up the book with two words: fascinating and unpredictable.

Towards the end of the meeting, members selected and sequenced the four remaining novels to take us up to the end of the year. Thank you to the ladies who came along and made Wednesday evening an enjoyable time.

Please see my new page on this blog that details the reading list for 2010.

We look forward to meeting up again on the first Wednesday of August.

Until then,

happy reading...

PS Please feel free to leave a comment or continue the discussion. Please add your thoughts...what did you think about this book?

'The Story of a Marriage' by Andrew Sean Greer

You would think life should be simple. We are born, we grow and develop into the person we were designed to be. Most of us grow up in families and trust what we see, know and hear. Our families and environments shape us. As we age and learn more about ourselves, one would tend to think that life and experience would become more certain.

But how does it often turns out that we are mistaken? For some of us, the longer we live the less we know about ourselves and the ones we count on. Things of certainty can often crumble and cause us to turn inward, take the blinkers off and study our lives and loves more deeply.

"We think we know the ones we love."

And, this is the case for Pearlie...the main protagonist for 'The Story of a Marriage' by Andrew Sean Greer.

Novel Tea 'n Pages book club members are currently reading this book and will be meeting on Wednesday evening, 7 July 2010 at 7:30pm to discuss the intricacies of life and love and Pearlie's world.

If you are reading this and would like to become involved, new members are always welcome. Leave a message for Deb via comments and she will send you details.

But, until then -

Happy reading...

Words About: The Ice Age by Kirsten Reed

The Ice Age by Kirsten Reed

I always look forward to reading a debut author's work almost as much as I enjoy reading a favourite author's work. I anticipate fresh ideas and writing from the unknown...you never know what treasure will be unearthed. I particularly enjoy reading emerging local authors in order to see what talent is mulling around our own community.

The Ice Age is Kirsten Reed's first novel and is described by other reviewers as something between Lolita and On the Road. It is the tale of a young female hitchhiker who hungers for independence, life experience and in her search for these things, attaches herself to Gunther, a much older guy who seems to exist purely to travel across America's hicks ville highways looking up his interesting and quizzical collection of misfit friends.

It is a quick, fun read with quirky lines like "We drove past all the gaudy painted signs telling us where the next doughnut shop was, the nearest hamburger joint; pizza, now doughnuts again. The road stretched across this wasteland like a big silver rubber band, stapled down by fluorescent mustardy-yellow lines. Even the sky looked tacky, needlessly aqua, a tourist's T-shirt."

The novel pans out like a road trip journal. The young narrator delves into the mundane daily grind of long journeys, the same cheap motels in any town, food on the go, survival, sanity, the people they meet along the way and Gunther's friends dotted along the way.

There are several threads that pull this journey along. One thread is the relationship that develops between Gunther and the narrator. Not yet 18 and travelling with a much older guy draws quizzical and sometimes suspicious looks. Both characters seem up to task to put their relationship to the test as well. Society seems quite intolerant, even judgmental, for friendships of this nature.

Another thread is the narrator's rush to move from innocence to experienced and the immature way she goes about it. She longs for a closeness to Gunther he seems torn to be a part of. The see-saw of emotions between the two protagonists is intense and sometimes leaves the reader feeling tense and maybe even a little frustrated.

As a reader I kept asking myself questions about the two main protagonists. I like stories with layers that get uncovered ... I like depth and I found myself wishing I knew more background about the two main characters. I'm not sure I liked them. They sometimes made me feel awkward, which is probably the best way to feel reading a novel of this nature because the loss of innocence is an awkward time.

I enjoyed this story because it made me think of lots of possibilities and outcomes that could have transpired, but didn't. Throughout the entire story I thought like a writer and for someone who enjoys both reading and writing, that is a good thing. This trip is probably not for everyone, but if you're adventurous, I say ... go for it ... and enjoy :o) ( )

Words About: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

I am not normally someone who jumps on the so-called 'band wagon' when it comes to popular fiction. However, having said that, there are a very few 'exceptions to my rule'. One Sunday afternoon, I strolled into our media room where my son and his girlfriend were just starting to watch the dvd, 'Twilight'. I'd heard all the hype and to say the least, I'm not into vampires in any way, shape or form.

I had seen interviews given by Stephenie Meyer and I was interested in her for a lot of reasons. I knew she was a new author, she was a mormon and she had made a huge 'break through' in the world of publishing, with a concept that was very 'far fetched'.

Who the woman, the writer that Stephenie Meyers is, is what intrigued me. I have studied creative writing and I write daily, I'm very interested in writing from many different perspectives, so I am always interested in reading and finding out about how new authors breakthrough the barriers. Reading about others who overcome obstacles or have the same passions as I do, I find very inspiring.

I sat down and watched the dvd with my family to see what all the hype was about. I enjoyed the movie and decided that the storyline was actually interesting (and I might add here, very fictional) and it added to my curiosity about Ms Meyers, so I decided that I would read her books...all four of the series.

I found Twilight, (the book) enjoyable, but noticed the tell-tale signs of a beginning author...we all must start somewhere. I found her characters very two-dimensional and shallow. I did not grow to like them and felt the only reason I could identify them was because the actors cast in the movie were very suited. I enjoyed the characters from the movie, but not so from the book.

I did not enjoy the repetition and tired old dialogue throughout. I kept saying to myself - 'I get it!' I wonder where the editor was in this first book? A good editor would have called a halt to these sins right from the start. I found the character of Bella actually quite annoying more times than I care to admit and that's a shame really. The author might argue that she portrayed her as a flawed character, and if that was the case, then it worked, along with the rest of her clumsiness.

By the end of this novel, I was so 'over' the countless mundane meals Bella cooked for her dad. Every time I read this, it reminded me of my own life and the endless meals I have to prepare...aren't novels designed so we can escape our reality? That's probably a little harsh, however, it was another case of...'I get it! - Bella is the sweet, devoted to her father, little girl.' I got 'it' after the first couple of times.

I agree, with other reviews too, that suggest Bella has an unhealthy attitude to life goals...only wishing to be around Edward and whoever she regards as cool. But I must remember who Ms Meyer's target audience is and maybe that has something to do with it.

Having said all that, I enjoyed the book and took it at face value. After I finished Twilight, I was more than ready to read on with New Moon.

I think with all the hype that surrounds books like the ones Ms Meyer writes, along with JK Rowling, we must remember...they are writing FICTION to entertain...and not read anymore into it than that.

happy reading ( )