March's book

Hi everyone, my book for March is the Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid.  See you all in february Kaye

The inaugural AGM of the First Tuesday Book Club was held on 4/12/12.  The reports are as follows.

The Secretary:  No report she absconded with the president.

The Treasurer:  No report she absconded with all the money.

The President:  No report.  See above.

So the rest of the plebes left made all the vital decisions necessary to keep the club running smoothly.

No. 1.   As of next year the host for the night is the only one to supply sustenance, that excludes

             Hannah who can't control the urge to bring something along.  Please let her in if she does.

That's it, major problem covered.  We then moved onto the book.

ABANDONED WOMEN BY LUCY FROST

Tahnee:        Didn't read the book but carried out a giant cover up to hide the fact that she didn't
                     read the book.  Please not that she didn't read the book.

Hannah:        Not finished.  (Better than Tahnee)  Looking forward to conslusion.

Kerry:           7  Fascinating look back at history of the women who pioneered the colony.

Irene:            7  Unhappy naration on the human capicity for cruelty.

Trilby:          6 Overly long, interesting but tended to merge into one long story of unhappiness.

Debbie:         No Show

Kaye:            Cherries

Colleen:        7  Showcases terrible like for women.  Women are still fighting for ewuality.

Overall everyone quite liked the book.  It showed the hardships women went through.   We had a round table dicussion  on who, if taken back in time, would have surrived the ordeal.  It was an overall death march, except for Tahnee, we would have all died in childbirth.

Thanks ladies for a great night and a great year it has been enlightening.
Next year is as follows.  Please take note.

February  Kerry. m Middlesex by Jeffery Eugenides.
March      Kaye
April        Hannah
May         Debbie
June         Tahnee
July          Trilby + 2
August     Hannah
September  Annmarie
October    New girl
Novemver  Irene
December  Colleen        

Follow up from Novembers meeting

Hello all,

Following our discussion about twins births and subtle ways of saying no - here are some links if you are interested.

Twins born over 48 hours apart 

Subtle signals of no/go away


Cheers

Trilby

ABANDONED WOMEN BY LUCY FROST

Women played a big part in the settling of Australia but have been largely overlooked in history.  Lucy Frost shows us a small window into the lives of some of our earlier ladies and the part they played in the early colony

 

Do you think these women were criminals or simply victims of circumstance?

 

Was shipboard life a respite that the women did not fully appreciate?

 

What a terrible situation for the children involved.  The English and their rules have a lot to answer for.  What do you think?

 

These women were used and abused like mongrel dogs.  Can you even comprehend how tough each and  day of their life was.   Placed back in time do you think you would be one of the survivors?

Dubliners by James Joyce,


Hannah: 7 Took a while to get into it. Grew to enjoy it.

Tahnee: 7 Real & Vivid. Enjoyed. Great.

Anne-Marie: 6 Score might have been more if I'd finished it. Thought provoking vignettes.

Coleen: 9 Love James joyce. Every story a little package. Concept needs to be explained to those of lesser intelligence.....Hannah excused.

Trilby: Didn't read but now wants to.

Kerry: 8 Must ready again.

Kaye: 3 Good illustration of life at the time. It was well written but not enjoyable.

Irene: 9 A descritpive feast.

Thanks everyone for a great night and for coming all the way to McMahons Creek.
Irene

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

Despite receiving some very good industry reviews this book failed to engage all of us (except for Meg).


Meg - 8/10   Engaging with an interesting twist.

Hannah - 5/10  Had to find out what happened in the end.

Colleen - 4/10  Didn't like the foul language.  Bad Read.

Irene - 4/10  Initially captivating.  Gradually disengaged.

Tahnee - 4/10  Smutty thriller.  Squandered potential.  Unlikeable characters.

Kaye - 6/10  Convoluted plot.

Anne-Maree - 5/10  Really disappointing. Promising start degenerated into hard to believe "soap opera".


Book for December is Abandoned Women by Lucy Frost at Colleen's house.

Hello Fellow Book Clubbers,
Here are some questions for contemplation before Book Club which will be on the second Tuesday (13th)  in November due to Cup Day.

James Joyce was born on February 2, 1882 in Dublin, Ireland to impoverished parents. As the son of a devout Roman Catholic mother and a tax collector,
his works are heavily resentful of male figures and the Catholic Church.
1. What is the story which you responded to most, emotionally?
2.How are the themes of paralysis and simony echoed in the short stories?
And in case anyone else didn't know what it means......
Simony: In Christianity  the practice, now usually regarded as a sin, of buying or selling spiritual or Church benefits such as pardons, relics, etc, or preferments
3. How is Charles Parnell an important figure throughout the book?
4. What are the connecting factors that allow this book to be grouped as a collection of short stories?
5. What sort of image does Joyce paint of England? How could his upbringing have influenced this?
6. What causes Joyce's epiphanies to occur? Why does he tend to end his stories with an epiphany
7.Is "Araby" a conventional love story?  At the end of "Araby," why does the narrator say his eyes "burned with anguish and anger" (p. 28)?
8.To what extent does one's birthplace determine one's identity or destiny?
9. Is individual freedom inevitably limited by the social customs of a particular place?

Hope to see you all soon.
Irene

Hiya,
Would somebody please post the address for Book Club tonight?
Thanks,
Irene

Hello Fellow Book Clubbers,

November's book is Dubliner's by James Joyce at 9 Reefton Drive, McMahons Creek.
I seem to remember car pools happened last year for the trip to the wilderness of my home!!! And takes about 45 mins from Seville.
If anybody needs help with directions my number is 0437 358 890. But a good marker is if you pass the Reefton Hotel you have missed the right hand turn onto Reefton Drive by about 100m, along Woods Point Road.
See you all next Tuesday,
Irene

Hannahs query

Hi Hannah im sorry i have not updated the post with last months books details ect... im afraid in my packing frenzy i have misplaced my notes so i am not sure of the name of the book or the address of next bookclub if anyone does could you post it pretty please.
About the only thing i remember from the my night of book club is that we were introduced to our newest member of book club Alexander the book was okay on most accounts a few mixed reviews from memory.
Sorry guys.

query nov's book

Hi guys just wondering if you can tell me the name of the James Joyce book we are doing for next month because I can't remember it and need to get organised.

Thanks and see you next week
P.S can someone tell me the address!
Hannah

Questions for the Secret Scripture

1. Did anyone predict the secret that Dr. Grene uncovered before it was revealed. How did you feel about the secret?

     2. Fr Gaunt played a pivotal role in Roseanne's life, why do you think he took such an interest in Roseanne and her families life? Was it motivated by religion, his views on women or something else?


    3. What did you think of the authors writing style, could you connect?


    4. Do you think this book is reflective of its setting in Ireland or was it reflective of the world in general at the time in its treatment of women?

   5. Joe Brady discuss?



See you all at mine next Tuesday night September 4th.
16 railway road Seville a couple of doors up from Hannah.
PH: 0417977175

Book club december 2012 to 2013

Naturally this is subject to change...

December Colleen( 2012)
Feb Kerry
March Lesley
April Kay
May Tahnee
June Trilby
July Hannah
Aug Deb
Sept Anne Marie
Oct Meg
Nov Irene

The Little Stranger

His guys! Sorry it has taken me a while to write this up.

   "The Little Stranger" by Sarah Waters proved to be a disappointment, especially if you were expecting a book that would chill you to the bone.  Frankly I personally found Deb's ghost story far more freaky.

  Dr Faraday, the narrator, a very unlikeable character, had the romantic idea about coveting Hundreds by marrying Caroline.  The relationship between the two characters, was very unlikely and rather creepy, as it was clear to the reader that Caroline was not interested in Dr Faraday and staying at Hundreds.  It was suggested that Dr Faraday was an opportunist and perhaps in time he was to latch unto another wealthy family.

 The book left other unanswered questions, such as what really happened to Caroline at the end? Was Dr Faraday feeding the hysteria of the two employees?  We also found it frustrating that Dr Faraday was never questioned in regards to Caroline's death.

Colleen: 2/10 boring didn't enjoy it
Tahnee: 3/10 promising but never delivered
Anne-Marie: 7/10 engaging disappointing end
Kay: 6/10 intriguing story, crappy ending
Kerry: 3/10 more enjoyment from discussing the book
Deb: 5/10 a good "filla" book
Hannah: 6/10 needs more spookiness, and more a of a conclusion

Octobers Book

Hi everyone,
here is the title of October's book
Gone Girl, Gillian Flynn

The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters Questions

Hi guys!  Hope everyone is well. Here are the questions...

Is Dr Farraday a reliable narrator?

Despite the happenings at Hundreds, Dr Farraday was the voice of rationality.  Are reason and rationality incompatiple?

How does Dr Farraday's history with Hundred's affect his feelings about the building and the family?  Does Mrs Ayers personal history effect her feelings about Hundreds?

Do you think Caroline was ever invested in the relationship with Dr Farraday?

The War shook up the British class system.  How will Dr Farraday "fit" in the coming years?

I hope there were no sleepless nights over this book.  See you Tuesday.

June 2012 Meeting 'The Life of Pi' and pelvic floor exercises...

Well I loved it, Kerry seemed to enjoy it and everyone else's reaction was a tad luke warm...
Most struggled to believe the narrative.

Apologies: Colleen, Meg, Leslie, Kerry, Ann-Marie

Irene:     5/10: Not for the practically minded.

Hannah: 6/10: At times found it a bit slow.

Kaye:     5/10: A fanciful tale.

Debbie:  6/10: The more enjoyable the faster I read it.

Kerry:    7/10: Via text...a wonderful story masterfully spun, made me wonder how I could believe such an adventure, Pi was such an interestinf and adventurous character that questioned everything and adopted the things that resonated with him.

Ann-Marie: 4/10: Via text... a difficult read, not engaging at all.

Tahnee:   8/10: Unbelievably believable. 

Trilby: Didn't read.

Next months book is 'We need to talk about Kevin' - Lionel Shriver @ Trilby's house

Followed by              'The Little Stranger' - Sarah Waters @ Hannah's house

Followed by              'The Secret Scripture' - Sebastian Barry @ Debbies house

Followed by Meg and Irenes choices........

June Meeting - Questions regarding The Life of Pi

Hello my Renegade Readers. Please see below some questions for discussion on Tuesday night. Look forward to seing you all then.

1.       An important component of books is the ability of the author to induce 'suspension of disbelief' in the reader. Yann Martel wondered how far in could push the reader....

Did you find the story believable, when did it become all too much for you? The floating islands, the meeting of the other blind man, or at the very beginning "I turned around, stepped over the zebra and threw myself overboard"!

 

2.       Do you think you could've eaten raw fish and drank fresh turtle blood? Why did Pi save Richard Parker in the first place, then feed and assist him instead of enticing him over board or letting him starve?

3.       Pi opines that Zoo's (good ones) are more like guarded neighbourhoods then jails and don't deserve the bad press they receive. Agree/Disagree.

      4.       Which version of Pi's experience do you believe?
 

5.       Just to see if everyone picks the same colour as me... If Hinduism is associated with orange and Islam with green, what color would you make Christianity, based on the novel?

 

6.       What do you think of Pi's assertion that we are all "in limbo, without religion, until some figure introduces us to our God"?

 

7.       How is the novel related to religion or religious belief, in one brief sentence.

The little coffee shop of Kabul

Our book for the month of May, The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul, provided some interesting topics of conversation.  Each member was asked who there favorite character was.  Halajan was selected by 3 members, her feisty and strong character was cited as the reason for their choice. Other members liked Isabel, Ahmet, Jasmina and Candace.  We all felt that Candace was quite naive, given the situation with Wakel and also at the embassy with the boy with the package.
It was also agreed that every character in the book held a secret that they managed to cover up in some manner, Jasmina's pregnancy, Halajan and Rashif's love, Isabel's rape, Candace's background etc.  Although the men in the book were felt to be secondary to the main characters, they still had fairly strong storylines of forbidden love.  However, it was felt that the change to Ahmet's character accepting his mothers love for Rashif and then his own for Jasmina, was not true to what a devout Muslim would do. 

Rankings
Debbie  5- Not enough cups of coffee for my liking
Anne Marie 6 - Afghani cultural buffet
Hannah 5 - Easy enjoyable read, but, didn't explore the friendships enough
Kerry 5 - Good holiday read, bit soapy
Meg  5 - Pleasant fluffy read squandered its potential
Irene 5 - Drawing on real life situations made the happy ending a melancholic comparison
Leslie 7 - Makes her feel sorry for women in other countries
Colleen 5 - Floated alon on even level, average
Kaye 7 - Captivating story about women in a hostile environment

Little coffee shop of Kabul

Hi all
Hope you have enjoyed reading the little coffee shop of Kabul. Here are some questions for discussion on Tuesday evening I have selected them from the reading group questions at the back of the book.   See you on Tuesday.
Kaye

1. Who was your favourite character and why?

2. A working title for this novel was The Seventh Dove.  What does Halajan's story about the doves mean, and why does it have such a strong effect on Sunny?

3. 'Every character in the novel is hiding something' Do you agree with this statement?  Discuss each character's secrets and subterfuges.

4. Five women are at the heart of this novel. But what do you think of the representation of men?

5. What was the most shocking thing you learnt about life for women in Afghanistan?

Hi all.  Humble apologies from me. I have misplaced my notes from last book club meeting and know I put them somewhere safe. I will post as soon as I have found them. 
In the meantime we should all be reading 'The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul" written by Deborah Rodriguez. This book was Kay's choice and the next meeting will be at her house.  For those that wish to read the next book. It is "The Life of Pi" by Yan Martel chosen by Tahnee.
Sorry again.  Leslie

Hi guys just wondering if Tahnee has had a chance to think of a book for June, so i can get ordering ugh... Sorry Tahnee know you are away hope you are having a great time with the family, look forward to seeing you when you get back.

QUESTIONS FOR

When you read of Jasper's discovery in the clearing, who did you think did it.Why do you think Charlie agreed to become an accomplice.Do you think the novel accurately captures the experience of adolescenc.Would you choose spider hat or penis fingers.

FROM LESLIE

Caleb's Crossing

Mar 6, 2012 02:40 PM

Caleb's Crossing Tuesday 6 March 2012 at Colleen's place.

It seems the book was enjoyed by all, a little slow to get into, some a bit slower than others. (Leslie)

IRENE 7
Too tired for a pithy comment, the author took to much artistic licence

HANNAH 7
Want to read more about Native Americans

TRILBY-ROUX 6
Well crafted, facts got in way of story

MEG 1
A weak welcome to new member Meg who can't seem to grasp the concept of book club is to read the bloody book

LESLIE 6
Hard life. Leslie now loves her washing machine, dryer, cooker, micro wave etc.

DEBBIE 7...5
Got carried away with language. Loved the language.

KAYE 7
Slow to start but pleasantly surprised at (oops can't read my own writing so have no idea what Kaye is surprised at.)

TAHNEE 6
Worth persevering with . Liked the use of language. Want to call next baby Solace.

Ann Marie 8
Energizing, excellent read.

MARIMBA 8
Went to sleep but points for sending in her review.
Her skill as a writer was magical, the depth of her themes astounded. I was moved to tears more than once.

COLLEEN 7
Impressed with the writing style and the amount of research taken to produce the story.

Thanks everyone for comming.

Next month book is Jasper Jones by Craig Silvey at 16 Wattle Valley Road Mt Evelyn.

Caleb's Crossing

Sorry forgot to add Bookclub is at my place (Colleen) Chandler Road Seville. M285 D5 use your Melways not a GPS. Chandler Road is off Victoria Road, we are the last gate on the right, Dewhurst/Kelly on gate, long driveway you will eventually get there. Ring me on 0411 799 558 if lost and I will talk you though.

Caleb's Crossing

Caleb's Crossing by Geraldine Brooks

Do you think the author did enough research for her story? Did it show in her writings?

Did you feel the author kept her narrative in time with the era? Did you struggle with the language?

After reading this book do you feel that not much has changed with the downtrodden in our society feeling the predjucices against them in 1665 and 2012

review for "Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet"

We Welcome Anne-Maree and Marimba to our group and look forward to your contribution. Congratulations Irene and Stewart and thank-you for bringing Aruna for us all to love and cuddle.

It was generally agreed the book was an interesting read. The complex relationship between Father and Son/s was thought to be normal for the time period where children where seen and not heard. The romantic side of this novel caused emotional responses as these relationships remained unresolved by the author. The issues created by the war were repressive and destructive.

Colleen.............7.....Enjoyable and believable

Trilby-Roux....6......Interesting....detached

Anne-Maree....7......Cried

Kaye..................7......Captivating

Marimba..........7......Swept me away....cried at the train station......

Hannah............6.......Enjoyed ending

Tahnee.............6.......Melancholic/ Entertaining

Irene.................8......(Thought to be still very Hormonal) Didn't want the story to end. Left me wanting more.

Leslie...............8.......possibly hormonal as well!!..really really enjoyable..well written...and she cried.......

Kerry................7.......Loved the complex relationships, the history and an insight into the injustices forced on alien citizens during ww2.

Deb...................6.5.....Frustrated by Henry/Sheldon relationship. Distant didn't connect.

March Bookclub is at Colleen's the book is" Caleb's Crossing"

April Bookclub is at Leslie's and the book is "Jasper Jones" by Craig Silvey

Kerry

questions for february's book club

Happy New Year to you all...some questions to ponder for discussion

- Why do u think the story was told in flashbacks. What perceptive can an older Henry give and do u think it would be accurate

- Father-son relationships are a crucial theme in the novel. How is Henry's relationship with his Father and Son different. What accounts for the difference?

-Why does Henry's father insist on only English from Henry when he intends to send him back to China for study.

-If u were Henry would u be able to forgive your father.? Does he deserve forgiveness?

-Henry's mother comes from a culture in which wives are subservient to their husbands. Given this background , do you think she could of done more to help Henry in his struggles against his father? Is her a loyalty to her husband a betrayal of her son.

-bullying is a big part of the theme in the book..Henry's bullied by his father,schoolmates, society in general. How do you think this shaped his character . Do you think society has changed much in regards to bullying.

-Do you think Henry was right to stay with Ethel even after he found out about his fathers deceit. Should he have searched for Kieko.

-Do you think Ethel knew what was happening to Henry's letters?

-Why do u think Kieko didn't make an effort to find Henry once released from the camp?

-Internment of foreigners happened all over the world during WW2 what are ur views on this and do you think it is a practice that could happen today?

Happy reading see u all at my place

224 Schoolhouse Road Woori Yallock

on the first Tuesday in Feb.....

hey reading buddies just wondering if someone can post the name of the next two books because i know i wrote them in a safe place i just can't remember where that safe place is ugh....