The Oasis

In The Oasis by Ann Buist and Graeme Simsion, trainee psychiatrist, Hannah Wright, is working at the outpatient clinic of The Menzies Hospital. While there, she meets many patients with a variety of issues and conditions, including some she had treated at the hospital when doing medical rounds there.

Much of the book also concentrates on issues faced by the staff professionally in their work with patients as well as understanding their own mental health. Hannah is dealing with events that occurred during her childhood when her parents fostered children over many years. The reader also learns of the extensive training undertaken by trainee psychiatrists in order to be fully qualified.

This is the second book in the Menzies Metal Health series - three books so far. The books provide a human and sometimes slightly humorous account of life working in the mental health field.

The Glass House

The Glass House by Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion is the first book in the Menzies Mental Health series. Recently I read The General Hospital which is the third book in the series. The books can be read individually as stand-alone titles but if you plan to read the series it is best to start with the first volume to fully follow the development of the characters of the hospital staff and their work with the patients, many of whom appear in more than one book including Chloe, Junjie and Max.

Doctor Hannah Wright is a trainee psychiatrist at The Menzies Hospital. Although she has previously worked in General Emergency she encounters even more challenges in the psychiatric ward of the hospital. With other registrars in the department Hannah encounters a range of patients and medical conditions. The young doctors hold regular meetings to share their experiences with the patients and medical staff. Hannah is also facing traumas from her past with which she must come to terms.

The Glass House by Annie Buist and Graeme Simsion takes the reader into the world of a busy hospital and the daily challenges faced. The novel also introduces us to a range of sometimes complex characters as they attempt to counter the challenges of daily life. However, although there are dark issues at times, the thread of humanity is at the forefront along with humour. 

Anne Buist is the Chair of Women's Health at the University of Melbourne. With her husband, Graeme Simsion, she has written three novels in the Menzies Mental Health series. Graeme Simsion is best known for The Rosie Project and other books in that series.

The General Hospital

Dr Hannah Wright has returned to the Menzies General Hospital where she began her practical studies as a medical student. As a Psychiatry Registrar she spends her day gaining experience working in a variety of departments in the hospital. Hannah is part of the Consultation Liaison  team which she discovers, on arrival, initially in the basement of the hospital. Not that it really matters as the doctors spend most of their time working in the hospital wards.

The General Hospital by Anne Buist and Graeme Simsion explores the busy life and challenges of a group of hospital staff and their patients. Cases that Hannah works with include Nova who was injured in a car accident where her husband and daughter died, Gareth who is diagnosed with a brain tumor, Max who is bi-polar and suffers from kidney failure, Junjie who suffered an injury that could destroy his aim of being a diver, Ishani who is suffering from burns to part of her body and lives in a controlling family environment, Chloe who has an eating disorder,  Meredith who has a terminal illness and Christina who is upset that the doctor who delivered her baby would not look at her birth plan before the child was born. Hannah's role is to discover the links between physical and mental health.

But Hannah's challenges are not just with the patients. She also has to contend with complicated family relationships and has also entered into a relationship with fellow Psychiatry Registrar, Alex, who has his own issues to work through.

Anne Buist is the Chair of Women's Health at the University of Melbourne. With her husband, Graeme Simsion, she has written three novels in the Menzies Mental Health series. Graeme Simsion is best known for The Rosie Project and other books in that series. Together, in The General Hospital, they have written a compassionate and often amusing account of hospital life assisting patients with mental as well as physical issues. I will now have to read the first three books in the series - The Glass House and The Oasis.

Creative Differences

In Creative Differences Australian author, Graeme Simsion, has included eight short stories previously published in other sources and a short piece produced for Twitter. These short pieces make up the first section of the book. Two of the short stories involve Don Tillman, the popular character in the Rosie series of books. The short stories are followed by a novella entitled Creative Differences which was first written as an audio book.

Emily and Scott are authors who had success with a novel that they wrote together three years previously. Writing the novel also brought them closer together emotionally and they now live together but are working on separate projects. Scott's solo book was not a great success while Emily is suffering writer's block when writing her literary project. She eventually asks Scott for advice which results in regular sessions, usually with a drink or two, where they discuss writing techniques and brainstorm ideas. Life becomes more complicated when one of Emily's students invades their space.

Creative Differences provides an insight into the many styles and procedures involved in creating a story that others might want to read. The book also looks at the need a writer may sometimes have to just write in order to understand themselves and their relationships with others.

The Rosie Result

In 2013 The Rosie Project by Australian author, Graeme Simsion, was published to great acclaim. This book was followed by The Rosie Effect with the third book in the series published in February this year.

When Don and Rosie decide to return to Australia from New York their eleven year old son, Hudson, is far from pleased. Hudson has difficulty coping with change and Don recognises in his son many of the characteristics that he also has. He is therefore determined to ensure that his son learns skills, social and physical, to help him make friends and fit in at school.

Like the other books in the series this is an amusing book to read but it also looks at issues such as the possible dangers of labelling people and when are children old enough to make decisions affecting their health. This is a book about teamwork as Don enlists the assistance of family and friends to help him with Hudson. Hudson's issues also provide other characters to re-evaluate some of their beliefs and understanding of why they act the way they do. This is an enjoyable book, well worth reading. If you enjoyed the other two Rosie books you will enjoy this one.

The Best of Adam Sharp

In The Best of Adam Sharp Graeme Simsion has written a book about relationships.

Adam Sharp lives in England but one day he receives an email that reminds him of an affair that he had with a television actress in Australia more than 20 years earlier. Adam struggles to work out what Angelina really wants to achieve by contacting him. This email contact forces him to consider his relationships of the past and the present as well as what he really wants in the future.

Part I of the book primarily explores Adam's memory of his relationship with Angelina Brown in Sydney as well as reflecting on his deteriorating relationship with his partner, Claire. Part II is about the meeting of Adam with Angelina and her husband, Charlie, in France.

Music plays an important part throughout this novel. Adam works in IT but is also a pianist and throughout the book songs are constantly being mentioned - either music that he is playing or songs that are remembered as the story unfolds. A list of the songs is provided at the back of the book plus a link to the playlist on Spotify.

During the novel Adam is forced to rethink about a variety of relationships - with his father as well as with Angelina and Claire. He also needs to reconsider the components that  make a successful relationship. Adam has to decide whether following his emotions is the right pathway or should the long term needs of all parties be the main consideration.

A number of detailed reviews of this book can be found in Good Reads.

The Rosie Effect

The Rosie Effect is the sequel to The Rosie Project by Australian author, Graeme Simsion. Don Tillman and Rosie are now married and living in New York where Don is a visiting professor at Columbia medical school and Rosie is completing her PhD as well as medical studies. When Rosie becomes pregnant Don's organised life is challenged and the book largely deals with how he and Rosie strive to adapt to the concept of impending parenthood. 

Don is not your 'average person' and not everyone he meets understands his way of thinking and reaction to situations. This can result in awkward situations not just for himself but also for Rosie and his friends. There are many humorous aspects as well as sad moments throughout the book. At times I thought the situations in the plot were a little forced but generally I enjoyed meeting Don and Rosie again and their attempts to reorganise their lives to include a child.

The Rosie Project

Published in January 2013 this first novel by Graeme Simsion continues to be one of the most popular titles in the library. Because of the long waiting list I decided that I had better read it immediately rather than leave it to the end of the loan period, but once I started reading I  just kept reading until the book was finished. Yes, I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

Don Tillman, aged 39, is an an Associate Professor of Genetics at a Melbourne University. It immediately becomes obvious to the reader that Don has problems communicating with people, has difficulty observing and relating to the feelings of others, lives in an extremely ordered world and becomes disturbed if his time-table is not adhered to. When I started reading the book Don's mannerisms reminded me of those of Sheldon in the Big Bang Theory. He possibly has Asperger syndrome, thought this is not stated. He is aware that he is different and has developed defence mechanisms, including the ability to laugh when he realises that he has acted inappropriately, however when he gives a talk to families with children with Aspergers he does not realise that he may exhibit the same symptoms.

When Don decides he wants a wife, although he has never managed to get beyond the first date, he decides to become proactive and develops The Wife Project by creating a sixteen page multiple choice questionnaire to filter possible candidates for marriage and attending a speed dancing session. Meanwhile he meets Rosie who wants to discover who her real father is and a new project, The Father Project comes into being. Through involvement in these two projects Don learns some skills in interacting with others and although Rosie does not meet any of the criteria in the questionnaire and is therefore not suitable wife material Don finds that he enjoys her company, causing another dilemma in his life.

The book is an enjoyable romantic comedy, but it is more than that as it investigates the need people feel to conform to 'social norms' as well as the need to find one's true identity.

Some interesting reviews about The Rosie Project can be found can be found on the Good Reads website, particularly the reviews by ALPHAreader and Steve Lovell in March.

Text Publishing website contains additional information including Notes for Book Groups.

The Rosie Project is the book of the month for June on Read with Raf on 774. It also featured on the April edition of The Book Club on ABC 1.