The Bogan Book Club

James Larwood is employed by his brother, Larry as James works as a cleaner in a factory. James has several university degrees including a PhD but is unable to find another job because he spent a short time in prison. Working at the factory James meets a group of people with a variety of backgrounds and problems. Larry organises a variety of out of work activities for his staff. When James arrives he is asked to start a book club for anyone who is interested to attend.

In The Bogan Book Club John Larkin has written about a group of people who generally look out for each other. They also have a sense of humour as they also try to better their position in life. James soon realises that his fellow workers are not bogans.

Throughout the book are references to books being discussed by the group as well as other titles of books they may have read - or seen the film. We learn more about the characters at each book club meeting. There is a lot of humour in the book along with the discussion of serious issues. Towards the end of the book the members of the book club also find themselves solving a crime.

On the cover of the book, beneath the title, is the expression Don't judge a bogan by its cover. This proves to be sound advice.

The Bee Sting

The Bee Sting by Irish author, Paul Murray, is a study of generations of a dysfunctional family - the Barnes family, particularly Dickie and Imelda plus their teenagers Cass and PJ. The first four sections of the book deal with each of these characters individually as well as collectively providing background information in this long and complicated family saga. The author then reveals more recent events in the family's story.

When we meet them, the Barnes family owns two car dealerships and are well off financially. However over time the family business begins to go downhill and is almost destroyed during a recession. Much of the novel involves how family members deal with these changes. We also learn that some of the stories told about the family are not true. There has been much bad luck, as well as some stupidity, which has resulted in the current spiral of misfortune. Towards the end of the novel the characters begin to consider how to improve relationships but is it too late to undo the damage?

The Bee Sting was on the shortlist for the 2023 Booker Prize.

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray - The Guardian 

The Bee Sting by Paul Murray - Turner Stories 

Papyrus: the invention of books in the Ancient World

Spanish Author, Irene Vallejo, has written a detailed account of the importance of reading over thousands of years in the ancient world. Although the book is divided primarily into the study of the importance of books in the Greek and Roman empires it also covers the importance of reading to other communities.

Papyrus: the invention of books in the ancient world looks at the development of libraries whether the collections consisted of clay tablets, papyrus or vellum documents. One of the first libraries was the Library of Alexandria.

During the work the author also discusses the importance of some of the early writers and their works, some of which remain today. Some of the authors discussed include Homer, Socrates and Euripides. She also looks at the small amount that has survived of works written by women at that time as well as works such as Medea by Euripides which feature women. 

This is an informative work about the development and importance of literature and libraries in our history - something we take for granted in our country today.

The Hidden Hand

The Hidden Hand is a fast paced spy thriller by the former head of MI5, Stella Rimington. It is the second book in the Manon Tyler series.

Li Min is a Chinese student studying at Harvard University in America. Before she completes the course she is instructed to transfer to Oxford University in England. Li Min is reluctant to relocate but it is made clear that she has no choice. While at Harvard she had been collecting and passing on information to a Chinese official. In England the Chinese want Li Min to use her experience in AI to make a film they can use for blackmail.

In Oxford Li Min befriends a fellow student, Sally, who agrees to be part of her academic project. CIA agent, Manon Tyler, who is working under a different name, works to gain Li Min's trust with the assistance of Charles Abbott. Assistance is also readily available from London as every effort is made to protect the women and also avoid a diplomatic disaster.

Juice

Juice by Tim Winton is set in a future drastically altered by climate change. People can no longer live in the tropics and during the summer families in part of Western Australia (and probably other areas in Australia) need to retreat below ground in order to survive. They can live and work above ground in the winter but need to work to gather enough supplies to allow them to survive isolation during the hot season.

An unnamed narrator recounts the story of the cause of this climatic destruction to a man he meets when he and a young girl are looking for a new location where they may possibly survive. His story describes the destruction of past lifestyles to the current disaster. The narrator also tells of his life story leading to his present predicament.

Tim Winton is known for his concerns about the environment and the effects of climate change. One of his other works is a book for young teenagers, Blueback. He has also featured in a number of television programs about the environment and threats to nature. 

Juice is a long book - 513 pages - but once I became used to the writing style I wanted to keep reading. Books like Juice encourage readers to think more carefully about how our lifestyle affects the environment in which we live. Dystopian books like Juice will hopefully encourage the reader to think about how the way we currently live may affect and / or destroy life for future generations living in our country. The novel also touches on the possibility of the creation of AI people or simulations in the future.

Juice by Tim Winton - life after the apocalypse - The Guardian  

Schooled in doubleness - Australian Book Review 

Haunted by our legacy - QUT Guild

The Bookover's Library

One of the advantages of reading novels is often discovering aspects of history. On visits to  England we had been aware of Boots the Chemist stores. However, through reading The Booklover's Library by Madeline Martin, I know now that Boots the Chemist also housed circulating libraries in their shops from the late 1800s. This historical fiction novel also provides information about living in England during the Second World War. 

Emma Taylor lives in Nottingham. She is a widow with a young daughter and is trying to find a job to help pay the bills. However this is a time when women were required to leave work when they married. Emma's luck changes when she is employed at the Booklover's Library at the local Boots the Chemist store on the condition that people do not know that she is married. 

Mixing work with being a mother is not easy and Emma faces many challenges but is assisted by a friendly landlady who offers to look after Olivia after school. But then World War Two arrives with the threat of German air attacks and Emma realises that Olivia would be safer living with a family in the country.

This is a story about community, understanding difficult people and, of course, the value of books and reading in providing support to individuals. The knack of choosing the right book for a person is a special skill that Emma has. It is also a book about the effects of the Second World War on families and the efforts of communities to work together. It is also about how danger and challenges can create opportunities for people to work together and sometimes form new friendships and relationships.

Book-lovers Library - Gold Star Guides

Death at the Sign of the Rook

A painting is stolen from a home in a Yorkshire village. Former detective Jackson Brodie visited the home and learned that the painting belonged to an elderly lady who recently died. After her death the painting and the woman who was looking after her both disappeared. He then heard of the theft of another painting at Burton Makepeace. A staff member also disappeared from the house at the same time that the painting disappeared.

Part of the Burton Makepeace manor had been turned into a hotel, Rook Hall, and a Murder Mystery Weekend had been organised for paying guests. A prisoner had also escaped from the local gaol. It was the middle of winter and the guests were snowed in. Jackson Brodie and DC Reggie Chase found themselves at the manor attempting to solve the case.

Death at the Sign of the Rook by Kate Atkinson is an amusing crime novel that pays homage to the crime novels of Agatha Christie and Dorothy Sayers. The story does meander from chapter to chapter and there are lots of characters to keep track of, however I found it a light, entertaining book to read.

Unfinished Business

In Unfinished Business Shankari Chandran has written a tension packed novel based on events occurring during the final years of the civil war in Sri Lanka that commenced in 1983 and ended in 2009. This work of historical fiction recounts two visits to Sri Lanka in 2005 and 2009 by CIA agent, Dr Ellie Harper. 

Ellie returned to Colombo when ordered to by the CIA. The civil war was nearing its end but the American government wanted more input in how American money was to be spent. China was an influential power in the country and American interests needed to be promoted. 

Ellie also received a communication from a Sri Lankan friend, Sathyan Navaratnam, and felt she owed it to him to return. At the same time she learned of the death of Ameena Fernando, an influential journalist who was killed after releasing articles the government did not want published. Ellie was determined to find out who killed Ameena and what additional information she planned to publish.

Thousands and thousands of people died during the conflict and also in the tsunami that struck Sri Lanka in 2004. During her covet investigations Ellie found that information about events became increasingly complicated and finding the truth was extremely difficult. Who could she really trust?

Sri Lankan Civil War - Harvard International Review