Heroines of the Medieval World

Heroines of the Medieval World by Sharon Bennett Connolly is a study of some of the women who became part of history, for a variety of reasons, in a male driven world. History of the time was usually written by men for men so not a great deal is known about the lives of women during this period. However some do stand out and the parts of their stories that are known are included in this book.

Sections of the book include The medieval ideal, Heroines in religion, The medieval mistress, Scandalous heroines, The disinherited heroines, The pawns, Captive heroines, Warrior heroines, Women who ruled, True Love, Literary heroines and The survivors.

The reader can choose which section they want to read and in which order. A number of the stories in the book are of women in our family tree including Katherine Swynford, Joan Beaufort, Queen of Scotland, and the family of Robert I of Scotland who were imprisoned by Edward I of England. The book contains detailed notes, bibliography and index.

All the Light We Cannot See

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr is a novel set in France and Germany during the Second World War. Although most of the story is set during the war there are also sections set in the 1930s and more recently. The novel largely consists of alternating chapters telling the experiences of Marie-Laure in France and Werner in Germany. There is also the story of a German Army Officer who is determined to find a special stone that he believes will cure him.

Marie-Laure and her father escape from Paris to Saint-Malo and move in with Marie-Laure's great uncle. Marie-Laure is blind but her father has made models of the streets where they live to assist her in navigating her local area. Werner is an orphan living in a children's home with his sister, Jutte. He is a very bright boy with the aptitude to use and repair short wave radios. This ability earns him a place in a military school where he can expand his knowledge but also learn to be a soldier. 

The novel describes the experiences of these young people from different countries as their lives are drastically altered by war. As the story progresses the effects of war on ordinary people becomes more obvious as the shortage of food increases and bombing intensifies. Still these two young people strive to keep alive and help others when they can. Throughout the novel both the characters have access to short wave radio which they use in different ways - the radio waves providing the light we cannot see. 

All the Light We Cannot See won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2015. 

The King's Ransom

Gabriella Rose is a successful recovery agent who travels the world locating stolen objects to return to their rightful owners. She has just completed an operation when she is approached by her ex-husband, Rafer Jones, seeking her assistance to help his cousin, Harley, who is the president of a private bank that insured some famous items that have now gone missing. Harley is accused of being involved in the crime and fears that his life may be in danger.

The stolen items include the Rosetta Stone, an Egyptian solid gold sarcophagus plus a collection of famous paintings and other objects. Gabriella and Rafer team up travelling from New York to London, Egypt, Italy locating the missing objects to return to their owners. Meanwhile Gabriella is being followed by people who also want the items and are determined to collect them and keep them for themselves.

In The King's Ransom Janet Evanovich has written a fast paced mystery laced with the humour you would expect from a Janet Evanovich book. The King's Ransom is the second book in the Recovery Agent novel series.

The Black Wolf

In the novel, The Grey Wolf, when Chief Inspector Armand Gamache and his team discover a plot to poison the Quebec water supply they keep much of the investigation secret in order to avoid panic in the community. Although the immediate danger now appeared to be over, the team discovers that danger still threatens their country and their work is far from over. The Black Wolf is still at large but who is he and who can the team trust in their investigation.

In The Black Wolf by Louise Penny  the threat of danger increases as Armand Gamache and his team learn what is going on and the growing threat to Canada. Conspiracy theories beginning on the Dark Web are now entering the wider internet community. A vicious campaign of misdirection is launched against Gamache putting his career and life in danger. The fear of the effects of climate change appears to be behind the threat of impending danger to Canada from their neighbouring country in the south. It is essential that the person behind the plot needs to be identified and removed.

The Black Wolf is the continuation to The Grey Wolf which should be read first though brief summaries of events in the previous book are inserted throughout the plot. The Black Wolf is a gripping story, though a little convoluted at times, with the tension growing as the end of the book approaches. Some of the premises which seem unbelievable in the book have actually occurred since the book was first written. Throughout the novel Armand Gamache and his team retreat to Three Pines where the inhabitants are supportive of their friends but remain in the background. Another excellent novel by Louise Penny.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is a series of novels by Alexander McCall Smith set in Botswana and featuring as the main character Mma Precious Ramotswe. The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency is also the title of the first book in the series published in 1998. By 2025, twenty-six titles in this series had been published. The books were also adapted as a television series.

I have read a selection of these books over the years and enjoyed spending time with the main characters as they examine and reflect on aspects of life as well as solve a crime or two on the way. Many years ago I gave my mother a copy of this title which she enjoyed and lent to her friends. Consequently I included new titles as birthday and Christmas presents for a number of years.

A summary of a number of the titles I have read can be found under the link for The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series.

Harry Potter books

In 1997 the first of a series of fantasy books was published which created enthusiastic response from readers throughout the world. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone introduced young and old readers into the world of a young wizard and his friends as they fought against evil powers. It was not long before J K Rowling became known as a writer throughout the world. When a new volume of the series was released people would queue to purchase the next book. Waiting lists for the books in libraries were huge. It was not unusual to be travelling on a train and watching adult passengers read Harry Potter books, especially when there was a reprint with covers designed to attract adults.

The seven books in the series are:

    Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (1997)

    Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (1998)

    Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (1999) 

    Harry Potter and Goblet of Fire (2000)

    Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2003)

    Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (2005)

    Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (2007).

The first two books were written for upper primary school age readers and provided a readable fantasy based  adventure story. The author had anticipated that the readers would be older as each volume was published so the later volumes in the series were written for older readers than the first two and often had darker themes. The system did not work when younger children started reading the books after the later volumes had been published and then immediately attempted to read books written for teenagers and young adults. Each book in the series also had many more pages than the initial two books.

I read six of the seven books in the series. I decided against Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban as I was not in the mood to read a darker themed book at the time. Generally I enjoyed reading the series as an adult, however I thought that the last two volumes, in particular, could have been given a more thorough edit. 

Harry Potter has turned into an empire with films and other materials relating to the series of seven books. 

A Man Called Ove

In 2014 A Man Called Ove by Swedish author, Fredrik Backman, was published in English (translated by Henning Koch from the 2012 Swedish  original). It was a very popular title in the public library where I worked but I did not have the opportunity to read the book until this month. In 2015 the film of the novel was released in Switzerland. In 2022 there was an American remake of the film with the title now A Man Called Otto and names of many of the characters changed - no comment!

Ove is a lonely man whose wife had recently died and then he learned that he no longer had a job. Ove had a reputation for being difficult to live with and a determination that things had to be done in a certain way. He had had numerous battles with officials (men in white shirts) but if anything needed to be fixed in the local community, it was to Ove that people turned.

Ove regularly visited his wife's grave, planted new flowers and spoke to her of his problems. He was determined to join her but before he could carry out his plans Ove was always interrupted by neighbours requesting his help. Then he was adopted by a cat. When a family with young children moved next door Ove gradually found new reasons for existing. He also needed to support an elderly neighbour who council officers wanted to remove to a home.

A Man called Ove is a study of grief, loyalty, friendship and community spirit. It is also a book written with humour as Ove learns to accept his present life as well as the life he once had.

The Killing Stones

Jimmy Perez now lives with his partner, Willow, on the Orkney Islands.When the body of a childhood friend, Archie Stout, is found Jimmy is determined to discover the truth about his death. The murder weapon was a Neolithic stone that had been removed from the local museum. As the investigations continue secrets long held in the local community are gradually revealed.

Once again we soon become familiar with the islands, this time in Orkney while the previous books involving Jimmy Perez were set in Shetland. We also get to know the local villagers and discover that there are many secrets that may, or may not, be relevant to the case.

Settle down to once more becoming immersed with Jimmy Perez and his family as he investigates the death of his friend as well as subsequent deaths.

Scotland's Medieval Queens

In Scotland's Medieval Queens, Sharon Bennett Connolly examines the lives of the Queens of Scotland from Saint Margaret (1045 - 1093) to Margaret of Denmark (1456 - 1486). The author provides a study of part of Scotland's history through the lives of the women who held positions of power, usually in a time of turbulence and often violence

This was a time when there were conflicts between the Scots and the Vikings as well as frequent disputes with the kings of England. The French were also interested in what was going on in Scotland. 

Much of the book explores the role of the Scottish queens in the running of the country, especially when their husbands were involved in battles. The lives of members of the royal families, especially the women, were often in danger if they were captured and used as hostages.  

This work examines an important period in the history of Scotland as it strived for independence. 

Wolf Hour

Shortly after I started to read this book there was a news alert that there had been a massacre of Jews at Bondi Beach in Sydney. Groups of people were meeting at the beach to celebrate the beginning of Hanuka, an eight day Jewish festival. Two men, a father and son, fired at the gathering on the beach from a small bridge and initially killed fifteen people with another forty admitted to hospital. Reading a novel which largely deals with the effects of uncontrolled gun crime in the USA therefore had a greater impact on me than it would have if I read it at another time.

Wolf Hour by Norwegian author Jo Nesbo and translated by Robert Ferguson is a crime novel primarily set in Minneapolis in October 2016 with some chapters set in September 2022 when a Norwegian author arrives to research the dramatic events that occurred in the city six years earlier. A man is shot by a hitman but the event receives little coverage in the news.  During the book there are a number of killings mainly revolving around past events  that occurred in the local crime world, involving gun related crime.

The story is told from different perspectives so the reader must concentrate to follow the initial chapters but it is soon easy to become immersed in the plot and the lives of some of the main characters. Homicide detective Bob Oz is a good but troubled detective with an aversion to guns. We gradually learn of his back-story as well as the back-stories of many of the characters he investigates. The second amendment features throughout the book as the targeted characters are involved in crime and gangland wars. The climax builds as a National Rifle Association conference is to be held in the city.

Jo Nesbo has written another gripping crime novel which also focuses on the stories behind the crimes being committed as well as their impact on the victims and their families. A major theme questions why the right to own a gun is such a feature of American culture. 

Silent Bones

When a landslide reveals a skeleton buried under a major road the Historic Cases Unit is called in to investigate. Eleven years previously, investigative journalist Sam Nimmo had disappeared shortly after the murdered body of his fiancee had been discovered. Sam had been the prime suspect but now it appears that he was a victim, not a killer. Meanwhile the brother of person who died in another cold case visits the HCU with possible new evidence to his brother's death. 

Karen Pirie and her team work tirelessly to understand what really happened to cause these deaths plus another death which had initially been considered an accident. As the investigations continue it becomes obvious who was behind the crimes. But, although HCU might be able to establish what happened, collecting enough evidence to convict the suspects is another challenge, especially when the suspects are part of Scotland's rich and powerful elite.

Silent Bones is the third book in Karen Pirie series of crime books written by Val McDermid. 

White Male Stand-Up

In 2021 I read the memoir by Alan Davies, Just Ignore Him, which described the sexual abuse that Alan received from his father as a child. In White Male Stand-Up the author discusses the effects of this abuse which continued into his adult life causing the rising, from time to time of the 'angry young man'. It is only when his friend, Jo Brand, convinced him that he needed help that he started to see a therapist.

Alan Davies started to write this book after a diagnosis of possible bladder cancer caused him to reflect on his past relationships and the development of his career as a well known British comedian and actor. This book provides a list of names of British comedians as Alan Davies describes starting his career as a stand-up comedian before working regularly on radio and television. He is probably best known for his work on Jonathan Creek and the television series QI but there were many other projects along the way, not all successful.

White Male Stand-Up provides an overview of the development of the British comedy scene. The book also examines how events suffered early in a life can have a continued affect on a person's life for many years until the realisation that outside help may be required to assist in understanding the situation and moving on.

The Circle of Days

Once again Ken Follett tackles a family saga set in ancient times. This time it is the rebuilding of part of Stonehenge [the Monument] in 2500 BCE. Several communities live close to each other in the valley, plains and nearby woods. A group of priestesses operates at the monument, conducting services which allow for the understanding of the seasons and time in general. Few people can count but the priestesses have devised a system for recording the weeks, months and seasons as the sun rises and set throughout the year. The biggest festival is midsummer.

The monument where the services are held is partly stone with an inner circle made of wood. When some of the locals wreck the wooden structure, it is suggested that the large stones from the quarry should be transported to the monument to replace the wooden structure. It is many years before this plan can be eventually undertaken, especially as some of the male members of local communities do not like the priestesses taking a key role in the endeavour.

The Circle of Stones by Ken Follett Provides an insight into what life may have been like living in the farming, herder, wood-lander and mining communities of the time. Life is made more difficult during years of drought and other natural disasters. For some of the leaders force is the only way to gain ascendancy over other groups and this can lead to tragic results. Meanwhile Joia and her followers are determined to complete their mission.

Pix: the magazine that told Australia's story

In the 1950s and 1960s I can remember my father sometimes bringing home copies of the magazine Pix. I often enjoyed flipping through the pages to look at the wide variety of photographs. I therefore borrowed a copy of this book from the library as soon as the book was published.

Pix: the magazine that told Australia's story is a large book containing full scale photographs as they would have appeared in the magazine. The State Library of New South Wales has digitised many of the images (available on Trove) and recently held an exhibition showing a selection of the photos that portray everyday Australia in the past.

The first edition of Pix was  published in January 1938 and publication of the magazine continued until 1972. The book contains short essays on the publication of the magazine and making the exhibition but it is the images themselves that are the main feature of the book. Exploring the large sample of black and white images in this book is a great way of exploring life in part of the twentieth century.

Wild Dark Shore

The Salt family are caretakers of a small island, Shearwater, near Antarctica. Everyone else has left. The island is particularly important as it houses the world's largest seed bank. A ship is due shortly to remove the seeds from the island to deposit safely at another location. However a severe storm is threatening to destroy the island and only a selection of the seeds can be saved in time. Then a woman's body washes up on the beach. She is still alive but the Salt family wonder why she has come to this island in the middle of nowhere.

It is obvious that something sinister has happened on the island and secrets are being kept, but the new arrival has secrets of her own. As the storm makes life on the island more dangerous the island occupants must decide if they can trust each other. Is it possible for them to make changes in their lives?

However the fate of the environment is the main theme of the book as the effects of global warming impact severely on the island.

Wild Dark Shores  by Charlotte McConaghy is a tension driven novel as the extent of the danger to the island inhabitants becomes apparent and the island occupants must determine their future plans.

This title was one of the books considered for possible discussion by the Monash Alumni Book Club in January 2026. 

Wild Dark Shore won the 2025 Dymocks Book of The Year.