A conspiracy of friends

This is the third Corduroy Mansions novel by Alexander McCall Smith providing more stories about the inhabitants of Pimlico, especially those associated with the apartments of Corduroy Mansions. The series of stories throughout the book involve an investigation of friendship and how the characters respond to challenges in relationships. When William French visits friends in the country his dog, Freddie de la Hay, disappears and his loyalty to old friends is tested when his friend's wife confides her love for William. Barbara Ragg redefines her relationship with Hugo and continues her dispute with  Rupert Porter and his wife as they continue their quest to acquire Barbara's apartment. Caroline has a new flatmate. Oedipus Snark MP member of the Liberal Democrats receives a promotion while Terence Moongrove acquires a new car, both events providing additional worries for Berthea Snark.

These amusing, sometimes quirky, stories as well as entertaining the reader often portray attitudes and perceptions prevalent in society today.

Bertie plays the blues

The seventh book in the 44 Scotland Street series. Alexander McCall Smith continues to recount the events in the lives of his now familiar characters - Bertie and his family, Domenica, Angus Lordie and Antonia, Mathew and Elspeth as well as Pat who works in the gallery and Big Lou, the owner of the local cafe.

In this volume six and a half year old Bertie decides to apply for adoption to escape the strict regime laid out for him by his mother, his father also rebels and joins the masons, Domenica and Angus finally decide on a wedding date, Mathew and Elspeth come to grips with being the parents of triplets while Pat and Big Lou explore options to form new relationships.

Edinburgh is the setting for this collection of character studies touched with humour and portraying a selection of inner city life and attitudes.

Mini Shopaholic

This is the sixth title in Sophie Kinsella's shopaholic series. Becky Brandon is a 29 year old mother with a two year old daughter, Minnie. Becky loves shopping but when the Global Financial Crises hits London even Becky realises that she needs to restrict her purchases - not an easy task. Becky, Minnie and Luke are living with Becky's parents until they take possession of their new home - which should be soon. Being a parent can also be a challenge especially as Minnie is proving to be a  determined young lady whose favourite word is Mine so Becky and Luke decide to enlist someprofessional  guidance in bringing up their daughter. Becky also decides to organise a surprise birthday party with all the bells and whistles for her husband - on a budget of course. Needless to say many complications arise on all these fronts resulting in an amusing tale of mayhem until all is resolved.

Oranges are not the only fruit

In November The Age newspaper reviewed a memoir, Why be happy when you could be normal?  by Jeanette Winterson where she describes her life living with her adopted family. It was not a conventional upbringing as her mother's life revolved around the activities of a zealous church and its missions and abhorrence of all that is not holy. Jeanette is also actively involved in the church until she leaves home at  sixteen. Many years later she became a successful author writing, among other novels, Oranges are not the only fruit.

In the introduction to the book she writes, "Is Oranges an autobiographical novel? Not at all and yes of course." There are definitely parallels between the Jeanette in the novel and experiences of the author. Jeanette in the novel has always been different and has difficulty fitting in at school largely due to her religious environment as she actively participates in the church services and other activities, including preaching, and is destined to be a missionary. However at sixteen she is forced to leave home after forming a relationship with another woman, definitely an unholy practice in the eyes of the congregation and particularly her mother. Jeanette's story is interwoven with other parables of people who are different being forced to leave home yet still having a thread leading them back.

A moveable feast

From 1957 and 1960 the American author, Ernest Hemingway, recorded his memories of living in Paris between 1921 and 1925 published as A moveable feast. In one of the later chapters of the book  Hemingway describes a conversion with the bar chef at the Ritz bar where he is asked to describe the writer Scott Fitzgerald. He answers, " I am going to write something about him in a book that I will write about the early days in Paris. ... I will put him in exactly as I remember him the first time that I met him." Scot Fitgerald had recently completed The Great Gatsby when Hemingway met him. He also writes about other authors  that he met in Paris during this time including Gertrude Stein, Ezra Pound, James Joyce and Wyndham Lewis and also mentions artists such as Pablo Picasso.

The book in part describes the life of a young writer with a wife and child living in and enjoying life in Paris with little money as Hemingway works at the craft of writing, initially as a journalist but then as a writer of short stories and eventually a novel. The book is also about Paris and its cafe culture and other cultural pursuits in the 1920s.

The title of the book comes from a conversation that Hemingway had with a friend in 1950 - "If you are lucky enough to have lived in Paris as a young man, then wherever you go for the rest of your life, it stays with you, for Paris is a moveable feast".

In 2011 the film, Midnight in Paris, captures much of the lifestyle and atmosphere of Paris in this period as writer, Gil Pender, explores the streets of Paris at night and at midnight is transported back to the Paris of the 1920s where he meets the writers, artists and musicians enjoying the many bars, cafes and salons around Montmatre. The film was reviewed in At the Movies
- http://www.abc.net.au/atthemovies/txt/s3325810.htm

NB The novel, The Paris Bookseller, by Kerri Maher is also based on the lives of authors in Paris at this time.

The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party

Although the actual wedding between Grace Makutsi and Phuti Radiphuti does not occur until the final chapter much planning for the wedding is required before the event can take place. While this is occurring the services of the detectives at the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency continue to be in demand. Who has been causing injury to the cattle of Mr Moeti? Is Charlie really the father of twins? And has Mma Ramotswe's little white van come back to life? This is the twelfth book is the No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency Series by Alexander McCall Smith and continues the tradition of the previous titles taking the reader into the life of Mma Ramotswe and her family and friends living in Botswana.

In September 2011 ABC television showed an episode of Compass consisting of a Geraldine Doogue  interview with Alexander McCall Smith. The episode can be viewed or downloaded plus a transcript of the interview can be found at http://www.abc.net.au/compass/s3314488.htm.

 In October 2011 Alexander McCall Smith was guest of the program, Jennifer Byrne presents - http://www.abc.net.au/tv/firsttuesday/s3337304.htm.

Lola's secret

Members of her family have made plans to holiday away from the family motel in the Clare Valley, South Australia, but 84 year old Lola Quinlan decides to spend a quiet Christmas at the motel alone. At least that is what she tells the family. Lola practices her newly acquired computer skills to advertise a special holiday package at the motel. Eight people reply to the ad and part of the book looks at the lives of these people. The rest of the book revolves around Lola's relationships with her family and friends, especially her two grand-daughters Bett and Cassie and their young families.

Lola's secret is a sequel to The Alphabet Sisters first published in 2004. The Alphabet Sisters are Anna, Bett and Carrie Quinlan who, when very young, form a singing group managed by their grandmother, Lola Quinlan. When the girls have a an argument resulting in them not talking to each other for three years their grandmother insists that they all come home to help her celebrate her eightieth birthday. What she does not tell them is her plan to bring the girls together again.

In both books Monica McInerney presents a study of often complex family relationships involving sadness as well as joyous times with Lola Quinlan as the catalyst or motivator for family and community events.