Where My Heart Used To Beat

Where My Heart Used To Beat by Sebastian Faulks

Blog written by Sally

Where my heart used to beat by Sebastian Falks is narrated by Robert Hendricks, a recently retired psychiatrist in his early sixties, World War II veteran, and son of a World War I veteran who never returned home. Robert opens with a tale of self-regret over a recent bleak encounter with a hooker while away at a medical conference. Somewhat wryly retold, the story is tangled with reminisces about his youth, war time experience, and the painful memory of the 'shimmering' experience of his first love.

Once back at home in London, things seem even worse. An anonymous angry phone call puts him on edge, he is an awkward guest at a housewarming party in his building, gets lumbered with looking after a drunk woman in his flat, which inflames the breakup with his girlfriend, who also is two timing him. There is also an intriguing letter from an elderly man living on an island off the south of France who may have known his father who offers an invitation to visit. So Robert leaves London and this leads to an exploration of his past.

The writing is wonderful. It gives a feeling of discovery as if reading a true personal history. But it is a harsh and bleak history. A new discovery brings a very moving end to this tale of reminiscence.
Most of us read the book and were impressed by the writing, including how well the war experiences were captured. However, the depressing theme makes it quite a challenging read.

The Tennyson poem of the title reflects the profound sense of loss this novel conveys.

Our average rating for this novel is 7.2 out of 10.  It is described as :
"Rich writing, enjoyable reading but may not recommend it "
"Insightful"
"Plot had holes - good writing but Birdsong was amazing at the time"
"War stories were well woven"

Our next meeting is on Wednesday July 26th at Megan's and our choice is The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende

Lincoln in the Bardo

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Blog written by Sharon

This is a very unusual story which unfolds in the graveyard where President Lincoln's young son was interred, narrated by many voices.  Bardo is a Tibetan term for the intermediate state between just after death and the afterlife. These voices are ghosts who don't realise that they are dead !  The audible version of this book is highly recommended as these dazzling voices are brilliantly performed by a huge cast (166) which includes Ben Stiller, Julianne Moore, Don Cheadle as well as the author George Saunders himself !

Our book group was lucky in the timing of our meeting on this novel as it was during the Sydney Writers' Festival and George Saunders was one of the featured authors. We went to listen to him discuss his writing style, his background, his teaching methods etc at City Recital Hall Angel Place and our discussion afterwards was over a lovely dinner at a nearby restaurant.

I took a chance at choosing this book, not having read it beforehand.  For those of us who finished the book, most loved it.  It is a very moving story of grief and a love letter from father to son.  For further background on the novel, we recommend listening to the interview by Richard Fidler on ABC Conversations : http://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/conversations/conversations-george-saunders/8535100

This novel was described by our members as a "totally original outstanding piece of work", "interesting and provocative" and George Saunders as a "brilliantly inventive compassionate genius".

We rated this book 9.5 to 10/10 with the exception of one who rated it a 6.

Our next book is Where My Heart Used to Be by Sebastian Faulks and we are meeting on Wednesday June 29th at Sally's.


Our book group dinner at Mercado

The Dry

The Dry by Jane Harper

Blog written by Lee

At our meeting there was only one reader who did not thoroughly enjoy The Dry by Jane Harper. Everyone else, those attending and those who couldn’t, all gave very positive feedback and ranked it one of the most easy and enjoyable reads we have chosen.

A good novel from a first time novelist, The Dry is set in the bush a few hours drive from Melbourne where the local famers have been enduring a drought for many years.  The first pages set the scene in the dry yellowing bush, where cattle and sheep are dying and the farmers are all on edge.   A perfect scenario for a tragic event.  What seems to be a murder-suicide by a local farmer has brought back vivid and unhappy memories when Aaron Falk returns at the request of Luke Hadler’s father to attend the funeral.  Tensions grow amongst the locals as Aaron investigates the deaths, he being a Federal Police Officer if only in the forensic accounting department.  All the elements of a good thriller are there, domestic violence, gambling, alcohol abuse, financial problems and the local rednecks, plus the blistering heat.

Jane Harper writes some compelling scenes through flash backs to explain the animosity felt towards Aaron as he goes about trying to piece together what had happened to cause this unexpected act of despair - suicide, or crime - murder.  While not being overly lavish with descriptions of the landscapes, her depictions of the townspeople is well managed and leads to several red herrings as the investigation continues.    Some readers spotted the perpetrator quickly, but others like myself were led astray and were surprised as all was revealed in the dramatic climax.   A page turner which rated well with our members, something a little different from our usual choices, that brings together too many tragic real life events that happen in our farming communities.


Jane Harper won the Indie Prize Book Award for 2017 for The Dry. She was born in England but moved to Australia at the age of eight and lived in country Victoria.

We rated The Dry an average of 8.7 out of 10.  It was also described as easy, suspenseful and enjoyable.  Our next book selection is Lincoln and The Bardo by George Saunders and will be at Sharon's on Wednesday May 31st.

Song of a War Boy

Song of a War Boy by Deng Thiak Adut

Blog written by Meredith

Songs of a War Boy by Deng Adut made for a very animated Bookclub meet up.
The extraordinary memoir of a 7 year old Sudanese boy taken from his village, trained to kill,  saved by his brother, eventually arriving in Australia to become a lawyer, a subject for the Archibald Prize  and NSW Australian of the Year 2017.

A truly remarkable journey, chronicling the history of Sudan along the way, raising critical issues faced today as the world grapples with the refugee crisis and increasingly displaced peoples around the globe.


Any book that raises awareness and inspires discussion with such depth is a sure Bookclub winner.

Our rating for the book averaged at 7.3 out of 10 with a range from 7 to 10 !
It is described as important, disturbing, unengaging.
Marty highly recommends that this book should be listened to.
Also that his Australia Day address is very powerful : http://www.smh.com.au/national/transcript-deng-thiak-aduts-australia-day-speech-20160121-gmau63.html


Our next meeting is on Thursday April 27 at Lee's and the book choice is The Dry by Jane Harper.
Lee tells us that Jane Harper has just won the Indie Book Award for 2017. Please read an article from the March 21 issue of The Sydney Morning Herald Digital Edition.

Please note that Megan's book choice for 2017 is The Japanese Lover by Isabel Allende.

The Good People

The Good People by Hannah Kent

Blog by Jane
















Our rating for this book averages 7.7 out of 10 and it was described as "atmospheric".

Our next meeting is on Wed March 22 at Meredith's and the book choice is "Song of a War Boy" by Deng Thiak Adut

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos

The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith

Blog written by Marty

This novel which was written by Dominic Smith could well have been penned by a woman with its intrigue and warmth of emotion.

It is a story told in layers.

There are three different times and settings from Amsterdam and the Dutch
SARA DE VOS a woman artist ( which was rare in the 17th Centur) in fact it is claimed she was the first one such artist to be recognized.

New York in the 1950s finds her  rare painting "At the Edge of the Wood" a Winter scene hanging over the bed of MARTY DE GROOT a descendant (three centuries ) of the original owner.

ELLIE SHIPLEY a young Australian artist whose skill is  in restoration of old
art works and who is enticed to make a forgery of this Dutch Painting.

Its story depicts the meeting of Marty and Ellie and the intrigue of their relationship as well as the fete of the paintings.

Sydney 21st Century finds us in another setting where the two paintings
arrive for an exhibition.  The lives of two modern characters is some what unravelled. Somehow the mystery of the paintings comes to light.

The buzz of jumping from one story and time adds to the absolute enjoyment of the book.
All the characters are woven descriptively into the plot. It makes for easy reading and thorough captivation.
Indeed the research that Smith has undertaken to write a novel with such technical description is what really enhances the book and attempts to educate us in the details of an art restorer and painter.

I loved all the characters especially Sara de Vos whose life as the wife of an impoverished artist and herself a painter struggling to feed her family in C17th Holland.

The question one could ask is "who really changed the paintings?  Was it the caterers or someone else?

I think I really could say this was one of the best  books I've read in a while.

Most of the book club had positive enjoyment.
The discussion mainly centered around the use of three characters and three time period.
Each chapter jumped to a different time. Some read it is sequence rather than as written.

Our rating for this book is 8.5/10 and it's been described as "enjoyable, intriguing, delicate, learnt a lot of the art world ".

Our first book selection for next year is The Good People by Hannah Kent and we will meet at Jane's on Wednesday Feb 8th at 7:30pm.

Have a great holiday and happy reading !!

Reckoning by Magda Szubanski

Reckoning : A Memoir by Magda Szubanski

Nov 10th, 2016

Blog written by Megan



















Our rating for this book is 6.7/10 and described as mildly curious.

Our next meeting with be at Marty's on Dec 14th and our book choice is The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith.

The Story of a New Name

The Story of a New Name by Elena Ferrante
Oct 20th, 2016

Blog written by Melissa

Quoting from the New York Times review by J. Luzzi September 2013:

“The Story of a New Name” is the second part of a trilogy that began with “My Brilliant Friend.” Both novels are primarily set in Naples, are Naples, as they teem with the city’s dialect, violence and worldview. Tracing the friendship between Lila Cerullo and Elena Greco, two extraordinary and troubled girls who become extraordinary and troubled women, Elena’s first-person account charts what scholars and politicians alike have ominously labeled the Southern Question: the cultural and economic divide between north and south that has defined Italian life for centuries. But history never overpowers what is at heart a local story about the families living along a poor Neapolitan stradone, or avenue, with intricate plotlines spun like fine thread around Elena and Lila.

Our Book Club continued reading the epic saga of friendship in Ferrante’s second book of the Neopolitan series; The Story of a New Name”.  We were thankful the novel included a reminder map of who’s who - and we ventured forth into the heart of the story of this unique friendship which provoked fantastic discussions about feminism, class, politics and literature.  The sensitivity and intimacy of the writing had us wondering whether the ‘anonymous’ writer may be writing autobiographically – and if not - even greater credit to her skill and imagination.

The friendship between the women is both fraught and inspirational for each of them. They seem to serve as the grit for each other’s pearls which is uncomfortable at times to observe and yet somehow strangely understandable. It is also fascinating to track their individual, independent journeys and those of the entire neighbourhood - and indeed that of the experience women’s freedom during this era and the cultural and political atmosphere of Italy and Europe at the time.
This rare writer’s voice feels honestly, maturely and deeply female, a raw uncut perspective of truth, whose story is identifiable and believable. It is a joy to read a female story that is completely devoid of cliché, stereotype and predictability – content that is both intimate and worldly – in a structure that is beautifully organised and satisfying.

Many of us, inspired by this intimate and intelligently written drama, have now completed all four novels in the sequence.  Highly recommended.


Our rating for this book is 8.5/10 and it is described as sensitive, intelligent and intimate.

Our next meeting is on Thursday Nov 10th at Megan's and the book choice is Reckoning : A Memoir by Magda Szubanski.