Clinton, Hillary Rodham (2014) Hard Choices. Simon & Schuster. In the aftermath of her presidential run Hillary Clinton was appointed Secretary of State. As Secretary she had to make many hard choices. This memoir is an inside account of the choices, challenges and crises she faced during her four years in the role as the world’s most powerful diplomat. It provides a fascinating insight into the US leadership of the ‘free world’, and personal vignettes add a bit of warmth to this weighty tome. Impressive. Rating: 9/10.
Walker, Martin (2014) Children at War. Quercus. Bruno Chief of Police is busy with the murder of an undercover cop found tortured and mutilated in the woods, when local Muslim youth Sami turns up at a French army base in Afghanistan hoping to get home, and St Denis receives a bequest from Jewish children sheltered by town during the War. Bruno is faced with the challenge of unravelling multiple mysteries, whilst meeting the expectations of the town and his bosses. The Dordogne is again brought vividly to life in this seventh book in the Bruno Courreges series. A thriller. Rating: 8.5/10.
Reichl, Ruth (2014) Delicious: a novel. Random. Reichl’s memoirs have a special place in the hearts of her fans, and her first novel is also about the pleasure and comfort of food. Billie moves to New York to work for the iconic food magazine Delicious, away from her family and older sister, Genie. She is seduced by the downtown food scene, and the colourful people she meets. When the magazine suddenly closes Billie finds a cache of correspondence, with legendary chef James Beard, that inspires Billie to come to terms with her fears. Bittersweet, but rather overstuffed. Rating: 8/10.
Kleon, Justin (2014) Show your work: 10 ways to share your creativity and get discovered. Workman. This little book is about promoting your creative talent by making yourself findable. Kleon claims the lone genius is a myth and that writers, artists, makers and creatives need to be tenacious in the search for recognition and validation. Insightful lessons on the creative process. Rating: 8/10.
7:30 Bookclub 