Category: 2011

        Waal, Edmund (2011) The Hare with the amber eyes.  Vintage.  September Picks. Recommended by Lynn and Roz. Nicholls, David (2009) One Day. Hodder & Stoughton. February Picks. Recommended by Roz and Jan. Brooks, Geraldine (2011) Caleb’s Crossing.  Fourth Estate.  June Picks.  Recommended by Jenny and Jan. Grimshaw, Charlotte (2011) Singularity. Random. July Picks.  Recommended by… Continue reading 2011 Most Highly Recommended Reads →

Jan's been reading: Serba, Anne (2011) That woman: The life of Wallis Simpson, Duchess of Windsor.  Weidenfeld & Nicolson.  Anne Sebba attempts to understand this fascinating and enigmatic American divorcee who nearly became Queen of England.  Referred to as 'That woman' by the Queen Mother, and accused of being  a spy, a witch, and a whore, she has… Continue reading December Picks →

Jenny's been reading: Evans, Patrick (2010) Gifted. Victoria UP.  One day in 1955 the 'father of New Zealand fiction' finds a young woman on his doorstep. A writer herself, she has recently emerged from a lengthy spell in hospital and is looking for somewhere safe to live and write. Somewhat to his own surprise, not… Continue reading November Picks →

Julian Barnes has won the Man Booker Prize for his novel The Sense of an Ending, having been shortlisted on three previous occasions. Of Barnes's novel, Chairwoman, Dame Stella Rimington said it had "the makings of a classic of English literature".

7.30 bookclub - dymocks

Julie's been reading: Patchett, Ann (2011) State of Wonder. Bloomsbury. In the Brazilian Rio Negro, an enigmatic scientist is developing a drug that could alter the lives of women forever. Dr Annick Swenson's work is shrouded in mystery; she refuses to report on her progress.  Anders Eckman, a mild-mannered lab researcher, is sent to investigate.… Continue reading October Picks →

Roz's been reading: Waal, Edmund (2011) The Hare with the amber eyes.  Vintage.  Edmund inherited 264 Japanese wood and ivory carvings (netsuke) from his great uncle, and they unlocked a story far larger than he could ever have imagined... The Ephrussis came from Odessa, and at one time were the largest grain exporters in the… Continue reading September Picks →

Debbie's been reading: Seligman, Martin (2011) Flourish. Random House.  A new understanding of what it takes to reach life's greatest goals. Seligman, psychologist and founder of the Positive Psychology movement, offers a new theory on what makes people flourish and how to truly get the most out of life. There are inspiring stories of positive psychology in… Continue reading August Picks →

Jan's been reading: Morton, Kate (2010)  The Distant Hours.  Allen & Unwin. Edie and her mother have never been close, but when a long lost letter arrives with the return address of Milderhurst Castle, Edie begins to suspect that her mother's emotional distance masks an old secret. Evacuated from London as a thirteen year old… Continue reading July Picks →

Jan's been reading: Brooks, Geraldine (1999) Foreign Correspondence: a memoir.  Bantam. Born in Sydney's western suburbs Geraldine Brooks longs to discover the vivid places, beyond her isolated backyard, where she believed history and culture are made. Penfriends in Australia, the Middle East, US, and France offer her a window on the world.  Twenty years later, and… Continue reading June Picks →