More Fiction Goodness from Book Chat

We started with a couple of heart-warming stories that were just the ticket in the run up to Christmas.

One reader has read a number of books by Sophie Green which often have a group of women coming together from different backgrounds and the friendship that ensues. In Thursdays at Orange Blossom House, it's 1993 and we’re in northern Queensland with Grace, who at 74 is feeling her age and a little bit isolated; there’s Patrica, who has moved home to care for her aging parents; and café owner Dorothy who has almost given up on her dream to have a child. Will friendship and yoga with Sandrine make a difference for these women? A well written story offering little pearls of wisdom.

Another feel-good read was The Radio Hour by Victoria Purman. Set in 1950s Sydney, the reader is taken into the world of radio broadcasting. At ABC, Martha has been a secretary for over 20 years, when a newbie serial producer arrives, bristling with over-confidence and arrogance. But as the weeks pass and he fails to produce a single script, Martha has no choice but to take drastic action. The plight of women in the workplace and other social issues of the time are explored with empathy and wit.

Every so often a children’s book captivates the adults that come across it, and this was the case for The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr Morris Lessmore by William Joyce. This is a charming story that reinforces the joy of reading in an imaginative way and with beautiful illustrations.

Among the favourite authors we read over the last fortnight, were two books by Di Morrissey. The Last Paradise was, as our reader put it, a brilliant story about trust. Grace works from home but has a controlling husband and a marriage that looks more and more like a fraud. Tragedy spurs her to accept a job in Bali, promoting the launch of a unique luxury hotel. Here she has an opportunity to heal and change her life.

We also learned about Di Morrissey’s new book, River Song, in which a New York composer turns up at the small town of Fig Tree River. Here four women involved in the local musical theatre are trying to save the hall. A lottery win could change everything, but could also cause even more trouble?

Another popular author who doesn’t shy away from difficult issues is Jodi Picoult. In Mad Honey, a novel co-written with Jennifer Finney Boylan, we have Olivia, making a new life as a beekeeper with her son Asher. When Asher is suspected responsible for the death of his girlfriend, Olivia wonders if he has inherited a tendency for violence from his father. A powerful novel about family secrets, with some interesting background around the art of beekeeping.

More family secrets emerge in The Mistress of Dara Island by Averil Kenny which is set in the 1960s ion a tropical island in the Coral Sea. Here Tally grows up, living an idyllic childhood at a honeymoon resort for the wealthy owned by her family. This island is set to be her inheritance, but she locks horns with her bully of a father who has other ideas about the island’s future. A wonderful setting and a story that draws you in.

Among the mysteries discussed was the start of a recent series by James Patterson, co-written with Candice Fox, 2 Sisters Detective Agency. The death of their father brings together two sisters who were unaware of each other’s existence. Rhonda takes on her teenage sister, Baby, and the two have to negotiate their new relationship while a case from their dad’s detective agency throws danger in their path. Our reader enjoyed the short chapters making the book easy to read, as well as an entertaining story.

Spider’s Web by Agatha Christie is not a newly discovered manuscript unearthed and recently published.  Spider’s Web is a play by Christie that premiered in 1954 that has been rewritten as a novel by Charles Osborne. The story is one of those house party mysteries, and it's here that  Clarissa, the wife of a Foreign Office diplomat, finds a body in the library. She has guests, but none of them know who the dead man is. What to do? Christie used several plot devices from previous stories, so if you’re a Christie fan it’s fun to spot them as you read.

Girl Falling by Hayley Scrivenor is a psychological thriller, set in Australia’s beautiful Blue Mountains. It is here that Finn and Daphne grew up, both tragically losing a younger sister to suicide, which has only deepened an already close friendship. A climbing accident claim’s Finn’s partner, Magdu and there’s a question hovering – was it another suicide or was it foul play? And why would Finn’s best friend try to destroy her life? A twisty, atmospheric story that didn’t start well, but got better as it went along.

If you like stories where the past and the present collide, you will love the books of Barbara Erskine. River of Destiny is set on the River Deben in Suffolk, across three time frames: Anglo Saxon times where a sword is being crafted for a lord; Victorian times, where a blacksmith draws the eye of the lady of the manor; and the present day where Zoe is hoping the move to an ancient renovated barn will save her marriage. Terrific story-telling and engaging characters make this a great read.

Beauty Among Ruins by J’nell Ciesielski is a sweeping romance set during World War I. Lily is an American socialite sent to Scotland as a penance for her frivolous ways. When war breaks out she joins her cousin to nurse at a Scottish Castle turned into a convalescent hospital for the wounded. But there are strange happenings at the castle, and Lily keeps bumping into the laird, grumpy but handsome Alec. A light and entertaining read.

Our last book was another historical novel, this one set just before WWI. House of Glass by Susan Fletcher is a rather more gothic tale, where our heroine is Clara who grows up cosseted and frail, suffering from a brittle bone disease. Fate plus an interest in plants transpire to send her to Shadowbrook, a country house where the secretive owner, Mr Fox, needs help establishing a large glasshouse. But there are eerie happenings, the house having a chequered history, and a local community who are more suspicious than welcoming. A superb read with plenty of twists as war looms.

Flaxmere Library Book Chat will be meeting again on Tuesday 10 December, then taking a short Christmas break. Our first meeting for 2025 will be on 4 January, at the usual time of 10:30am.

5 December 2024

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