Tea with Tales - Meet the Library Book Group with a Difference

At Tea with Tales, a book group where the participants all have a significant vision loss, we share what we have been reading in either large print or audio. At the September meeting we did manage to talk about books although as usual went way off subject discussing everything from Florence Nightingale to sharing what our career aspirations had been in our younger days.

The book excerpt was M C Beaton’s Banishment; the first in her Daughters of Mannerling series (available at HDL in print and Blind Low Vision NZ in audio). M C Beaton was a prolific writer of mysteries and historical romances. She is perhaps better known for her Agatha Raisin and Hamish Macbeth series both of which have been televised. In this light historical romance Isabella, oldest daughter of the fabulously wealthy Beverley family, has returned from her coming-out season unwed – she did not take. Her haughty manner put off even the most desperate of beaus. When her father Sir William gambles away their fortune the family deem that it will be Isabella who will court the roguish rich bachelor Mr Judd. What follows is a gentle, humorous tale of love in regency England.

Book club members read or listened to a variety of novels this month. We started with the second book in Hilary Mantel’s Thomas Cromwell trilogy Bring Up the Bodies (available from Blind Low Vision NZ and HDL as an e-audiobook, in print and large print). Based on the demise of Henry VIII’s wife Anne Boleyn, this was described as a good historical read. The reader noted that they did play away a lot in those times.

Continuing with historical reads and a recommendation from the last meeting was Edward Rutherford’s London (available from Blind Low Vision NZ and in print from HDL). From the birth of the River Thames to 1997 this long book is for someone with plenty of time.

Another recommendation from the last meeting was Do Let’s Have Another Drink: the singular wit and double measures of Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother by Gareth Russell (available from Blind Low Vision NZ and in print from HDL). A nostalgic read about someone who apparently never did anything wrong but ask for another drink.

Two autobiographies read and enjoyed were Joanna Lumley’s No Room for Secrets and self-titled Angela by Angela D’Audney (both available from Blind Low Vision NZ and in print from HDL). D’Audney’s book was a trip down memory name with all the stars from the beginning of broadcasting in New Zealand.

With 30 books to his name Alexander Kent’s Richard Bolitho series is taking some time for one of our members to get through (available from Blind Low Vision NZ and HDL in print and large print). Beyond the Reef sees the vice-admiral fearing he will go blind.

Described as one of the best fictional detectives, DS Cross ably solves his latest case in The Politician by Tim Sullivan (available from HDL in print and e-audiobook).

Rated as one of the best books one member has ever read The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese follows a South Indian family where once every generation someone drowns. It also gives a brilliant history of medicine (available from HDL in print, e-book and e-audiobook).

Re-reading old classics has been the task of our last member who enjoyed Agatha Christie’s Hercule Poirot series and Charles Dickens’ Tale of Two Cities (both available from Blind Low Vision NZ and HDL print, large print, e-book and e-audiobook). Both good reads but we all agreed living in Dickensian times would have been terrible.

Posted by Miss Moneypenny

7 September 2023

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