October Meeting is at Margaret Lackenby's place at Kirribilli.

We are reading a book by Markus Zusak, The Book Thief. Here is a Review from the New York Times.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/27/books/27masl.html?ex=1301115600&en=27f7ef5024b19445&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss


Remember that the September book meeting is at Sue Woods house at Seven Hills, where will be talking about Kafka on the Shore.

Book Club news: Sue's son Chris is engaged; Moy has sold her house; it's the new fashion to wear an arm sling or a finger stall.

Follow-up on August meeting - Great meeting at Ros's place. Everyone wanted the recipe for the Lumberjack Cake and the Passionfruit Cake so here they are! Energetic discussion on Kate Grenville's The Secret River.

Response from Kate Grenville

Dear Patricia, thank you so much for sending the info about your book group and especially the picture of the cake. It is WONDERFUL. How many writers have had their book immortalised in cake? I feel very privileged & fortunate. I really like the sound of your group (I like your comment that men visited but didn't stay!) & suspect that 10 years might be some kind of record. Please tell Moy that I think she's immensely talented - although I'm sure she already knows that.
Great idea to have the sculpture used to promote book groups - and as you mention I'd love to use it too - I have a website( with a page for readers groups about the Secret River) and plan to update it soon. I'd planned to put up the pic of me meeting the Queen ( as part of the Commonwealth prize) but would love to have a pic of the cake there too just to complete the worldview! My agent wasn't able to forward the pic - would it be possible for you to send it to me directly?
I like the little piece about the bookgroup that you included - engaging & witty & inspiring. Congratulations on everything.
Warmest wishes
Kate

September book group meeting at Sue Wood's

By the way, on Betty's recommendation, the next book choice, after The Secret River, is Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakawi. Betty also recommended bookbrowse.com for book information. Kafka on the Shore appears VERY controversial in the SMH/AGE reviews. More reviews at:

http://www.bookbrowse.com/reviews/index.cfm?book_number=1540

For the 15th anniversary, Moy did a photo album. Remember when we all dressed up in 1986 clothes for the 1996 celebration? Remember when we were Leaning to Infinity in the spirit of the Sue Woolfe book.

From the 10th anniversary celebration, where Moy made these wonderful cakes, based on some of our recent books at that time.

 

20th Anniversary Weekend at Blue Bay
Moy, the artist with her wonderful cake. The chocolate cake was tasty too.
Cake (clockwise from 1 o'clock) Clare, Betty, Patricia (with wine bottle), Sue, Moy (the artist), Stella (the scribe), Ros (the constant hostess) and Jane.
At Blue Bay, Clare and Margaret couldn't come, Pat Rayner was there.

August Bookgroup: The Secret River by Kate Grenville.

I've bought a copy. Ros has Hornsby Library copy.

Here's a review.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/reviews/the-secret-river/2005/07/08/1120704543439.html

JULY book is Carmen Callil's book Bad Faith: A Forgotten History of Family and Fatherland.

There's an interview by Jill Kitson here on the ABC bookshow at:
http://www.abc.net.au/rn/bookshow/stories/2006/1650667.htm

That's at Stella's Beach House at Blue Bay (The Entrance) Its an overnight stay - last Saturday/ Sunday in July.

Another idea - Moy suggests that we all bring another book we have enjoyed, or a review, so that we can discuss other books too. Sounds excellent to me! Specially because this is such a BIG Event. Too big for one book.

Change of plan for the June book group meeting (the book March) - it's now at Clare's place, not Jane's.
I read March a while ago and was sufficiently interested to go back to reread Little Women.
And now its won the Pulitzer Prize.

Hi all

June meeting

At Jane's place

Book is March By Geraldine Brooks

Pulitzer Prize winner - fiction based on Little Women

Also planning for the 20th Anniversary Celebration.

Forward planning - 20 years of book group

Hi, Today we talked about The Accidental by Ali Smith. Generally agreed it was a well-written, clever book deserving of prizes/ nominations. Repaid study and thought. Most took a while to warm to it though and won't immediately be passing it round to everyone as a fun book as we did with Tractors in Ukranian.

April book We need to talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver will be at Stella's place; it's available in the 3 for 2 offers at Borders Bookstores.

So is the May book, The Kite Runner, by Khaled Hosseini. He is an Afghani writer living in California. So if you buy the two, you can get one free! I got Gilead by Marilyn Richardson, on the strength of it winning the Pulitzer Prize in 2005, but there are some lighter offerings too. That is at Clare's place.

June meeting will be at Jane's place in Lindfield. No book yet.

July meeting is our TWENTY YEAR CELEBRATION. Overnight stay is planned at Stella's beach house at beautiful Blue Bay on Saturday 29th July. Put it in your diary now.

Pat R, Babette, Sue E - have you got this message?

Love
Pat

April Meeting
April 30th meeting will be at Stella's and the book is We Need to Talk about Kevin by Lionel Shriver. It is an Orange prize winner, and yes Lionel Shriver is a woman.

Change of Venue for March meeting
March 26 meeting will now be at my place (ie Patricia Strauss) as Stella will be away. Book is The Accidental by Ali Smith.

FEBRUARY MEETING - TRACTORS IN UKRANIAN - IS AT MOY'S PLACE.

The March book is The Accidental by Ali Smith and will be at Stella's place.

Pat

Hi
Sorry about the long absence.

TheFebruary book, Stella tells me, is A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian, by Marina Lewycka. I got it for Christmas and read it in a day, and handed it on to various family and friends who immediately absented themselves from company until they had finished reading it. Men and women. A top holiday read. A kind book with interesting politics and characters. Look forward to talking about it. See a review at:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/Reviews/Tractors-in-Ukrainian/2005/05/19/1116361670048.html

Hi:
The January book is The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Nifenegger - settle down for a weighty holiday book. And it will be at Sue Wood's place, Ros is having the November session.

See a review below. I think that site has questions too. And apparently there is soon to be a movie of the book. The review is at:
http://www.book-club.co.nz/books04/1timetravelerswife.htm

November Book:
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close
By Jonathan Safran Foer
Penguin, 320pp, $29.95
At Sue Woods house.

There is a review to get started at:
http://http://www.smh.com.au/news/books/a-day-to-remember/2005/09/08/1125772626030.html

I didn't get to the last meeting at Margaret's, but hope lots of people can make it to my place for the October meeting. I've made a start on The Jane Austen Bookclub.
Love
Pat

Interesting link: Twelve books that changed the world. New TV series by Melvyn Bragge to be screened on ITV next April in Britainl. God knows when we'll see it. But anyway the afticle below includes the List. Perhaps we should nominate alternatives. It appears 'The world' meant Britain.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/showbiz/showbiznews.html?in_article_id=361630&in_page_id=1773

September book: Emergency Sex at Margaret's place. Stella and Ros will be overseas and I will be interstate. Come if you can!

October Book: The Jane Austen Book Club by Karen Jane Fowler at my place (Cheltenham). Ros will host the November meeting - book TBA.

Quite a long article based on an interview with Karen Jane F during recent visit.

http://www.theage.com.au/news/books/science-and-sensibility/2005/07/21/1121539083964.html