Hi all, home from book day at Stella's where Margaret, Ros, Moy, Sue, Stella and I talked about Dreams of Speaking and lots of other things. We admired the language, specially the descriptions - eg of Perth, though Moy was a bit annoyed by the poetics. We quite enjoyed the book except Ros, who thought it was weak, but not enough to get into an argument about! So while we found quite a bit to like, discussion flagged and couldn't compete with Stellas 3 cakes, and Pat Rayner's letter to the Editor and her municipal gift of bantam eggs.

Anyway, the July book is at Ros's house - the Sophie Gee re Alexander Pope: The Scandal of the Season.

And the August book is the new Miles Franklin winner, Carpentaria by Alexis Wright. Here is a brief SMH review:

http://www.smh.com.au/news/book-reviews/carpentaria/2006/09/18/1158431619821.html

Thanks for the update on the May meeting - I was recovering from Emma's engagement party. We have a lot happening, Emma and Andrew are off to London to live in July, back next March for a wedding and Chris and Leesa's baby is due in August.

However today I went to the Sydney Writer's Festival at Katomba and heard a wonderful conversation with Andrew O'Hagan, on his new book Be Near Me, which I bought, Hazel Rowley on Beauvoir and Sartre which I recommend, Frank Brennan and the launch of Emily Ballou"s book Aphelion

May meeting was at Sue Wood's new rented place, where Margaret L, Sue E., Stella and I heard the news that Sue has bought a new unit in Russell Lea, in a dramatic competitive bid that sounded the very stuff of drama. We were impressed by Sue's Ricotta Cake, bought from Pastaceria Papa (I think that's the name) in Haberfield. Will still be available at Russell Lea.

We were divided on the book, Company by M Ward. Those who were suffering under restructures recognised its humour, but Margaret and Stella had little patience with it. I thought it was cleverly written, but thought it a bit undercooked, with a cliched plot. Nevertheless, it was an easy amusing read. It sparked some sharing of our own restructure experiences, so was therapeutic too.

Then we got to choosing the July book: Sophie Gee's The Scandal of the Season on 29 July.

The June book is Gail Jones' Dreams of Speaking. It will be at Stella's house on 24 June 2007. Gail Jones is a featured writer at the Sydney Writers Festival. Lots of us are going to the festival at various times, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Patricia

Here are some cake pictures I got in an email. No challenge to Moy!

May book - Company by M. Barry. Don't know the details yet, just the bare facts from Stella.
I will be away next month, so will aim at a May book group attendance.

Patricia

April book
Mothers Milk
Author : EDWARD ST AUBYN
Here are the details from the Abbey bookshop online site.
Format : Trade Paperback
ISBN : 033045076X
Publisher : PicadorPublication
Date (AUS) : January 2006
Imprint : Picador
Prizes : Shortlisted for the Booker Prize for Fiction (2006)
Usually ships within 7 to 10 days
Web Price AUD$32.95
Description
The novel's perspective ricochets among all members of the Melrose family – the family featured in St Aubyn's praised trilogy, Some Hope – starting with Robert, who provides an exceptionally droll and compelling account of being born; to Patrick, a hilariously churlish husband who has been sexually abandoned by his wife in favour of his sons; to Mary, who's consumed by her children and an overwhelming desire not to repeat the mistakes of her own mother. All the while, St Aubyn examines the web of false promises that entangle this once-illustrious family whose last vestige of wealth – an old house in the south of France – is about to be donated by Patrick's mother to a New Age foundation.
An up-to-the-minute dissection of the mores of child-rearing, marriage, adultery and assisted suicide, Mother's Milk showcases Edward St Aubyn's luminous and acidic prose – and his masterful ability to combine the most excruciating emotional pain with the driest comedy. Absorb Mother's Milk into your bloodstream and postnatal depression will never seem the same again...

March book: Helen Garder and the Meaning of Everything By Alex Jones. This will be held at Moy's new house at Long Jetty on the Central Coast.

BOOKGROUP AWARDS 2006

Have you voted yet?

BOOKGROUPER	BEST BOOK	WORST BOOK
ROS	Carry Me Down	The Secret River
MARGARET	The Book Thief	Bad Faith
STELLA	????	?????
JANE	????	????
MOY	?????	??????
PAT R	????	????
CLAIRE	????	????
PATRICIA	????	????
SUE W	????	????
SUE W	????	????
CARMEL	????	????

VOTE FOR BEST BOOK/ WORST BOOK OF 2006

Make your selections from the following list for best/ worst:
Time Traveller's Wife
History of Tractors in Ukranian
The Accidental
We Need to Talk about Kevin
The Kite Runner
March
Bad Faith
Secret River
Kafka by the Shore
Book Thief
Carry Me Down.

Click on 'comment' to reply - specially our absent friends!

Reporting in on the November meeting.

No December meeting of course, Merry Christmas to all.

Next book is The Inheritance of Loss, by Kiran Desai, and we will meet at Jane's house, on 28 January 2007.

The copies I have seen of the paper back are green - this must be the hardcover version.

The February book will be Mister Pip by the New Zealand writer Lloyd Jones (text publishing) It is set during the Bougainville blockade.

Here's a review:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20677237-5003900,00.html



The discussion of Carry Me Down went well, with varied responses. Ros voted it her best book of 2006, while some others found the main character unconvincing, and did not believe it was a serious Booker contender. Everyone agreed that MJ Hyland writes well.

Everyone agreed that Stella's food was great, and begged for recipes. These should set us up for the Xmas season:

Katie's Brownies ........... mmmmmmm

180g (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
330 g dark good quality cooking chocolate
3 eggs
270g (1 1/2 cups) caster sugar
90g (3/4 cup) plain flour.
handful of walnuts, raising or currants, chopped in food processor.

Preheat overn to 175. Melt the butter and chocolate together in a double boiler. Place the eggs and sugar into a mixing bowl and whip until they are light, fluffy and pale in colour. Add the melted chocolate to whisked egg & sugar mixture. Stir well to combine. Add the sifted flour and the chopped walnuts/ fruit and stir well.

Pour into a lightly buttered 25 cm x 30 x 30 cm baking tray lined with parchment paper (don't skimp). Smooth out using a spatula or knife. Bake for 30 - 35 mins until skewer in centre comes out clean (often a good deal longer). Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tray before cutting into squares and serving, sprinkled with icing sugar.

Prunes in white wine
Soak prunes overnight in white wine. Add zest of orange and chopped rosemary. Mix well and serve in with cheese platter.


Cream cheese with Capsicum Jam
Cook chopped red capsicum slowly with vinegar, dash of tabasco sauce and brown sugar until mixture starts to become sticky. Watch carefully!

Allow to cool a little and pour over round of philadelphia cream cheese. Serve with water biscuits or similar.

NOTE: Stella doesn't measure, so you're on your own with the quantities.

January 2007

The Booker Prize Winner - The Inheritance of Loss by Kirin Desai.

Have a think about your best book of 2006 for next meeting at Stella's place - last meeting of the year.

We all admired Markus Zusak's virtuoso writing in The Book Thief ( even Sue, who thought the Death conceit was a bit overdone in places!) We all admired Markus Zusak himself, interviewed by Caroline Baum on the ABC and videod by Stella. Some are vowing to follow up his Young Adult Fiction titles.

Emergency Sex - now on the stage at STC.


Only $10 to see a play based on the book we read last year, Emergency Sex and other desperate measures.
Next weekend.

Wharf 2LOUD
Imagine winning a prestigious award then hearing from the custodians of the prize that they refuse to be associated with your work on the basis of its 'pornographic' subject matter.

Imagine your boss sending you into war-torn battlefields, only to threaten you with disciplinary action when you attempt to recount the truth of your time there.

These were the experiences of the writers behind the next Wharf 2LOUD Push.

PUSH #5 STRANGE FRUIT
Writer Juliet Lamont Director Wayne Blair With Patrick Dickson, Jody Kennedy, Bojana Novakovic
3 SHOWS ONLY - Thursday 26 - Saturday 28 October 8:15pm

PUSH #6 EMERGENCY SEX (AND OTHER DESPERATE MEASURES)
Writer Damien Millar Director Chris Mead With Ewen Leslie, Belinda McClory, Rhys Muldoon Based on the book by Kenneth Cain, Heidi Postlewait and Andrew Thomson
3 SHOWS ONLY - Thursday 2 - Saturday 4 November 8:15pm

ALL TICKETS $10 or see PUSH #5 and PUSH #6 for only $15

Wharf 2
Book Now (02) 9250 1777
wharf2loud.com

WHARF 2LOUD is supported by UBS

More Sugar Art

Ned Kelly's Courtroom scene snapped at Beechworth in the heart of Kelly Country recently.

Not as good as Moy's work. And it needed the whole Wodonga branch of the Cake Decorators to do it.

Regards
Patricia

PS. I'm liking The Book Thief a lot.

November (Xmas) Book Group
Will be at Stella's place and the book is 'Carry me Down' by PJ Hyland.

Lots of talk on the Murakami - very stimulating and a bit challenging. One that perhaps we wouldn't have tackled without the book group and we were glad we did.

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.