Category: Historical Fiction
READ FOR BOOKERTHON Loosely based on the life of E Nesbit, The Children’s Book follows the lives of several inter-related families from 1895 through WWI. ❚ “The Wellwood family consists of Olive, Humphrey, Olive’s sister Violet, and many children. They are Fabians, living in… Continue Reading “The Children’s Book – A S Byatt”
Category: Art, Booker Prize, Coming of Age, Domestic Fiction, Family drama, Female Experience, Feminism, Historical Fiction, Literary fiction, Metafiction, Mthyical/folklore, Political, Psychological, UK author, War storyTags: Booker Prize, Free Range Bookclub 2009
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Jo Set in the early 19th century, The Potato Factory explores the lives of London’s thieves, con men, prostitutes, street urchins and lowlife many of whom, suffering from England’s social and political inequalities, are sent to the penal colony of… Continue Reading “The Potato Factory – Bryce Courtenay”
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel Eight year old Lewis Alridge meets his father for the first time in 1945, newly returned from the war. Life awkwardly ekes by until one day there is a tragedy in the family which sets Lewis on a… Continue Reading “The Outcast – Sadie Jones”
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Nadine The unorthodox story of a French winemaker and his homosexual love affair with an angel. ❚ “One summer night in 1808, Sobran Jodeau sets out to drown his sorrows in his family’s vineyard when he stumbles upon an angel. Once he… Continue Reading “The Vintner’s Luck – Elizabeth Knox”
Category: Coming of Age, Faith & Religion, Fantasy, Gothic, Historical Fiction, Kiwi lit, Literary fiction, Magical Realism, Mthyical/folklore, NZ Book Awards, Philosophical, Psychological, Queer, Women's PrizeTags: Free Range Bookclub 2009, Kiwi Fiction, Ockham NZ Book Awards
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel The Buddha of Suburbia is a satirical coming-of-age story that deals with class, race, and identity. Haroon, is a first generation immigrant who begins a relationship with a woman named Eva who shares his interest in Buddhism. Eva encourages… Continue Reading “The Buddha of Suburbia – Hanif Kureishi”
Category: Art, Classic literature, Coming of Age, Contemporary fiction, Cultural, Faith & Religion, Family drama, Historical Fiction, Humour, Immigrant story, Literary fiction, Political, Psychological, Queer, Satire, UK authorTags: Free Range Bookclub 2009
READ FOR BOOKERTHON Nearing her 100th birthday, Roseanne McNulty faces an uncertain future, as the Roscommon Regional Mental hospital, where she’s spent the best part of her adult life, prepares for closure. ♥ “Set in an Ireland besieged by conflict, The Secret Scripture is… Continue Reading “The Secret Scripture – Sebastian Barry”
Category: Booker Prize, Cultural, Faith & Religion, Female Experience, Historical Fiction, Irish, Literary fiction, Psychological, UK author, Unreliable NarratorTags: Booker Prize, Free Range Bookclub 2008
READ FOR BOOKERTHON Covering 1974 to 1996, The Northern Clemency is a portrait of an era, a novel concerned with the lives of two ordinary Sheffield families, the Glovers and the Sellers, and history on the move. ♥ This book encapsulates an era and… Continue Reading “The Northern Clemency – Philip Hensher”
READ FOR BOOKERTHON Vivien Kovacs is on a search to reveal the truth to the secrets kept from her by her timid Hungarian refugee parents ♥ “Two Jewish brothers are at the heart of this novel. One escapes Hungary prior to the war, marries… Continue Reading “The Clothes On Their Backs – Linda Grant”
Category: Booker Prize, Coming of Age, Cultural, Family drama, Female Experience, Historical Fiction, Holocaust fiction, Immigrant story, Literary fiction, Psychological, UK authorTags: Booker Prize, Free Range Bookclub 2008
READ FOR BOOKERTHON Set in 1838, at a time of colonial upheaval and shortly before the outbreak of the Opium Wars in China, Sea Of Poppies tells the story of the ship Ibis and her interesting collection of passengers making the journey from India to… Continue Reading “Sea of Poppies – Amitav Ghosh”
READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel In 1904 lepidopterist Thomas Edgar arrives home to England from a collecting expedition in the Amazon. He is emaciated and cannot or will not speak. As his wife wonders what has happened, the book takes us back to the… Continue Reading “The Sound of Butterflies – Rachael King”
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