Category: Literary fiction

The Testament of Mary – Colm Toibin

READ FOR BOOKERTHON Mary, mother of Jesus, is in her old age and does not believe her son was the son of God ❖ “The Testament of Mary is the story of Mary, mother of Jesus. She is elderly and being visited by ‘the… Continue Reading “The Testament of Mary – Colm Toibin”

The Lowland – Jhumpa Lahiri

READ FOR BOOKERTHON The story of two brothers living in 1960s Calcutta. One becomes an oceanographer, the other a political activist  ❖  The Lowland features two Bengali brothers Subhash and Udayan who follow different paths as they grow up in Calcutta during the 50s… Continue Reading “The Lowland – Jhumpa Lahiri”

Harvest – Jim Crace

READ FOR BOOKERTHON In a remote English village economic progress disrupts the pastoral idyll  ❖ Set in a rural village Harvest‘s pages open with the community harvesting their crops. They are joyous and spirited, sustained by their hard work for another season. However at the feast that… Continue Reading “Harvest – Jim Crace”

Catch-22 – Joseph Heller

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel Set toward the end of World War II in 1944, on an island off the coast of Italy, Joseph Heller’s Catch 22 is a satirical anti-war novel. It features extensive use of black humour, a non-linear structure,  surrealism and an… Continue Reading “Catch-22 – Joseph Heller”

The Catcher In The Rye – J D Salinger

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Suzy The Catcher in the Rye tells the story of two days in the life of Holden Caulfield, a 16 year old who, days before his expulsion, leaves school to mill about in New York City. Published in 1951, the… Continue Reading “The Catcher In The Rye – J D Salinger”

Perfume – Patrick Suskind

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Nicole Perfume is a a cross-genre novel about Jen-Baptiste Grenouille, a Frenchman born into eighteenth-century France. Abandoned by his mother, he has a superior sense of smell and no personal odour of his own. In order to both create a… Continue Reading “Perfume – Patrick Suskind”

The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle – Haruki Murakami

READ FOR BOOKCLUB Chosen by Rachel This seemingly simple story of a Japanese man whose cat runs away is anything but.  ❖ “I couldn’t wait to re-read and share this, my #1 favourite book of all time. I was nervous too, knowing how much of an emotional… Continue Reading “The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle – Haruki Murakami”

2013 – Title Favourites

What’s in a title? I mean, where did Hard-Boiled Wonderland & The End of the World come from? And how would we refer to dilemmas from which there is no escape because of a mutually conflicting condition if Joseph Heller had gone with his first… Continue Reading “2013 – Title Favourites”

2012 – End of Year Thoughts

What a year with Kiwi new releases lining the bookshelves and winning important accolades. To name just a few; Emily Perkin’s The Forrests, Paula Morris’ Rangatira, Charlotte Grimshaw’s Cool, C K Stead’s Risk and even a posthumous collection of stories by Janet Frame. It’s… Continue Reading “2012 – End of Year Thoughts”

Of Mice & Men – John Steinbeck

READ FOR BOOKCLUBChosen by Rachel A 1937 novella which details the life of George and Lennie, two displaced migrants looking for ranch work in Southern California during a time of drought. George is the central character. He’s described as small of stature, but a… Continue Reading “Of Mice & Men – John Steinbeck”