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Garden Spells – a Book Club Review

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Garden Spells – Sarah Addison Allen

Summary
Welcome to Bascom, North Carolina, where it seems that everyone has a story to tell about the Waverley women. The house that’s been in the family for generations, the walled garden that mysteriously blooms year round, the rumours of dangerous loves and tragic passions. Every Waverley woman is somehow touched by magic. Claire has always clung to the Waverleys’ roots, tending the enchanted soil in the family garden from which she makes her sought-after delicacies – famed and feared for their curious effects. She has everything she thinks she needs – until one day she waked to find a stranger has moved in next door and a vine of ivy has crept into her garden …Claire’s carefully tended life is about to run gloriously out of control.

Review
What a magical read!!  We loved this book.  A beautifully written story that painted gorgeous pictures.  Very sweet and filled with optimism.  Great characters (Evanelle was a favourite) and we also loved the cooking element.  We really enjoyed this book.  Would definitely recommend to anyone who loves a good “chicklit” read.

Rating – 8/10       Read by – Cultcha Club Book Club

Librarians’ Choice – April 2018

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The top 10 April 2018 release books as voted for by library staff around Australia is here. There are a nice mix of books, mainly fiction, a very interesting non fiction and a title (Amelia Westlake) described as “a queer yA rom-com”. Click on a title to reserve a copy now.

The Lace Weaver – Lauren Chater (Librarians’ Choice Favourite)

A breathtaking debut about love and war, and the battle to save a precious legacy.
Each lace shawl begins and ends the same way – with a circle. Everything is connected with a thread as fine as gossamer, each life affected by what has come before it and what will come after. 1941, Estonia. As Stalin’s brutal Red Army crushes everything in its path, Katarina and her family survive only because their precious farm produce is needed to feed the occupying forces. Fiercely partisan, Katarina battles to protect her grandmother’s precious legacy – the weaving of gossamer lace shawls stitched with intricate patterns that tell the stories passed down through generations.

While Katarina struggles to survive the daily oppression, another young woman is suffocating in her prison of privilege in Moscow. Yearning for freedom and to discover her beloved mother’s Baltic heritage, Lydia escapes to Estonia. Facing the threat of invasion by Hitler’s encroaching Third Reich, Katarina and Lydia and two idealistic young soldiers, insurgents in the battle for their homeland, find themselves in a fight for life, liberty and love.

The Paris Seamstress – Natasha Lester
Sunburn – Laura Lippman
Amelia Westlake – Erin Gough
The Death Of Noah Glass – Gail Jones
Circe – Madeline Miller
Every Note Played – Lisa Genova
Dear Mrs Bird – AJ Pearce
The Colour Of Bee Larkham’s Murder – Sarah J Harris
Growing Up Aboriginal In Australia – Anita Heiss (ed)

NSW Premier’s Literary Awards 2018 – Shortlists

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The NSW Premier’s Literary Awards provide an opportunity to highlight the importance of literacy and to encourage everyone to enjoy and learn from the work of our writers. These annual awards honour distinguished achievement by Australian writers, contribute to Australia’s artistic reputation, and draw international attention to some of our best writers and to the cultural environment that nurtures them.

Past winners have included such notable writers as Peter Carey, David Malouf AO, Elizabeth Jolley, Thomas Keneally AO and Helen Garner.

The awards allocate prizes to a range of Australian literature – the shortlists cover: adult fiction; adult non fiction; poetry; young people; children; play writing; script writing; multicultural NSW and Indigenous writers. View the entire NSW Premier’s Literary Awards Shortlists

Vote for the People’s Choice Award – Vote for your favourite book from the 2018 Christina Stead Prize for Fiction Shortlist and go into the draw to win a prize pack of all 6 books. Voting closes midnight Sunday 22 April 2018. Winners announced Monday 30 April 2018. To vote click here.

To reserve your title for the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction Shortlist click on the title:

Common People – Tony Birch
Seabirds Crying in the Harbour Dark – Catherine Cole
Pulse points: stories – Jennifer Down
The book of dirt – Bram Presser
The restorer – Michael Sala
Taboo – Kim Scott

 

Love Between the Pages High Tea & Author Talk

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Don’t miss out on your FREE ticket to the re-launch of our In Conversation Author Talk Series – Love Between the Pages. In association with Penguin Random House and the Australian Romance Readers Association, we are very proud to present an event that celebrates love in all its forms.  Join the talented Fiona McArthur, Janette Paul and Sandie Docker romance authors at our special high tea for their thoughts on romance, writing and more. All attendees will receive a small gift and a chance at the lucky door book pack prize. Books will be available on site for purchase and signing. Book online for this free event as places are limited.  Continue reading →

Thirst – a Book Club Review

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Thirst – L.A. Larkin

Summary
A few years from now, climate change has produced global drought. Wars over water are becoming commonplace.When communications are cut from an Australian Antarctic station and two colleagues go missing, maverick glaciologist Luke Searle and his team are unaware they have fallen victim to a plan to harvest Antarctica’s Pine Island Glacier for water. Yet the ruthless leader of this secret project has a second plan, far more ambitious and destructive than the first, which will give his country unchallengeable military power and make him exceedingly rich. But the plan risks destroying the enormous West Antarctic Ice Sheet, causing sea level rises that will not only wipe out low-lying cities, but whole countries.

Review
A great read!! Suspenseful! Fast paced!! Action packed!! Beautiful scenery!! Well written characters!!

Thirst is set in Antarctica and shines a light on one of the biggest environmental issues of today. When Australian glaciologist, Luke Searle, finds out what the bad guys are up, its up to his team to save the world in 5 days.

This book was a little different to what we have been reading, and a book that some our readers would not have chosen. However, we all thoroughly enjoyed it!! Its fast paced, pulling you in right from the beginning. We would definitely recommend this book.

Read by – Cultcha Club Book Club
Rating – 8/10