Category Archives: Book Reviews

Book Review: The good people

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The 1st Wed Reading Group at Parramatta Library discussed ‘The good people‘ by Hannah Kent.

This is the second novel written by Hannah Kent after much acclaimed Burial rites.

‘Nóra Leahy has lost her daughter and her husband in the same year, and is now burdened with the care of her four-year-old grandson, Micheál. The boy cannot walk, or speak, and Nora, mistrustful of the tongues of gossips, has kept the child hidden from those who might see in his deformity evidence of otherworldly interference. Continue reading →

Book Review: To kill a mickingbird by Harper Lee

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Summary
‘Shoot all the bluejays you want, if you can hit ’em, but remember it’s a sin to kill a mockingbird‘. Atticus finch gives this advice to his children as he defends the real mockingbird of this classic novel – a black man charged with attacking a white girl. Through the eyes of Scout and Jem Finch, Lee explores the issues of race and class in the Deep South of the 1930s with compassion and humour. She also creates one of the great heroes of literature in their father, whose lone struggle for justice pricks the conscience of a town steeped in prejudice and hypocrisy.

Comments
While this story seemed to lack the ‘punch’ of a modern story, there were quite a lot of pros for this book.  We enjoyed the overall simplicity of the writing, the simple setting and the quiet strength of the main characters. We’d all wished we had a father like Atticus.  We can also see the impact this book would have had when it was first released and understand completely why it is studied in schools. While we have come a long way, the subject matter is still very much relevant today.

For some of our readers, it did lack the ‘pace’ of today’s stories.  Overall though, we rated this book a commendable 7!  This is definitely a book that everyone should read it at least once.

Rating – 7/10
Read by – Cultcha Club

 

Book Review: Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

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Me Before You by Jojo Moyes

 

Summary

Lou Clark has lots of questions. Like how it is she’s ended up working in an airport bar, spending every shift watching other people jet off to new places. Or why the flat she’s owned for a year still doesn’t feel like home. Whether her close-knit family can forgive her for what she did 18 months ago. And will she ever get over the love of her life. What Lou does know for certain is that something has to change. Then, one night, it does. But does the stranger on her doorstep hold the answers Lou is searching for – or just more questions? Close the door and life continues: simple, ordered, safe. Open it and she risks everything. But Lou once made a promise to live. And if she’s going to keep it, she has to invite them in.
Comments
Our group loved this book!  Fantastic read!! Even when it made us cry, we still loved this book. We found the story was beautifully written.  We found all the characters relatable, from the main characters, Lou and Will, all the way down to Lou’s family.  It generated lots of “good” discussion amongst our readers and our differing views on what the title meant to each of us. It challenged our thoughts on what we thought life was worth living for.   We especially loved the connection between Lou and Will.  We cannot recommend this enough for those who love a good “chicklit” read
Rating
9 1/2
Read by Cultcha Club

Book Review: Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

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Truly Madly Guilty by Liane Moriarty

 

Summary

IF ONLY THEY’D SAID NO…

What if they hadn’t gone? That’s the question Clementine can’t stop asking herself. It was just a backyard barbeque. They didn’t know their hosts that well. They were friends of friends. They could so easily have said no.

But she and her husband Sam said yes, and now they can never change what they did and didn’t do that beautiful winter’s day.

Six responsible adults. Three cute kids. One yapping dog. It’s a normal weekend in the suburbs. What could possibly go wrong?

Once again Liane Moriarty uses her unique, razor-sharp observational skills to sift through the emerging fault lines of seemingly happy families.

It was just an ordinary Sunday afternoon…

Comments

This was a good holiday read for our group.  However, while this was an eagerly anticipated read for us having read a few books by this author, we felt that this was not one of her better ones.  We found it a little too hard to follow.  The writer built the suspense well, but between flipping between 3 different points of view and also between the past and present day, made it at times, too complex.  Some of our readers found it hard to sympathise with the main characters and found some sections a little over detailed.
Overall though, as a group, we still found this book an enjoyable read, and we definitely recommend it.

Rating – 7/10          
Read by – Culcha Club