Book Review: Readers of the Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

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The Readers of the Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald

Summary

It all begins with a correspondence between two quite different women: 28-year-old Sara from Haninge, Sweden, and 65-year-old Amy from Broken Wheel, Iowa. After two years of exchanging books, letters and thoughts on the meaning of literature and life, Sara, who has never been anywhere in her life, decides it’s time to visit Amy. But when she gets there, she finds her friend’s house empty, Amy’s funeral guests just heading home…So, Sara finds herself all alone. But what choice do the inhabitants of Broken Wheel have but to take care of their bewildered tourist? And what choice does Sara have, faced with a growing desire to honour her friend and her beloved little town, but to set up her perfect bookshop with all the books she and Amy shared – from Joyce Carol Oates and Iris Murdoch to Bridget Jones and Little House on the Prairie?

 

Comments

As our first read together the “Dundas Readers” had a mixed response to Swedish author Katarina Bivald’s first novel, “The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend”. In our initial meeting in July we had selected this novel because of its quirky title and its suggested study of relationships.

Most of us felt we could recommend it as a light read although the characters were not fully developed and the small USA town of Broken Wheel and its neighbouring town of Hope were in some ways unrealistic.

The author’s style in using letters from Amy to her Swedish pen pal Sara was successful in introducing Amy to us, who otherwise is not alive at the time of the story.

On a scale of 1-10 we gave it a 6.

 

Read by – Dundas Readers

Rebus Puzzle Competition – Answers

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City of Parramatta Libraries Rebus Puzzle Competition has come to a close and we are busy collating the many entries received.

 

Below are the answers to all 12 puzzles, have a look and see how you went!

 

Winners will be drawn – Wednesday 12 September 2018

 

All winners will be notified by phone on Thursday 13 September 2018.

 

 

PUZZLE 1 – TECHNO THEME – Knight Rider

PUZZLE 2 – TECHNO THEME – Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep

PUZZLE 3 – TECHNO THEME – The Fifth Element

PUZZLE 4 – TECHNO THEME – The Iron Giant

 

PUZZLE 5 – CLASSIC THEME – Happy Days

PUZZLE 6 – CLASSIC THEME – The Moonstone

PUZZLE 7 – CLASSIC THEME – The Wizard of Oz

PUZZLE 8 – CLASSIC THEME – Gaslight

 

PUZZLE 9 – URBAN THEME – Magic Bites

PUZZLE 10 – URBAN THEME – Castle in the Sky

PUZZLE 11 – URBAN THEME – Dangerous Minds

PUZZLE 12 – URBAN THEME – City of Bones

 

 

 

 

Alternative Nobel Prize for Literature

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As you may have heard, 2018 Nobel Prize for literature has been cancelled by the Swedish Academy following sexual assault allegations and resignations of members. More than 100 prominent cultural figures from Sweden have formed the New Academy and will present their own literary award while Swedish Academy is sorting itself out.  In contrast to the Nobel prize, which seeks to honour the writer who has contributed ‘the most outstanding work in an ideal direction’, the new award will be offered to a writer who has told the story of ‘humans in the world’. The New Academy invited Swedish librarians to nominate authors who fit the eligibility criteria. 47 authors were nominated and the four finalists were decided by public vote. Winner will be announced in October after deliberation by the jury. In December the New Academy will be dissolved and 2 laureates will be nominated by the Swedish Academy for the Nobel Prize in literature in 2019.

The four nominees are:

Maryse Conde                        Haruki Murakami

Kim Thuy                                 Neil Gaiman

Librarians’ Choice – Top 10 September 2018

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The latest top 10 reads for September 2018 are here, as selected by Library Staff around Australia. Find something for everyone with some old favorite authors and some new ones. Why not reserve your copy now.

The Killing of Louisa by Janet Lee – Librarians’ Choice Favourite

To lose one husband maybe regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like murder.

In New South Wales in 1888, Louisa Collins was sentenced to hang after being tried multiple times for the alleged murders of her two husbands. The testimony of her young daughter helped to decide her fate.

This clever andcompelling novel recreates Louisa’s time in her Darlinghurst prison cell as shereflects on her life and on the grief and loss that delivered her to thisplace. Despite difficult marriages, financial hardship and the deaths ofseveral children, she remains resilient and determined to have her ownidentity.

But as she faces her final days,will Louisa confess to her crimes? Or is an innocent woman about to be hanged?

Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty
The Girl On The Page by John Purcell
The Single Ladies Of Jacaranda Retirement Village by Joanna Nell
The Bus On Thursday by Shirley Barrett
The Helpline by Katherine Collette
Catching Teller Crow by Ambelin & Ezekiel Kwaymullina
Queerstories by Maeve Marsden (ed)
Greenlight by Benjamin Stevenson
The Clockmaker’s Daughter by Kate Morton

All About Books – Spring 2018

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Welcome to the latest edition, Spring 2018, of our reading suggestions guide – All About Books. It is full of reading ideas for all ages with a selection of the most interesting and exciting reads to be published over the next 3 months. Pick up your FREE copy in one of our City of Parramatta Libraries or click on the cover to download now. We hope you enjoy our selections and happy reading!