The idea of home is the title for NSW voted by many people for National Year of Reading.
When the First Wednesday book club meet this month they discussed “The idea of home by John Hughes”.
In ‘The Idea of Home’ John Hughes writes about growing up in the HunterValley coal-mining town of Cessnock, in a household dominated by memories of the Ukraine, which his mother and grandparents were forced to flee during the Second World War. (excerpt from NoveList Plus) Continue reading
This week the Second Tuesday Evening Book Club met to discuss Hans Fallada’s novel Alone in Berlin, also published under the title of Every man dies alone. This novel is set in Berlin 1940. Otto, an ordinary German living in a shabby apartment block, tries to stay out of trouble under Nazi rule. But when he discovers his only son has been killed fighting at the front he’s shocked onto an extraordinary act of resistance, and starts to drop anonymous postcards attacking Hitler across the city. If caught, he will be executed. Excerpt from BACK COVER.
Title: Jasper Jones
Author: Craig Silvey
Jenny’s pick
On a sweltering summer night in an Australian country town, 13 year old Charlie Bucktin is startled by a knock on his bedroom window. Jasper Jones is the outcast of the town who desperately needs Charlie’s help. Charlie barely knows Jasper, but trusts him enough to climb out into the night and follow Jasper deep into the bush. What he finds is shocking and alarming, but what Jasper asks Charlie to help him do will put a brick in Charlie’s stomach that will not shift. Continue reading
Title: Stolen
Author: Lucy Christopher
Hiba’s pick
I would often daydream as a child what would happen if I ever got kidnapped or lost. It happened once. Getting lost of course. So when I picked up this book having heard Lucy speak at the Sydney Writers Festival school event at Riverside Theatres Parramatta I knew I would be in for a moral joyride. Continue reading
This week the Second Tuesday Book Club met to discuss Jonathan Franzen’s novel The Corrections. Each character has some aspect of their lives they wish to “correct”, hence the title. One reader thoroughly enjoyed the book and felt the dissection of the family was very well done. Others struggled to engage with the book and it took a long time to get through. Continue reading