Book Chat Recommends

Here's a selection of the books that sparked discussion at a recent meeting of Hastings Library Book Chat. You can find out more by clicking on any title to find the link to the library’s catalogue.

The Girl in the Green Dress by Cath Staincliff
This novel has plenty of twists and psychological drama to create a real page turner. The story describes a hate crime against a transgender student who doesn’t come home from prom night. As shock-waves hit the parents of the affected students, DI Donna Bell has to sift through the evidence with a new partner, determined yet volatile DC Jade Bradshaw. Also recommended is Staincliff’s novel, Blink of an Eye.

 

Happy Half-Hours: selected writings of A A Milne
We know and love A A Milne for his Winnie-the-Pooh stories and children’s poems, but for four decades Milne also wrote whimsical articles on many topics, from lost hats to cheap cigars to married life. This book also includes Milne’s fiercely argued pieces on pacifism. A delightful collection ideal for the bedside table.

 

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro

Our Book Chat reader gave five stars for this novel based on the experiences of an ‘artificial friend’. Klara is on the shelf at a shop awaiting purchase, observing the behaviour of those who come in to browse. When she is taken home to be a companion for Josie, who has fragile health, Klara wants to help make her well. This is a different sort of read which says a lot about the human condition with a perfectly imagined and unusual AI narrator.

The Penelopiad by Margaret Atwood
If you remember, Penelope was the wife of Odysseus, left alone for decades while her husband first went off to fight in the Trojan War (the Trojan horse was his idea) and then while he became side-tracked by various quests around the world. We know Atwood (The Handmaid’s Tale) is a master storyteller, and her take on this classic tale is clever, as you would expect, and a bit different.

Wahine: a novel by Kerry Harrison
As Kit Farley lies dying in her rest-home, memories surface showing the Wahine disaster and the events that followed. The novel builds a story around her daughter Jude, sent to a Taranaki boarding school when her father disappears on the night of the storm. This is a light but engaging read, well worth picking up.

Towards Compostella – Walking the Camino de Santiago by Catharina Van Bohemen

This is a personal account of one woman's journey on the renown Camino de Santiago. This author is an Aucklander with Hawke's Bay roots who kept a journal of her pilgrimage, which she describes as the most important thing she carried. Walking in the steps of those who have walked before her centuries ago, the book is filled with short impressions, notes and histories of people she travelled with. An interesting read.

 

Arcadia by Di Morrissey

We've been reading a few novels set in Tasmania lately, and this one is set over two time frames beginning with newly married Stella who loves the secluded property of her new home. Decades later, her grand-daughter Sally discovers a mystery surrounding her grandmother and with her good friend, Jessica sets out on the adventure of discovering the truth, but unwittingly puts themselves in danger. A great story woven through descriptions of a fascinating environment.

 

 

Life as a Novel – a biography of Maurice Shadbolt by Philip Temple
The second volume of Temple’s bio of one of NZ’s literary lions focusses on the years of political turmoil that included the Sutch spy trial, the Springbok Tour of 1981 and the Erebus disaster. Shadbolt’s journalism probed these and other issues and the book creates a fascinating picture of New Zealand society of the time. Included also are interesting details of the man’s fraught personal life, revealing the arrogance amongst the talent. Well worth a read.

Posted by Hastings Library Book Chat