Finishing 2019 on a High

Hastings Library Book Chat has read, discussed and shared some amazing books this year. These are some of the books that particularly caught our attention during our last get-together for 2019.

The Trespassers by Meg Mundell
Set in the near future, this mystery/dystopian novel follows a group of strangers thrown together on a migrant ship escaping UK and a raging pandemic. Bound for Australia, the characters hope but a fresh start, but when a murder takes place and people start to fall ill, events take a darker turn. A gripping novel which gives you plenty to think about in light of recent and historic events.


How I Became a North Korean by Krys Lee
Three people stranded in North Korea all from different walks of life come together as danger closes in. Their struggles for safety and attempts to leave creates a nail-biting storyline. A brilliant first novel, very original and thought-provoking.


The Flame by Leonard Cohen
A superb last collection by this master poet, song-writer and literary icon brought together with excerpts from his private notebooks, lyrics and even hand-drawn self-portraits. The kind of book that is lovely to dip into as well as a valediction to a passionate, deep and intelligent man.

The History Speech by Mark Sweet
Set in 1960s provincial New Zealand, the new Mark Sweet novel is both a coming of age story and a glimpse of the dark underbelly of the middle classes. Teenage Callum's family are enviably well-to-do but there are undercurrents of bullying, infidelity and abuse. Callum also has to deal with issues of self-identity and sexuality. Another nuanced and intelligent novel from this local author.

Madeleine by Euan Cameron
Jo Latymer's father has always refused to talk about his parents, but when he meets his French cousin, the story emerges of his grandmother, shut away in a Breton manor, as well as his long-lost grandfather told in letters and diaries.  A brilliant read about the blinkering effects of youthful idealism set during the brutal regime of Vichy France in WW2.

Aphrodite's Hat by Salley Vickers
British novelist Salley Vickers writes on the psychological effects of love in this short-story collection, throwing a light on the complex geography of the human heart. Set in Venice, Greece and Rome, as well as the UK, there's plenty of the other kind of geography too. The stories are well-written, insightful and punchy.

American Wife by Curtis Sittenfield
This is the story of Alice, an unlikely President's wife, whose quiet, bookish and self-contained life is overtaken by Charlie, who is destined for the White House. How can she maintain her own personality and be true to her beliefs, often which run against her husband's presidency? A complex and engaging read, inspired apparently by Laura Bush.

The Roadhouse by Kerry McGinnis
This book has a little bit of everything: suspense, humour, murder, family secrets and a bit of romance. When aspiring actress Charlie Carver learns of her cousin's sudden death, she flies home to her family's roadhouse near Alice Springs. Is the death really suicide? Can Charlie manage the roadhouse when her mother falls ill? Is the discovery of another woman's body connected with the death of her cousin? A great read for lovers of romantic suspense or books set in the Aussie outback.

Posted by Hastings Book Chat