Autumn Laing by Alex Miller

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Genre - General Fiction

During the 1930’s Autumn Laing meets artist Pat Donlon when her husband Arthur brings him home for dinner. Pat and his wife Edith come to stay for a weekend at Arthur and Autumn’s house in Ocean Grove. Autumn is bored with her marriage and enjoys playing the temptress and seduces Pat whilst he and his wife are visiting. In doing this not only does she compromise her own marriage but destroys the marriage of Pat and Edith and their unborn child. Fifty-three years later in old age Autumn regrets her actions of long ago and sets about writing her story to right the wrongs of the past.

The novel  Autumn Laing is loosely based on he life of Sunday Reed and her relationship with Sidney Nolan. The book is a good read and the correlation between Miller’s character Autumn Laing and Sunday Reed adds an interesting twist to the story .

At the end of the book Miller acknowledges Janine Burke’s biography of Sunday Reed, The Heart Garden (Vintage 2004) as being a useful source for the writing of his book.

---- Reviewed by Sharon, Healesville

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell

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Genre- Historical Fiction

Jacob de Zoet is a clerk for the Dutch East Indies Company stationed on an island formed off Nagasaki by the Japanese to keep the foreigners separate. Set in late 18th and early 19th centuries, this was a fascinating story about the early years of Japan's contact with the rest of the world. Well worth reading.

---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville

Grace Williams Says it Loud by Emma Henderson

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Genre - General Fiction, Romance

What a wonderful book! Grace Williams, born in the 1940s with cerebral palsy lives in London with her parents, her brother and sister. At age 12 she is placed in The Briars which will be her new home for many years. It is here that she meets Daniel - a boy with no arms who also suffers from epilepsy - and who tells the most wonderful stories. This is a love story, but not like any other I have read before. Just wonderful!!

---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville

Lovesong by Alex Miller

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Genre - Romance

This is a truly lovely story. Set mainly in Paris, but not the part of Paris we read about most often. This is set in the part of Paris where immigrants live and work. An Australian man meets a Tunisian woman in her aunt's cafe. When the aunt dies, they take over the running of the cafe. As deeply in love as they are, they are both deeply disappointed. He misses his home, she longs for the baby she seems fated to never have. Their story is told to an almost retired popular author who then must decide what he is going to do with it.

---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville

Rescue by Anita Shreve

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Genre - General

Quite an enthralling book, one that makes you want to keep reading. A rookie paramedic pulls a young woman (Sheila Arsenault) from her totalled car, a first rescue that begins a lifelong struggle. Can you ever really save another person? Eighteen years later Peter (his wife having died) is raising his daughter who is dangerously veering off the track. All the love a father can give a daughter is not enough. At this time Sheila Arsenault returns to his town which may be a godsend or not.

---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville Library Bookchat

Save Me by Lisa Scottoline

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Genre - Family | Mystery

Lisa Scottoline writes on emotional justice for real issues that resonate with real women.

Rose McKenna volunteers as a lunch mom in the cafeteria of her daughter's elementary school. Melly is a lovely child, shy because of being born with a facial birthmark. At her young age she was targeted from the word go and gets bullied every day, placing Rose in a no win situation. Do we step in to protect our children when they need us, or does that make things worse? The family move around to protect Melly but settle where they face again a bully who starts to tease Rose. The final outcome jeopardizes everyone Rose holds dear, until she takes matters into her own hands.

---- Reviewed by Judy, Rowville Library Bookchat

Smokin' Seventeen by Janet Evanovich

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Genre - Humour

Bodies are being mysteriously deposited at Vincent Plum Bail Bonds temporary location and Stephanie's been cursed by Morelli's Grandmother. Not an ordinary curse, mind you...it's a sex curse...leading to some humourous situations with Ranger. Add to the mix a vampire and a bear and you've got a pretty good read, although I must admit I haven't stayed up for hours reading these last few like I used to.

I'm not sure how much longer Evanovich can keep spinning out these stories but I truly love the characters.

---- Reviewed by webgurl, Admin

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

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Genre - General fiction

Our book group loved this book. We all agreed that it was a little slow to start but were quickly were addicted. It does require some degree of concentration but well worth the effort. The main topics were religion, animal behaviour and an attempt to understand the psyche of human survival. So real at times we felt we were in the boat with Pi and the tiger.

A clever book well deserved of the Man Booker Prize.

---- Reviewed by Deborah, guest