December book: The Help by Kathryn Stockett
chosen by Sharon

Book Description:

Set in Jackson, Mississippi, in 1962, The Help is narrated by three women: Aibileen and Minny are both black maids working for ladies from the cream of white society, while Miss Skeeter is the 23-year-old daughter of one of those pillars of the community. Aibileen has raised 17 white children, but her own son has been recently killed in an accident; Minny is forever losing jobs because she talks back to her employers; and Miss Skeeter, so called because she looked like a mosquito when she was born, is ungainly and unmarried and seemingly the only one of her class able to see there might be something unjust about their society.

While Aibileen and Minny are just trying to get by, Skeeter is in the enviable position of being able to try to make something of her life. She wants to be a writer. Her first efforts are wonderfully wrong-headed, but inspired by thoughts of the woman who brought her up –  she hits on the idea of collating the stories of the domestic maids, voices never before heard in print. In 1962 this is not only a radical project, since if any of the white ladies found out their help had been talking in public they would have fired them on the spot, but also illegal in Mississippi, since it contravenes the notorious Jim Crow segregation laws.

What we discussed about the book:

Movie characters:

And before that we chatted about:

And in other news:

Ratings

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November book: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society 

by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Burrows

chosen by Kim

Book Description:

January 1946: writer Juliet Ashton receives a letter from a stranger, a founding member of the Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.  And so begins a tale of the island of Guernsey during the German occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name.  

What we discussed about the book:

All of us found the book an easy read.   

We also discussed the following:

Movie characters:

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And before that we chatted about:

And in other news:

Ratings

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October book: Orange is the New Black by Piper Kerman

chosen by Pen

Book Description:

When Piper Kerman was sent to prison for a ten-year-old crime, she barely resembled the reckless young woman she'd been when she briefly dabbled in the world of drug trafficking.

Happily ensconced in a New York apartment with a promising career and an attentive boyfriend, she was suddenly forced to reckon with the consequences of her actions.

Kerman spent 13 months in prison, eleven of them at Danbury, Connecticut, where she met a varied community of women.  In this memoir, she tells the story of those months and the women — the codes of behaviour and arbitrary hierarchies — and offers a unique perspective on the criminal justice system.

What we discussed about the book:

All of us found the book an easy read.  Some enjoyed it and found it addictive, while others thought it was inane, and not particularly well-written or pulled together, with random statistics being thrown in.  Most of us thought it would be more in-depth and were disappointed to find things glossed over.

This led to an interesting discussion about correctional services.  Some expressed the opinion that mandatory sentencing is fundamentally flawed.  The separation of mothers from their families simply perpetuates the cycle that landed the women in jail initially.  Need to set up programmes in the community to assist with re-entry into society.  The programmes in this book were clearly not suitable and followed a flawed government model of 'one size fits all'. 

We also discussed the following:

Were the Bureau of Federal Prisons able to claim Piper as a success story? 

No, she didn't need rehabilitation in the first place, so putting her in prison was simply a waste of taxpayers' money. There definitely needs to be a deterrent for drug crimes but there also needs to be an element of sensibility.  We didn't condone what Piper did, but at the end of the day, she was a very minor player.  Bridget felt sentencing should be based on the impact of the crime on other people.  Bree felt sentencing needs to take the offender into account.  Justice doesn't look at the crime holistically.  For example, people living in ghettos are surviving the only way they know how.  If we apply the same model to everybody, it is cyclic.

What are the special strengths and weaknesses of women in tight-knit, single-sex communities?

We felt that women are nurturers, forming little families.  We are conversation-based and can talk for hours, while men are activity-based and DO things together rather than talking. In the example of this book, the cultural differences were very apparent and the women naturally formed 'tribes' based on their culture.

Should prisons be run by private for-profit organisations?

We talked again about how it's not the idea that's flawed but rather the delivery.  Prisons need to answer to government, but outcome should be people are being rehabilitated, not incarcerated and then released into the community to reoffend.

Movie characters:

• Piper - Helen Hunt or Kim Raven or Alison van Reeken
  
• Larry - Josh Radnor (Ted from How I Met Your Mother)

And before that we chatted about:

Pip's Gold Coast holiday - it rained just about the whole time and they didn't know anyone at the wedding.

Renovations — Pen is moving back into their house after a month of being out, although it will be another month until the kitchen is done.  Sharon is wanting to add on a few more rooms but it's difficult getting a builder to work in the Hills.

Work — Rachael is on a 12 month secondment to the Swan River Trust and needs some news.  Looks like a tough gig based on your facebook photos Rach.  Jack is working with Tim Evans.  PR in Perth is a very small world!

Favourite TV shows - love Offspring and Mad Men!

And in other news:

We're all looking forward to a night out at Balthazar!

Ratings

Ratings average: 5.8

Ratings range: 5 — 7 

September book: The Art of Racing in the Rain, by Garth Stein

chosen by Rachael

Book Description:

Enzo knows he is different from other dogs: a philosopher with a nearly human soul (and an obsession with opposable thumbs), he has educated himself by watching television extensively, and by listening very closely to the words of his master, Denny Swift, an up-and-coming race car driver. Through Denny, Enzo has gained tremendous insight into the human condition, and sees that life, like racing, isn't simply about going fast. Using the techniques needed on the race track, one can successfully navigate all of life's ordeals.

On the eve of his death, Enzo takes stock of his life, recalling all that he and his family have been through.

From the author's website.

What we discussed about the book:

We all loved the book! 

Sorry everyone - have misplaced the notes from this wonderful book but I know they're here somewhere!  As soon as I get my mitts on them I'll finish this blog.  Apologies again to Rachael especially.

Movie characters:

• 
  

And then we were sidetracked into:

And in other news:

Ratings

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August book: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

chosen by Pip

Book Description:

Water for Elephants is "told in flashback by nonagenarian Jacob Jankowski.  Jacob recounts the time he spent with the Benzini Brothers Most Spectacular Show on Earth, a traveling circus he joins during the Great Depression. When the 23-year-old Jankowski learns his parents have been killed in a car crash, leaving him penniless, he drops out of veterinary school and turns his expertise with animals into a job with the circus, where he cares for a menagerie of exotic creatures. He also falls in love with Marlena, one of the show's star performers—a romance complicated by Marlena's husband, the unbalanced, sadistic circus boss who beats both his wife and the animals Jankowski cares for."

From Publishers Weekly

What we discussed about the book:

We all loved the book with its quirkiness and unpredictability.  Some felt there were a few strange parts such as the train jumping and Jacob going to kill Walter.

Robert Pattinson/period drama is Rachael's dream, Alana's nightmare.

Most of us liked both parts of the story ie Jacob's life now plus the flashbacks to the circus days.  That took us to the topic of aging and appreciating our elders and their life stories. A lot of us have elderly relatives that we try to visit often, and admittedly, while you appreciate them, the stories do become repetitive and it can be hard to stay interested.  We loved Rosemary for the dignity with which she treated Jacob - unlike the nurse that just pulled the blind down without asking him.

We also talked about whether, like Jacob, it was better to lose your spouse first or for you to die first. Jacob, even though there were times he 'would give anything to have her back', was glad she went first to spare her the pain of losing your loved one.

We discussed how circuses are all about illusion.  Why do we crave the illusion circuses represent?  How do we cater to people's desire for illusion?  We likened this to the PR industry that most of us are involved in, and how 'events' and other PR are all part of an 'illusion'.  Reality doesn't come into it.  We felt that there can be a lot of b#$%@*t and pretension.

We missed a few of the references in the story.  Nobody got the biblical reference to Jacob, and we didn't predict who killed Augustus!  We also missed why Jacob was shitty with McGuinty, the man who boasted about carrying water for elephants.  We guess it was because Jacob knew it to be untrue and that McGuinty was making up stories so the 'girls would fawn over him'.

Movie characters:

It was hard to go past the actors who are playing the characters in the movie:

• Marlena - Reese Witherspoon
  
• Jacob - Ryan Gosling
  
• August - Billy Zane
  
• Big Al - ?
  
• Camel - ?
  
• Walter - Peter Dinklage
  
• Earl - guy from Pulp Fiction
  

And then we were sidetracked into:

Rob Pattinson and Kristen Stewart.  What is with Kristen - whiny, surly, doesn't seem very happy - don't like her attitude to fame.  Rach loves Rob, and some think he is attractive - bit weedy though and looks like he'd blow over in the wind.  We don't get all the interest in the Twilight series and a lot of us don't think Stephanie Meyer is a particularly good writer.

Which moved us onto Mormons.  Alana had to pitch for work for them for the opening of a temple in Perth, which is only open to the public every 77 years.  Alana and Marie offered the prospective clients tea/coffee three times, and made themselves a coffee, only to be told 'we don't drink tea or coffee'.  Needless to say, they didn't get the job!  PS The temple was incredible.

....Which then moved us onto wedding ceremonies - and some funny stories of 'dry' ones.  Pip ended up drinking in the bushes.  Rachael is just going to end up in the bushes at Pip's wedding!  How do you manage the drinks at weddings?  Bridesmaid etiquette was also a topic of conversation and how to tell friends they aren't in the bridal party!  A tough one!

And in other news:

We got to meet the newest bookclub baby, Finn - thank you for bringing him Bree.  He's beautiful and you look SO well.

Pip prepared a circus feast with mini hotdogs, popcorn, pink and yellow cupcakes and lollies — very cute and beautifully themed!

Pip's wedding preparations are going well.  Jack and Sharon are going to help with 'styling'.  Pip and Wade are probably going to have heavy canapes, then a sit-down main.

Does our blog have any followers? Lets do a few more things with it!

Ratings

Ratings average: 7.9

Ratings range: 6.5 — 9.5 (Rachael gave it 9.5, the last 0.5 being because Rob Pattinson is playing Jacob in the movie.)