Kathryn Stockett - 'The Help'

I saw the movie of this book last year sometime (or possibly even the year before? Whenever it was at the movies anyway), and then this was my bookclub's book for this month.

I found this book 'unputdownable'. Even having seen the movie, albeit a little while ago, and having a pretty good idea of what was going to happen, I found the book and engrossing, but easy to follow story.

Set in Mississippi in 1962, it follows an unlikely friendship between a young white woman, "Miss" Skeeter, who is home from college attempting a career in journalism and Aibileen and Minny, two older black maids who work for two of Skeeter's childhood friends. At a time where legalised racism is expected, but the civil rights movement is gathering force, these women combine to make a difference in their own way.

The cast characters includes the bossy "Miss" Hilly Holbrook, the insecure "Miss" Elizabeth Leefolt, "Miss" Celia Foote who just can't quite understand the rules and Skeeter's mother who just can't understand why her daughter won't conform and won't explain what happened to Constantine, the beloved maid who had raised Skeeter. Hilarious in some parts, horrifying in others and with many touching moments this book looks at the lives of ordinary people of the time.

Reactions during the bookclub were varied. I have done a reasonable amount of reason on the broader topic and while I found the story touching and it a great novel, it didn't really raise any issues with me that I hadn't already considered. Other members however found it very confrontational especially considering it was set in the mid-twentieth century. Definitely a book worth reading.

Bernard Cornwell - 'Enemy of God'

This is the sequel to 'The Winter King' and the second book in Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles.

Once again, it is an Arthurian story based around more historically accurate medieval times rather then the romanticised Arthurian legends so many of us love. This version is told from the point of view of Derfel, a former pagan warrior turned monk, who is transcribing the stories for Igraine the current Queen of Powys some years after they occur.

Mordred, Urther's legitimate son, is not yet on the throne and Arthur, the War Lord, is battling against the Saxons to help keep Britain safe. Merlin is on a quest to find the sacred Treasures of Britain where dangers are of the spirit world as well as the physical one. Trouble is always there though and the tensions between the new Christians and the older pagan faiths are on the rise. This is particularly enhanced when new gods for far away lands are also introduced. The crown is not safe despite Arthur's best efforts and loyalties are torn.

A worthy sequel to the first book. I would recommend reading them in order though. For anyone who likes a medieval adventure or any Arthurian enthusiast who would enjoy a very different view point.

Bernard Cornwell - 'The Winter King'

A friend gave me the 'Warlord Chronicles Trilogy' for my birthday remembering I said I like Arthurian stories. This book is the first of the three.

This Arthurian story is a combination between legend and history. No elegant knights on quests to rescue fair maidens. Instead it is a tale of medieval battles, magic, superstitions, torture, rape, pillage and slaughter. The story is told from the perspective of Derfel Cadarn many years after the events. He is retelling the saga to Igraine, Queen of Powys, while he is a brother in a monestry. However, at the time of the main event he was a boy who was the ward of Merlin and later a soldier who fought at Arthur's side.

Arthur in this version is a warlord. The bastard son of Uthur and protector of Mordred a infant heir with a disability. It is a time of war. Saxon armies are ready and waiting to invade. There is in-fighting amongst the local kings. There is the conflict between the old religions and the new Christians. Morgan, Lancelot, Galahad and Guinevere are all part of this story, just not necessarily in the persona that is expected.

A not-so-romantic version of an old  tale that is very worth reading for anyone who likes medieval history and Arthurian re-tellings.

Nicola Thorne - 'In Time of War'

I told you I had been on a bit of a Nicola Thorne bender! Actually it felt like more at the time, but I think in reality it was only three.

This book is the final volume of 'People of the Parish' series. Once again, I haven't read all the books in the series, but I have read two of the earlier books. There are six in total.

The complete story follows the lives of the Woodville family and other associated families in their area over three generations. This chapter of the saga begins in 1939 just as World War II is breaking. Alexander Martyn marries Irene who almost immediately rushes back to Germany in the hope of saving a friend. As a German Jew, Germany is not a safe place to be, even if you are a British citizen by marriage. Meanwhile other family members are located in the country home, London and even Italy and the war affects them all in different ways.

Once again, a typical Nicola Thorne book of this era. I think it was probably a good end to the series, but wasn't one of my favourites of her books. I will have to re-read some of my favourites and blog about those, because I do not think the ones I have done so far have done her books or my love of them justice!

Nicola Thorne - 'The Water's Edge'

I have collected Nicola Thorne books for a number of years. I went to the discard book shop the other day at our State Library and added another few to my collection! So stay tuned for a few reviews coming up.

'The Water's Edge' is the third in a series and I haven't read the first two. Because of this, some of the background was missing when I read this book, but it was still a nice read. Set in the 1920's this book contains all the key elements of that era: independent woman, class consciousness (although it is beginning to be broken) and unmarried women due to a generation of lost men. It also contains a lot of the typical Nicola Thorne elements: it is part of a saga, half-siblings, illegitimate children, romantic affairs and the breaking of class boundaries, along with the unsurprising side-effects.

It was a nice story. Not my favourite one, but I generally love her books. I think I will have to re-read it in chronological order when I find the first two books!

Philippa Gregory - 'Virgin Earth'

So for those of you who read my last post, 'Virgin Earth' is the sequel to 'Earthly Joy'. Very conveniently both of the books were on sale cheaply when I bought the first one for bookclub so naturally I had to buy/read the second one too. As much as I enjoyed the first book, I think I like the second one better. 'Virgin Earth' looks at the journey of John Tradescant the Younger (aka as J in the first book). He travels to America. Specifically to Virginia in it its early days as a Royalist colony. John falls in love with the native people and the plants in the colonies while of course still loving what he had left behind in England. This book explores the barbaric nature of the treatment of indigenous inhabitants, slavery, conflicting loyalty, idealism, family and the English Civil war. I have realised how limited my knowledge is of this era! Time to do some non-fiction reading too I think. Not that the book isn't perfectly easy to follow without that background, but my curiousity has been sparked. I found in this book the characters less complex in this book, but that this meant some of the themes were are little more confrontational. I enjoyed the book and definitely recommend it to people who like 'meaty' historical fiction.

Philippa Gregory - 'Earthly Joy'

It was my job to pick the book for this week's month's bookclub book. I was given the genre of 'historical novel' which I am sure they thought would be easy for me with my background! For the record it is really hard to pick a book you haven't read before for a group (just in case you have not been in this position). Anyway, I picked Philippa Gregory as the auther and then asked a friend who I knew had read a lot of Philippa Gregory's books to recommend one for me and here we are! The novel is set in the 1600's when Elizabeth I is still on the throne. The central character is John Tradescant, a gardener who shares a strong bond with the lord he serves. Time does not stand still however, and as time goes on John's loyalty is tested. New monarchs, new masters, new family. Conflicting views and as time progresses John realises the things he thought were straight forward might not be. Initially, the other members of the bookclub were a bit dubious after reading the blub. None of them had read this type of book before. While we have not had our official meeting, the comments on facebook have been very positive! Based on this, I would recommend the book for those wishing to try the genre. Oh, and I enjoyed the book and I am halfway through the sequel!

Sally Stewart - "Echoes in the Square"

I picked this book up randomly from the kiosk at the train station when I realised I had forgotten to take a book in my work bag.

The cover has the blurb "Two families - one rick, one poor - in peace, in war". This does pretty much sum the book up! It is a fairly predictable book about two families who lives are intertwined. The upper class Marchant family who live in the house. The Rowland family who serves them. The snobby Marchant daughter compared to the gentle Rowland daughter who wins everyone's heart. And of course World War II being the great leveller.

While the book may have been a little predictable in parts there were interesting storylines. A nice book for people who like romance stories set in this era.

Philippa Gregory - 'Fallen Skies'

When I first started this book, I thought it was like hundreds of other books of the same era. Just after WWI. Upper-class soldier returned home with an injury falls in love with a girl he sees performing in a show. While many of the common themes are present, the psychological aspect of a man who has seen the horrors of war is more deeply explored then in many of these books.

Stephen falls in love with Lily, hoping she can help him forget the horrors of a war he did not want to fight. Lily, however is in love with her career on the stage. Mrs Winters, Stephen's mother, is concerned about the impression Lily would make on her well ordered upper-class life. Mr Winters is an invalid since the death of his first-born son.

This is a story about many different types of love. It is about the clash of worlds. It is about the aftermath of a the war that took a generation and scarred those who survived it.

After I was about a third of the way through this book, I could not put it down. The first bit was readable, but then it became enthralling. Highly recommended to anyone who likes books about the post-WWI era.

Philippa Gregory "The Queen's Fool"

I think I had previously started one of Philippa Gregory's other books but I am not sure if I had ever finished it (not "The Other Boleyn Girl" which I still haven't read), but after reading this one I will definitely be searching my shelves to find it and read it properly.

"The Queen's Fool" is a work of historical fiction told through the eyes of a girl, Hannah, who is in fear of her life by accident of birth, as a product of times and as a victim of circumstance when she is thrust in the household of the dying King. Whilst it is set in historical times and tells the story of life in the times of (Bloody)Queen Mary it is also a story of conflicting loyalties, devotion, betrayal and of finding yourself. The book shows nothing is black and white and throughout the book Hannah is shown everything is about compromise. The book wasn't overly focused on the historical side of things but definitely gave you sense of the contemporary times in particular the controversy over religion. For those people who are interested in that side of things there was enough said to inspire further reading on the period. Similarly that while romance featured in the book I would not call it a romance novel.

The book reminded me of Jean Plaidy's books albeit less focused on the historical characters. Jean Plaidy was my first introduction to history and the beginning of a lifelong love of all things historical. I will be hunting up more of Phillipa Gregory's books after reading this one.