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Death in Brunswick - Boyd Oxlade (1987)
Set in the late 1980’s Boyd Oxlade’s novel Death in Brunswick is a claustrophobic, greasy, alcohol fueled trip back in time, to a place we at the Brunswick Chapter know well, Sydney Rd. Against a backdrop of grimey pubs, overfilled graveyards and suburban Australian city streets…
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To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (1960)
“Remember it's a sin to kill a mockingbird.” That was the only time I ever heard Atticus say it was a sin to do something, and I asked Miss Maudie about it. “Your father's right,” she said. “Mockingbirds don't do one thing but make music for us to enjoy . . . ” To Kill a…
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Rumble Fish - S. E. Hinton (1975)
A whiskey fueled conversation between James and Alex about Rumble Fish by S. E. Hinton. A: So, James, we read Rumble Fish. What did you think about the protagonist? J: I hated him. He’s dull. He’s not willing to learn. He makes mistakes but he’s not willing to learn why. He…
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Wake in Fright – Kenneth Cook (1961)
A booze-soaked Aussie horror yarn of misadventure and self-destruction. Wake In Fright tells the story of John Grant; bound by financial handcuffs to the State Education Department, he serves as the schoolmaster in the blink-and-you-miss-it outback town of Tiboonda. Grant’s…
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Our Man in Havana - Graham Greene (1958)
Graham Greene’s Our Man in Havana adds to the masterly storyteller’s vivid depictions of nomadic and faithless urbanites. This time, we are introduced to Wormold, a dreamy vacuum cleaner salesman in search of secrecy as MI6’s man in Havana. This is a humorous satire of a man in a…
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American Gods - Neil Gaiman (2001)
This book is not just about gods. This is also a story about what we choose to do with our gods. Gaiman once again crafts a beautiful tale rich in menace and wonder. From brawling leprechauns to Egyptian undertakers you can feel the weight of centuries hanging off these…
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The Big Sleep - Raymond Chandler (1939)
First a confession or two: I wasn’t at the Book Club when we discussed Raymond Chandler’s first Philip Marlowe novel. I hadn’t joined the club yet. I read the book years before when I set myself a challenge to read the English versions of all the American authors translated into…
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One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest - Ken Kesey (1962)
One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest is genius and wonderfully entertaining.Ken Kesey crafts an extraordinarily compassionate story about the healing, unifying and empowering strength and potential of man and brotherhood. McMurphy, the ultimate lovable larrikin and quick-witted…
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The Sisters Brothers - Patrick DeWitt (2011)
I read this book some time ago And was glad to read again The first person views Of gruesome tales From a tough guy Who needs a friend. The Journey these brothers take Is violence filled and cruel With alcohol and jealousy Our friend’s moral rift Is fuelled The life he found…
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The Sound of Things Falling - Juan Gabriel Vásquez (2011)
Juan Gabriel Vásquez’ ‘The Sound of Things Falling’ is a masterful work that not only draws the reader through a gripping story of love, loss, drugs and crime spanning two generations living through Colombia’s tragic modern history, but also delivers a powerful commentary on fate…
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The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemingway (1962)
Hemingway was already a noted author but not yet the widely known, larger than life figure he went on to be. Fiesta took him to the next level of acclaim. I wasn’t part of TGBC when this was read. I read it while the club was reading ‘Men Without Women’ and I couldn’t lay my…
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I Am Pilgrim - Terry Hayes (2013)
I am Pilgrim pieces together a complex series of interwoven crimes and sinister plots, set to the modern theme of extremist Islamic terrorism. Pilgrim is the man charged with tracking down the Saracen, thought to be untraceable and working alone, before he releases a vaccine…
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